Russia Guides and Best-of Lists

These guides and best-of lists show Irkutsk through its main themes: free sights, family stops, winter activities, local food, churches, wooden houses and museums. Each list is built around one question a visitor might ask, from what to see on a limited budget to where to eat Siberian and Buryat dishes.

The lists on this page are shown automatically. Use this text to pick the one that matches your trip, and combine them if you have more time: a walking route for the historic centre, a list for the season you travel in and a list for meals.

Other areas

• Best Bridges and Drawbridge Viewing Spots, Saint Petersburg – Nine bridges and riverside spots in Saint Petersburg for watching the night raising of the drawbridges over the Neva, with 2026 times and the…
• Best Canal and River Boat Tours, Saint Petersburg – Eight boat trips in Saint Petersburg, from small canal boats on the Fontanka and Moika to the night Neva cruise and hydrofoils to Peterhof…
• Best Churches and Monasteries, Irkutsk – Eight places of worship in Irkutsk, from the oldest stone church and Siberian Baroque cathedrals to a working convent and a Buddhist temple.
• Best Churches and Religious Sites, Saint Petersburg – Nine churches and religious sites in Saint Petersburg, from the Savior on Spilled Blood and Saint Isaac's to the Alexander Nevsky Lavra, a synagogue…
• Best Free Things to Do, Irkutsk – Ten free things to do in Irkutsk: river promenades, old-town streets, monuments, the restored wooden 130th Quarter, working churches and a lively food market.
• Best Historic Neighborhoods and Islands, Saint Petersburg – Nine historic areas of Saint Petersburg to explore on foot, from Vasilyevsky Island and Kolomna to the Petrograd Side, its northern islands and Kronstadt.
• Best Metro Stations for Architecture, Saint Petersburg – Eight Saint Petersburg metro stations worth riding for their architecture, from the glass columns of Avtovo and the Stalinist halls of the first line…
• Best Museums, Irkutsk – Eight museum stops in Irkutsk, from Siberia's oldest museum and a carved wooden mansion to Decembrist family homes and a real steam icebreaker.
• Best Museums, Saint Petersburg – Nine museums worth your time in Saint Petersburg, from the Hermitage and the Russian Museum to the Kunstkamera, Fabergé eggs, the siege story and…
• Best Palaces and Historic Mansions, Saint Petersburg – Ten palaces and mansions to visit in Saint Petersburg, from the Yusupov Palace on the Moika to the Winter Palace, Saint Michael's Castle and…
• Best Parks and Gardens, Saint Petersburg – Eight green places in Saint Petersburg, from the formal Summer Garden and the Tauride Garden to Yelagin Island, the Botanical Garden and the youngest…
• Best Restaurants, Irkutsk – Ten restaurants for eating Irkutsk's way: Baikal fish, Siberian game, Buryat buuzy and a panoramic dining room, all in or close to the historic…
• Best Restaurants, Saint Petersburg – Ten restaurants in Saint Petersburg, from tasting-menu rooms like Birch and BOBO to rooftop views at Blok and a window seat on Nevsky Prospekt.
• Best Siberian and Buryat Dishes to Try, Irkutsk – Ten dishes that taste of Irkutsk: Baikal omul, raw-fish sagudai, Buryat buuzy, slow-cooked khorkhog, game, cedar nuts and more, with where to look for…
• Best Things to Do with Kids, Irkutsk – Nine family-friendly stops in Irkutsk: a real steam icebreaker, a bronze Babr, river promenades, festivals and short museum visits that work with children.
• Best Things to Do with Kids, Saint Petersburg – Eight family picks in Saint Petersburg, from the Leningrad Zoo and the giant Grand Maket Russia model to the planetarium, oceanarium and the Universe…
• Best Things to Do, Irkutsk – Ten places that show Irkutsk at its best: restored wooden streets, Siberian Baroque churches, Decembrist houses, a museum icebreaker and a working food market.
• Best Things to Do, Saint Petersburg – Ten essential things to do in Saint Petersburg, from the Hermitage and the Peter and Paul Fortress to a Neva boat trip and the…
• Best White Nights Experiences, Saint Petersburg – Ten ways to enjoy the white nights in Saint Petersburg, from watching the bridges rise and the Scarlet Sails to the Mariinsky festival, a…
• Best Winter Activities, Irkutsk – Nine winter things to do in Irkutsk: New Year lights on Kirov Square, Decembrist evenings, Buryat New Year, warm museums, hot Siberian meals and…
• Best Winter Activities, Saint Petersburg – Nine winter ideas for Saint Petersburg, from Christmas fairs and skating rinks to the Nutcracker, the Hermitage, ice sculptures and the greenhouses of the…
• Best Wooden Architecture and Historic Houses, Irkutsk – Nine places to see Irkutsk's carved wooden houses and historic mansions, from the restored 130th Quarter to Decembrist homes, a carved merchant estate and…
• Green Line Self-Guided Walking Tour, Irkutsk – A walking route through the historic center of Irkutsk, from the Alexander III Monument on the Angara to Holy Cross Church by the 130th…

Choose by your situation

If you travel on a budget, the free things list covers river promenades, old-town streets, monuments, the restored wooden 130th Quarter, working churches and a food market.

If you travel with children, the family list includes a real steam icebreaker, a bronze Babr, river promenades, festivals and short museum visits that work with younger visitors.

If you visit in winter, the winter list covers New Year lights on Kirov Square, Decembrist evenings, Buryat New Year, warm museums, hot Siberian meals and snowy walks along the Angara.

For a first visit with no particular theme, the general best-of list picks ten places that show the city at its best.

Choose by interest

For architecture, the wooden houses list covers nine places, from the restored 130th Quarter to Decembrist homes, a carved merchant estate and old-town streets. The churches list has eight places of worship, from the oldest stone church and Siberian Baroque cathedrals to a working convent and a Buddhist temple.

For indoor stops, the museums list has eight, from Siberia's oldest museum and a carved wooden mansion to Decembrist family homes and a real steam icebreaker.

If you prefer to walk, the Green Line self-guided tour runs through the historic centre, from the Alexander III Monument on the Angara to Holy Cross Church by the 130th Quarter, with ten stops.

Choose by what you want to eat

The dishes list covers ten foods that taste of Irkutsk, such as Baikal omul, raw-fish sagudai, Buryat buuzy, slow-cooked khorkhog, game and cedar nuts, with notes on where to look for each.

The restaurants list picks ten places for eating Irkutsk's way: Baikal fish, Siberian game, Buryat buuzy and a panoramic dining room, all in or close to the historic centre.

Use the dishes list first if you want to know what to order, and the restaurants list when you are choosing where to sit down.

Frequently asked questions

Which list is best for a first visit to Irkutsk?

The general best-of list picks ten places that show the city at its best, including restored wooden streets, Siberian Baroque churches and Decembrist houses. The Green Line walking tour is a good way to see many of them in one route.

Are there things to do in Irkutsk without spending money?

Yes. The free list covers river promenades, old-town streets, monuments, the restored 130th Quarter, working churches and a lively food market.

What can I do with children in Irkutsk?

The family list includes a real steam icebreaker, a bronze Babr, river promenades, festivals and short museum visits that work with children.

What is there to do in Irkutsk in winter?

The winter list covers New Year lights on Kirov Square, Decembrist evenings, Buryat New Year, warm museums, hot Siberian meals and snowy walks along the Angara.

Which Siberian and Buryat dishes should I try?

The dishes list covers Baikal omul, sagudai, buuzy, khorkhog, game and cedar nuts, among others. The restaurants list then shows where to eat them in or near the historic centre.

Is there a self-guided walking route in Irkutsk?

Yes. The Green Line tour runs through the historic centre from the Alexander III Monument on the Angara to Holy Cross Church by the 130th Quarter, with ten stops.