Ulan-Ude

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 Kyakhta–Altanbulag or Naushki–Sükhbaatar 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. The Kyakhta road crossing can't be passed on foot — you must be in a bus or car.

The Ulaanbaatar–Ulan-Ude bus runs every morning and arrives through the Kyakhta border in ~12 hours; ~3,400₽ per adult. Book with your passport at least a day ahead. In Ulan-Ude it stops at the bus station on Sovetskaya Street, a walk from the centre.

Train No. 305 leaves Ulaanbaatar in the afternoon and reaches Ulan-Ude around 01:30 at night (~15 hours) — book a hotel that accepts a night arrival and call a Yandex Go taxi. By air, Baikal Airport is ~12 km from the city; taxi or minibus.

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 Ulan-Ude and Baikal east-shore maps in Yandex Maps and 2GIS for offline use — coverage is weak in Barguzin and Chivyrkuy.

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 ~40₽, paid to the driver in cash or by card. Yandex Go taxis are cheap — usually a few hundred roubles within the city. Check routes in Yandex Maps or 2GIS.

Minibus No. 130 runs from around Banzarov Square to Ivolginsk; from the last stop take another minibus or a taxi to the datsan. With children or little time, take a taxi and book it for the return too.

In summer minibuses run from the bus station to Maksimikha and Ust-Barguzin, or rent a car; the road is long, so plan 2–3 days. Chivyrkuy Bay is usually visited on a boat trip with a tour company.

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 Ulan-Ude (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.

Ulan-Ude's buuz are a little bigger and juicier than Mongolian ones; 'Buuz' and 'Poznaya' eateries are everywhere. Also Buryat soups, khuushuur, mutton and Baikal omul fish.

Tip: The Buryat way is to bite a hole and sip the juice first.

Borscht, pelmeni, blini and pirozhki are everywhere; self-service 'stolovaya' canteens are cheap and good with children. Tipping isn't required.

Many Mongolians come to Ulan-Ude to buy groceries, children's clothes and household goods: big shopping centres, supermarkets (Absolut, Pyatyorochka, etc.) and the Central Market. Check the customs personal-use limits before you go.

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.

Winters are very cold and dry — a hat, gloves and warm boots are a must; don't keep children outside long. In summer Baikal's water is cold and wind whips up waves suddenly — never board a boat without life jackets; on ice keep to marked routes.

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 Semashko Republican Hospital; 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 datsans walk clockwise and spin the prayer wheels; don't turn your back to the Buddhas and ask before taking photos inside. In Orthodox churches men remove hats and women cover their heads; no shorts or bare shoulders.

Buryats welcome Mongolians warmly; older people understand 'Sain baina uu', though the young mostly speak Russian. Talk about Buryat–Mongolian history respectfully and avoid contentious political topics. Leave no rubbish at Baikal or sacred sites.

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 minibus routes. Yandex Go — taxis with the fare shown upfront. RZD and Busfor — train and bus tickets.

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

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 by bus, buy the ticket ahead; customs at Kyakhta can take a long time.

Train No. 306 leaves Ulan-Ude in the afternoon and reaches Ulaanbaatar the next morning (~15 hours); buy tickets ahead. Buryat souvenirs: datsan incense, smoked omul, pine nuts, wild-berry jams and Buryat jewellery.