Irkutsk

Mongolian citizens with any type of passport stay in Russia up to 30 days without a visa, no more than 90 days in total within 180. The passport must be valid for at least 6 months after your return. Work or study needs a visa.

From 1 July 2026 visa-free visitors must apply in the 'Gosuslugi RuID' app at least 72 hours before crossing the border (and no earlier than 90 days), uploading a face photo and passport. Once approved you get a QR code to show at the border with your passport. Children under 6 are exempt; parents apply for those aged 6–18.

Tip: The rule is new and enforcement may change — check with the Russian embassy or a travel agency before you go. Print the QR code on paper too.

Visa and Mastercard don't work in Russia, and neither do Apple Pay or Google Pay. Take all your trip money as cash in roubles (or dollars or yuan to exchange). Some international insurance policies exclude Russia, so check yours.

At the border show your passport and the RuID QR code and fill in the migration card — write 'tourism' as the purpose. Keep the second half of the card with your passport until you leave; losing it causes trouble on exit.

The IrAero flight lands in the middle of the night, when public transport isn't running. A hotel transfer or a Yandex Go taxi is the most reliable option; the city is close. Don't get into unofficial taxis touting outside the terminal.

In the daytime trolleybus No. 4 and several buses run from the airport to Lenin Street; the cheapest way. With lots of luggage or children, a taxi is easier.

Roaming from Mongolian operators such as Unitel and Mobicom works in Russia but data is expensive — check your Russia roaming package before leaving. Foreign eSIMs such as Airalo usually aren't sold for Russia.

Tip: Download Irkutsk and Baikal maps in Yandex Maps and 2GIS for offline use — coverage is weak on Olkhon and the Circum-Baikal line.

Since 2025 a foreigner buying a SIM needs a passport, the migration card, a verified Gosuslugi account and biometrics (photo and voice) taken at the operator; it takes 30–45 minutes. Buy at an official MTS, Beeline, MegaFon or T2 store.

Some foreign sites and apps are blocked or slow in Russia, and mobile internet is sometimes cut off by region. Use hotel and café Wi-Fi, keep key information (hotel address, QR code, tickets) saved on your phone and printed on paper.

A single city ride costs ~50₽, paid to the conductor or driver in cash or by card. See routes and live arrival times in Yandex Maps.

Minibuses and scheduled buses to Listvyanka leave daily from by the Central Market (Tsentralny Rynok) and the bus station, taking ~1–1.5 hours. You can stop at the Taltsy museum on the way.

For Olkhon, morning minibuses leave the bus station and Central Market; from Sakhyurta a free ferry crosses to the island — 5–6 hours in all. The ferry usually runs May–December; during freeze-up and thaw the island is cut off. The Circum-Baikal tourist train runs May–September and must be booked ahead.

Foreign Visa and Mastercard cards don't work in Russia. Buy roubles at a bank in Ulaanbaatar, or exchange dollars or yuan at a bank in Irkutsk (Sberbank, VTB, etc.) with your passport. Markets, minibuses and small cafés take cash only. Up to $10,000 can be brought in without a customs declaration.

UnionPay cards from Mongolian banks sometimes work in big Russian shops and hotels, but not reliably — ask your bank before going. For a longer stay you can open a MIR card at a Russian bank with your passport and then pay by phone through SBP or MirPay.

Tip: Split your cash and leave part in the hotel; compare exchange rates between banks.

Baikal's endemic omul fish — smoked, salted or fried. Listvyanka's fish market sells freshly smoked omul. Also grayling, whitefish, pine nuts and wild-berry jams (lingonberry, sea buckthorn) — good presents.

Tip: Omul fishing is sometimes restricted, so market 'omul' can be another fish — buy from a stall you trust.

In Irkutsk you'll find Buryat poz (buuz), soups and khuushuur-like chebureki — close to Mongolian taste. Russian borscht, pelmeni, blini and pirozhki are everywhere; self-service 'stolovaya' canteens are cheap and good with children.

The 130th Kvartal and Karl Marx Street are lined with cafés and restaurants. Supermarkets (Slata, Pyatyorochka, etc.) have ready meals, fruit and dairy. Tipping isn't required; leave a little if you were happy.

The unified number 112 works 24 hours, free, even from a phone with no credit. Also fire and rescue 101, police 102, ambulance 103. English-speaking operators are rare — have basic Russian phrases or a translation app ready.

The lake is cold even in summer and wind whips up big waves suddenly — never board a boat without life jackets. In winter go on the ice only with a guide who knows it, on marked routes; there are cracks and thin patches. Stay off the ice during the spring thaw.

The centre is calm by day; at night beware of drunks and pickpockets, and always carry your passport and migration card — police may check them. For serious cases, the Regional Clinical Hospital (OKB); private clinics take cash or card.

Tip: In summer the taiga is full of ticks (encephalitis) — long clothes, tick spray, and check yourself after leaving the forest.

In Orthodox churches men remove hats, women cover their heads with a scarf and a skirt is appropriate; no shorts or bare shoulders. Don't take photos during services and keep quiet.

Cape Burkhan (Shaman Rock) is sacred to Buryats and Mongolians: don't climb the rock, leave no rubbish and don't touch the khadag scarves on trees and posts. Littering on Baikal and driving onto the shore are fined — take your rubbish back with you.

Russians don't smile at strangers but are friendly when asked for help. Hello is 'Zdravstvuyte', thank you 'Spasibo'. On public transport give your seat to elderly people and those with children. Drinking alcohol in public places is banned.

'Gosuslugi RuID' — the visa-free entry application and QR code. Yandex Maps — bus and trolleybus routes. Yandex Go — taxis with the fare shown upfront. RZD — train tickets.

2GIS — opening hours of shops, clinics and cafés, offline maps (works on Olkhon too). Yandex Translate or Google Translate's camera mode translate menus and signs — download Russian for offline use.

IrAero's return flight is also at night, so book your taxi ahead. At the border hand over your passport and the remaining half of the migration card. Overstaying the 30 days brings a fine and a re-entry ban.

If returning to Ulaanbaatar by train, buy the ticket ahead on RZD; customs and border checks at Naushki and Sükhbaatar take a long time. Smoked omul, pine nuts and cedar oil make good presents; vacuum-packed fish is no problem in luggage.