Destinations Europe Russia

How to get to Suzdal from Moscow

If you are ever in Moscow, you should look at The Golden Ring, a ring of towns and cities north east of Moscow which played an important part in the formation of Russia and the Russian Orthodox Church. The towns themselves are almost like museums and none more so than the jewel of the Golden Ring, Suzdal. You have to visit this town if you are in Moscow and I will tell you exactly how to get to Suzdal from Moscow.

 

How to get to Suzdal from Moscow

You can do this in a return day trip to Moscow, just, but I recommend staying the night in Suzdal. That will give you the afternoon on the 1st day and the morning and early afternoon on the 2nd day to explore which should be enough time. You can get a bus from Moscow to Suzdal. However, there is only one bus a day and it is not very comfortable. A better option is to get a train to the nearby city of Vladimir and from there get a bus to Suzdal. There are multiple trains every day from Moscow and buses are almost every 30 minutes so you will not have to wait long in Vladimir.

 

Getting the train to Vladimir

Go to the state run website for Russian railways. In the departure station, click (or type) ‘MOSKVA’, in the arrival station type ‘VLADIMIR”, select your departure date (and return if you will go back to Moscow the next day) and click on the buy ticket button. You will have multiple trains to choose from. The fastest trains do the journey in about 1 hour 45 minutes. Be sure to check which of the Moscow train stations your train will depart from. More than likely this will be Mockva Kurskaia. Whichever station it is, you can get there very easily by using the metro.

How to get to Suzdal from Moscow? By train of course

How to get to Suzdal from Moscow? By train of course

 

Looking out train window

Looking out train window

 

Getting Bus from Vladimir to Suzdal

When you arrive at the train station, follow everyone else that is leaving the train station. When you get outside, if you look across the street, you will see the bus station. The facilities in the bus and train station are pretty basic. the train station is a little better so if you want a coffee or something to eat, I would get it there.

In the bus station go to the ticket office and get a single ticket to Suzdal. Something like “odin billet Suzdal” should be enough to be understood. The ticket costs 98.50 rubles so its easier to have a 100 ruble note to get change from.

 

At the exit of the train station, the bus station is directly across the road

At the exit of the train station, the bus station is directly across the road

 

Bus timetables

Bus timetables

 

 

And more timetables

And more timetables

 

My ticket to Suzdal is bus number 159, platform 10 at 12:00 and seat number 6.

 

Bus ticket to Sudal

Bus ticket to Sudal

 

When you have your ticket, go outside to the platform listed on the ticket and wait for the bus. Simple really!

 

Not the actual bus in the end. The bus was more of a minivan.

Not the actual bus in the end. The bus was more of a minivan.

 

Staying the night in Suzdal

There are a lot of accommodation options available in Suzdal. The place i stayed is Suzdal Hotel. It is actually a house and they have a few rooms available. The breakfast that is included is very very good. Trust me on this. They will even collect you from the bus station in Suzdal and bring you back the next day.

View out my bedroom window

View out my bedroom window

 

Returning to Vladimir (and Moscow)

To return to Vladimir, just repeat these steps in the opposite direction – return to the bus station in Suzdal, buy a ticket to Vladimir and continue your onward journey in Russia. Simples! 😉

Train to Nizhny Novgorod

Train to Nizhny Novgorod

 

 

 

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22 Comments

  • Reply
    Melissa Butler
    May 24, 2018 at 18:50

    I went to Suzdal over 13years ago for Christmas, I was on an on the go tour and they organised the train for us which was a very interesting journey. I would love to go back and explore longer. I am definitely impressed that you have done it on your own and it sounds like you had a bit of an adventure :).

    • Reply
      Damien
      May 31, 2018 at 00:17

      Hi Melissa, it certainly was an adventure that’s for sure! Though sometimes, there is something to be said for letting other people take care of things for you and getting to relax and not be too stressed.

  • Reply
    Sandy N Vyjay
    May 24, 2018 at 16:06

    Moscow is a place with an intriguing and enigmatic history. Suzdal seems to be a charming place with a rich heritage. As you have mentioned it seems to be a living museum of sorts. Nice step by step instruction on getting to Suzdal from Moscow. This is indeed an invaluable resource for first-time travelers to Russia.

    • Reply
      Damien
      May 31, 2018 at 00:15

      Thank you very much for your kind words. I hope some people find it useful!

  • Reply
    Milijana
    May 24, 2018 at 15:27

    Thanks for recommending the Suzdal Hotel, since I prefer to stay in small cozy places with good breakfast. And the service of taking the guests from and to the bus station in Suzdal is a great plus!

    • Reply
      Damien
      May 31, 2018 at 00:13

      Yeah I agree. I would rather stay in a family type place than a bigger place too!

  • Reply
    Candy
    May 23, 2018 at 20:49

    I have never heard of this town and it sounds like a great place to visit if you are already in Moscow. Your instructions are very helpful and I like how you put a photo of the ticket.

    • Reply
      Damien
      May 31, 2018 at 00:13

      You’re welcome Candy. If you don’t speak the language, Russia can be difficult to get around.

  • Reply
    Michael Hodgson
    May 23, 2018 at 05:19

    Fantastic detail and extremely useful post for anyone wanting to explore outside of Moscow. Suzdal does sound fascinating.

    • Reply
      Damien
      May 31, 2018 at 00:11

      Thanks Michael!

  • Reply
    Lydia
    May 22, 2018 at 11:08

    This seems like quite an experience! I am surprised that I haven’t heard of Suzdal before but as soon as I go to Moscow, I will have to do a day trip to there. Is a day trip enough to explore Suzdal?

    • Reply
      Damien
      May 31, 2018 at 00:11

      Hey Lydia, you certainly can! If you go early enough in the day to Vladimir, you can probably get 6-7 hours in Suzdal.

  • Reply
    Krupa
    May 22, 2018 at 11:01

    This is a great post with quite a few good details. Pics looks so amazing. Thanks for sharing and keep up the good work.

    • Reply
      Damien
      May 31, 2018 at 00:09

      Thanks. Glad you enjoyed!

  • Reply
    Jenia
    May 22, 2018 at 08:57

    Wow, you are adventurous! I spent years upon years in Russia and never made it to Suzdal. Never realized Vladimir was less than 2 hrs away from Moscow.

    • Reply
      Damien
      May 31, 2018 at 00:04

      Thanks Jenia. Russia is a huge place. You could live there your entire life and not see it all!

  • Reply
    Lena
    May 20, 2018 at 13:33

    Thanks for the instructions. If I ever want to visit Suzdal I now know how to get there from Moscow via Vladimir.

    • Reply
      Damien
      May 31, 2018 at 00:03

      You’re welcome!

  • Reply
    Lauren Pears
    May 20, 2018 at 13:28

    Suzdal sounds really lovely! I need to travel to more places where there will be snow rather than just constantly chasing the sun 😉

    • Reply
      Damien
      May 31, 2018 at 00:03

      I know what you mean! After 4 months of winter in Russia though, I was craving the sun so much!

  • Reply
    Mohana Das
    May 20, 2018 at 00:59

    I had never heard of Suzdal until now. Thank you for introducing me to a new place. It looks so calm and quiet under the snow.
    What are some things to do in Suzdal?

    • Reply
      Damien
      May 31, 2018 at 00:02

      I think it is the sort of place you go to get away from the craziness of big cities and have some slower, quiet time. If my memory is correct, they also have a cucumber festival once a year every July. Apparently the cucumbers of the area are very good!

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