Bus from Moscow to Sergiev Posad: Schedule and Tickets
Sergiev Posad is the closest Golden Ring city to Moscow — just 70 kilometres north up the M8 "Kholmogory" highway. Buses 388 from Moscow's VDNKh terminal run every 15-20 minutes during the day and cover the distance in 90 minutes to two hours depending on traffic. It is the perfect first taste of the Golden Ring for anyone short on time: a day trip from Moscow gets you to the gates of the Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius, the spiritual heart of Russian Orthodoxy and a UNESCO World Heritage site, and back in time for dinner. Fares are flat and low — 250 to 500 roubles one-way.
What to expect on board
Bus 388 is a high-frequency commuter coach, not a tourist bus: standard interior, upright seats, no toilet, no Wi-Fi. The fleet is mixed — newer MAZ city coaches on most slots, occasionally older PAZ vehicles on early-morning runs. No scheduled comfort stop; the run is short. There is no on-board catering and no announcements in English. The bus crowds with pilgrims on Saturday mornings and feast days; arrive early if you want a window seat.
Where to board in Moscow
Bus 388 departs from VDNKh metro station on the orange line (line 6), at the small bus terminal in the parking lot directly south of the metro exit. Walk out of the station, follow the signs for "Avtobus 388" or ask any local — the queue is usually visible. Tickets are sold by the conductor on board, no advance purchase needed for this line. Other terminals (Severniye Vorota, Shchyolkovsky) also serve some long-distance routes that stop in Sergiev Posad en route to Yaroslavl or Vologda.
Where you arrive in Sergiev Posad
The Sergiev Posad bus station is on Sergievskaya Street, a five-minute walk from the Trinity Lavra. From the platforms head north-east, cross the bridge over the Konchura, and the white walls and blue-and-gold cupolas of the monastery come into view. The railway station and the suburban-train (elektrichka) platforms are 200 metres further on, useful if you want to mix a bus into Sergiev Posad with a train back to Moscow (Yaroslavsky station).
Best time of day to travel
Leave Moscow by 08:00 to get into Sergiev Posad before the tourist coach groups — the Lavra is materially quieter before 11:00. Avoid Saturday and Sunday late afternoons returning to Moscow: M8 dacha traffic backs up from Mytishchi all the way to the MKAD. Weekday off-peak slots (10:00-14:00) are the fastest in both directions. If you are pressed for time, an early-morning bus out and a mid-afternoon elektrichka back is the most efficient day-trip pattern.
Booking tips
Bus 388 is pay-on-board only — no advance reservation, no QR ticket. Cash or a Russian-issued Troika transport card both work. For coaches running Sergiev Posad en route to Yaroslavl or Vologda you can book online through a Russian aggregator; ask for a "transit" ticket if you want to alight in Sergiev Posad rather than ride to the final destination. Mir cards, SBP transfers and Russian-issued Visa/Mastercard issued before 2022 are accepted online.
Top things to do in Sergiev Posad
- Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius — UNESCO World Heritage monastery founded by Sergius of Radonezh in 1337, the spiritual centre of Russian Orthodoxy, with the Trinity Cathedral housing the relics of St. Sergius.
- Trinity Cathedral and Andrei Rublev's icons — Russia's most famous icon, the "Old Testament Trinity" by Andrei Rublev (c. 1411), was painted for this cathedral.
- The Toy Museum (Muzey Igrushki) — Sergiev Posad is the historical birthplace of the Russian wooden matryoshka doll; the museum traces the craft from the 19th century.
- Chernigovsky Skete — a quiet underground monastery complex three kilometres from the Lavra, much less visited.
- Refectory pies and kvass — the Lavra refectory bakes some of the best pirozhki in Russia; small cafe stalls inside the walls sell them with tart house-made kvass.
Full Russian-language pricing and schedule: https://bus-zolotoe-koltso.ru/buses/moskva/sergiev-posad/. Onward: Sergiev Posad to Pereslavl-Zalessky. Stations: Moscow terminals, Sergiev Posad bus station.