Table of Contents

Learn about trains, phone plans, helpful apps, places to visit and, of course, what food to eat on a once-in-a-lifetime trip across Russia!

Vegan options are plentiful in cities like Moscow and St Petersburg, but you might be wondering if it’s possible to eat vegan and eat well in Siberia, the Far East of Russia or on a several day long train journey through the “middle of nowhere.” With a little bit of planning, we were able to not only survive, but thrive on our Trans-Siberian trip, and you can too! This guide will include general tips on the Russian train system, ideas for food to stock up on, and what we ate at each of our stops during our journey. If you need more ideas on what to eat in Russia in general, or what food might be accidentally or on-purpose vegan at grocery stores in Russia, that article will be coming soon.

General Practical Information for Visiting Russia

First step – get to your accommodation safely

***Note about leaving the airport: In Moscow, you will be able to take the train or a taxi to the city center. Make sure you’re only getting an official taxi or calling a Yandex taxi/Uber. It shouldn’t cost more than 2000 rubles at the absolute MOST from Domodedovo airport, which is the airport that is further away from the city center. From Sheremetyevo it should be even cheaper. We’ve heard of people getting crazy ripped off taking a taxi from the Moscow airport, so be careful.***

Phone Plans and Necessary Apps – data will make a difference!

Phone Plans and Carriers

This trip will definitely be more accessible, less confusing, and overall better if you have a data plan for your phone. First, see if your phone is unlocked – if not, you should have no problem having your network unlock it for you as long as you’ve paid off the phone.

Whether you start your journey in Moscow or in Vladivostok, here are your phone service options:

We had MTS (МТС in cyrillic) prepaid plans. It currently looks like you can get 20GB of data, 440 minutes and 50 SMS for 510 rubles per month (about $7). You’ll have to buy the SIMcard too, but you’ll be able to use your phone all over Russia (with the exception of sometimes on the train itself when it passes through remote areas). We recommend MTS, we used their services for the two years we lived in Russia with no problems and the plans are very reasonable.
The other major phone companies are Beeline (Билайн) and Megafon (Мегафон): though we don’t have experience with these carriers, their data plans will be similarly priced.
There are kiosks for all of these companies in both airports if you want phone service right away. Your other option is to download a Google Maps, maps.me, or another app to have an offline map for your city of choice. Use it to navigate to a store location near your accommodation where you will be able to set up your phone plan.

Helpful Apps

Once you have your phone plan, you’ll want to download some apps. Start with Yandex (Яндекс). Yandex is like the Russian google, and their apps are absolutely fantastic. You’ll need:

YandexGo (Yandex Go – taxi and delivery). This is the Uber of Russia. Some cities have Uber as well, but the Yandex Taxi app is very user friendly and taxis through Yandex will be available everywhere. We 100% recommend Yandex taxis over Uber. Taxis are extremely cheap in Russia, so this is a very accessible form of transportation no matter what city you find yourself in.
Yandex Maps (Yandex.Maps – App to the city). Yandex maps is a wonderful app to use in any city for walking and public transport directions. In Moscow, and some other larger cities, it will show you live information about every bus, marshrutka, tram, and trolleybus in the city, so you can see your transport approaching in real time. Pretty cool! It also has public transport options listed for other cities and other functions like walking directions (pretty much anything you’d expect from Google Maps or Apple Maps, Yandex Maps will also have – but it will be more accurate for Russia than whatever maps app you are currently using).

If you’ll be doing any exploring in Moscow, we recommend you additionally get the

Yandex.metro (Яндекс.Метро) app. It will tell you the best way to get to your destination on the metro, while the Maps app itself will give you options to combine a metro trip with other transport to get there faster. However, the Moscow metro is an attraction within itself, so we highly recommend traveling by metro in Moscow. (This app also works for 8 other cities in Russia).

Next, we recommend you download the app for the National Russian Rail Service (app #4). It’s called Russian Railways. On this app, you can look up routes and buy train tickets, see your tickets and schedule, and get a QR code so you don’t need to deal with paper tickets. They also have real time tracking of the trains. Finally, you can change or cancel your reservations for free on the app up to 8 hours before the trip. We had to cancel a train journey (more on that here) and got all of our money back within 3 days (we had a Russian bank account, but it should only take slightly longer to refund your original method of payment).

General Train Tips: Classes, Trains and Tips for Eating on Board

As mentioned, having the Russian Rail app will make your life easier. We can’t stress this enough!

Which Train Do I Want? Top or Bottom?

Russian trains usually have three “classes” with varying levels of comfort (more on that below). In all classes, you will get a bunk, access to the bathroom, and unlimited hot water. The lower bunks in all classes fold up during the day and become seats. The upper bunks, depending on the class and specific train, will fold away into the wall to give more room for the seats below when they aren’t being slept in.

Biggest tip – know not only which class you are booking, but which train you are booking! We traveled mostly in 2nd class, but what the carriages looked like and what amenities were offered varied widely depending on the age and model of the train. Our longest journey was from Khabarovsk to Ulan-Ude. We were lucky enough to have (accidentally) booked that part of the journey on the nicest, most modern train – look for train 001ЭА going from Vladivostok to Moscow and 002Э going from Moscow to Vladivostok if you want to ride in luxury! Another very nice train was the 325EA: we took this train from Perm to Kazan.

Usually, the bottom bunks are more expensive. Since we traveled as a pair, we just got one bottom and one top bunk each time. Remember that during the day, the bottom bunk converts to a seat so keep that in mind as well – it could be possible that someone you don’t know is sleeping above you and will want somewhere to sit during the day.

Finally, if you are a female traveling solo, some trains offer “female only” compartments if you feel that would be a good option for you.

While you might have the idea that Russians can be cold or unfriendly, we found this to be completely untrue – especially on the train! Taking a train in Russia is a great opportunity to get to know Russians and Russian culture – if you know a few phrases of Russian, even better, though gesturing (and your offline google translate app) will also go a long way.

Russian Train Classes

You can choose

First class, called SV or Luxe, or in Cyrillic (CV), is just what it sounds like. These train compartments only contain two bunks, as well as other amenities (some even include a shower). Unless you are traveling with a very high budget, these will likely be too expensive to be worth it. We never traveled in first class so we cannot say for ourselves if it would be worth the splurge.
Second class is also known as “coupe” or in Cyrillic (купе). These trains have four bunks per compartment, with a small shared table in the middle. The doors to each compartment can be closed and lead out to a hallway through which you can access the bathroom and the hot water.
Third class is called platzkart (плацкарт). This is more like a hostel on wheels, definitely the cheapest option of the three. The compartments are more like ‘nooks’ that cannot be closed off like in coupe. There are also bunks lining the hallway. It is very noisy, but, as mentioned, people are often very friendly. There is nothing that brings people together like a long train trip; so if you are interested in a social experience and don’t mind that it could be noisier, it’s worth checking out.

2nd class cabin that has been lived in for a couple of days.

We took mostly 2nd class rides and two trips on platzkart. Platzkart was definitely an interesting journey, but for pandemic reasons we tried to keep our exposure to other people (and their exposure to us) minimal. *We carefully decided before making the decision to do this trip. Case numbers were low in Russia and the borders were closed when we were living there, so this trip was possible for us at the time as Russia was open for domestic travel. I wish everyone a future Trans Siberian in a post-Covid world, so you can share all the food and vodka that you desire with your neighbors in platzkart.

A few more tips:

Kazan is not on the “traditional” Trans Siberian route but we wanted to visit it and thought it was well worth it. If you have time, we recommend checking it out as well. It’s still mostly on the way East to Vladivostok or on the way West to Moscow.
If you present as female and want to enter any Orthodox Churches, you might want to bring your own headscarf. Most churches have scarves you can borrow, but I always preferred to bring my own for hygiene purposes. Some locations (like the Ganina Yama monastery in Ekaterinburg) also require you to wear a skirt – these places will provide simple skirts you can tie over your pants.
We did this trip in 2020, so we were unable to attend any of the operas or ballets that Russia is famous for. If you are interested, in every city we visited there is the opportunity to see an opera or a ballet! The theaters in Perm, Yekaterinburg, Krasnoyarsk and Kazan are recommended, but we also thought the building the Novosibirsk Opera is housed in was particularly impressive and would be cool to see from inside.
If you like craft beer, you MUST go to some craft beer bars in Russia. Russian craft beer is delicious and inexpensive. We can enthusiastically and personally recommend many bars in Moscow if you message us. The Untappd app is widely used throughout Russia and we were able to find many great bars through this app during our journey – as you move further West the options become more plentiful.

Eating on the Train – General Tips

We suggest you bring your own cutlery, tupperware, and some bowls or plates to eat with on the train. We used the Sea to Summit collapsible bowls and cups. You can get them online anywhere in the US, REI or at Decathlon as well depending on which continent you are starting your journey from. If you are already in Moscow or Vladivostok, Спортмастер (Sportmaster) is like the Sports Authority of Russia and will have similar products.
Bring plenty of tea/instant coffee with you onto the train, and anything that only takes hot water to consume. There is unlimited hot water available from a samovar (Russian kettle used to boil and dispense water) at the end of each train car. In the fancier trains there is filtered cold water as well, otherwise we suggest you grab a multi-liter bottle in a city before you set off on the next leg of your journey, and refill your reusable water bottles from that.

We never bought anything to eat at the train restaurant car, but if you don’t feel like cooking or didn’t get enough food at a stop, you can find these vegan items in the restaurant car:

Potatoes with mushrooms and onions.
A few salads on the vegetarian menu are vegan.

Options might vary, but most of the trains have the menu in English as well, so you can peruse at your leisure.

Sometimes, the train stops at a station for a 30-45 minute break. There are small kiosks at the train station where you can hop off and get a snack. There are also several people selling fresh or homemade products at the train station, so it’s possible you could get some snacks mid-journey if you didn’t bring enough with you.

Vegan Eating on Board

We stocked up on a few goods beforehand, just as we always do when we are venturing into unknown territory. Though you can definitely find enough vegan food throughout the journey, we were happy to have brought all the things we stocked up on before leaving. In Moscow, we bought some food we thought would be train-friendly and that we might be unable to find once we left.

Order Online Beforehand

We ordered these from iHerb to Moscow, you can also order iHerb from almost anywhere in the world and bring it with you. This might help also as a general idea of good train food ideas:

Greens Powder (for vitamins)
Instant Mashed Potatoes (these were much better than what you could get in a Russian supermarket IMO – definitely worth bringing).
Miso Soup (also were really happy to have this)
No Cow Bars (or your protein bar of choice)

Other train food ideas:

Bring some instant ramen from home if you have room, ideally the kind that only needs to be soaked in hot water. There are instant noodles widely available in Russian supermarkets, but most of the seasoning packets will not be vegan. There are a few you can get from Korean or Asian supermarkets in Moscow, but if you have limited time in the city we suggest not using it to hunt down ramen.
Small TVP granules are always good to rehydrate and add to noodles, mashed potatoes, soup, etc.
Instant dehydrated camping meals will also work well here if your budget allows.

We didn’t have these items but if you have space they might be nice to bring if you are coming from the US:

Aahana’s Naturals just-add-water meals. We haven’t tried these personally, but they look pretty good – if someone ends up trying them please let us know if they are worth it!
Dr. McDougall’s Instant Soup Cups

What can I buy along the way?

Look at our upcoming Vegan in Russia post for more details about this, but usually if you see a label “Можно в пост” or “Постный продукт” you’ll be good to eat it.

Instant oatmeal with whatever mix-ins you desire (oats – овсянка) or овсяная каша will be easy to find anywhere, as will dried fruits or nuts for mix ins, nut butter, jam, or whatever your heart desires.

Part 2: Where to stop, what to do, and where to eat?

Moscow – Stop 0

We started in Vladivostok because we were living in Moscow, and wanted to be traveling in the direction of home. We recommend this direction if you are leaving Russia afterward to destinations like Europe, the US, South America, etc. If you are traveling on to Asia, it might make more sense to start in Moscow and finish in Vladivostok. In many cases, even if you start in Vladivostok you will likely come through Moscow. We’re working on a Vegan in Moscow post with detailed info about our favorite places to eat in Moscow, however, there are some vegan stores here that you might want to visit specifically to stock up on train supplies, especially if you didn’t bring much with you.

1) Soyka (Сойка) is a vegetarian and vegan food store. It’s a little far out of the center, but it’s super well stocked up on vegan products, with a wide variety of meats, cheeses, TVP, etc. It’s close to our old neighborhood, which we really loved for its spectacular forest parks. If you want to check out any of Moscow’s beautiful forest parks near this area, message us for some recommendations.

2) Happy Vegan Shop – close to downtown Moscow – you have to go into a courtyard to get to the shop, through a gate that looks like it’s only for residents. Don’t worry – there are signs and you’re going the right way. This store is all vegan.

3) Veggie Woogie (Веги Вуги) near Kurskaya, all vegan as well and in a cool area to visit.

Vladivostok – Stop 1

What to Do

1. Marvel at Sea Glass Beach

Our absolute favorite thing we did in Vladivostok was go to the Sea Glass Beach. Here, the whole beach is covered in sea glass and ceramics instead of sand. We found this beach absolutely stunning. Apparently, the beach will only be able to be enjoyed by our generation as tourists take sea glass from the beach and as the tides keep weathering what is already there – so take the opportunity to see it while it exists. We took a Yandex Taxi from Vladivostok to the beach, called “Plyazh Bukhty Steklyannaya.” (Пляж бухты Стеклянная). Entrance to the beach was about 150 rubles.

Those aren’t stones, but pieces of sea glass!

We did not have a return taxi and were unable to find one when we were ready to head back – we got lucky a taxi was driving down the road and picked us up, but you might want to ask your driver to wait while you are visiting the beach, program a taxi to pick you up, or take your chances on getting a ride back.

If you have more time or are on a tighter budget, there is a bus that goes near the beach. You can use Yandex maps to get there on public transport – the bus will drop you about a 9 minutes walk past the beach back towards the city. Once there, service might be spotty, so just remember you’ll need to walk about 9 minutes past the beach further from the city on the road and catch the 72 towards Луговая площадь to get back.

You can even find pieces of “sea ceramic”

2. Explore some markets

There’s a good market in the main square (Tsentralnaya ploshchad) downtown on the weekends with a variety of different vegetables and prepared vegetable dishes. This area is cool to walk around even on non-market days, with several churches, arches, and statues to look at. You can also access the waterfront from here – Vladivostok has several embankments to soak up the city’s atmosphere while taking a walk (see #3). You can also try Sportivnaya Market (рынок на Спортивной) which has a wide variety of products in addition to food.

3. Walk by the water

Walk! If you are able to make it off the main street and near the water, Vladivostok is a great city to walk around in. There are several embankements to check out: try starting with Korabelnaya Naberezhnaya after you are done looking at the main square (where you can also enter the S-56 Submarine, the first submarine to circumnavigate the globe). You can also look at Sportivnaya Naberezhnaya, which includes beaches and sports areas (though you shouldn’t swim there). If you are travelling with children, Naberezhnaya Tsesarevicha includes a large playground and nice views of the Zolotoy Bridge. You can see the Zolotoy bridge from many places downtown. There’s a park running alongside the river that provided some cool views like this one:

4. Learn about the Far East or check out some modern art.

If you happen to visit Vladivostok and the weather isn’t great, there are a few museums worth checking out. One rainy day we went to the Vladimir K Arseniev Museum of Far East History and found it pretty interesting. On Yandex the address is Svetlanskaya Street, 20. If you are more interested in modern art, the Zarya Center for Contemporary Art comes highly recommended, though slightly outside the city (if you use Yandex taxi it shouldn’t be too expensive!). As mentioned above, the S-56 Submarine Museum might be interesting for those who have never been in a submarine, or who are interested in Soviet history.

5. See the lighthouse at the “end of the world”

If you’re ready to make the journey to the Tokarevskiy Lighthouse (inexplicably written as “Lighthouse Egersheld” on TripAdvisor), you will feel like you are at the edge of the world, or at least the edge of Russia. We went during low tide and walked straight to the lighthouse – if you go during high tide you can still walk there, but you will get your feet wet! We walked from the city to the lighthouse and took a bus back – we walked about 30 minutes from the lighthouse to the bus stop: look for bus 62 from the stop Маяк or take a taxi – the views from here and on the way across the bay were pretty cool and the weather was decent, so we didn’t mind the walk.

The lighthouse is on that tiny island. You can hardly see the path from this distance, but it is possible to walk there!

6. Go island hopping

There are apparently a lot of cool views if you go to Russian Island (Остров Русский). We didn’t make it, as the weather didn’t look promising the day we were planning to go. However, if you have a nice day, you can take the famous Russky Bridge (the world’s second-longest cable-stayed bridge after Jiashao Bridge in China) there to see a university, visit some old military bunkers, or hike around a little bit to cape Tibizina. If you have the budget to do so, there are so many islands near Vladivostok, though these are much harder to get to and would probably require a private tour. Otherwise, you can get to Russian Island on public transport with buses 15, 29д, 63, 74, 75, or 75 (remember Yandex is your friend!) We have not used this service personally, but there is a group that does tours of Russian Island, worth checking out here (let us know how it was if you go).

7. Get an eagle eye view of the city

Go to Eagle’s Nest Mount for a great view of the city. We walked all the way up to Eagle’s Nest through the city and took the funicular down. Maybe learn from our mistakes – taking the funicular up and walking down would make a much more pleasant journey on a hot and humid day.

8. Top budget option: take a self-guided tour

The Vladivostok tourism website offers several self-guided tours, check them out here:

Where to eat and buy vegan in Vladivostok

There is a vegetarian store called “Veggie Shop.” It’s located in a mall and has lots of good options for snacks, for cooking at your accommodation, or for bringing on the train. You’ll be able to find vegan meats and cheeses as well as plant milk. The bonus – vegan products are labeled as such in English so you won’t be doubting. It’s definitely worth a trip if you are in Vladivostok, and especially if you are eating in the nearby vegetarian restaurant.
Ganga, a vegetarian cafe attached to Veggie Shop – we didn’t eat here but unfortunately seems to be one of the only options now in Vladivstok (the pandemic really hit many businesses hard and unfortunately many of the places we ate while there have since closed down).
Happy Cow also mentions a place called “Smoothie Lab,” where you might find some smoothies, juices, or even vegan waffles. This wasn’t open when we were there so if you eat here let us know how it is!

Strangely enough, there are no big grocery stores in the city, only smaller convenience store type places. You’d have to take a trip by taxi out of town specifically to a grocery store if you want a huge variety of products. It’s probably a better idea to visit the market downtown on the weekend or just go to small convenience stores for snacks while you are there.

Khabarovsk – Stop 2

Khabarovsk is a stop for many that want to break up what is already a long journey between Vladivostok and Ulan-Ude. We had pretty bad weather while in Khabarovsk, but still thought it was interesting and worth a look around. Fun fact – Khabarovsk is only about 19 miles (30 km) from the border with China.

What to do in Khabarovsk

1. Walk along the Amur River

There’s a very nice boardwalk along the Amur River here. Hopefully you will have better weather than us! This walk also coincides with a nice park near the river, Muravyov Amursky Park. You’ll be able to see many traditional and modern buildings, admire the view across the water, and breathe some fresh air.

2. Look at some cool buildings

There’s a cute main street area of the same name (Muravyov Amursky Street) to walk around, with lots of pretty buildings, stores, and cafes.

3. See the guy on the 5000 ruble note

Take a look at the monument Muravyevu-Amurskomu, dedicated to legendary explorer and the founder of Khabarovsk, Nikolay Nikolayevich Muravyov-Amursky. This is also close to the Amur river and the park (also named after him, as you can see the locals love him).

4. Visit a beautiful Russian Orthodox church

We thought the Spaso-Transfiguration Cathedral was worth visiting – it was a beautiful Russian Orthodox church both inside and out! Don’t forget your headscarves if you don’t want to borrow one of theirs.

Where to eat and buy vegan in Khabarovsk

We simply cooked at our AirBnb as we wanted to relax and we were only there for one night.

To get groceries, we went to the grocery store called Remy (Реми) on Ulitsa Volochayevskaya, 163. This grocery store is close to a big park and only a 10 minute walk to Veggy Shop, which we definitely recommend stopping in if you want to stock up on food before the long journey to Ulan-Ude. Veggy Shop has a lot of health/veggie food and also options for vegan cheese (Green idea brand) and vegan jerky (Greenwise brand). The shop assistant might be able to point you to some additional options for vegan food (“веганская еда,” pronounced “veganskaya yeda”). If you have a sweet tooth, we really liked Bob brand raw desserts!

There is also apparently a vegetarian restaurant in Khabarovsk that wasn’t around when we were there. It’s called Prosti salat (Прости, салат!) Let us know how it is if you go. The address to put in Yandex maps for this restaurant is: г. Хабаровск, ул. Пушкина, 43

Stock up on train snacks in Khabarovsk if you’re not planning on stopping until Ulan-Ude, this will be about 2.5 days by train!

Ulan-Ude – Stop 3

We didn’t really know what to expect when we arrived in Ulan-Ude after almost 3 days on the train, but this ended up being one of our favorite stops! Ulan-Ude is the capital of Buryatia, a Russian republic whose inhabitants (Buryats) share many customs with the Mongols. Being in Ulan-Ude definitely feels different than being in other places in Russia. The town is fairly walkable and there are enough things to do here for at least a few days!

What to do in Ulan-Ude

1. Visit a Buddhist temple

Go to the Datsan Rinpoche Bagsha. This Buddhist temple is on the top of a hill and has a beautiful view of the city and the surrounding mountains. You should visit both the inside of the temple and the gardens/paths around it. If this is your first Buddhist temple visit, like it was ours, there are a few things to keep in mind in order to be respectful of Buddhist traditions. First, make sure you walk around the complex outside and the inside of the temple in a clockwise direction. Additionally, while visiting the inside of the temple, do your best not to turn your back on the Buddha (this is why you will see many people exiting the building backwards).

To get to and from the datsan you can get a marshrutka (#97, direction Дацан, it should be about 25 rubles). On the way back they leave from the parking lot of the Datsan.

2. See the world’s biggest Lenin head

There are statues of Lenin literally all over Russia, but this is by far the biggest one. Measuring over 7.7 meters (25 feet) tall and weighing in at 42 tons, it’s worth checking out this monument dedicated to this controversial leader. Just south west of the Lenin head is the Music Fountain, a nice place to people watch and the start of a self-guided tourist walk.

3. Walk down Arbat Street (no, not that one)

Maybe not as well known as Moscow’s Arbat Street, this pedestrian area is still worth a visit. You’ll also see this if you follow the city’s self-guided tour. In general, we recommend wandering around Ulan-Ude, there are lots of interesting monuments and buildings. Make sure you see the opera house, the Holy Odigitrievsky Cathedral, and Saint Nicholas Church on your walk as well.

4. Learn some Buryatian history

We went to the Buryatia History Museum when it was raining and found it interesting enough to pass an hour or two. We do NOT recommend the Ethnographic Museum of the People of Transbaikalia Culture Gau – not only is it outside the city, but it apparently has a depressing zoo attached. It’s never worth paying to support animal cruelty. If you love museums, there is also the Geological Museum and the Museum of History of Ulan-Ude.

What to eat and buy vegan in Ulan-Ude

When non-vegans say “But isn’t is so hard to find vegan food in ____?” they must be accidentally talking about Ulan-Ude. Here there are no restaurants listed on Happy Cow. We had an apartment with a small kitchen and cooked our own meals – we recommend you also find lodging with a kitchen to make your life easier.

The biggest supermarket in town is called Titan (Титан), there you’ll be able to stock up on cooking supplies if you want to cook for yourself.

Hooray! There is a store with vegan products! We haven’t been in person, but their website looks very promising (think milks, cheeses, meats, etc). Check out Здоровая Снедь (Zdorovaya Sned) in Ulan Ude by entering this into your map: ULAN-UDE, AVE 50 YEARS OF OCTOBER, 27 (УЛАН-УДЭ, ПР.50 ЛЕТ ОКТЯБРЯ Д.27) and here is their site if you are curious.

If you hate cooking or are desperate for food, we managed to find a few restaurants with some vegetable (read not exciting) options:

Tengis restaurant Ресторан Тэнгис has a “veg” section, of which the Жареный картофель с боровиками (grilled potatoes with boletus mushrooms) and Овощи гриль (grilled vegetables) are likely to be vegan, the cтейк из тушеной капусты с зеленой гречкой (cabbage steak with buckwheat) might be vegan. The existence of a “veg” section gives me some hope that if you went there armed with a translator, they could probably hook you up.
Ресторан Чингисхан (Chingiskhan) has some rice with vegetables (рис с овощами), french fries (картофель фри) and grilled vegetables (Овощи на гриле). These are under the Гарниры section so basically sides, you might have to double up on your order to get full.

In general, many restaurants will have vegan options similar to those listed above- cabbage, buckwheat, potatoes & mushrooms, and grilled vegetables. Not exciting, but it’ll get you to your next stop.

Irkutsk – Stop 4

Many train travelers stop in Irkutsk because it is the gateway to Lake Baikal. We spent a lot of time around Lake Baikal and from there did many side-quests, so we decided it was worth its own separate article. We absolutely recommend exploring Lake Baikal if you are doing the Trans-Siberian! But don’t sleep on Irkutsk either. This town has a very relaxed vibe, a pretty river and a lot of interesting architecture to see.

What to do in Irkutsk

1. Take a walk and see it all

Can you tell one of our favorite things to do in a city is just walk around? There is a nice long river walk in Irkutsk which we also discovered was a good place to go on a run. Irkutsk also has a self-guided walking tour around the city (The “Green Line”) with lines /arrows on the ground leading to different points of interest. This tour will take you past landmarks such as the statue of Tsar Alexander III, Moscow Gate, the Okhlopkov theater, several churches including the Spasskaya Church and Cathedral of The Epiphany, and many beautiful wooden houses. This was one of our favorite things to do in Irkutsk, it’s a beautiful walk through the streets and along the river and hits pretty much every site. We also loved just wandering around here and looking at the beautiful buildings.

2. Visit the former house of a family in exile

In the late 1800s there was a suppressed uprising in St Petersburg – these people, called the Decembrists, wanted the abolition of serfdom and democratic reforms, but instead got death or exile. Many Decemberists were sent to Irkutsk and as a result started a cultural revolution there; holding meetings, lectures, events, and even opening schools. You can learn about this fascinating part of Russian history at the Irkutsk Regional Memorial Decembrists Museum, also known as the Volkonsky House.

3. Get out of Irkutsk

We really loved spending a few days in Irkutsk, but we cannot stress enough that you would be remiss not to visit Lake Baikal when you are so close! Check out more information in our separate post about the Lake Baikal area.

What to eat and buy vegan in Irkutsk

Restaurants

O Мой Нут (Oh my Chickpea in English) is our first choice. You can order for delivery through Instagram here. The hours were a bit sporadic when we were there but hopefully you’ll get lucky and they’ll be open on a day you want some delicious food. Again, this is delivery only (no physical location). Everything we tried was delicious, but we super recommend any of their several kinds of falafel. Their menu on instagram is only in Russian, but you can translate part of it by following this link.
Жито (Jito) Bakery has a pay by weight buffet. This restaurant is vegetarian with many vegan options, fresh bread and delicious desserts. They also sell some frozen homemade products like dumplings and seitan (we bought the seitan but found it really bitter for some reason, maybe stick to the already prepared food).
A.N.D. Coffee on Uritskogo Street 8Б has plant milk for coffee and reportedly a vegan pastry and vegan shawarma. This café (here is their Instagram) wasn’t around when we were in Irkutsk, let us know if you go!
Oishi serves meat but has a vegan ramen! The tofu karaage and nasu maki are also reportedly vegan.
Sushied is another restaurant that serves meat but has a an English menu with some vegan sushi options (nothing exciting)

Stores

If you are heading to the Lake Baikal area, we suggest you stock up on some portable vegan food/snacks, as options were pretty limited in the tiny towns we went to.

Eko-Pol’za (Эко-польза) has a few locations in Irkutsk and stocks items like vegan sausage, tofu, plant milk, hummus, granola, nuts, and snacks. You will also be able to find some natural and vegan cosmetics. We were able to find a lot of good stuff here to take with us to Lake Baikal.
Edim Polezno is another health food store with vegan options.
Korea38 – we bought some ramen and snacks here. As a bonus, this small store is near Edison, a bar with decent craft beer.
Slata /Слата is the most common supermarket in Irkutsk and worth checking out for extra non-vegan specific foods.

Krasnoyarsk – Stop 5

Krasnoyarsk is a quiet city smack dab in the middle of Siberia. It’s a very pleasant town that is fun to explore on foot. If you like hiking, Krasnoyarsk is also 100% worth a stop to visit the Stolby Nature reserve (more on that below). Krasnoyarsk is pretty walkable, but for some far-out destination you might want to take the bus. The buses are quick, abundant, and efficient! One thing to note: on buses in Krasnoyarsk you pay an attendant who walks around the bus collecting the 26 ruble fee – just sit and they’ll come to you. We loved walking around Krasnoyarsk and enjoying the Siberian summer in this area. If you need a mid-journey break to just hang out and reset, Krasnoyarsk is a perfect stop.

What to do in Krasnoyarsk

1. Visit the Stolby Nature reserve

Stolby is the Russian name for giant rock pillars that are found throughout this part of the Siberian forest in the at the foothills of the Sayan Mountains. There are enough trails open to the public at the Stolby Nature reserve for at least two days of hiking, if you have the time. We did one full day and had a blast. Take city buses to the stop “турбаза” / Turbaza – there are several buses that go there, so put the stop name in Yandex maps to find the best route for you. Then walk up the hill into the park area.

At the entrance to the park (on a sign near the bathroom/coffee shop as you start to walk up the hill into the park) there was a QR code to download the mobile app “хайкинг” (hiking), which has map of trails in the park and elsewhere in the region. You will be walking on a dirt road slightly uphill through the forest for about an hour before you reach the actual Stolbies.

You can also take a chair lift from Bobrovy Log ski resort, which will bring you close to a few stolby (though to see more you’ll still have to hike). This is also a good option if you want to see a few Stolby, enjoy the view, but not walk too much. You can get here on bus #37. Remember, you can always take a taxi if you have a little more money and a little less time.

2. Hang out (and work out) at a beautiful island park

After traveling for a while, sometimes you get burnt out on standard tourist activities. When you feel like you can’t possibly enter another museum, Tatyshev Island park is the perfect way to spend a morning and remedy tourist burnout. It has beautiful walks by the river that make you feel far away from the city, but also plenty of attractions and restaurants. We spent the morning there walking around the many paths and exercising at the street-workout areas (by the way, Russians love street workouts and there are so many places in every city where you’ll be able to exercise outdoors).

We were also able to see a new-to-us animal there – the ground squirrel. We spent probably way too much time watching these guys run around. Take one of many buses that stop at Остров Татышев. The road cuts through the middle of the park, though we recommend the western side of the island.

3. Walk along the Yenisei river and see the site of the 10 ruble bill

River walks in Russian cities are usually so pleasant! If you walk along the Yenisei river, you will encounter playgrounds, some street workout areas, and if you are lucky, maybe a temporary art exhibition or another wonderful surprise. If the weather is nice, this is also a great place to people watch. You can also take a look at the Kommunalny Bridge, featured on the 10 ruble bill (which has since been discontinued, though still in circulation and possible to get as change).

4. Learn some Siberian history at the Krasnoyarsk Regional Local Lore Museum

So I know I said we were burnt out on museums, but the facade of this one drew us in. It was a nice way to spend a few hours poking around – the collection felt a little bit random, but there were some especially cool things, including a mammoth skeleton.

Examples of traditional Siberian clothing and sunglasses.

5. Visit an interactive museum and see some illusions

Galileo Park is a science museum with lots of interactive exhibits and illusions. If you have children, love science, or even just want to get some cool pictures, this museum might be worth a visit. There is a science section and an illusion section. The tickets are a little expensive for Russia – 500 rubles for adults and 400 for children – but if you are interested in science or interactive museums it could be worth a few hours. Check out their Instagram to get an idea of what’s inside.

6. See some interesting Art Deco and wooden architecture

Krasnoyarsk had several buildings that were surprisingly beautiful. If you are into architecture, spend time walking around Karla Marksa St, Lenin St, and Mira Ave.

What to eat and buy vegan in Krasnoyarsk

We were thrilled to see that Krasnoyarsk marked the return to dedicated vegan/vegetarian restaurants. From here west to Moscow it only gets easier and easier to find delicious vegan food. Eat up!

Vëggy Cafe: This was our favorite, and we ended up eating here multiple times during our stay. They have breakfast, bowls, soups, salads, burgers, smoothies and juices… pretty much everything you could want! On HappyCow this is marked as a vegetarian restaurant, however, the waiter told us that all the food was actually vegan. It is unclear (as of this note) if all of the dessert is vegan – we tried some “cheesecake” like dessert whose texture reminded us uncomfortably of a dairy version, but maybe they’re just really good at making desserts. They have an English menu as well. This might be a little higher priced than the norm in Russia, but still reasonable. You can always come during lunch time for the lunch bowls and get a filling meal for 339 rubles (less than $5). We highly recommend this restaurant!
Rada – Another vegetarian restaurant that serves mostly Indian food – this is slightly more affordable than Veggy Cafe, though to be honest, Veggy Cafe is the one we kept going back to! Still, if you want a change of pace, give it a try.
Vegan store NewYog – there are two locations, but the one that is on the same side of the river shows as NewYog – Bograda on HappyCow. It is inside another building on the 3rd floor, near Krasnoyarsk’s Red Square, not far from the train station – you’ll walk around the side of the building to find it. Persevere in finding this store, because it is extremely well stocked! We were able to get all kinds of vegan goodies here both to cook in our AirBnb and to take with us on the train.
We also cooked in our AirBnb and shopped several times at the supermarket Krasny Yar (Красный Яр). They have everything you’ll need to cook a hearty meal at home and find some accidentally vegan products.

Novosibirsk – Stop 6

Novosibirsk was another town that we probably never would have visited, but we ended up having a nice few days there. Novosibirsk is actually the third biggest city in Moscow. It is a huge industrial center in Russia, but the city center itself is quite nice and very walkable. The several beautiful monuments and churches, a very interesting museum, and lots of delicious craft beer made this stop well worth it for us.

What to do in Novosibirsk

1. Take a walk around the city center and visit some monuments

Our favorite thing to do in Novosibirsk was, unsurprisingly for us, just wandering around and looking at stuff. There are several beautiful churches and buildings worth your attention. We loved the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral (pictured below), the giant Lenin Square which includes the Novosibirsk State Academic Opera and Ballet theater (also a great place to catch a performance), the tiny Chapel of St. Nicholas. On your walk you’ll also come across several interesting sculptures – including a monument to the telephone, the sable (an animal native to Siberia), and of course, a few Lenins.

A statue of a compass being held up by Sables.

We thought Novosibirsk city center was a really nice place to wander, so give it a try! Novosibirsk, like many other cities in Russia, has a self-guided walking tour, called the “Red Line,” which you can follow around the city and which hits all the main sites. This tour starts in Lenin square.

2. Go to an unusual museum

We had heard of the World Funeral Culture Museum on the outskirts of Novosibirsk and were very intrigued by it. Would it be morbid? Creepy? Exciting? This museum is outside the city center and a little harder to get to, but we thought it was interesting enough to be worth the trip. The museum has three halls packed full of many different exhibits showing many sides of funeral culture spanning many different eras and cultures, including mourning clothes and jewelry, urn styles, hearses, and more. This museum was not only full of interesting things to look at, but also made us really start to contemplate our own mortality and think about death in a different way. And to top it all off, the museum is located on the grounds of a functioning crematorium.

To get there, a taxi would be easiest, but you can also use yandex maps and take bus 203 to the stop Новосибирский крематорий / Novosibirsk Crematorium to get within about 6 mins walking distance. We got a ride back from the extremely friendly guy working there – you can of course get a taxi back to the city center.

“Life is not those days that have passed, but those that remain.”

3. Relax in a traditional banya

We weren’t actually planning on doing this in Novosibirsk, but our hotel was connected to a banya and we couldn’t resist the fantastic prices. (We stayed at hotel Чернышевский on 16 Spusk Chernyshevskiy, which despite being a little outside the city center and unattractive from the outside, had very cute rooms at a great price). Banyas, or traditional Russian bathhouses, are an essential part of Russian culture you should try to experience on a trip to Russia. Many people assume a banya will be the same as a sauna, but it is actually hotter (usually 175-215F or 79-101C) and more humid than a sauna (but less so than a steam room). Friends and family usually meet and hang out in the banya together, rotating between the sauna-like heated room, the colder plunge pool, and occasionally taking a break for some drinks.

Make sure you rent or buy a веник (venik), a bundle of dried (usually birch) leaves that is supposed to improve circulation and help with muscle and joint pain – at the banya we went to, we were able to rent a venik and used it to lightly whack each other. Don’t forget to soak the venik in warm water first so the leaves are soft before you start hitting your banya buddy!

A few more tips: usually Russians wear felt hats inside the banya to protect their ears from the heat. There were hats provided in our banya (see ridiculous pic for reference). Start slow – banyas are super hot, so when you feel yourself getting too hot make sure you exit and take a dip in the plunge pool or shower (or if it’s winter, a dip in the snow outside also works!) Finally, you’ll be sweating a lot, so make sure to stay hydrated.

4. Visit the Novosibirsk State Art Museum

The Novosibirsk State Art Museum focuses on Russian icons and Russian art from the 18th-20th centuries. There are a few European collections, but the majority of the art is Russian. If you are interested in Russian art and artists it will be an interesting stop. A ticket to the permanent exhibition is only 180 rubles.

5. Hang out in a park

The temperature was extremely pleasant when we were in Novosibirsk, so we spent a lot of time outside. We went to Zayeltsovskiy Park of Culture and Leisure, which was huge and had several different areas – a beach on the banks of the Ob river, running/hiking/paved biking trails, sports arenas, outdoor exercise equipment, and more. If you want an escape to nature but don’t have time to go to the Altai mountains, this is a great place for you! Another cute park is Berezovaya Roshha Park. Finally, do not miss the opportunity to get some food at Veggie Pit and take it to the central park just a few blocks away for a picnic (more info on that below).

What to eat and buy vegan in Novosibirsk

Veggie Pit: This is our top pick for vegan food in Novosibirsk when you have good weather. Veggie Pit is an entirely vegan restaurant that has very good vegan “fast” food – and the prices are right. Veggie Pit serves vegan burgers, wraps, kebabs, fries, hot drinks, and more. They have a walk up window only with no seating, but are located about a block or so away from the central park (you’ll see it on Yandex maps). We took our food to the park and had a very enjoyable picnic there. We were surprised that on a weekday there was a long line to order, so be prepared to wait a little to order and have your food made. We love seeing vegan businesses thriving, so no problem!
Moi Manti: At Moi Manti everything is handmade to order. You can try a vegan version of “manti” which are a kind of dumpling traditional to the Caucases and Central Asia. There are also soups and salads which change depending on the day – everything we ate was delicious and fresh. It’s a little hard to find, so use the pictures on happycow to help you.
Fast Soup is a vegetarian restaurant with a few good vegan soups you can order in a bread cup. When we went, there were 4 soups on the menu and 2 of them were vegan. The guy working there seemed very knowledgeable about veganism and knew which soups were vegan vs vegetarian. We thought the soup here was very good, but the prime attraction of this place is its location – it is located in a cool area that has many restaurants and bars with outdoor seating and music at least some nights of the week. It is inside a courtyard between Lenina/Sovetskaya streets and Pervomayskiy Square.
Bumpkin Veg Cafe is an all vegan restaurant offering breakfast, lunch, dinner and drinks. This place is fairly new and the food looks delicious! Let us know if you go how it is.
Garden Room Coffee is a vegan coffee shop that also serves food. This wasn’t open when we visited Novosibirsk either, if you go please let us know how it is! Check out their instagram here.
Vëggy restaurant has another location in Novisibirsk! We ordered food delivered to our hotel room and we thought it wasn’t as good as the Krasnoyarsk location, but still worth a stop especially if you can get it fresh in the restaurant.
Ecomotiv is a store in the center with a variety of vegan food and cosmetics. Worth a look to stock up on snacks and train food!
Blagnost (Благность) is another vegetarian/vegan food store where you can stock up on snacks and train food.
Lenta (Лента) and Пятёрочка Pyatorochka are the most common supermarkets here where you will be able to buy a variety of basic goods and accidentally vegan products.

We were so happy with the variety of vegan food available in Novosibirsk! You definitely won’t go hungry here.

Yekaterinburg – Stop 7

Yekaterinburg was probably our favorite city of the whole Trans Siberian route. Located near the Ural mountains and the Europe-Asia border, Yekaterinburg is Russia’s 4th largest city. Not only does it have a dramatic history to explore, but it is also an extremely walkable place, with many well maintained riverside paths and parks throughout the city. It was also in Yekaterinburg that we found our favorite vegan restaurant of the whole trip. All of these factors coming together, and something else we couldn’t quite put our finger on – the vibes were just ON here. I suggest you make the trip and see for yourself.

What to do in Yekaterinburg

1. Visit the Ganina Yama Monastery

If you are interested in the history of the Romanov family, you must visit the relatively new Ganina Yama monastery (built in the 1990s). While the Romanovs were killed in Yekaterinburg, their bodies were taken from the city and thrown into a pit in what used to be an iron mine. You can see the traces of the pit into which the remains were supposedly thrown on the grounds of what is now the monastery. This area is, as mentioned, outside the city in a quiet area surrounded by a pretty forest. We went in the morning and it wasn’t crowded at all, which made our whole visit feel very calm and contemplative.

This complex includes seven different traditional wooden churches, representing the seven members of the royal family who were killed. Although not all of the chuches were open when we were there, we still really enjoyed wandering around the complex and taking in the somber mood of the place. The monastery also has a cafe where you can buy some traditional Siberian products. Don’t forget your headscarf, as you will have to wear it while on the grounds – they also have skirts for you to borrow.

We arrived to the monastery by taxi and took the bus back – we recommend this combo so you can save a little bit of money but don’t have to deal with finding the bus. You might also be able to combine this with a visit to the Europe-Asia border if you go by taxi. The return bus will pull up in the parking lot (#223) every few hours – according to current information, buses leave the parking lot at 07:30, 09:43, 12:18, 14:30, 16:40, and 20:17 – but bus schedules change all the time, so check and see if there is a sign posted on arrival with up to date information. Once back in Yekaterinburg, you can take the metro to the city center or a taxi to your next destination.

2. Visit the Church on the Blood – the site of the Romanov assassination

Continue on your Romanov history tour by visiting the Church on the Blood, a church built over the site of the home where the Romanov family were killed. The church itself is beautiful and there is a lot of information about the history of the royal family, their assassination, and Rasputin’s role in all of it (whether this information is bias free is a completely different matter). The church itself is also very new, as the house that was the site of the murder was demolished in 1977. We would go with google picture translate open, as most of the information is in Russian.

P.S. – For anyone who wants to get into Romanov history before visiting Yekaterinburg, we watched The Last Czar on Netflix and thought it was very well done – can’t speak as to the historical accuracy, but we felt like we learned a lot and it got us excited about visiting Yekaterinburg and seeing the sites where the events took place.

3. Learn about Russia in the 1990s at the Boris Yeltsin Museum

The Boris Yeltsin center and museum is located in a beautiful glass building overlooking the city pond. In this building you can also find a few fun shops and boutiques with interesting souvenirs, but the real highlight is the museum itself. The museum shows the history of Yeltsin’s presidency but serves to educate museum goers more broadly on Russia’s dramatic recent history – failed coups, the dissolution of the USSR, an abrupt change from communism to capitalism, and the rise of Putin are all explored in this museum (although, again, don’t expect a completely unbiased view).

We thought the museum was really entertaining and informative, the English audioguide was great, and the building itself was beautiful – we highly recommend a visit here. Take the opportunity to walk there along the pond – the path is beautiful and you can get a great view of the Church on the Blood from across the water.

4. Take a walk, see some beautiful buildings and interesting monuments

Yekaterinburg, like many other cities we visited in Russia, has a tourist route that will lead walkers on a self-guided tour of all the important monuments. In Yekaterinburg it is called the Red Line; a path of about 5.5 km that takes visitors around the city and its important monuments. You can find more information here. We thought this walk was highly worth it, the buildings are beautiful and we learned a lot about Yekaterinburg’s history. This will also take you by the dam on the Iset river, another beautiful place to walk and admire the skyline.

5. Visit Dendropark and walk along the river

Dendropark is a beautiful park located in the city center, with stunning flowers, a variety of plants and trees, and even a small chapel on the grounds. It is also near the Iset river, which has a very well maintained path that will take you along the river and past several interesting monuments, including one a monument dedicated to the Beatles and a giant QWERTY keyboard. We loved exploring this area of the city!

6. Head to Vayerna Street to shop and eat

Vayerna street is a pedestrian street full of shops and restaurants, benches to rest, and sculptures to admire. We recommend strolling down this street and working up an appetite – just off Vayerna street was our FAVORITE vegan food of the trip! More on that below.

7. Okay, just one more church on your Romanov tour

The Church of the Ascension is a pretty church located on Yekaterinburg’s highest hill and is considered to be the oldest church in Yekaterinburg (built in the late 1700s). In this church, Nicholas II and his family went to pray for the last time before being killed in the Ipatiev house. The church itself is smaller than the newer Church on the Blood, but no less beautiful. You can combine a visit to this church with the nearby Kharitonovskiy Garden, which was beautiful when we went in early fall.

Where to eat and buy vegan in Yekaterinburg

goBakery – arguably our favorite vegan spot of the trip and one we went back to again and again. goBakery is a vegan bakery, but don’t make the mistake of thinking they only have dessert. We also had delicious pizza here as well as some typical Georgian dishes. I was particularly excited about finding vegan khachapuri (хачапури), a Georgian cheese bread which traditionally comes topped with an egg. Their version was incredible. They also have burgers, bagels, hot and cold drinks, and delicious desserts. Go, and go again and again, to goBakery. The space is cute, the people working are friendly, and this is clearly an ethical vegan spot – win-win-win. P.S. this is marked under “Bakery” on HappyCow, so if you can’t find it, it’s probably hiding there.
Prosto Vegan (outside you’ll see #простовегануться and the phrase Кафе Веганской Кухни) is a full vegan cafe/restaurant that also sells their own yogurt and eco products. This wasn’t around when we were there, but it looks amazing, so please visit and tell us what you think!
Vegeterinburg is a vegetarian food store that makes their own soy meat, tofu, pelmeni, ice cream and more. A great place to stock up on train and snack stuff. Make sure you verify with them what is vegetarian vs vegan.
Perekrestok (Перекрёсток) is the most common supermarket chain here.

Perm – Stop 8

Perm is the eastern-most city in Europe and sometimes called the gateway to Siberia. While Perm might not be as well-known outside of Russia, it has a lot of interesting history and culture to explore. During World War II, Russia decided to move many cultural artifacts to Perm; many artists, writers, actors, etc followed, leading to Perm’s enduring reputation as a cultural center of Russia. The Perm Opera and Ballet House is known as one of the best in the country – dancers graduating from the Perm Ballet school go on to perform at some of the world’s most famous stages.

If modern art is more your thing, there is a fascinating museum known for being one of the last subversive spaces in Russia. In Perm, you can also take a self guided tour to stare at the beautiful classical mansions. Finally, if you are interested in Soviet history, a stop in Perm gives you the opportunity to visit the last Gulag that hasn’t been destroyed. We were very glad we stopped in Perm, and definitely recommend a visit.

What to do in Perm

1. Go to the Perm 36 Gulag, also known as the “History of Political Repression Museum”

We thought the Perm 36 Gulag was one of the top attractions of Perm, considering that it is the only remaining Gulag that is possible to visit. When we visited, we had it almost to ourselves, and were able to really sink into the atmosphere of the place. It’s something that’s not often talked about, but an important part of Russian history. It blew our minds to see these buildings and realize that this Gulag was still operating as recently as the 1980s! However, they don’t make it easy to get to.

If you don’t have a car, your options are to take a guided tour, for which you will pay at least $100 per person, or take public transportation. Public transportation is a little trickier but much more affordable. Luckily for you, we figured it out and have some tips:

Take a bus from the main bus station on Revolution Street heading to Chusovoy (чусовой) – the buses leave frequently and will take 60-90 minutes. The tickets will be about 400 rubles each way (about $5.44, so much more affordable than a private tour). You will need to ask the bus driver to let you off the bus on the highway near the turnoff to the village Kuchino (Кучино). Mention that as you get on and try to sit near the front if you can – they probably won’t forget you, but stay alert.
After you get off the bus, head down the turnoff (on the same side of the road as where the bus will drop you off) and walk about 2 km down the road, past a few houses to the village and eventually the entrance to the Gulag museum. Here are the coordinates you can put in Yandex maps, or you can type in Perm-36 and it should come up – 58.264293, 57.432656.
At the museum, they gave us a tablet to take a self-guided tour, which was okay (but recommended especially if you don’t speak Russian). Depending on when you visit, you might also be able to take a tour with a guide working there. The entrance is 300 rubles plus 100 for audio guide and a 1000 ruble deposit for the audio guide which will be returned to you at the end.
The complex includes two main areas, the “Maximum Security” gulag is included in your ticket price and is about a 5 minute walk further up the road. This is worth a visit if you have the time, but we spent 90% of our time at the main Gulag.
To get back to Perm you can take the bus 322 from Kuchino to the highway (ask the people in the gulag) or you can walk back to the highway and head to the stop “отворот на тёмную.” It will be a bit further down the highway past where you got off, on the other side of the road so you can return to Perm. From there you can get one of several buses that head back to Perm. Buses leave about every 20-45 minutes throughout the day until 18:55, then there is one per hour until the last one at 21:40. We were able to hail a bus that was driving by as we were on our way to the stop and the driver pulled over so we could get on. You can also hitchhike if you prefer.

2. Go to the Perm Museum of Contemporary Art

This museum, also known as PERMM, has exhibitions showing contemporary Russian art as well as the occasional international exhibition. We got the impression that most of the space is dedicated to temporary exhibitions, so depending on when you go your experience will be different. They also have activities for children – overall worth a trip if you have the time. Tickets are 200 rubles for adults.

3. Take advantage of the self-guided tourist routes to see the main sites of the city for free

Perm, like many other cities in Siberia, does a really nice job of giving tourists the option to follow a painted line through the city to learn about some of its most important places. In Perm, the main tourist line is called the “Zelenaya liniya” or the “Green line,” and has 36 sites. You can easily spend a whole morning or afternoon on the tourist line if you take your time, stop for food, and read the information about the locations you visit.

We also saw another themed route on our way – a red line “romantic” tour. If you want to start at #1 on the green line, head to the Permyak-soleny ushi “Salty Ears’ sculpture. (Комсомольский пр-т, 27). For an overview of the routes (in Russian but translatable), click here . This was a great way to see some of the beautiful classical buildings of the city, painted in stunning bright colors.

The salty ears sculpture where the walking tour begins.

4. Walk along the river embankment and see the “счастье не за горами” sculpture

While this sculpture is probably more popular with Russian speakers, it does give you the excuse to go back to and walk along the beautiful Kama River. The expression “Счастье не за горами” roughly translates to “Happiness is not behind the mountains,” meaning “Happiness is not far away, happiness is around the corner.” We loved walking along the river and admiring the beautiful Siberian sky.

5. Visit the Perm State Art Gallery

The Perm Art Museum is a nice collection of classical art which is also near the river – make sure to enjoy a walk before or after your visit. The sunset over the river from near this museum is stunning. The building itself is also very nice – an old church whose third floor is dedicated to wooden religious icons that even got a nod from UNESCO. The rest of the collection, housed on the 1st and 2nd floors, was also very pleasant with a few standout pieces. Don’t expect many big European names, but nonetheless worth a stop to see some Russian art. The whole museum isn’t too big and can easily be visited in 1-2 hours.

6. See a performance at the Perm Opera and Ballet House imena Tchaikovsky

As mentioned, while the opportunity to see opera or ballet exists at every trans siberian stop, the Perm Opera and Ballet are particularly well-known and respected. Check their schedule ahead of time here to see what performances will take place during your visit.

Where to eat and buy vegan in Perm

Krapiva is a vegetarian restaurant with vegan options (they can also make most menu items vegan upon request). We went for a tasty lunch and especially liked their desserts. This restaurant is located near the center, and we recommend going for breakfast, lunch, or coffee/tea + dessert. They have soy and coconut milk for porridge and drinks.
Lakshmi Cafe is a health food store with a restaurant/cafe attached. It is vegetarian with some vegan menu items and has decent food – mostly breakfast, desserts, light meals and drinks. Their interior is also spacious and has very peaceful vibes. They have a play area for kids as well (which may or may not be peaceful, but when we went there were no kids).
Ali Falafel – if you are in the mood for hummus or falafel, this is a great choice! They understand “vegan” and the prices are reasonable.
Lemon Tree Cafe is another vegetarian cafe with vegan options. You can see the menu here. They have soy and coconut milk for porridge and drinks. The space is also very pleasant – we recommend going for breakfast or coffee (they also have a variety of other drinks including fresh juice, kombucha, hot chocolate, and several kinds of tea) .
Unreal Fur Coat – if you are looking for a warm winter coat in Russia made without animal cruelty, definitely support this business. When I saw them on HappyCow I was sad to already have a coat. If you want to invest in a good, warm, fur-free coat that will last, check this place out.
Pyatorochka (Пятёрочка) , Semya (Семья) , and Perekrestok (Перекрёсток) supermarkets can all be found in Perm for basic goods and accidentally vegan products.

Kazan – Bonus Stop

As mentioned, Kazan isn’t on the official “Trans Siberian” route, but we thought the detour was absolutely worth it. Kazan was one of the most beautiful cities we visited by far. Kazan is the capital of the Republic of Tatarstan in Russia, and you can see evidence here of the mix of Tatar and Russian cultures. Many Tatars are Muslim, so along with visiting Russian Orthodox churches, you can visit some beautiful mosques and hear the call to prayer throughout the day depending on your location. With good beer, interesting walks, abundant vegan food, interesting culture, and stunning architecture, you won’t regret making Kazan the last (or first) stop of your journey.

What to do in Kazan

1. Visit the Kremlin

A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Kremlin (or fortress) of Kazan is the number one attraction here, and it’s easy to see why. There have been structures at this site since the 10th century, though the buildings currently standing range from the 16th to the 19th century. It includes several churches, towers, museums, and archeological remains. There is also the stunning Kul Sharif mosque within the walls, apparently one of the largest in Europe. Entering one of the seven museums inside the Kremlin requires a ticket (ranging from 150-200 rubles per museum), but walking around the Kremlin itself, as well as entering some of the churches and the mosque, is free.

2. Walk around Bauman street

Bauman street is to Kazan as Arbat street is to Moscow. A pedestrian street in the middle of downtown Kazan which you can take right to/from the Kremlin. This street gives ample opportunity to buy souvenirs, eat, people watch, and sometimes even listen to street performers. There are also a few interesting monuments and buildings along this street to look at, including the Epiphany Cathedral, Bauman Clock, and the Kazan cat statue. Make sure you take a small detour to visit the Peter and Paul Cathedral (#4).

3. Enjoy an interesting building and get a great view of the Kremlin

The Kazan Family Center is located across the bridge from downtown Kazan on the Kazanka River. You can pay to enter the observation deck on the top, which is about 32 meters high. From here, you can see the Kazanka River, the Volga, the Kremlin, and downtown Kazan. We thought the building itself was interesting – the huge cauldron shape and the statues outside made this a very unique area. We were glad to have made the trip over – we walked there, but you can also take a short taxi ride. A great place to stop around sunset, though just be aware you will not have the place to yourself if you do so.

4. Admire the colorful Peter and Paul Cathedral

Official name: Cathedral of the Apostles Peter and Paul. This colorful cathedral was being renovated when we visited so it’s sure to be even more beautiful now! We loved this cathedral – the exterior is covered in bright colors and sculptures, while the inside is beautifully decorated. This Cathedral also sits on a hill, so you will be rewarded for your climb with a nice view of the city.

5. Take a walk along the river and admire the views

The Kremlyovskaya Embankment is a beautiful riverwalk. There are plenty of shops, bike paths, and small attractions along the way. We thought this place was really fun to stroll along in the evening, but it was also a fantastic place for a morning run (and significantly less crowded). Outdoor exercisers will also be happy to note that there is a lot of street workout equipment concentrated in one part of the embankment, close to the Kremlin. From here, you can also get great views of the Kremlin – we also suggest you combine this with a quick look at the Agricultural Palace on your way there. We thought this building was one of the most beautiful in Kazan. You can’t miss the impressive tree sculpture in the front of the building!

If you, like us, just love to wander around aimlessly when visiting a place, you might end up here. We are definitely strollers, and love a good city park. Chornoye Ozera Park was near our hotel, so we started or ended many days with a quick walk or run through here. The park includes some walking paths and a well-equipped street workout area. Another great option is walking near Nizhny Kaban Lake. It’s a beautiful large lake in the eastern part of Kazan. The lake itself seems manmade, but the embankments are beautiful, with recently built parks and water features. You can see the Tartar neighborhood on one side and combine this with a trip to our favorite vegan restaurant in Kazan (See the restaurant Vegan Day for more info).

7. Visit the market and stock up on veggies

The Kazan central market has fruit and vegetables for dirt cheap, as well as some delicious pre-made vegan treats (think pickled vegetables of all sorts and fresh salads). You can just ask to make sure “. Avoid the meat sections and feast your eyes on the vegetables instead. Visiting the market is a real treat to get a real glimpse at where most locals shop for goods (though, of course, you’ll also have plenty of choice of supermarkets for supplementary food).

8. Bad Weather? Visit some of Kazan’s museums

We were 100% burnt out on museums towards the end of our trip, so we spent most of our time outside. However, for the museum inclined, Kazan has some great options. Get a taste of what life was like in everyday Soviet Russia at the Museum of Soviet Life, an impressive collection of Soviet memorabilia. The collection is interactive, with many of the items available to touch, play with, or wear. The “Tartarskaya Sloboda” museum will give you more information about Tartar culture. Two things to note: this is a museum with a guided tour included, but it’s not clear as to whether there will be an English speaking guide. Also, the museum includes tea and Tartar sweets at the end, avoid the sweets and take the tea only if you do this museum visit.

9. See an interesting monument dedicated to all religions

The Temple of All Religions, started by a local artist (and still in progress) is a unique place where you can see examples of religious architecture representing many different religions. It currently serves as a cultural space, art school, detox center, and museum combined. If you have some extra time to visit this monument, take Bus 2 from the train station to “Posiólok Stároe Arakchino” “Pereprava”, or the train to “Ostanóvochniy Punkt Stároe Arakchino”

Ready for more of Kazan and its surroundings? The region of Tatarstan has a great tourist site with more information about Kazan and elsewhere in Tatarstan. If you are lucky enough to have some extra time in this area, check it out here.

Where to eat and buy vegan in Kazan

Pesky is an all vegan coffee shop selling delicious coffee and snacks to go with it. The coffee is brewed in hot sand (some Turkish coffee is brewed this way, though we think the owner of this restaurant is giving the coffee a Georgian twist). We chose to have our coffee brewed with cherry juice (На вишнёвом соке or na vishnyom sokye) which was unexpectedly heavenly. We also really loved the variety of snacks we got here, including savory/sweet pastries and desserts. An obligatory stop while you are exploring Bauman street, as this cafe is only a short detour away from the main thoroughfare.
Vegan Day is an all vegan restaurant with very delicious, low priced food and friendly staff. They also have a store selling some vegan products. You can eat there or take it to go and walk around 15 min to Millenium park or Nizhny Kaban Lake for a picnic. We loved this restaurant and ended up here multiple times throughout our stay in Kazan. If they don’t have an English menu, you can translate their online menu on your phone and be prepared when you order. We especially liked their crunchy-breaded tofu nuggets and all of their rolls.
Green Life cafe is another highly recommended stop in Kazan. It’s a tiny vegan restaurant that serves mostly burgers and wraps (called “rolls” in Russian). Their food was consistently tasty, however, this is a small place. There are a couple places to sit inside, but be prepared to take your food to go if it’s busy. If the weather is good, Millennium Park is a less than 10 minute walk away. You can also get vegan coffee drinks here for very reasonable prices.

We only ate at these restaurants in Kazan, but if you are with omnivores, Tubatay and Dobraya Stolovaya both have vegan options as well. Pyatorochka supermarkets are also abundant in Kazan for accidentally vegan and staple food/snacks.

Special Craft Beer Mention

We LOVE Russian craft beer and usually seek it out whenever we are travelling in Russia. We noticed that the craft beer scene was a little better the further west we travelled, and in Kazan we found some bars we thought were particularly good. Usually, we just use Untapped to find craft beer bars when we travel (many Russians use untapped as well so the search results are usually helpful). However, take our advice and visit these places in particular:

Bunker is a bar that is literally underground. The vibes are very interesting here and there is a decent selection of beers.
Drink Craft is a bar focusing on local/Russian (and other) craft beer.

Price Breakdown for our Trans-Siberian Trip

Are you wondering how much a trip to Russia might cost? Scared that this trip of a lifetime might be out of reach for you? Take a look at our cost breakdown below – as you can see, a trip through Russia might be cheaper than you thought! Your highest costs will be the visa costs, plane, and train tickets. Looking and walking around is free and safe – obviously this is a personal experience, but we spent two years in Russia and never once felt unsafe. Museums, hotels, and food will be cheap.

Transportation Costs

(the ruble to dollar ratio has changed significantly since 2020 so this is an estimate only)

-Two one-way plane tickets on Aeroflot from Moscow to Vladivostok were 31,320 rubles ($436 total, $218 each ticket). We only bought these tickets about 3 weeks in advance so you might be able to get a better deal.

-Two platzkart (3rd class) tickets from Vladivostok to Khabarovsk were 3,668 rubles ($51 total)

-Two kupe (2nd class) tickets from Khabarovsk to Ulan-Ude 12,991 rubles ($180 total)

-Two kupe (2nd class) tickets from Ulan-Ude to Irkutsk 3393 rubles ($47 total).

**Our bus and ferry travel around the Lake Baikal area was not factored into this calculation: you can get more info here but it won’t add more than an extra couple hundred to your total***

-Two platzkart (3rd class) tickets from Irkutsk – Krasnoyarsk 4981 rubles ($69 total)

-Two kupe (2nd class) tickets from Krasnoyarsk-Novosibirsk 5329 rubles ($74 total)

-Two kupe (2nd class) tickets from Novosibirsk-Yekaterinburg 8244 rubles ($114 total)

-Two platzkart (3rd class) tickets from Yekaterinburg-Perm 2522 rubles ($35 total)

-Two kupe (2nd class) tickets from Perm-Kazan 6289 rubles ($87 total)

-Two kupe (2nd class) tickets from Kazan-Moscow 5029 rubles ($70 total)

Our total train costs were 52,446 rubles, which is about $730 for both of us or $365 each. Not bad for a journey that will take you through eight different time zones and two continents. Our transport total, including our flights from Moscow but excluding our extra travel around the Lake Baikal area, was 83766 rubles or $1,166 dollars ($583 per person!) . We were already living in Moscow and did not pay for our visas, so I would add at least another $1500 or so PER person to factor in the international flight and visa costs.

Restaurants and food in general in Russia are extremely affordable. Expect to pay no more than 300 rubles for an entrée at a restaurant, a little over $4. This is also the absolute maximum you will pay for a craft beer in a bar, but usually it will be even cheaper. When we did our grocery shopping in Moscow, we could get over a week of food for two people for around 5000 rubles, less than $70. Definitely set aside some money for food on your trip, but especially if you come from the US you will be pleasantly surprised.

You can make this cheaper a few ways:

By making fewer stops. It is cheaper to buy fewer train tickets and have longer journeys. We wanted to see all of the cities on our list, so we recommend making most or all of these stops if you have the time and budget for them. If we had to skip one stop, we would probably have skipped Khabarovsk, however, the bad weather we had there could be influencing our opinion of this city. I’ve talked to other people who loved Khabarovsk. If you aren’t into hiking, you can probably also skip Krasnoyarsk: it’s a pleasant city but the highlight was really the Stolbys for us. We liked Novosibirsk as well, and it’s the 3rd largest city in Russia, however, this might be another one to skip if you are short on time.
Take more platzkart journeys. Our decision to buy mostly 2nd class tickets was motivated mainly by trying to minimize the impact of our journey COVID-wise. Platzkart was definitely also interesting and could be a fun experience. Just bring ear plugs and get ready to smell whatever your neighbors are eating.
We did a combo of staying in places with a kitchen to cook and going to restaurants. You can save money by eating out less and cooking more.

While you will need a few thousand saved up, we hope our price breakdown shows that it IS possible to have an amazing trip for less money than you are thinking!

We hope you’ve found this guide helpful – we really wanted to use our experience living in Russia to provide everyone with the information that will make their trip hassle-free and memorable. If you have any other questions please don’t hesitate to contact us! Enjoy the journey!