Visiting Novosibirsk, Capital of Siberia in Russia

The Siberian Capital and third largest city in Russia, Novosibirsk is, in my opinion, the real Russia. Friendly and modern, yet having a distinctive Siberian feel, this is a city where travelers will enjoy friendly people and nature to its fullest. It’s definitely not easy to reach but if you happen to be on a trans-Siberian train or an intercontinental flight on transit, make a 2 to 3 days stop to see what I mean.

Visiting the Siberian Capital

At the peak of the Fifa Russian world cup of 2018 and just after my final match I attended in Rostov-on-Don between Uruguay and Saudi Arabia, I escaped the center of the action and the noise to hide in the middle of Siberia to enjoy a month of Nature and peacefulness. That was my plan this year after 2 weeks of crazy world cup frenzy in Sochi and Rostov, to discover more in details what Siberia had to offer.

I had come to Novosibirsk 4 years ago (strangely it was during the Fifa World Cup 2014 in Brazil), and I really loved it. But it was during my trans-Siberian trip from Mongolia to Sochi so I only had 2 days in Krasnoyarsk and 3 days in Novosibirsk. I loved it so much that I had it on my todo list to spend more time to explore more of the region and get a better feel of Siberian lifestyle by meeting more locals and do more cultural exchange.

Pin it for later

Ignored by World Cup organizers

Siberia is far from Moscow and even people here will tell you that they are totally different. Siberians are in my opinion much more friendly and relaxed, even curious about travelers. They also happen to love hockey and being Canadian, every time I would mention my nationality they would immediately talk to me about their favorite sport! Some even explicitly telling me about their hate for football and disinterest in the world cup. I could understand this as they felt a bit left behind in the World Cup festivities, not having been chosen as a host city, even though they are the third largest city of Russia. Even the most important matches like the Russian Games and both semi-finals were showing at 1am here, a time when many pubs were already closed…

Novosibirsk Dien Goroda

I was lucky enough to be in Novosibirsk on “Dien Gorada” or “the Novosibirsk city day” on the 24th of June. That wasn’t planned but definitely very welcomed! The city became a big festival of local performances of dance and music, and the main arteries around Plachad Lenina and Krasni Prospect were all closed and full of people! It was very rich in culture as I could experience local food and local culture in a way that is not available during everyday life. Definitely, a great time to visit Novosibirsk, in the peak summer months

On the Tram Rails

Best 2 Days Itinerary of Novosibirsk

Start by a walking tour along Novosibirsk’s main artery, the Krasni Prospect from the Krasni prospect Metro to the Lenina Plashad Square, known as the center of town. Have a look at the several buildings around, such as the State Academy Theater as well as the Monument of Heroes of the Revolution, and go inside the Chapel of St-Nicholas. Continue down Krasni Prospect to the Novosibirsk State Art Museum where you can spend an hour looking at the exhibitions. You can then take a bus across the river to see the Monument of Glory in the Leninsky District and come back across the famous Bugrinksy Bridge to the east side of Novosibirsk. In the evening. try one of Novosibirsk’s bar around Lenina plachad, Harat’s Pub is a good place to start.

On your second day, you can spend the morning Visiting the famous Novosibirsk Zoo, holding as much as 10000 animals from all over the world. This is a pride of the city, and you won’t regret your visit. In the afternoon, come back around Lenina square and have lunch at one of the many terraces around the plachad. Then reserve at least 3 hours for the Novosibirskiy Gosudartvennyy Krayevedcheskiy Museum to see exhibits of ancient history and culture of the Novosibirsk region. Finish off your tour with the cherry on the Sunday, at the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral just south of the museum.

Top 10 Things to do in Novosibirsk

• Novosibirsk Zoo
• Alexandre Nevsky Cathedral
• Glory Monument
• State Academy
• Bugrinksy Bridge
• Museum of Railway
• Chapel St-Nicholas
• Lenina Square
• Novosibirsk State Museum
• Novosibirsk Musical theater

Top Rated and Recommended Cafes in Novosibirsk

• Akademia Kofe
• Blackwood Coffee
• Chashka Kofe
• Krep de Kofe
• Shokoladnitsa
• Kafema

Playing Chess in a Park

Top Rated and Recommended Restaurants in Novosibirsk

• Papa Carlo
• Barak
• Puppets Haus
• Sarai
• Goodman
• La Maison
• Salt
• Primo Grill
• Ambar
• Tom Yum Bar

Novosibirsk In Pictures

In the Center, on City Day

Pin to Pinterest

Enjoyed this guide? Help others find it too! Share the following Pinterest pin to your Pinterest account, by simply clicking on the top left corner. And Remember: Sharing is Caring 😉

Support Ian with a TIP or Donation

Like what I do? Tips and donations like yours are what keeps this site alive. Its simple and quick, and makes a big difference.

Offer me a Coffee !

Why not take 30 seconds to offer me a coffee and show your appreciation. A small gesture that goes a long way!

Crypto Donations

BTC: bc1qwjy4s7t399jztr7ypnzlwlkd5d4wamnsz3582d
ETH: 0x4C1Ad7546f8a8e17FDD667f3fc837632Dff5bA85
LTC: ltc1qw2gfkuegaun8u5gzv0ua070n5pu3zak9je3tul