During a walking excursion around Vladimir you will see the 12th century white stone monuments of the Golden Gate, St Demetrius’ Cathedral, and the Dormition Cathedral with frescoes by the great 15th century Russian icon-painter Andrey Rublev. The tour also includes a visit to the military-historical exposition in the Golden Gate. In Suzdal the sightseeing tour will cover the Suzdal Kremlin and Spaso-Yevfimiev Monastery. The tour also includes visits to the white stone Nativity Cathedral, the "Golden Storeroom" and Gury Nikitin’s frescos in the Transfiguration Cathedral.

08:00 Transfer from your hotel to the railway station. A driver will wait for you at the lobby of your hotel or place where you stay. (OPTIONAL)

Please note that the check-in for Russian trains starts 30 minutes before departure. You must have your passport with you and present it at check-in.

09:30 Departure from Moscow.

The way to Vladimir takes 1h 40min. Stations are announced in Russian and English. The train only has a two-minute stop in Vladimir, so be ready to get off in advance.

11:14 Meeting your English-speaking guide and the driver at the Vladimir train station. 

11:30 City tour of Vladimir. Vladimir was once the medieval capital of the Russian state and so is an important city in terms of Russian history. The highlights of this tour include:

• Assumption Cathedral, 1158, with the unique fresco by Andrey Rublev dated 1408 - the main cathedral of the city. For over 200 years this cathedral held the revered Our Lady of Vladimir Icon, which Prince Andrey Bogolyubsky brought from Vyshgorod in Ukraine to Vladimir. The icon was later transferred to Moscow and can now be seen in the Tretyakov Gallery. According to legend, the icon was created by Luke the Evangelist. The interior still retains fragments of frescos by Andrey Rublev. (CLOSED ON MONDAYS)
• Golden Gates - a rare monument of Russian 12th-century defensive architecture and all that remains of the walls which once surrounded Vladimir.
• St.Demetrius’ Cathedral - one of the most remarkable monuments of mediaeval Rus. It was built in the 1190s as a palace temple of Grand Prince Vsevolod the Big Nest of Vladimir and is decorated on the outside with engravings of plants and animals. (CLOSED ON TUESDAYS (IN WINTER). 
• The Lacquer boxes and Crystal glass museum

Transfer from Vladimir to Suzdal.

Lunch (own expense)

14:30 City tour of Suzdal. Suzdal is perhaps the highlight of the Golden Ring, as the whole city is an open-air museum thanks to it being practically unspoiled by modernization and industrialization. On this excursion you will visit:

• Suzdal Kremlin - this is the oldest part and historical core of the city. Although the Kremlin's walls no longer stand, parts of the earthen mound fortifications do remain. The buildings inside the Kremlin are now used as museums. (CLOSED ON TUESDAYS (IN WINTER)
• Nativity Cathedral (1222) with the unique Golden doors produced in 1230 – the Kremlin's cathedral is the Nativity Cathedral and the current version stands on the place of an 11th-century version which was built on the orders of Vladimir Monomakh. The interior features stunning frescos as well as a necropolis where the sons of Yury Dolgoruky have been interred along with several members of various noble families from Suzdal. 
• Spaso-Yefimiev Monastery (1352) – this is the largest monastery in Suzdal and with its large fortified walls it is often mistaken for being the Suzdal Kremlin. It was the former KGB political jail. Today it is a museum with various exhibitions including its main cathedral with its amazing frescos. (CLOSED ON MONDAYS (IN WINTER)
• Museum of the Wooden Architecture and Peasant life – this collection of wooden buildings, including churches and windmills, from various parts of European Russia, is one of the best of architectural museums in Russia. It now resembles a village in itself made up of beautiful examples of 17th - 19th-century wooden buildings which have been brought here to protect them from fire or from being dismantled.
• Trading Rows (1812) – Suzdal’s set of trading rows are still used for their original purpose and a souvenir market is held outside where you can buy a whole range of souvenirs, including bottles of the mead for which Suzdal is famed.
• The Transfiguration of Jesus cathedral 1560, the bellman performance at the monastery

17:00 Transfer back to Vladimir train station. 

18:00 Lastochka High-Speed train back to Moscow. 

20:00 Arrival in Moscow. Transfer to your hotel. A driver will wait for you next to your wagon. (OPTIONAL)