Stop At: The Holy Trinity-St. Sergius Lavra
This tour can be customized to make it a unique experience for you. Your private local guide will meet you in the hotel lobby at about 8am, and discuss the tour itinerary and timing with you at the beginning of the tour.
8.30am Avoid traffic and get a deeper understanding of Russian realities by taking a local train or bus with your tour guide. Listen to your guide's interesting stories on the way to Sergiev Posad.
Stop At: Trinity Cathedral
10am Get ready for centuries-old churches, antique frescoes, mosaics, an abundance of golden and silver ornaments, onion shaped domes, impressive interior with gold gilded altar, and royal door panels, picturesque gates and massive walls. This is a must-see when you’re in Russia. Just being next to the building that was built in the 11th century is simply mind-blowing.
11am Walk down Sergiev Posad's boulevards lined with charming old wooden houses made in a simple old Russian style, and appreciate calmness by the lake with a glass of kvas (Russian bread brew) and flavorful bread from a local pastry shop. Founded almost 680 years ago - 1337 - Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius is the spiritual center of Russian Orthodox Church: Trinity-Sergius Monastery is ranked as one of the four most noteworthy religious communities in Russia.
12pm Break for lunch
Stop At: Cathedral of the Assumption
1pm There are a few houses of worship in the complex: from the early medieval to the later eighteenth century ones. You will see Trinity Cathedral (1420).
Stop At: The Museum Complex “Konny Dvor”
1.30pm The museum complex "Konny Dvor," built in 1790, features the permanent exhibition of ancient history of the city of Sergiev Posad, Russian Folk and Decorative Art, the Trinity-St. Sergius Monastery.
Stop At: Pavlovsky Posad Museum of Art and History
2pm Have a look at local souvenirs, which are generally cheaper than those in Moscow at the Matryoshka Museum and the Museum of Toys. Matryoshka was invented in Sergiev Posad, so this is the epicenter of souvenir production in Russia.
Stop At: Federal State Cultural Establishment Artistic and Literary Museum-Reserve Abramtsevo
Take an optional tour of the lovely Abramtsevo Royal Estate,which was first mentioned in 16th century and belonged to a Russian millionaire and art connoisseur Savva Mamonov and was the heart of bohemian Russian elite in the 19th-century.
Stop At: Federal State Cultural Establishment Artistic and Literary Museum-Reserve Abramtsevo
Enjoy the excellence and peacefulness of the cloisters and encompassing nature, listen to the stories about the notorious houses of worship, watch the monks go about their everyday schedule. Feel the quietness, virtue and sacredness of the spot, appreciate the atmosphere and holy water, take in the views of the medieval structures and surroundings at a comfortable pace.
Stop At: Moscow-City
2.30pm Train/bus back to Moscow 4pm Back at your hotel
