Tomsk Oblast · Russia
Where to stay in Tomsk
Tomsk is a city in Tomsk Oblast, Russia, home to about 545,000 people.
- Best months
- June to August
- Nearest airport
- TOF20 km · Tomsk Kamov Airport
- Currency
- RUBRussian ruble
- Time zone
- Asia/Tomsk
- Language
- Abaza, Adyghe, Aghul
About
About Tomsk
Tomsk is a city and the administrative center of Tomsk Oblast in Russia, on the Tom River. Population: 543,742 (2026); 556,478 (2021 census); 524,669 (2010 census); 487,838 (2002 census); 501,963 (1989 Soviet census).
Located on the River Tom, the city was founded in 1604 by the order of Tsar Boris Godunov as a military outpost against nomadic peoples. Gold was discovered in 1830, which boosted the fortunes of the city, but after the construction of the Trans-Siberian Railroad, which bypassed Tomsk and passed the area further to the south, economic development also moved away from the city. Instead, Tomsk became a university town. Tomsk benefited after World War II as factories were moved east, away from the conflict. It was closed to outsiders during the Cold War.
Wikipedia and Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Things to do
What to see and do in Tomsk
See
- Tomsk Oblast Local Museum
- Tomsk Oblast Art Museum
- Tomsk history museum
- Tomsk planetarium
- Tomsk State University
- Tomsk Polytechnic University
- Chekhov through the Eyes of a Drunk Man Lying in a Pit Who Never Read Kashtanka
Do
- Tonsk Regional Drama Theatre
- Siberian Botanic Garden
- Mikhailovskaya Grove
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Where to stay
Hotels in Tomsk
3 hotels within 25 km of the centre, as recorded in Wikidata. Each name links to its encyclopedia article where there is one.
| Hotel | Opened | From centre |
|---|---|---|
| Bon Apart | 1.9 km | |
| Gogol Hotel | 1.6 km | |
| Xander hotel | 1.3 km |
When to go
The best time to visit Tomsk
The most comfortable months for a city stay in Tomsk are June to August. July is the warmest month, with average highs of 25 °C; July is the wettest, with about 75 mm of rain.
Comfortable means average daytime high between 18 °C and 29 °C and under 80 mm of rain in the month. Averages for 1991–2020 over the surrounding area, a grid square about 50 km across, so a coast or a nearby mountain can make the town itself warmer or cooler. Data: CRU TS v4.10, Climatic Research Unit, University of East Anglia (Open Database License).
Getting there
Getting to Tomsk: airports and arrival
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Tomsk Kamov Airport (TOF), about 20 km from the city centre in a straight line.
Getting in
There is a rail branch from the Trans-Siberian Railway junction at Taiga, 2½ hours from Tomsk-1 train station.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
TOF · Tomsk Kamov Airport
Local knowledge
Eating, drinking and staying safe in Tomsk
Eat
The cuisine is similar to what you can try in Novosibirsk, Krasnoyarsk and any other city in the region. Local foods like pelmeni or bliny (pancakes) can be found in practically any restaurant. Try the Siberian Pancakes (Sibirskie Bliny) with a lot of different fillings.
Drink
Nefiltroff is the local non-filtered beer — cheap, tasty and cheerful! Local vodka is also pretty cheap and considerably well-done. Supermarkets cannot sell spirits after 10PM, although beer is still available at night at specialized bar-shops (they open bottles on sale). Bars and restaurants have no time limits for selling alcohol.
Stay safe
Try not to drink on the streets, or at least not to show it to local policemen. They are usually quite tolerant and in most cases will just tell you to stop drinking, still there may be accidents. There is zero tolerance toward drugs, even the softest ones — so take extreme care.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Questions
Tomsk: questions travellers ask
When is the best time to visit Tomsk?
The most comfortable months for a city stay in Tomsk are June to August. July is the warmest month, with average highs of 25 °C; July is the wettest, with about 75 mm of rain.
Which airport is closest to Tomsk?
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Tomsk Kamov Airport (TOF), about 20 km from the city centre in a straight line.
What currency is used in Tomsk?
Russian ruble (RUB).
Nearby
Destinations near Tomsk
Sources: city facts from Wikidata and Wikipedia; airports from OurAirports; climate from CRU TS v4.10 (University of East Anglia Climatic Research Unit), 1991–2020 monthly means, 0.5° grid; places to stay, guest scores and amenities from each operator's own public pages. How this guide is made.