This popular zoo is some distance from Yakutsk, but it's well worth the trouble of getting out here if you're interested in the fascinatingly hardy fauna of Yakutia and Arctic Russia. Among the collection you'll find polar bears, wolves, reindeer, elk, brown bears and even a golden eagle. To get here, take bus 202 from the bus station (R160, one hour). Buses leave at 9am, 11.30am, 2.30pm and 5pm.
Orto Doidu
Yakutsk
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
27.26 MILES
At Permafrost Kingdom, two neon-lit tunnels burrowed into a permanently frozen hill have been filled with dozens of fabulous, never-melting ice sculptures…
Yakutsk Regional History Museum
28.1 MILES
A good place to delve deeper into Sakha culture, the Regional History Museum contains local minerals, information on the region’s first Russian settlers…
27.52 MILES
If time is limited, don't miss this excellent museum, with Sakha-themed exhibits covering local craftmaking traditions (mammoth tusk carvings, reindeer…
27.46 MILES
This mid-19th-century church with gorgeous golden domes in Yakutsk's old town is the city's most attractive.
Archaeology & Ethnography Museum
26.65 MILES
These two separately run museums are in the same building; sadly, neither enjoys the luxury of signage in English. On the bottom three floors you'll find…
27.76 MILES
Khomus (Jew’s harps) play a big part in Sakha culture. Concerts occur year-round, when performers imitate natural sounds such as a horse neighing. The…
Treasury of the Sakha Republic
27.57 MILES
Pay a visit to this unique museum for a look at Yakutia's rich mineral wealth combined with fine craft traditions. You'll see exquisite carvings in…
25.47 MILES
True permafrost nerds might check out the Permafrost Institute, about 2km west of the city centre. It has a lab that stays a constant –6°C, but high…
Nearby Yakutsk attractions
1. Melnikov Permafrost Institute
25.47 MILES
True permafrost nerds might check out the Permafrost Institute, about 2km west of the city centre. It has a lab that stays a constant –6°C, but high…
2. Archaeology & Ethnography Museum
26.65 MILES
These two separately run museums are in the same building; sadly, neither enjoys the luxury of signage in English. On the bottom three floors you'll find…
26.65 MILES
Despite its rather exciting-sounding name, this one-room museum is rather a let-down due to its total lack of signage in English. On the plus side, there…
27.26 MILES
At Permafrost Kingdom, two neon-lit tunnels burrowed into a permanently frozen hill have been filled with dozens of fabulous, never-melting ice sculptures…
27.46 MILES
This mid-19th-century church with gorgeous golden domes in Yakutsk's old town is the city's most attractive.
27.52 MILES
If time is limited, don't miss this excellent museum, with Sakha-themed exhibits covering local craftmaking traditions (mammoth tusk carvings, reindeer…
27.53 MILES
This rather brash gold-plated pillar in the old town honours Cossack explorer and founder of Yakutsk, Pyotr Beketov.
8. Treasury of the Sakha Republic
27.57 MILES
Pay a visit to this unique museum for a look at Yakutia's rich mineral wealth combined with fine craft traditions. You'll see exquisite carvings in…