Golden Ring

Region info

With its ancient monasteries and shining golden domes, striking rural landscapes, charming wooden cottages, and friendly local people, the Golden Ring route gives us a chance to escape from the busy life of the 21st century. Go back in time and see life as it was one hundred or even two hundred years ago.

The Golden Ring of Russia is a picturesque region with the eight oldest and most unique towns of central European Russia. The poetic name was coined by a Russian journalist and art historian, Yuri Bychov, in 1967.

The region's highlights are Vladimir, Suzdal, Ivanovo, Kostroma, Yaroslavl, Rostov Veliky, Pereslavl-Zalessky, and Sergiev Posad. The total length of the route is about 700 km.

However, there's no official list of the Golden Ring towns. While Sergiev Posad and Suzdal are the most popular tourist destinations, you may find other charming and less-known towns such as Yuriev-Polsky, Rybinsk, Tutaev, Uglich, Plyos, and many more.

When to go?

When is the best time to travel? Each season has its charm. The warm season usually starts in Mid-May and lasts till Mid-September. The average summer temperature is around 24℃ (75°F).

Early Autumn is a treat for photographers. The most colorful season starts in Mid-September and lasts till Mid-October. The weather in October is very unpredictable. One year it might be warm and sunny, almost like in summer, while another year, it might start snowing in late October.

Winter is a fantastic time to admire snowy landscapes, ride a Russian Troika, and enjoy the countryside's fairy-tale-like images. The average winter temperature is around - 10 ℃ (20 °F)

While planning your Golden Ring trip it's good to know a few notes:
Book your tour well in advance if you consider visiting Russia during the public holidays. These days many locals also travel along the Golden Ring. The most popular dates are: January 1 – January 10 (New Year holidays), the extended weekend around February 23 and March 8, May 1 – May 10

November might not be the best time for traveling. You'll surely enjoy the quietness of each town, but the landscape might look dull and gloomy without snow.

Transportation between towns of the Golden Ring

Many towns of the Golden Ring are within a 1,5-hour drive from each other. You might visit one or even two towns a day.  Some of the bigger cities are connected to Moscow by railroad.

You might follow the Golden Ring route by car, but if your time is limited, we’d advise you to cover part of your journey by train.

Moscow countryside is known for traffic congestions. It’ll be much faster to go from Moscow to Vladimir or from Moscow to Yaroslavl by train compared to driving.

You can reach the following towns by train:

Sergiev Posad.  It takes 1,5 hours to reach the town by commuter train and about 1 hour by express train. There’re numerous commuter trains during the day and only a few express ones. In most cases, the time you spend to reach Yaroslavsky train station in Moscow plus the time of the journey is equal to the time by car.

Vladimir. You might find several high-speed trains from Moscow to Vladimir. While it takes around 4-5 hours by car, the train journey lasts only about 2 hours.
The most convenient trains from Moscow to Vladimir are:
07.07  -  08.56 (Lastochka train)
 09.33  - 11.15 (Lastochka train)
You may find many return trains from Vladimir to Moscow in the evening. Below are some options:
16.35 – 18.21 (Lastochka train)
 18.35 – 20.16 (Lastochka train)

Rostov. It takes 2,5 hours to reach Rostov by train. The most convenient train leaves Moscow at 07.35 and arrives in Rostov at 10.13. A return train leaves Rostov at 20.23, arriving in Moscow at 22.58.
 It is much faster to reach Rostov by train compared to driving. However, if you consider visiting Sergiev Posad and Pereslavl Zalessky, we’d advise you to choose the car option.

Yaroslavl. It takes 3,5 hours to reach Yaroslavl by train. The most convenient train leaves Moscow at 07.35 and arrives in Rostov at 11.01. A return train leaves Yaroslavl at 19.39, arriving in Moscow at 22.58

Kostroma. You can reach Kostroma by high-speed Lastochka train (4 hours) or by sleeper train (6 hours)
If you need to be in Kostroma in the morning, you should probably opt for an overnight train that leaves Moscow at 00.35 and arrives in Kostroma at 06.30 in the morning. A return sleeper train departs Kostroma at 23.41 and arrives in Moscow at 05.43
Lastochka train leaves Moscow at 15.10 and arrives in Kostroma at 19.17. A return lastochka train departs Kostroma at 07.12 and arrives in Moscow at 11.19