Meet your guide at your central Moscow hotel and catch a train or bus (fare for one traveler included) to Sergiev Posad. On route, hear about your destination from your guide and tell them if there’s anything you want to see more of: the itinerary can be tailored around you.
One of the ‘Golden Ring’ towns encircling Moscow — so-called for their wealth and power — Sergiev boasts medieval origins. The town is named after Russia’s patron saint, St. Sergius of Radonezh, who established its 14th-century Trinity Lavra Monastery, a UNESCO-listed Orthodox sanctuary.
On arrival, look around Sergiev’s highlights, including its churches, wooden buildings, and elegant squares. Entrance fees are at your own expense, but admission to most churches is free.
Stroll the boulevards past charming wooden houses made in old-school Russian style, and relax by the lake over a glass of fizzy kvas and flavorsome bread from a pastry shop.
Head into the Trinity Lavra to tour its beautiful churches and buildings. Founded in 1337, the complex is the hub of Russia’s Orthodox Church and one of its four leading religious communities.
Take in the peaceful cloister, watch the monks at work, and admire the gold-domed 15th-century Trinity Cathedral, onion-domed 16th-century Assumption Cathedral, and 288-foot (88-meter) baroque bell tower as your guide unravels the monastery’s history.
Then, view the medieval Russian art and folk crafts at the monastery’s Konny Dvor Museum; gaining insight into Sergiev’s wider history.
Visit Sergiev’s famous Toy Museum to see its traditional toy collections, including painted wooden matryoshka dolls, and enjoy an optional tour of the Abramtsevo Estate, a former artists’ colony and picturesque Russian estate that was a magnet for Russia’s artists in the 1800s.
Finally, ride the train or bus back to Moscow, finishing with a drop-off at your chosen city-center location.
