Sochi Arboretum
A big hillside garden filled with subtropical trees and plants from around the world, with paths, viewpoints and a cable car. It shows why the Black Sea coast feels so green.
Sochi
Summer brings subtropical beaches to this Black Sea resort, and Krasnaya Polyana nearby offers mountain skiing.
Attractive locations
Sochi National Park
A protected area of forested hills, gorges and waterfalls stretching along the Black Sea coast. Marked trails give access to mountain scenery within easy reach of the resort.
Mount Akhun
A forested hill above the coast topped by a stone observation tower. Views from the top reach the sea in one direction and the Caucasus mountains in the other.
Agura Waterfalls
A series of cascades along a forested gorge a short drive from the city. A path and stairs lead past the falls, with a pleasant stretch of woodland walking.
Winter Theatre
A grand columned theatre on a hill in central Sochi, built in the 1930s in Soviet neoclassical style and topped with a dome. It is a symbol of the city and hosts concerts and plays.
Rosa Khutor
A mountain resort in the Caucasus above Krasnaya Polyana, used for alpine skiing at the 2014 Winter Olympics. Cable cars reach slopes in winter and hiking trails and views in summer.
Krasnaya Polyana
A mountain village east of Sochi that serves as the base for the region's ski resorts. In summer visitors come for hiking, river valleys and cable-car rides.
Airports
Sochi International Airport AER
It is about 24 km in a straight line from Sochi.
Scams and safe taxis
Weather by month
Each month shows its average temperature in °C and its mm of rain per month.
- Jan3.1 °C136 mm
- Feb3.6 °C116 mm
- Mar5.9 °C119 mm
- Apr10.1 °C84 mm
- May15.7 °C91 mm
- Jun20.0 °C84 mm
- Jul22.9 °C87 mm
- Aug23.7 °C64 mm
- Sep19.9 °C116 mm
- Oct15.0 °C139 mm
- Nov9.6 °C125 mm
- Dec5.2 °C126 mm
Driest months: Apr, Jun, Aug. Wettest months: Jan, Oct, Dec.
Costs
Prices here are about 35% of US prices (World Bank, 2025). This compares a country's overall prices, not the cost of a trip.
Who can help
Emergency
112 for all emergencies. Police 102. Ambulance 103. Fire 101.
ngo
Russian Red Cross Society
Helps with: Russia's national Red Cross society. Its programmes include first aid training, restoring family links and tracing, disaster relief, and a migration desk. Reception is open Monday to Friday, 10:00 to 19:00.
Who qualifies: People in Russia who need its first aid, family tracing, disaster relief or migrant support services.
Phone: +7 (499) 126-75-71
Email: mail@redcross.ru
Address: Cheremushkinsky Proezd 5, Moscow
un agency
International Organization for Migration (IOM) Russia
Helps with: The UN migration agency. Its Moscow office has worked in Russia since 1992 on migration management, crisis response and cooperation with partners. Contact is through its office and online form.
Who qualifies: Migrants and migration partners in Russia. It is not a help service for ordinary tourists.
Phone: +7 495 660 77 82
Address: 4 Stasovoy Street, 119071 Moscow
local government
Ministry of Civil Defence, Emergencies and Disaster Relief (EMERCOM)
Helps with: Russia's national ministry for emergencies and disaster response. Its site lists the fire and rescue number 101 and an information helpline, and offers psychological aid and registration of tourist groups.
Who qualifies: Anyone in Russia needing fire, rescue or disaster help; tourist groups can use its registration service.
Phone: 101
Address: 1 Vatutina Street, Fili-Davydkovo, Moscow 121357
local government
Single emergency number 112 (Moscow city portal)
Helps with: Russia's single emergency number, listed on the Moscow city portal. The page also lists separate numbers for fire 101, police 102, ambulance 103 and gas 104. Calls to 911 are forwarded to 112.
Who qualifies: Anyone in Russia, including from mobile phones; the page says it works without an inserted SIM card.
Phone: 112
embassy
Finding your embassy or consulate in Russia (Moscow city portal)
Helps with: For emergencies, lost passports or detention, contact your own country's embassy or consulate. This Moscow city portal page explains what they do and says the Foreign Ministry website lists the missions in Moscow.
Who qualifies: Citizens of each country, through their own embassy or consulate.