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 prices make this more of a tour-group option. Take bus 17 from the centre to get here and get off at the Merzlotka stop (look for the sculpture of a mammoth).
Melnikov Permafrost Institute
Yakutsk
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
2.64 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…
25.47 MILES
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…
Yakutsk Regional History Museum
3.23 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…
2.63 MILES
If time is limited, don't miss this excellent museum, with Sakha-themed exhibits covering local craftmaking traditions (mammoth tusk carvings, reindeer…
2.7 MILES
This mid-19th-century church with gorgeous golden domes in Yakutsk's old town is the city's most attractive.
Archaeology & Ethnography Museum
1.64 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…
2.5 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
2.73 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…
Nearby Yakutsk attractions
1. Archaeology & Ethnography Museum
1.64 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…
1.64 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…
2.5 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…
2.63 MILES
If time is limited, don't miss this excellent museum, with Sakha-themed exhibits covering local craftmaking traditions (mammoth tusk carvings, reindeer…
2.64 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…
2.66 MILES
Vlad Ilych still stands on Yakutsk's main square doing a particularly directional pose.
2.7 MILES
This mid-19th-century church with gorgeous golden domes in Yakutsk's old town is the city's most attractive.
8. Treasury of the Sakha Republic
2.73 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…