23 hours in Ulan-Ude: what to do and why you should stay longer

Ulan-Ude was somewhere I was never too sure about. Much like Tomsk, it was a city that kept appearing and then disappearing from the various plans I drew up for my Trans-Siberian itinerary. Eventually, I decided a brief 23-hour stopover in the Buryat Republic would help break up the mammoth journey between Vladivostok and Irkutsk. It also meant I would be able to take in the fabled statue of Lenin’s head.

If you’re wondering whether to add Ulan-Ude to your Trans-Siberian itinerary: DO. Even better, take a few days out to see some more of the region.

In the end, I really liked Ulan-Ude. On the surface of things, a full day is perfectly enough time to explore the city’s handful of sights and get a feel for its mix of Soviet, Siberian and Buryat culture. However, if I was planning the trip again, I would definitely consider staying on two or three more days to explore the area.

But first things first: here is an introduction to Ulan-Ude itself.

Things to see and do in Ulan-Ude

Get a selfie with Lenin’s Head

This took me ages. But oh so worth it.

Starting at the top of town, the landmark that immediately catches your attention is the gigantic bust of Lenin’s head and this iconic feature is the most popular thing to see in Ulan-Ude. It’s equally impressive, terrifying and somehow oddly hilarious. The larger square itself is actually quite a nice example of Soviet urban planning, with buildings in pretty good nick. Opposite Lenin, you might notice another familiar face – but more on that later…

Follow the city trail

Probably the second most popular thing to do in Ulan-Ude is the tourist trail. It isn’t marked on the pavement like in Yekaterinburg and Perm, but Ulan-Ude’s tourist route is still well-mapped-out on various signs and helps you take in the lay of the land. The route circles almost the entire city centre but is still only probably around 4km in total, so it can be done at a nice leisurely pace.

Siberian architecture in Ulan-Ude

Take some time around the lower part of the town centre to admire some beautiful examples of Siberian lace architecture along ul. Sverdlova and ul. Banzarova. (My personal favourite was ul. Banzarova 15). As the rest of Ulan-Ude has a very strong Asian feel, this neighbourhood is the only place in the city that gives away that you’re actually still in Siberia, rather than Central Asia.

Buryat architecture in Ulan-Ude

One thing I really loved about Ulan-Ude was the blend of Russian and Buryat culture. One way the local Buryat identity is clearly being displayed here is through architecture – primarily, modern architecture. There were a few examples dotted around the city of new buildings or office blocks with distinctly Buryat features, which really makes Ulan-Ude feel very unique in Russia.

Run along the river promenade

Another nice thing to do in Ulan-Ude is to go for a run along the river. From the Pioner shopping centre in the West of the city centre to the bridge over the Uda river, there is roughly four kilometres of nicely paved riverside which makes an ideal running route (although it is clearly very rarely used as such – expect some stares).

Try Buryat cuisine

Definitely make sure to try some traditional dishes while you are here. More below.

Take in the views from Rinpoche Datsan

While it’s almost definitely not as impressive as Ivolginskiy Datsan (easily visited on a day trip from UU), Rinpoche Datsan is still worth a trip for several reasons – primarily the far-reaching view over the sprawling cityscape of Ulan-Ude and the surrounding hills. Ulan-Ude isn’t a large city by Russian standards (it has a population of around 430,000, making it only the 45^th largest in the country) but it sure takes up some space!

The Datsan also has the Walk of Long Life – a short walking route around the complex (which was closed on my visit) and a beautiful walk-way of prayer flags, which I loved filming in slow-mo in the wind. The temple itself is hardly the most beautiful place of worship (Lonely Planet thought it looks more like a bus depot, which is hard to argue with…), but it’s a very easy Marshrutka ride away from the centre.

Read more: Why you should add Vladivostok to your Trans-Siberian itinerary

Food and drink: where to eat in Ulan-Ude

As I was only in Buryatia for 23 hours, there was a limit to how much Buryat food I could try. I did my best to try a few different dishes, but if you want more of an in-depth overview, then check out a better guide to Buryat cuisine here.

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Here is a brief overview to some places I went to.

Buuza Room – found on Soviets Square, this modern and trendy café is a great place to try Buuza (surprise, surprise), a local Buryat dish of meat dumplings. If you like Russian pelmeni, Ukrainian Vereniki or Georgian khinkali, you will be very satisfied with Buuza. (TripAdvisor)

Republic – another very cool Buryat restaurant (which I suspect is owned by the same people as Buuza), Republic has more good options. I went for Mongolian goulash and Shymen soup.

Travellers’ Coffee – turns out this is a nation-wide chain akin to Starbucks. I went in for a sit down, some free wifi and a truly excellent piece of cheesecake. As soulless as you’d expect Starbucks to be, but still: good cheesecake is good cheesecake.

Churchill’s – now this place was a bit of a surprise. It turns out the most popular bar in town on a Saturday night is a British-themed pub named Churchill’s and even more surprisingly, it was really nice. In fact, the interior alone wouldn’t look out of place in some central London street. They seem to tread that very thin line between a karaoke bar and a sports bar (the karaoke was on for half an hour before the ice hockey was turned on) and the friendly waitress I got chatting to said the highlight of the year is when the Mongol rally comes through town, which now actually ends in the city of Ulan-Ude. (Lonely Planet link).

Churchill’s is actually located on Soviets Square, meaning that Churchill and Lenin are still keeping an eye on each other after all this time…

Russian and Buryat culture in Ulan-Ude

Ulan-Ude is the capital of the Republic of Buryatia, so designated for its local ethnic Buryat population. However, like in most of the Russian Federation’s ethnic republics, ethnic Russians still form a majority. In fact, Buryats make up only around 30% of the region’s one million inhabitants, which surprised me to be honest, because in Ulan-Ude, the presence of Buryat culture is much stronger than I expected.

Soviet city planning 101: this square is literally the Square of the Soviets

The Buryat-language theatre

To me, the city felt very multi-cultural: Buryat architecture, Buddhist datsans, Buryat food and a lot of Buryat people. But it didn’t simply feel like Buryat culture is present or existing, but actually thriving: in Buuza Room and Republic, you can see how traditional food is being served up in cool, modern cafes where Buryat rap music videos are playing (and looking very high-budget, I might add). New buildings also have a strong Buryat feel and are sprouting up between soulless Soviet relics, while the Buryat-language theatre seems to have a pretty active programme (the building itself is also gigantic).

It really did seem to me like both cultures were well represented side-by-side, giving the city a lovely unique mix of Soviet, Siberian and Buryat heritage.

For more on the Buryats, this article from The Culture Trip is a great introduction.

Republic of Buryatia: reasons to stay longer in Ulan-Ude

I left Ulan-Ude really wishing that I had had the time to stay longer and see more of the area’s sights, which thanks to a good network of day trips, seemed very accessible.

The biggest regret for me was not visiting Lake Baikal from the Eastern shore, which is located in the Buryat Republic. In the end, I visited from Listvyanka on the Western shore (as the majority of tourists do), but I get the impression that visiting from Buryatia would have been a better and more traditional experience. (Listvyanka feels a bit like a seaside resort town – and not necessarily in a great way.) BurTour offers a three-day tour of the lake, but from my hostel it looked like there was also an option for a day or two hiking in Turka, closer to Ulan-Ude itself.

The hostel I stayed in (UU Hostel – basic, but clean and pleasant) organises several tours which I would have loved to join. Here are some of the tours available from Ulan-Ude:

Tabagatai – an Old Believers’ village south of Ulan-Ude. I was really considering a trip here but alone, the price of a private tour was fairly prohibitive.

Ivolginsky Datsan – probably the most popular tour based on my research, this is one of the largest Buddhist temples in Russia. I opted against this as I had visited an impressive Datsan in Elista in Southern Russia several years ago.

Barguzin Valley – known as the Tibet of Buryatia (obviously), the valley is spiritually very significant in Buryat culture and is meant to be where Genghis Khan’s mother was born. Photos of this place make it look wild and untamed and basically stunning. More information on the tour here.

Ulan-Ude on the Trans-Siberian: in summary

Is Ulan-Ude worth adding to your Trans-Siberian itinerary? YES, even if just for the day. The city is really pleasant, easy to get around and can be done in a good day. I think it’s worth a visit just to see how ethnic life can thrive in a Russian republic.

Of course, if you have the time, consider staying longer to visit more of Buryatia. I really wish I had (don’t make my mistake!)

Heading West:
Lake Baikal:
Lake Baikal in May
Hiking the Great Baikal Trail
Krasnoyarsk:
6 reasons to visit Krasnoyarsk
Hiking in Stolby Nature Reserve

Heading East:
Vladivostok