Siberia Travel Guide

Siberia is a vast snowy and wilderness region in Russia. Historically, Siberia includes all Russian territory in north Asia, with the Urals, and the Far East region.

Only the extreme north of Siberia is a true tundra climate where temperatures can reach -68°C in winter. The central region is forested, the western region has swamps and the eastern region has big mountains.

The Siberian people, like most Asian Russians, are more closely related to the people of Kazakhstan or Mongolia or to the Inuit than to European Russians.

Fun fact: During the Soviet times the government spent money to attract Europeans to Siberia’s larger cities. Today Europeans form a majority in the urban areas while the rural areas remain largely populated by the indigenous Siberian people.

Things To Do In Siberia

Primarily natural attractions. With its vast areas of wilderness, Siberia is famous for its stunning scenery. That said, it is important to note that due to harsh climate, outdoor life can be challanging.

Visit Lake Baikal

Lake Baikal is known as the pearl of Siberia. It is the deepest and one of the purest lakes in the world.

Visit Mountainous Altai

Mountainous Altai region in Siberia is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is very popular among ecotourists. Mountaineering and mountain river rafting are wide spread here.

You can enjoy the following activities:

• Mushroom picking
• Hiking and Nature observation
• Downhill snow-sports
• Whitewater rafting
• Cross country skiing
• Dog sledding
• Reindeer herding

Ride the Trans-Siberian Railway

Road trip Trans-Siberian Highway

Siberia Regions

• Krasnoyarsk (Central) – heavily forested
• Taymyria (North) – extreme and tundra region
• Western Siberia – covered by a swampy plain
• Eastern Siberia – has mountains soaring to above 3,000 m

Major Cities in Siberia

• Novosibirsk
• Barnaul
• Irkutsk
• Krasnoyarsk
• Kemerovo
• Novokuznetsk
• Omsk
• Tomsk
• Ulan Ude

How to Get to Siberia

By train

The Trans-Siberian Railway, connecting Moscow to Vladivostok, is by far the most famous method of transportation in Siberia. Covering a distance of 9,289 km, making it one of the longest railways in the world. The full trip takes over 6 days and crosses 8 time zones.

Its branches the Trans-Manchurian and Trans-Mongolian connect to Beijing in China, the first directly, the second via Ulaanbaatar in Mongolia.

By car

The Trans-Siberian Highway is an unofficial grouping of seven Russian federal highways making up a 11,000 km cross-country journey from St. Petersburg and Moscow to Vladivostok. That sounds like an epic road trip.

Language

Siberia is divided into various ethnic groups. Each region may have their own language but Russian is spoken and understood universally anywhere in Siberia or Russia.

Food

Eat at cafes, which are cheap and quite good. Cafes are common all around Russia, even in small villages. Tap water is considered unsafe for drinking, and should be avoided. Sanitize all water, and drink only water that is bottled.

May 12, 2018 9:35 pm Published by Salil Jha