Kyzyl



Kyzyl (Russian: Кызы́л kyh-ZYHL) is the capital city of Tuva and is the geographical center of Asia.

Understand

 * There is also a tourist office near the monument.

By train
The best option is to take the train from Moscow to Abakan (76 hours), with one-way fares varying from approximately ₽4000-9500. The price changes according to peak tourist seasons in Russia: by far the cheapest day to travel is 1 January, while July is the most expensive.

By bus
It is possible to take a bus from Abakan in neighboring Khakassia. While a night bus is an option, don't take it! The route meanders through the gorgeous Sayan mountain landscapes of the Ergaki region, which would be foolish to miss. The train from Moscow arrives in Abakan at 06:00, and apart from the bus, there will be plenty of taxi drivers offering to take you to Kyzyl (approximately from Abakan) for ₽1000-1500. There is a possibility that you may have to register at the Russian-Tuvan border — just hand over your passport to the police officer, there is no fee for the service. You may even travel by bus from as far as Krasnoyarsk, but expect it to be a long evening and night in a bus. The road in Tuva is being renovated, but otherwise the trip is smooth.

Get around
The town is relatively small, so if you are staying in one of the hotels in the centre, all of the landmarks will be within walking distance. There are no buses in Kyzyl, but there are plenty of route taxi vans operated by locals who may speak little Russian and surely no English ('marshrutka') and regular taxis.

Around Kyzyl

 * Drive across one of the bridges in Kyzyl and take the back-road to the other bridge to see many eagles in their natural environment
 * Across the newest bridge turn left to a popular holy spring to respectfully see the prayer flags and offerings, and taste the water; be discrete if a shamanistic ceremony is taking place
 * Climb the mountain overlooking the town from the north, with its huge Buddhist mantra 'Om Mani Padme Hum' written in white stones
 * Make a Yurt home visit, first hearing the explanation of the customs of the yurt, then tasting salt tea from a bowl, araka (alcoholic sour milk), pine-kernels and throat-singing and after dark visiting the spirit world under the guidance of a shaman, sitting around a bonfire on the steppe
 * Drive south to the giant Arat statue overlooking the steppe around Kyzyl and the confluence of the Yenisei headwaters
 * On August 15, enjoy the annual Nadym national festival held nearby at Tos-Bulak, with wrestling (Khuresh), long-distance horse-racing and archery
 * Stay in the Yurt-hotel just north of Kyzyl along the Greater Yenisei valley (Bii-Khem)

Do

 * Visit one of the Buddhist temples — a nice small one is well situated on the steppe on the other side of the Yenisei, it may be seen in the distance opposite the Centre of Asia monument — and give the prayer wheel on Arat Square a whirl
 * Attend a concert with traditional throat-singing, and dancing, and see national holiday displays in Lenin Square
 * In winter, try the ice-slides, see the coloured ice sculptures and eat frosted buckthorn-berries with sugar
 * Near the park you may meet some students from the next-door university Department of foreign languages (English, French, German) who may like to practice their language skills with you in their little cafe there — your treat
 * Visit the town park towards the eastern end of town
 * Go to the open air disco at the stadium
 * Make a picture on one of the tanks near to the old temples in the center

Buy

 * Visit the traditional agalmatolite-stone carvers in the Artists Union near the centre, and buy souvenirs
 * Look around the central and suburban indoor and outdoor markets: fur hats
 * There are some souvenir shops and you might buy a flag or postcards, and, if the post is opened, some new stamps from the Republic of Tuva.

Drink
There is a night-club with strip-tease.

Connect
3G connection works very well inside the city.

Consulates

 * 🇲🇳 Mongolia

Go next
Many parts of the Tuva region request a special permit, to be obtained one year in advance with the Russian authorities. The fees are low if you get caught, but probably a foreigner is easy to be spotted in those areas and so you will be asked to drive back to Kyzyl.