Buryatia · Russia
Where to stay in Ulan-Ude
Ulan-Ude is a city in Buryatia, Russia, home to about 435,000 people.
- Best months
- June
- Nearest airport
- UUD12 km · Baikal International Airport
- Currency
- RUBRussian ruble
- Time zone
- Asia/Irkutsk
- Language
- Abaza, Adyghe, Aghul
About
About Ulan-Ude
Ulan-Ude is the capital city of Buryatia, Russia, located about 100 kilometers (62 mi) southeast of Lake Baikal on the Uda River at its confluence with the Selenga. According to the 2021 Census, 437,565 people lived in Ulan-Ude; up from 404,426 recorded in the 2010 Census, making the city the third-largest in the Russian Far East by population.
Ulan Ude, originally called Udinskoye, is in an area of Russia called Buryatia, named after the nomadic Buryat Mongols that first settled in the area. In the 1650s, as a result of a split in the Russian Orthodox Church, a group of people called the "Old Believers" were forced to flee their homes and escape to Siberia in order to freely practice their religion. The settlement was officially founded in 1666 by Russian Cossacks as a fortress. Due to its location on trade routes between Russia, China and Mongolia, it developed into a prosperous trading town.
Wikipedia and Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Things to do
What to see and do in Ulan-Ude
See
- Ethnographic Museum of the People of Transbaikalia Culture
- City History Museum / History of Ulan-Ude
- Museum of Buryatia History
- Museum of Buryatia Nature
- Sampilov Museum of Fine Arts
- Geological Museum
- Odigitrievsky Cathedral
- Rinpoche Bagsha, Buddhist Center
- Ivolginsky Datsan Buddhist Monastery
- Bolshoi Kunalei
Do
- Buryat State Academic Opera and Ballet Theater
- Puppet Theatre Ulger
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Where to stay
Which part of Ulan-Ude to stay in
Most hotels and hostels offer free WiFi and many have computer terminals. Almost all accept credit cards. Hotels and hostels will usually provide a visa invitation and registration for an additional fee.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Where to stay
Hotels in Ulan-Ude
4 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Baikal Plaza | 1.5 km | |
| Hotel Buryatia | 1.5 km | |
| Hotel Mergen Bator | 2.1 km | |
| Hotel Sagaan Morin | 1.5 km |
When to go
The best time to visit Ulan-Ude
The most comfortable months for a city stay in Ulan-Ude are June. July is the warmest month, with average highs of 25 °C; August is the wettest, with about 88 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 Ulan-Ude: airports and arrival
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Baikal International Airport (UUD), about 12 km from the city centre in a straight line.
Getting around
The central tourist area of Ulan Ude is compact and is very walkable. Taxis are plentiful but drivers rarely speak any English. There are marshrutkas, buses, and a few tram routes.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
UUD · Baikal International Airport
Local knowledge
Eating, drinking and staying safe in Ulan-Ude
Eat
Try local buryat cuisine. Mainly it's steamed meat dumplings called "Buuza" (or "Pozy"), fried "Sharbin", or "Khushuur". Soups include meat broth "Bukhlyor" and noodles "Shuleen". Sweet baked goods served with jam or condensed milk are called "boovy". The fish "omul" is unique for the region, as it exists only in the Baikal lake.
Drink
The local Baikalpharm brand of vodka is very popular and a bottle makes a great souvenir.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Questions
Ulan-Ude: questions travellers ask
When is the best time to visit Ulan-Ude?
The most comfortable months for a city stay in Ulan-Ude are June. July is the warmest month, with average highs of 25 °C; August is the wettest, with about 88 mm of rain.
Which airport is closest to Ulan-Ude?
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Baikal International Airport (UUD), about 12 km from the city centre in a straight line.
What currency is used in Ulan-Ude?
Russian ruble (RUB).
Nearby
Destinations near Ulan-Ude
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.