Yalta is not a place most people have even heard of…at least in the western world. However, it is a big vacation destination in Russia, especially for families.
Ever since Russia annexed Crimea in 2014, uttering the name “Crimea” is kind of taboo in the states.
However, I decided to visit Yalta in July of this year and was pleasantly surprised with what I found.
Here’s the thing though, most westerners don’t travel there so there isn’t a lot of information online. But if you are going to Yalta (or Crimea), then hopefully this Crimea travel guide will help you a lot.
Here are the best things to do in Yalta.
Status of Yalta (and Crimea)
Okay, I don’t want to get too deep into the politics here, so I’ll just do a quick background on the “status” of Yalta and Crimea.
In 2014, Russia annexed Crimea. Crimea was given by Russia to Ukraine by Nikita Khrushchev when they were both part of the Soviet Union. However, most of the people living in Crimea were (and still are) Russians and not Ukrainians.
Obviously when Khrushchev gifted Crimea he didn’t expect the Soviet Union to fall 37 years later.
Anyways, that gift was controversial to say the least. In fact, Khrushchev was even accused of treason.
The status of Yalta (and Crimea) now depends on who you ask. If you ask the west, they say Crimea is still part of Ukraine.
If you ask Russia, they will say Crimea is part of Russia.
Who is it part of? Well, I’ll let you decide.
But here are the facts that you cannot ignore. Russia no governs the Crimean Peninsula. There are Russian cops there, Russian government officials…you get the idea.
And the official currency of Crimea is now the Russian Ruble.
How to get to Crimea?
Like I said, I don’t want to keep too deep into the politics. However, Crimea is governed by Russia right now.
As a result, you cannot get here if you do not have a Russian Visa.
Check out my guide here on how to get your Russian Visa.
Unfortunately, there is only one airport in Crimea: Simferopol
In fact, I have learned that the airports are typically pretty far from city centers in Russia.
Anyways, it is about a 1.5 – 2 hour drive from Yalta depending on the traffic. So plan accordingly when you need to get back to the airport to leave.
You can take the trolley to get to Yalta, but it’s very long and has a ton of stops. However, I never took it because it’ll take 2.5 – 3 hours.
I took the taxi both times. I paid 2,800 rubles to get to Yalta and my hotel arranged a transport for 2,500 rubles to get back.
You should expect to pay around similar prices (maybe less) if you haggle better than me.
Funny story, when I got my cab to get to the airport to Yalta, my taxi driver was a drag racer!
Yep, he was weaving through traffic and most westerners would have probably fainted. But I liked it. It was fun. You don’t get experiences like that in the west!
No Credit Cards, No Data
Because of the disputed status of Crimea, the west has placed massive sanctions on the region.
In fact, traveling to Yalta reminded me of my trip to Cuba earlier this year!
As a result, of the sanctions, most western services WILL NOT operate in Crimea.
Your credit cards and debit cards will not work. Your phone service will not work (even if you use Google Fi like me).
As a result, you need to bring stone hard cash (Russian Rubles to be exact). And if you can, try to pay for your hotel ahead of time and as much stuff (like tours) ahead of time.
Airbnb does not operate in the region because it is a “disputed territory”.
Also, if you are planning on picking up cash at the airport before heading to Crimea, do it BEFORE you go through security.
In Russian airports, there are NO ATM machines inside the terminals. Luckily, I picked up some cash in Saint Petersburg before I left for Yalta.
Where to stay in Yalta?
Like I said, getting a place to stay in Yalta is a little bit of a challenge. Actually, I was scratching my head thinking about how to do it.
I usually get an Airbnb when I travel. But like I said, Airbnb does not operate in Crimea at all.
As a result, I was left with two choices, go with a third party site or go with a hotel.
I checked a few third party sites and they all looked sketchy to say the least. And their websites looked like they were designed in the 1990s.
As a result, I decided to go ahead and book a hotel. You can book directly on their website and pay with a credit card ahead of time. That way you don’t have to bring cash.
There are 2 hotels I recommend in Yalta.
Hotel Oreanda
The first is Hotel Oreanda. This is one of the oldest hotels in Yalta and it’s right on the main boardwalk (Lenin Embankment). You walk outside your room and BAM! You’re right in the middle of where all the action is!
The hotel services are pretty good. They have a spa, sauna, pool, and gym. The gym is actually really nice!
They even have a squat rack and a bench rack at the gym! You don’t see that very often in most gyms, let alone Yalta!
The staff are super friendly too. Many of them speak English on some level, so they will always be able to help you.
One of the cool things about the hotel is they have the flags posted at reception of all the people from different countries who are staying here.
I think I was the only American not only in Yalta, but the entire region of Crimea…
Yatla Intourist Hotel
The other hotel I would recommend is the Yalta Intourist Hotel. This is a VERY BIG modern style hotel in Yalta.
It’s located a little further away from the boardwalk (about a 15 -20 minute walk), so keep that in mind.
I think they have something crazy like 600 rooms here. The hotel is huge and reminds me of a Vegas resort. They have lots of restaurants, bars, and even night clubs on the property – pretty much everything you need!
There are also many budget hotels around the area. Just walk along the main boardwalk (the Lenin Embankment) and you’ll see them.
Getting around Crimea
There are basically two ways to get around Crimea and Yalta: bus and taxis.
The bus system is not the best to be honest. It takes about an hour to go 5 – 6 kilometers.
The thing you have to realize about Yalta (and Crimea) is that the roads are very narrow and very windy. There are so many big curves that the buses can’t go very fast.
Also, the buses get VERY cramped in the summer. You’ll be jam packed with 30+ people on the bus – no joke, so be prepared to smell some armpits!
Here are a few things you need to know about the bus system, because it is pretty crazy!
First, not all drivers stop at all of the stops. You need to hail them very aggressively. I pretty much jumped in front of them and danced like a monkey.
If you do a quick wave, many of them will ignore you (no joke).
Second of all, some of the drivers don’t stop at all of the stops. As a result, you’ll want to tell them to stop at your stop.
Good thing that “stop” is the same in Russian!
Also, the bus fare varies, but be prepared to carry some coins. The bus is super cheap – typically less than 30 rubles one way.
The other way to get around Yalta is through the Taxi cabs. They will try to take advantage of you, so NEVER take the first price. I always offer at least 30% below the initial offer.
If it costs more than 800 rubles to go 6 – 7 km, you are getting over-charged.
Don’t be afraid to walk away. I walked away a few times only to have the driver chase me down.
To be honest, taking the cab is a lot easier and faster than going with the bus system.
Is Yalta and Crimea Safe?
One of the things I wondered about Yalta (and Crimea) is safety. If you read any western news outlet, you’ll hear a bunch of things from police corruption to fighting between Russian and Ukrainian forces.
I also posted to a few Facebook groups and dozens of people warned me not to go to Crimea.
But luckily I didn’t listen to them. Those people don’t know what the hell they’re talking about!
I find that funny because it’s ALL propaganda. A few Russians thought it was “cute” that I asked if Yalta was safe when I was in Saint Petersburg.
Yalta is a HUGE travel destination in Russia (and for many of the former Soviet Republics as well).
But if you go on the US Travel Government site, it says this about Crimea:
“Exercise increased caution in Ukraine due to crime, civil unrest and elections. Some areas have increased risk. Read the entire Travel Advisory.
Do not travel to:
- Crimea due to arbitrary detentions and other abuses by Russian occupation authorities.
- The eastern parts of the Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts, especially the non-government-controlled areas, due to armed conflict.”
I find that funny because not once during my trip was I ever approached by an officer or Russian military official. And no one at the airport even asked what I was doing – even though I was basically the only Asian guy in a 100 km radius!
Sure, Russia and Ukraine are “fighting”, but that’s in eastern Ukraine and not in a big resort town like this.
Crimea is VERY SAFE to travel to despite what you’ll read on western governments’ travel websites.
The only reason they write that is because (1) they don’t recognize Crimea as part of Russia and (2) they don’t have an embassy in Crimea.
But Yalta is super safe. There’s very little crime (both violent and petty crime). You can travel safely alone like I did.
The biggest risk you have is getting ripped off by cab drivers – which reminded me of my Cuba trip earlier this year!
9 best things to do in Yalta
Overall, there are so many different things to do in Yalta. You can go hiking, tan at the beach, and even visit some historical palaces.
That’s one of my favorite things about Yalta: the activities you can do are very diverse.
And best of all? The food there is pretty great too (MUCH better than what I was expecting). And it’s an absolutely beautiful city.
It’s a shame most people in the west won’t see a place like this – and probably never will.
Anyways, I spent a good week in Yalta so I had time to do many of the big sights. And here are the 9 best things to do in Yalta.
1. Walk on the Lenin Embankment
The Lenin Embankment is the main boardwalk in the city of Yalta. It stretches maybe 2 – 3 kilometers.
You can pretty much find anything you want here. You can eat at nice restaurants right on the water.
Or you can drink at the bars and get some hookah – yes, Hookah is REALLY popular here (and Russia in general).
Also, there are so many artists and musicians here. You’ll see people playing the piano, saxophone, singing, dancing, and so much more.
If you’re really into street artists, you’ll love the Lenin Embankment in Yalta.
And if you walk far enough, you can even see a statue of Vladimir Lenin himself, the first leader of the USSR!
One of my favorite things do to was just walk here at night. The place is really crowded (in a good way).
Lots of families and people on dates walking around. And it’s beautiful. The embankment is well lit at night so you don’t have to worry about safety at all.
When I was there, they also had a few free concerts and dance competitions. It was hosted by something called the “Yalta Summer Jam”.
Anyways, it’s just a cool place to walk around and explore!
2. Ai-Petri
Ai-Petri means “Saint Peter” and it’s one of the tallest mountains in the region.
You can drive there (to get to the peak) and get some gorgeous views. I elected to take a cab and have him bring me to the base of the mountain.
And that was because I wanted to ride on the cable car to get up there!
You can also take the bus there. The bus station is right in front of the place.
Anyways, the cable car is called “Nizhnyaya Stantsiya Kanatnoy Dorogi” – Нижняя станция канатной дороги Мисхор – Ай-Петри.
Here are a few things to note…
First, your ticket is only for one way. Meaning you’ll have to pay TWICE to get up and down.
Secondly they only have 2 cable cars. They don’t go in a circle – they only go up and down in a straight line. As a result, lines can get VERY long. Expect to wait 45 mins plus each way.
One hack that I saw a couple do was buy tickets on the way down when it was not very busy and then the guard let them cut the line later in the afternoon when it was packed.
The top of the mountain is pretty breathtaking.
And there are a ton of things to do from the top, including hiking, zip lining, horse back riding. But my favorite thing was walking over the suspension bridge.
It connects two of the Highest peaks of the mountain. Some people thought it was scary. But I wanted to do it right away!
I have heard the mountain is cloudy most of the time, but it was very clear when I was there that day.
Also, I heard that winds can be as high as 100 MPH on the mountain! But it didn’t seem that fast when I was there.
Anyways, I would HIGHLY recommend you try the suspension bridge to get a good thrill.
3. Lividia Palace
I would say Lividia Palace is one of the best things to do by far in Yalta.
In fact, if there’s only one palace you can visit in Yalta, it should definitely be Livadia Palace.
This palace is famous for two reasons. First, it was the last residence built for the Romanov family.
Tsar Nicholas II would often go to Crimea in the cold winter and fall months of Russia.
In fact, when he abdicated the throne, Nicholas wanted to retire in Crimea. Unfortunately, the Bolsheviks has other plans for him (they murdered him).
The other reason why this palace is famous is because of the Yalta Conference. Near the end of WWII, the big 3 Allied powers (U.S., Russia, and U.K.) met here to discuss how to govern a post war world.
Many of the topics they discussed included dividing up Germany, setting up the UN, getting Russia to declare war on Japan, and a few other important topics.
The courtyard of the palace is also where the iconic photo of FDR, Joseph Stalin, and Winston Churchill was taken! And I even got my photo taken in the same spot!
The palace itself is very beautiful. It’s almost completely white and definitely fit for a king!
You’ll have a fun time exploring it for sure.
The fee for the palace is 400 rubles for an adult. They only allow you in with tours (no English tours available). The tours happen once about every 20 minutes.
4. Yusupov Palace
This was my second favorite palace in Yalta. It’s absolutely beautiful. It belonged to the Yusupov family, one of Russia’s most powerful noble families.
I already visited their palace in Saint Petersburg, but I loved this one better.
The family abandoned the home after the Russian revolution. It was later nationalized and served as Stalin’s favorite summer dacha. The palace is very beautiful.
It has a nice garden, a modern tennis court, and beautiful roads. You’ll see the staff driving by in golf cart tours.
The palace itself is beautiful, although not as big as I expected. My favorite room was the balcony.
The balcony is HUGE! I can only imagine the big parties held here.
From the balcony, you can see the mountains and the incredible Black Sea. The view is very breathtaking.
5. Voronstov Palace
Voronstov Palace is one of the many palaces in the Yalta area. It’s a good 20 – 30 minute drive from the city, so I would recommend getting a cab as the bus can take 1.5 hours easily.
This palace was owned by Russian Prince, Mikhail Voronstov. After seeing his palace, many of Russia’s elite (including the royal family) decided to build summer homes in Crimea too.
Fun fact: the palace was designed by the same architect who designed Buckingham Palace!
Anyways, the palace is absolutely huge. In fact, I think this may be the largest palace in Yalta.
There’s the actual palace, the beach the gardens, and even a park with GIANT swans. I saw people feeding cucumbers to the swans while I was there – I didn’t even know they ate that stuff!
6. Massandra Palace
To be honest, Massandra Palace isn’t one of the “must do” things in Yalta. But I wanted to visit all 4 of the palaces in the region.
And if you have the time like I did, why not?
That’s not to say the palace isn’t beautiful (because it is). However, it’s just not very historical.
Many of the palaces in Yalta are built using different architectural styles. This one was built to be a French style villa.
It was purchased for Tsar Alexander III, but ironically the Romanovs never stayed here. This was because the royal palace was Lividia Palace.
Anyways, my favorite part of the castle was the balcony on the second floor. It looks like it was reconstructed because the wood looked very new. But it’s still incredibly beautiful.
Also, keep in mind that the nearest bus stop is 2 km away, so be prepared for quite the long walk to get here!
7. Massandra Winery
Massandra Winery is one of the region’s most famous wineries. In fact, they are one of Russia’s prized wineries.
One of their bottles (from 1775) sold for over $43,000 in 2001!
The winery is about a 45 minute bus ride from Yalta. You have to walk uphill, but the walk is worth it!
I had to walk a bit further because I missed the stop and had to walk an extra half kilometer or so.
The winery gives tours about two times per hour and you can opt to pay extra to do a tasting too.
The tour is in Russian, but I heard they do English tours once a day. The winery tour lasts about an hour.
The compound here is really nice. It looks like a castle nestled away in the Crimean mountains.
Insider the winery, you’ll see some of their rarest wines that are locked away.
The tasting itself was interesting as I couldn’t understand what the guide was saying. But what was interesting was the amount of young people drinking here!
I saw a girl with her mom who didn’t look older than 15 drinking wine like she was a pro!
Anyways, many of the wines are pretty sweet (they are desert wines). If there’s one thing I’ve learned in Russia, it’s that Russians LOVE sweet.
So be prepared for your taste buds to be shocked!
8. Massandra Beach
If there only one beach you can go to in Yalta, it should be Massandra Beach.
It’s near the end of the Lenin Embankment and it’s absolutely beautiful.
It is structured in a unique way as they have about five different “small” beaches there.
They charge to use the chairs there – between 200 and 500 rubles. But once you buy it you can use it all day until 6 PM.
Each small beach here has its own pier. One of them even has a small Eiffel Tower!
And they also have a ton of restaurants and shops near the beach. One of my favorite things there is the beer to go stores.
Basically they fill up a water bottle with beer for you. Most places charge around 40 to 70 rubles for a half liter – that’s less than a dollar!
Not a bad deal!
As for the water, I found the Black Sea to be a lot colder than I expected:
It felt like around the low 60s. But it gets warm after you get in.
Also, be warned that there are no sandy beaches here. They all have pebbles. So it’s not like going to the Caribbean like Aruba or Cuba.
9. Swallow’s Nest
The Swallows Nest doesn’t have much historical significance, but it is still a cool exhibit to see. To get there take bus number 132 FYI, at this stop there are no Bus signs.
They just stop in the middle of the road. When you get off the bus, cross the road and then take the stairs all the way down to the Castle. It certainly looks like a fairy tale caste.
It’s literally built off the side of the cliff. When I went there, they weren’t charging to see the castle (only to go in itself)
There are also a ton of restaurants and shops around the area. The Swallows Nest was A LOT more crowded than I had expected. But I was still able to take some great pictures.
I would recommend climbing over the barrier on the top (everyone was doing it) to get some great pictures of the castle, water, and mountains.
Also, they give boat tours around the water bear the castle.
I’m not sure how much it was as I wasn’t interested. You also have an option to go inside the castle too. It’s very small.
However it only costs 200 rubles for adults so it’s not going to break the bank.
Overall I would say the Swallows Nest was a super neat attraction to see in Crimea. Like I said it doesn’t have much historical value, but it’s more a cool sight.
What is visiting Crimea like?
Overall, visiting Crimea was a truly unique experience for me.
In fact, I could probably write a book about my travels there.
It’s really just hard to put into words how unique Crimea is. I think one of the coolest parts of Crimea is just experiencing the culture.
Unlike a lot of big cities in Russia like Moscow or Saint Petersburg, this place is not over-run by western or Asian tourists.
In fact, I NEVER saw another American or westerner in Yalta or Crimea when I was there. And I only saw about 6 or 7 other Asian tourists.
So if you want to truly get away from the crowd, come to Yalta. You’ll stick out like a sore thumb!
Another thing that’s really hard to describe about Yalta is just how it feels. There’s a good mix of old and new in the city. A lot of the main roads have been fixed up since Russia took over.
However, many of the smaller residential and side streets are still left over from the Ukrainian government. As a result, they have HUGE potholes and are very dirty.
There’s also a lot of construction going on the Lenin Embankment. New stores are opening up and new high rises are being built. I suspect Yalta will look a lot more like Sochi in 10 or 15 years.
Sochi is another big local tourist destination for Russians.
One thing I wanted to learn more about was how Crimea has changed since Russia took over.
Crimea after Russia
I wasn’t there in Crimea before Russia took over, so I can’t comment exactly on what it was like before.
However, I did talk to a lot of people about their experiences and here are some things I noticed.
First of all, the cost of living has gone up tremendously (more than doubled in some cases). And that’s something a lot of people have been complaining about.
Second, the amount of tourism grinded to a halt. According to one of my cab drivers, before Russia, there were a ton of western and Asian tourists here, but now they are very rare.
And finally, there have been a lot of infrastructure investments in the region.
The main roads have been completely redone so there are no potholes there. However, the government hasn’t gotten to many of the smaller streets and there are some BIG ass potholes there.
Cost of living
Overall, I would say the cost of living in Yalta is higher than I expected.
It’s not western standards high, but it is a big resort destination. And I’m sure I got overcharged because I didn’t speak Russian.
But here’s what you can expect to pay in the region:
Decent hotels range from $100 – $200 bucks per night in the summer during the height of tourist season. Most hotels charge up to 50% more for the summer tourist season (June – August), so keep that in mind.
A good meal at a decent restaurant will set you back $20 – $30 bucks per person. It would be VERY hard to spend more than $70 – $80 bucks at a restaurant unless you’re buying bottles of wine left and right.
Alochol is pretty cheap. You can get beer for about 60 – 100 rubles for a half liter can or bottle. At restaurants, most beer will cost around 200 – 400 rubles for half a liter.
People are friendly
One of the things I found interesting was that the people were very friendly here.
Obviously I don’t even look Caucasian and speak Russian.
But other than cab drivers most people didn’t try to rip me off and were patient when I was trying to convey what I was trying to say.
Crimea Travel Guide: Final Thoughts
Overall, if you want to do something different and go where many tourists don’t go, then Crimea should be on your list.
I found the place very beautiful not only because of the natural beauty and palaces, but the entire culture to be very relaxing.
It kind of reminded me of Southern California in that regard.
And the culture has a good mix of new stuff (like new high rises, new roads, etc) and old stuff like failing infrastructure and abandoned buildings.
If you’re looking for a vacation on the Black Sea, go to Yalta. It is a “hidden gem” that no westerner really knows about.