Yekaterinburg, Russia: travel guide
Founded in 1723 as the mining capital of the Urals, on the frontier between Europe and Asia — the Romanovs were shot here at the Ipatiev House, and the city is known for its constructivist architecture and street art.
Summary adapted from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA.
- Country
- Russia
- Currency
- RUB
- Time zone
- Asia/Yekaterinburg
- Nearest airport
- SVX
Top places to visit in Yekaterinburg
Church on the Blood
Church · 4.7 rating · about 1 h
Large Russian-Byzantine cathedral built on the site of the Ipatiev House where Tsar Nicholas II and his family were executed in 1918. A major pilgrimage and memorial site.
Yeltsin Center
Museum · 4.6 rating · about 2.5 h · entry RUB 300
Modern museum and cultural complex dedicated to Russia's first president Boris Yeltsin, with an immersive multimedia history of 1990s Russia.
Vysotsky Skyscraper Viewpoint
Viewpoint · 4.7 rating · about 0.8 h · entry RUB 500
Observation deck on the 52nd floor of the Vysotsky business tower (188 m), offering panoramic 360-degree views over the city.
Sevastyanov House
Heritage · 4.6 rating · about 0.3 h
Ornate neo-Gothic and Moorish mansion on the City Pond embankment, one of Yekaterinburg's most photographed buildings (now a presidential residence, exterior viewing).
Plotinka (City Pond Dam)
Heritage · 4.7 rating · about 0.7 h
The historic dam on the Iset River where the city was founded in 1723; a riverside park and the symbolic heart of Yekaterinburg.
Europe-Asia Border Monument
Heritage · 4.4 rating · about 0.5 h
Obelisk marking the geographic boundary between Europe and Asia along the Ural mountains, about 17 km west of the city on the Moscow highway.
Ganina Yama Monastery
Monastery · 4.7 rating · about 1.5 h
Monastery of the Holy Royal Martyrs built at the mine where the remains of the Romanov family were disposed of; seven wooden churches in a forest setting.
Literary Quarter
Cultural · 4.5 rating · about 1 h
An open-air district of restored 19th-century wooden houses and museums dedicated to Ural writers, with gardens and an amphitheatre.
Weiner Street
Cultural · 4.4 rating · about 0.7 h
Yekaterinburg's pedestrianised shopping street, lined with historic merchant buildings, bronze sculptures, cafes and street performers.
Ural Geology Museum
Museum · 4.6 rating · about 1.3 h · entry RUB 200
Mining and geology museum of the Ural State Mining University, displaying a rich collection of Ural minerals, gemstones and meteorites.
Iset River Embankment
Nature · 4.5 rating · about 0.8 h
Landscaped riverside promenade running through the centre past the City Pond, popular for walks, cycling and views of the skyline.
1905 Square
Cultural · 4.4 rating · about 0.4 h
The main city square in front of the City Administration building, used for festivals and the winter ice town; central orientation point.
Things to do
- Romanov History Walking Tour Walking Tour · 3 h · from RUB 1,500 per person
- Europe-Asia Border Excursion Day Trip · 4 h · from RUB 2,200 per person
- Ganina Yama Monastery Trip Day Trip · 4 h · from RUB 2,000 per person
- Vysotsky Skyscraper Observation Deck Sightseeing · 1 h · from RUB 500 per person
- Yekaterinburg City Highlights Tour City Tour · 3 h · from RUB 1,400 per person
- Ural Minerals & Gemstones Museum Visit Museum · 1.5 h · from RUB 800 per person
Day trips and tours
- Europe-Asia Border & Ganina Yama 5 h · from RUB 3,500
- Romanov History Day 7 h · from RUB 5,500
- Yekaterinburg City Highlights 4 h · from RUB 2,500
Where to stay in Yekaterinburg
- City Centre (Plotinka) about RUB 6,500 per night
The historic heart around the City Pond dam, walking distance to most landmarks, plenty of restaurants and hotels.
- Literary Quarter about RUB 5,500 per night
Quiet leafy district of 19th-century wooden mansions and museums, near the Church on the Blood.
- Weiner Street about RUB 5,000 per night
Pedestrianised shopping street with cafes and the central business core, lively day and night.
Hotels
- Hyatt Regency Ekaterinburg 5-star · RUB 9,000 to RUB 18,000 per night
- Onegin Hotel 4-star · RUB 5,000 to RUB 9,500 per night
- Hostel Yekas 2-star · RUB 700 to RUB 2,500 per night
- Vysotsky Hotel 4-star · RUB 6,000 to RUB 12,000 per night
- Park Inn by Radisson Ekaterinburg 4-star · RUB 4,500 to RUB 8,000 per night
- Sky Hostel 2-star · RUB 650 to RUB 2,200 per night
Where to eat
- Pashtet Russian, Ural · about RUB 1,800 per person
- Gados Mediterranean, European · about RUB 1,600 per person
- Stroganov Grill Steakhouse, Russian · about RUB 3,200 per person
- Nigora Uzbek, Central Asian · about RUB 900 per person
- Dacha Russian · about RUB 1,500 per person
- Engels Bar & Kitchen European, Asian · about RUB 1,700 per person
- Vilka-Lozhka Russian · about RUB 450 per person
- Pelmen Bar Russian, Ural · about RUB 700 per person
Getting around
- Bus main way to get around
Seeded from the curated primary_local_modes array; per-city parameters not yet researched.
- Metro main way to get around
Seeded from the curated primary_local_modes array; per-city parameters not yet researched.
- Tram main way to get around
Seeded from the curated primary_local_modes array; per-city parameters not yet researched.
- Walking
Every city has walking. 2.5 km ceiling is a placeholder default, not a researched per-city figure -- Singapore is sheltered and air-conditioned, Bangkok often has no pavement.
Safety and scams to avoid
Unofficial airport taxi overcharging
Koltsovo Airport (SVX) arrivals hall
Drivers tout in the terminal and quote inflated flat fares to the city, sometimes several times the metered rate.
How to avoid it: Book through the Yandex Go app or use the official taxi desk; the centre is about 20 km away and should be a moderate metered fare.
Friendly stranger / drink spiking in bars
Nightlife venues around the centre
An overly friendly stranger invites you for drinks then runs up a huge bill or distracts you while belongings or card details are taken.
How to avoid it: Keep your drink in sight, decline unsolicited invitations and pay as you go rather than running a tab with strangers.
Fake charity or survey clipboards
Weiner Street and pedestrian areas
People with clipboards ask for a signature or donation, then pressure for cash or pickpocket during the distraction.
How to avoid it: Politely decline and keep walking; keep wallets and phones in front pockets in crowded pedestrian zones.