Day Trips and Overnight Excursions from Moscow, Russia - The Top 25 Destinations

The region surrounding Moscow contains many of Russia's greatest historical monuments, from the architectural splendour of the Golden Ring towns to the numerous sites connected to literary and political heavyweights such as Chekhov, Tolstoy and Lenin. The main attractions of the Golden Ring, especially Suzdal, should be on everyone's visit list, though for a more authentic experience there are plenty of less-visited historic towns such as Alexandrov or Yurev-Polsky within day trip distance of the capital. Some of these attractions are far enough from Moscow that an overnight trip is advisable (such as Suzdal or Yaroslavl), while others such as Plyos or Kostroma are far enough to warrant a stay of at least one or two nights. The photographs in this article show, from top to bottom, Moscow, Suzdal, Rostov-Veliky, Sergiev Posad, Pereslavl-Zalessky, Vladimir, Bogolyubovo, Uglich and Khotkovo.


***** SUZDAL - (4 hours 30 minutes) By bus directly from Shchyolkovsky bus station in Moscow, or by bus from outside Kurskaya train station in Moscow to Vladimir, then change to a bus or marshrutka to Suzdal

**** ROSTOV-VELIKY - (3 hours) By train from Yaroslavsky station in Moscow

**** SERGIEV POSAD - (1 hour to 1 hour 30 minutes) By train from Yaroslavl station in Moscow

**** PERESLAVL-ZALESSKY - (2 hours 30 minutes) By bus from Shchyolkovsky bus station

*** VLADIMIR - (2 hours 30 minutes to 3 hours 30 minutes) - By train from Kurskaya station in Moscow, or by bus from outside Kurskaya station

*** BOGOLYUBOVO - (4 hours) By bus or train to Vladimir from Kurskaya station in Moscow, then take a marshrutka to Bogolyubovo

*** UGLICH - (4 hours 30 minutes) By train to Rostov-Veliky from Yaroslavsky station in Moscow, then catch a bus to Uglich

*** YAROSLAVL - (4 hours) By train from Yaroslavsky station in Moscow

*** KOSTROMA -(6 hours to six hours 30 minutes) By train from Yaroslavsky station in Moscow, or by train to Yaroslavl and then by bus to Kostroma

*** PLYOS - (7 hours to 9 hours) By train to Ivanovo from Yaroslavsky station in Moscow, then by bus to Plyos, or by bus/train to Vladimir, change to a bus to Ivanovo, and change again to a bus to Plyos

*** MUROM - (4 hours 15 minutes to 4 hours 40 minutes) By train from Kazansky station in Moscow

** TVER - (1 hour 50 minutes to 2 hours 30 minutes) By train from Kurskaya or Oktyabrskaya stations in Moscow

** YUREV-POLSKY - (2 hours 30 minutes to 3 hours) By train to Alexandrov from Yaroslavsky station in Moscow, then change to another train to Yurev-Polsky

** YASNAYA POLYANA (Tolstoy's estate) - (3 hours to 4 hours) By train from Kurskaya station in Moscow

** KIDEKSHA - (4 hours 40 minutes) By bus from Shchyolkovsky station in Moscow to Suzdal, then catch a local marshrutka to Kideksha. The town makes a nice short side trip from Suzdal since Kideksha is just 4km away

** PALEKH - (8 hours to 9 hours) By train to Ivanovo from Yaroslavsky station in Moscow, then by bus to Palekh

** KLIN - (1 hour 30 minutes) By train from Leningradsky station in Moscow

** ISTRA - (1 hour 30 minutes) By train from Rizhsky station in Moscow

** ABRAMTSEVO - (1 hour 10 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes) By train from Yaroslavsky station in Moscow

** ALEXANDROV - (1 hour 35 minutes to 1 hour 50 minutes) By train from Yaroslavsky station in Moscow

** MELIKHOVO (Chekhov's estate) - (2 hours) By train from Kurskaya station in Moscow to the town of Chekhov, then take a bus to Melikhovo

** GORKI LENINSKIE (Lenin's estate) - (30 minutes) By bus from Domodedovskaya metro station in Moscow

** PEREDELKINO (Boris Pasternak's estate) - (20 minutes) By train from Kievskaya station in Moscow

** BORODINO Battlefield Museum - (2 hours) By train from Belorussky station in Moscow

* KHOTKOVO - (1 hour 15 minutes) By train from Yaroslavsky station in Moscow