Major city · Russia
MagadanМагадан
Go only if you are coming for the Kolyma gulag history or the Road of Bones: 2 nights in town, then decide on a guided run inland.
- Weather
- see forecast
- Currency
- RUB
- Best months
- Jun–Sep
- avoid Nov–Apr (deep cold, short days); the road is worst in spring mud and summer rain
- Airport
- GDX
- Nights
- 2
Rules in force · 8Non-EU visitors get 90 days in any rolling 180-day window…Reach this subregion only from the EU side — Romania for …Check your own government travel advice for Russia before…
- Europe ↗Non-EU visitors get 90 days in any rolling 180-day window, counted across all 29 Schengen states together — not per country; the Entry/Exit System now logs each crossing, so an overstay is detected automatically.
- Europe ↗On the first Schengen entry since EES began, non-EU travellers give four fingerprints and a face photo at the border instead of a passport stamp; there is nothing to apply for or pay in advance.
- Eastern Europe ↗Reach this subregion only from the EU side — Romania for Moldova — through crossings run by recognised authorities; no route through Ukraine, Belarus or Russia is planned here.
- Eastern Europe ↗Re-read your government's advice for Moldova (it covers Transnistria) in the week you travel; the situation next door changes fast.
- Eastern Europe ↗Carry euros in cash for Transnistria and village Moldova; cards stop working at the Dniester.
- Russia ↗Check your own government travel advice for Russia before any booking; advice depends on your passport and changes without notice.
- Russia ↗Direct flights from much of Europe and North America are suspended; no independent tourist route is documented here.
- Russia ↗Confirm that your travel insurance and medical evacuation cover apply to Russia before you rely on it.
Magadan is a remote port on the Sea of Okhotsk, reachable in practice only by air, with no railway and one road out. It exists on the traveller map because of the Dalstroy gold camps and the Road of Bones built by prisoners. Two nights covers the Mask of Sorrow, the regional museum and the waterfront; anything beyond that is a guided expedition, not a city break.
Essentials
Quick answers and what things cost
Quick answers
The questions people ask first about Magadan, one line each. Tap a card for the full answer.
- Cash or card?Foreign-issued cards, ATMs and most transfers do not work: see Insurance & payments above.Russia-wide
- SafetyMagadan itself is calm and walkable by day.
- Emergency numbers112 All emergencies · 102 police · 103 ambulance (not 911, 999 or 000)
- Your embassyFind your embassy's 24-hour line before you fly.
- AirportGDX Magadan (Sokol) (About 50 km north along the Kolyma Highway; bus 111 runs to the centre in daytime, roughly every 45 min).GDX Magadan (Sokol) (About 31 mi north along the Kolyma Highway; bus 111 runs to the centre in daytime, roughly every 45 min).
- Getting aroundMarshrutkas cover the city; there is no metro or tram.
Cost cheat-sheet
Typical prices for the everyday things, as ranges. Your currency is shown next to the local price.
- CoffeeCoffee or tea in a café₽150–350
- Street or quick mealSet lunch or a bowl of soup₽400–900
- Beerdraught in a bar / can in a shop₽250–450₽100–200
- Taxi, about 5 kmTaxi, about 3 mi5 km taxi3.1 mi taxi₽300–600
- SIM or eSIM, a weekeSIM or data SIM, about a week₽1,000–2,500
- Museum or sight ticketRegional museum entry₽50–300
- Budget bedHostel or guesthouse bed, a night, per personRUB 1,500
- Mid-range bedHotel double room, a night, per roomRUB 8,000
- High-end bedHotel double room, a night, per roomRUB 16,000
A day, not counting the bed: Budget RUB 4,000 · Mid RUB 8,000 · High RUB 15,000
Local prices, with USD next to them (rates 2026-09 (approximate); change it in the header). Ranges are desk estimates: check locally. Every price and the budget calculator →
Decide
What it is known for, and when the weather works
At a glance
What the city is known for, how you fly in, and where to find the phrases.
- Airports
- GDX Magadan (Sokol) (About 50 km north along the Kolyma Highway; bus 111 runs to the centre in daytime, roughly every 45 min)GDX Magadan (Sokol) (About 31 mi north along the Kolyma Highway; bus 111 runs to the centre in daytime, roughly every 45 min)
Weather and climate
Magadan: next 7 days
Loading forecast…
Forecast: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0), model data for this point.
Air quality
Loading…
Model estimate (CAMS via Open-Meteo), not a street-level station; readings near busy roads run higher.
Jan
−14°C7°F
−22°C−8°F
6 rd
Feb
−13°C9°F
−21°C−6°F
5 rd
Mar
−8°C18°F
−17°C1°F
5 rd
Apr
−2°C28°F
−10°C14°F
6 rd
May
5°C41°F
−2°C28°F
7 rd
Jun
11°C52°F
3°C37°F
8 rd
Jul
15°C59°F
8°C46°F
9 rd
Aug
15°C59°F
8°C46°F
10 rd
Sep
10°C50°F
3°C37°F
9 rd
Oct
1°C34°F
−5°C23°F
8 rd
Nov
−8°C18°F
−15°C5°F
7 rd
Dec
−13°C9°F
−20°C−4°F
6 rd
High / low °C°F · rd = rain days
Arrive & move
Airports are listed under At a glance; this is how to move once you are in
Getting around
Marshrutkas cover the city; there is no metro or tram. The Mask of Sorrow and Marchekanskaya hill need a taxi or a tour. To the airport, bus 111 in daytime or a taxi (check the fare).
See & do
Day-trips, door to door
Day-trips
Ola
goDoor to door: About 1.5–2 h each way
Regional bus from the central bus station, or a taxi
Small Okhotsk coast settlement; check the return bus time before you leave.
Kadykchan
overnightDoor to door: Days, not hours
Guided 4x4 along the Kolyma Highway, multi-day
Abandoned mining town; only with an operator and a proper vehicle.
Yagodnoye
overnightDoor to door: About 2 days of driving
Kolyma Highway, guided vehicle
A staging point on the Road of Bones, not a day trip.
Susuman
overnightDoor to door: About 2 days of driving
Kolyma Highway, guided vehicle; some regional bus links
Gold-mining town roughly a third of the way to Yakutsk.
Eat & sleep
Which area to sleep in
Where to sleep
Areas, not hotels: pick the one that fits your arrival time and plans.
Prospekt Lenina / city centre
Main street, hotels, cafés and the bus station corner at pr. Lenina and ul. Proletarskaya; best for a short stay without a car.
Portovaya / waterfront
Quieter, near the port and the bay; a few larger hotels, longer walks to food.
Sokol (airport settlement)
Only for very early departures; almost nothing to do.
Practical
What a day costs, what to watch out for, and the pocket card
Cost per day
- Budget
- ₽4,000–7,000 excl. bed
- Mid
- ₽7,000–12,000 excl. bed
- High
- ₽12,000+ excl. bed
Trip budget
| Hotel double room1 × 2 nights × RUB 8,000 | RUB 16,000 |
| Food, local transport, entries2 × 2 days × RUB 8,000 | RUB 32,000 |
| Bus 111, airport to centre, one way2 × RUB 60 | RUB 110 |
| Guided gulag or Road of Bones day tour2 × RUB 8,000 · check | RUB 16,000 |
| eSIM, about a week of data2 × RUB 1,500 | RUB 3,000 |
| Buffer 10%Price creep, a taxi you did not plan, one splurge | RUB 6,710 |
| Trip total≈ RUB 18,460 per person per day, bed included | RUB 73,820 |
2026 estimate in rubles; flights excluded. Your choices stay in this browser.
Prices of common things
| Coffee or tea in a café | ₽150–350 |
| Set lunch or a bowl of soup | ₽400–900 |
| Beer: draught in a bar / can in a shop | ₽250–450 / ₽100–200 |
| 5 km taxi | ₽300–600 |
| Marshrutka ride | ₽40–60 |
| Regional museum entry | ₽50–300 |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | ₽1,000–2,500 |
2026 estimate; check locally.
Watch out
Safety
- This desk publishes no trip line for Russia: read your own government's travel advice before booking anything.
- Card payments by foreign-issued cards are unreliable; carry enough rubles in cash for the whole stay.
- English is rare outside hotels; have addresses written in Cyrillic.
- The Road of Bones is not a casual drive: go with an operator, never alone, and check conditions locally.
- Winter sea-ice walks are a local habit, not a safe default: ask locals about currents and thin ice.
Emergency numbers
- All emergencies
- 112
- Police
- 102
- Ambulance
- 103
Pocket card
Fill in, then print or save as PDF
Stays in this browser only; nothing is sent anywhere.
MagadanМагадан
Pocket card · Voykit
My bed tonight
—
—
—
По этому адресу, пожалуйстаTo this address, please
Emergency
- All emergencies112
- Police102
- Ambulance103
Embassy
No embassies in Magadan; consular help is in Moscow or Vladivostok. Check your government's advice page for current contacts.
My embassy: —
Fare anchors (2026 estimate)
- Airport (Sokol) → city centre, bus 111: about ₽55, 70 min, daytime only
- Airport → centre by taxi: ₽1,500–2,500 (check)
- Marshrutka across town: ₽40–60
Say or show
- Здравствуйте — Hello (zdra-stvui-te)
- Спасибо — Thank you (spa-see-ba)
- Сколько стоит? — How much is it? (skol-ka sto-it)
- Можно оплатить картой? — Can I pay by card? (mozh-na apla-tit kar-tai)
- Где туалет? — Where is the toilet? (gdye tua-lyet)
- Мне нужна помощь — I need help (mnye nuzh-na po-mashch)
Carry cash: foreign-issued cards often fail.
Deep dive
What this guide covers so far, and its sources
Not a trip line yet
This is a basic guide: no airport-to-bed contract, walking clusters or day plans are published for Magadan. Airport, fare and schedule details are unverified; check the operators before you fly.
What we know, and what is coming
On this page
- Best months: Jun–Sep · avoid Nov–Apr (deep cold, short days); the road is worst in spring mud and summer rain
- 1 airport and 3 areas to sleep in
- Weather: a 7-day forecast and monthly averages
- Cost per day in 3 bands
- 4 day-trips, door to door
- 5 things to watch out for, with emergency numbers
Coming as the guide grows
- Airport-to-bed contract for GDX: bus 111 daytime window, taxi fallback, late-arrival rung.
- Three walking clusters with rescue anchors: Prospekt Lenina, the port and bay, the museum and Mask of Sorrow.
- Place pages with verified cutoffs (Mask of Sorrow, Regional Museum, Church of the Nativity) and eat pages with last orders.
- Guided Road of Bones fixtures with operator, vehicle and season gates.
Meanwhile