8 Hostels in Vladivostok, Russia

About Vladivostok

One of the most important cities in Russia's Far East, Vladivostok is the final station on the Trans-Siberian Railway line, and a major port that looks towards Japan and Korea. Its proximity to Asia gives it an intercontinental flavour and you'll see shop signs in Chinese or Korean all over town. When night falls, live music pours out from the city's teeming bars – Vladivostok is known within Russia for producing famous rock groups.

Hostels in Vladivostok are clustered in its historic centre, within walking distance of the seafront and railway station. You can stay in a traditional Russian hostel made from natural wood or in an early 20th-century building decorated by young artists. Some come with unique features like a vinyl record player in private rooms or furniture crafted from Karelian pine. A couple have extra supportive orthopaedic mattresses. You'll often find free Wi-Fi in a Vladivostok hostel as well as a Russian samovar, a metal container used for heating water, to keep you warm and cosy.

Many travellers come to Vladivostok to explore the areas in its centre, such as the seaside promenade of Sportivnaya Gavan. Along the main street Svetlanskaya, souvenir shops jostle with monuments, museums and the GUM department store. Sweeping Golden Horn Bay has wonderful views out over the city – as does Russky Island, which also has beaches and forts to discover. Eagle's Nest Hill, an extinct volcano and part of the Sikhote-Alin mountain range, is nearly 200m tall and provides more rugged landscape sights.

Soviet architecture lies side by side with the imposing walls of 19th-century Vladivostok Fortress and soaring Russky Bridge. Ploshchad Bortsov Revolutsii and other squares have large military memorials and there's a small museum inside the C-56 submarine. You can see cutting-edge works at the Zarya Center for Contemporary Art and paintings and sculptures from the 19th and 20th centuries at Primorye State Art Gallery. For swimming and snorkelling, head to the tranquil beaches of Popov Island.

Vladivostok International Airport is 40km from the city. A bus travels frequently between the two, or trains depart every couple of hours, but are faster (they take about an hour). Bus services go from Vladivostok to a number of cities in Russia and China, while trains run along the Trans-Siberian line direct to Moscow, with a journey time of 6 days. To get around Vladivostok, you're best to walk short distances in the centre and take a bus or taxi for longer trips.