The Golden Ring Tour 5 Days

The Golden Ring Tour: Day 1

Arrive Moscow: Transfer From Moscow Airport To Hotel : You will be met by your driver at the Moscow Airport ( it is important to know which airport as there are 2 major international airports in Moscow).The airport code for Moscow - Sheremetyevo is SVO and the Moscow airport code for Domodedovo is DME)

Your Driver will display a placard with your name.

Your stay in Moscow will be at the Melody hotel, a small hotel close to the center of Moscow. This Hotel is ideal for the western traveler. (add $35 per room per night to upgrade to the 4 star Marco Polo Hotel)

Depending on your arrival time, you may have time for a city metro tour, Moskva River tour or other short excursion to help you orient yourself to Moscow. *

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The Moscow tour with Golden Ring Tour: Day 2 Kremlin Tours

Saturday by Moscow Metro

Each day your Moscow tour guide will come to your hotel to meet you and begin your day of touring. Today all of your Moscow guided tours are in or near Red Square. As a result you will take the Moscow metro to Red Square and there will be no need for a car or driver.

The Moscow Metro stations were built during the time of Stalin to prove to the West that Russia had become a modern country. For a more detailed commentary on the Moscow Metro click the link.

The first stop today is the famous Moscow Kremlin . We refer to it as the Moscow Kremlin since, as you will discover during your visit to Russia, that there are many Kremlins (fortresses) in the country. You will discover there are Kremlins in the Golden Ring, Novgorod and many other cities.

The Moscow Kremlin is the seat of Government of the Russian Federation. In addition to the Presidential Palace there are many other sites within the walls of the Kremlin. Some of these sites require additional tickets. After you have visited the Cathedral of the Assumption, where the czars were crowned, you will visit the Kremlin Armory Museum.

The Kremlin Armory is one of those Kremlin sites which require a separate entrance ticket. (Included in your tour). Inside you will see Czars possessions. This museum houses examples of the famous Faberge eggs, gowns worn by the Empresses of Russia including the amazing coronation gown of Empress Catherine II (Great) and thousands of priceless artifacts from the estates of the czars.

After lunch, you will visit St. Basil's Cathedral which was built by Czar Ivan IV ( also known as The Terrible) in the 16th century. It is located in Red Square, next to the Kremlin. You will tour the Cathedral to better appreciate both the exterior and interior of this amazing structure.

Before you finish the day you will walk around Red Square, see the outside of Lenin's Tomb, the Gum Department store and many of the sites nearby including the Russian Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

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The Golden Ring Tour: Day 3

We design our private tours of Russia to include the very best sites in Moscow, the Golden Ring and St. Petersburg. Today you will visit some more of the best by car

• Bolotnaya Square (Love Bridge with love locks (Saturday and Sunday are the big wedding days and there are often couples there putting locks on the trees- tourist enjoy watching them a lot) and modern piece of social art "Children are the victims of the Adult's vices")
• Sophiyskaya Embankment for the panoramic view of the Kremlin
• Christ the Savior Cathedral and the foot bridge next to it.
• Museum, park of Arts (part of the park is known as the "Cemetery of Soviet Monuments") and the huge statue of Peter the Great located in the Moskva River
• The Novodevichy Convent, New Maiden Convent.
  • This famous convent is a picturesque oasis in the middle of a bustling city. Peter The Great, imprisoned his sister Sophia there in an attempt to curtail her efforts to seat their brother Ivan on the Russian thrown. In more modern times, the Novodevichy Convent has become the final resting place of many famous Russians including:
    • Nikita Khrushchev
    • Boris Yeltsen
    • Stalin's wife Nadezhda Alliluyeva-Stalin
    • Sergei Prokofiev composer
    • Dmitri Shostakovich composer..
• Sparrow Hills
• Victory Park
• Arbat Street

Following your tour of Novodecvihy, you visit the Cathedral of Christ the Savior. This famous cathedral is a replica of the original Cathedral which was destroyed by the Communists during Soviet times. It has been rebuilt since the fall of the Soviet Union and it is truly spectacular.

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The Golden Ring Tour: Day 4

Monday car/van

Today you say "goodbye" to the Moscow and your Moscow tour guide and will exchange the hustle and bustle of a huge metropolitan area for the serenity and beauty of provincial Russia. From now until you board the train in Vladimir bound for your return to Moscow, you will have a private car and driver.

Set off on your tour Vladimir and Suzdal.

Vladimir, once a capital of a mighty Russian principality, a present-day administrative centre of the region, noted for the splendid 12th century white stone monuments listed by UNESCO in the heritage list:

• The Golden Gates
• The church of St Demetrious
• The Assumption Cathedral
  • The tour of the city includes a driving tour and a visit to the Assumption Cathedral (1158).

Lunch

A visit to Bogolubovo, the former residence of prince of Vladimir (complex built in 12–18th centuries) and the church of Intercession on Nerl (12th century, UNESCO heritage sight)

Transfer to Suzdal.

Check in the hotel - Pushkarskaya Sloboda hotel 3* (or equivalent)

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The Golden Ring Tour: Day 5

Tuesday your Private Golden Ring guide and you will tour by car/van

Suzdal, a tiny town with population of 13 thousand people is located about 200 km east of Moscow. It is known as the "Pearl of the Golden Ring," and for good reason. As a designated world historical site, Suzdal, has ignored the modern world and retained a picturesque beauty and tranquility that has to be experienced to be believed. Suzdal has been preserved as it was during medieval times. Every view in this idyllic place is a photo moment waiting to be taken advantage of. There are literally too many beautiful wooden houses and religious structures to list, causing sensory overload that prompts one to think to oneself, "I could live here."

A tour of Suzdal includes a driving tour of the city with visits to the Kremlin, the core of the city; the museum of Wooden Architecture and Peasant Life; a tour of St Ephymius Monastery/or Intersession Convent.

Lunch included

After your visit to Suzdal and Vladimir you will be taken to board the train to Moscow.

This variation includes a transfer from the Moscow train station to the hotel of your choice. The hotel in Moscow is not included, however, we will be happy to arrange a hotel for you. If you would also like to visit St. Petersburg you may be interested in:

• Economy Tour of Russia (9 days Friday-Saturday)
• Comprehensive Tour of Russia (12 days)
• Best of Russia Tour (12 days Friday-Tuesday)

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Summary of the features of your tour:

• Personal guide each day.
• Car and driver (on the days specifically mentioned in the itinerary).
• All museum admissions.
• Hotel in Moscow " Hotel Melody or similar.***
• Hotel in Suzdal – Pushkarskaya Sloboda Hotel or similar.***
• Train (2nd class) from Vladimir to Moscow.
• Transfers from, and returning to, airports and train stations.

*These arrival activities are not included in the price as we will not know if time permits until your exact arrival details are known. ***With advance notice, these hotels will be used. Similar hotels will be used if these hotels are unavailable.

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