nan_49

We're about to finalize our 6 day Moscow itinerary and I'm hoping the Fodorites will be able to help me with answers to a couple of questions.

We'd like to spend a day in the Golden Ring. Since we can only go for 1 (long) day, is it better to go Sergeyev-Posad & Rostov or Suzdal &Vladamir.

While in Moscow we are arranging tours to the obvious sites, Kremlin, Armory, Cathedrals, and Diamond Fund, Red Square, Novodevichy Convent & Cemetary and the Moscow Metro.

In Moscow, is worth seeing the Donskoi & Danilov Monasteries, Cathedral of Christ the Savior Church or Kolomenskoye? Due to our limited time, we'll probably be able to see two or three of these places which would you choose? Or, is there anything else we should see? Thanks for your help.

yn10

The only place you'd be able to do in a day is Sergeyev-Posad/and may be Suzdal. Vladimir is three hour car ride one way. It's an interesting place to visit, but if you have limited time, I'd rather opt for the first two.
Rostov- I've never been to, but I have friends who actually flew there last summer from Moscow.
You will be able to do the whole Kremlin in one day with the museums. Novodevichii- plan for a few hours (2-3) for the whole thing.
A nice place to go for a stroll and do some souvenir shopping is Arbat. You can do Novodevichii in the morning/early afternoon, and then head to Arbat.
I think that would still leave you enough time to do everything that's on your list. Cathedrals/Churches don't take that much time - really depends on you how much time you want to spend in each and if you are going with a tour or just by yourself.

katya_NY

I would see about arranging a dinner at the Danilov Monastery. It is a fantastic place to have a grand feast.

Suzdal & Vladimir would be a do-able day (or one night) trip from Moscow, depending on your form of transportation. Will you have a driver, or will you take public transportation?

Don't miss MGU (Moscow State University- and the view from the Sparrow (Lenin) Hills of the city. The Arbat is a good place to shop, but my favorite place is Izmailovski Park for shopping, tourist style.

The good thing about Moscow is that so many things are centrally located, near Red Square. If your hotel is in the center, you can walk & subway to a lot of the big attractions.

Let me know if I can help with any recommendations!

nan_49

Thanks for your help. Just a couple more questions. We will have a car and driver and not with a group so I'm hoping we'll be able to see the sights quicker than with a group.

In terms of the Golden ring question, for a long one day trip to Sergeyev-Posad area or the Suzdal area. I'm leaning toward the former but would like some confirmation. If I were to try to fit in both and leave and return to Moscow, about how long would it take?

Should we head to Donskoi Monastery or Danilov Monastery or both?

Thanks for the shopping suggestions. Where is Izmailovski Park and what types of souvenirs do they have at Izmailovski Park? How is the shopping different from the Arbat area?

I really appreciate your help.

Garfield

Izmailovo Market offers a large range of souvenirs and handicrafts for tourist from many areas of Russia. It is also a local market with goods such as clothing and shoes for the local people as well as many other things. It covers a large area and is located near Izmailovo Hotel Complex (Hotels Alfa, Gamma & Delta). Metro station was Izmaylovski Park, but I do believe that the name has changed,

Arbat is an area, more or less a shopping street which with lots of shops, souvenir stalls and cafes. Catering to both Russians and foreigners; and people of all ages strolling or hanging out, not just for shopping.

I would go to Cathedral of Christ rather than Donskoi and Danilov unless you are really interested in the Monasteries, then I would only go to Donskoi. Kolomenskoye is a large royal estate and is an interesting place to wander around, but takes some time to see.

Moscow has so many sights to see that with only 6-days to visit you will have to plan carefully. Some other interesting places are Novedevinchy Convent, Lubyanka, Pushkin Museum, TRetyakov Gallery, Kuskova, Tsaritsyno, Sculptural Park plus many more.

Suzdal is a little far to do in a day, if you want a worthwile vist. You would be better to go to Rostov Veliky and Sergeyev-Posad.

nan_49

Thanks for your advice. I really appreciate it.

Odin

I was last in Izmailovsky Park (metro Partizanskaya if I remember correctly) market in January this year, it was not like it used to be, with most kiosks on the outside of the market and many empty ones inside the market. I don't know if it was the time of year or some other factor but it was not a patch on how it used to be. There were only 1 or 2 tourists. Went to VDNKh instead, again not like it used to be but the architecture remains very interesting and is a change from looking at churches.

Visited the Donskoi monastery, easy to get to on the metro, doesn't take too much time to see, Kolomenskoye is a longer journey on the metro and a walk up a hill, some parts were undergoing renovation but still worthwhile visiting.

Due for a revisit is Ostankino Tower (not sure if you can still go there or if the restaurant still exists). It's nice to have some time where you are not visiting any tourist sights, where you can feel being in Russia rather than ticking things off a list as "done". Some of the walks suggested in the Fodors guide are really good for this, eg walks around Kitai Gorod or around the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour.

katya_NY

I think Izmailovsky Park differs not only based on the season, but also on the day of the week of visitation. If memory serves, the summers are best- and the weekends.

Arbat is a much quicker choice, and I found that some of the shops there have prices as good as those found in the "kiosks" on the street- which is unusual. Make sure you are on the Old Arbat (Stariy) as opposed to New (Noviy)- they do intersect, but New Arbat is casino-heaven.

Izmailovski Park has more "eccentric", historical souvenirs- the Arbat is more the matryoshka/ lacquered boxes, etc. It is accessible at the metro stop of the same name (Izmailovsky Park) if I'm not mistaken.

I think traveling with a car & driver is an excellent option- you will see a lot that way. I hope your guide is a true Moskvich- they should know the ways to avoid traffic as much as is possible in Moscow! Traffic can be a real issue- another great reason to see the subway...

VDNKh I think would be a shock for Americans used to safety requirements on amusement park rides (I'll never forget the enormous ferris wheel that didn't stop for us to get on & off). The fountains are pretty though- if you happen to be near the hotel Kosmos, it may be worth a short stop.

Odin

I was at Izmailovo couple of months ago, in January 2006, on a Saturday. I lived in Moscow for a year and was a regular visitor there, bought lots of things including amber, porcelain and usual tourist things like the matrioshka dolls, fur hats, various "antiques", medals and lacquered boxes. In my opinion, the market has died (at least, on the day I visited) there is hardly anything or anyone there. The metro station name has changed to Partizanskaya, although the metro maps still show it as Izmailovsky Park. Things change in Russia.

The point of VDNKh for me are not the amusement rides but rather the architecture of the pavilions (most of which inside are now shops) and seeing the monument to space travel, if one is interested in that type of thing.