Major city · Russia
ValdayВалдай
One full day: morning at the Iversky Monastery, afternoon at the museum and a walk along Lake Valdayskoye. A half-day is enough if you skip the museum.
Valday is a small town in Novgorod Oblast, set inside Valdaysky National Park on the shores of Lake Valdayskoye. Most visitors come in summer for the lake, the Iversky Monastery and the bell-making museum. The town is a common stop on the Moscow–St. Petersburg highway (M10) and can be seen in a day.
advisory country
More
More ways in
Local time, weather, currency, airports
- Weather
- see forecast
- Currency
- RUB
- Best months
- June–August
- avoid November–March (cold, some facilities closed)
- Airports
- LED · SVO
- Nights
- 1
Not a trip line yet
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.
Entry rules depend on your passport. Full visa guide
What is in this basic guide9 covered · 4 not yet ▾
In this guide
Not in this guide yet
- Walking areas with bag rules
- Day plans checked against opening hours
- Airport-to-bed timings and the last safe connection
- Field-checked times and prices
Official sites
Emergency numbers for Valday102 ▾
Tap a number to call from your phone. These are the numbers listed in this guide; a row marked check has not been verified.
EssentialsQuick answers and what things cost
Essentials
Quick answers and what things cost
Quick answers
The questions people ask first about Valday, 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
- SafetyValday is a quiet tourist town.
- Emergency numbers102 police · 101 fire and ambulance · 112 Unified emergency (not 911, 999 or 000)
- Your embassyFind your embassy's 24-hour line before you fly.
- AirportLED Pulkovo Airport (St.
- Getting aroundThe town is walkable.
Cost cheat-sheet
Typical prices for the everyday things, as ranges. Your currency is shown next to the local price.
- CoffeeCoffee in a caféRUB 150–300
- BeerBeer (0.5 L, local)RUB 100–200
- Taxi, about 5 km (3 mi)Taxi, about 3 mi (5 km)Taxi across townRUB 200–400
- Museum or sight ticketMuseum entryRUB 200–400 (check)
- Budget bedHostel bed or guesthouse room, a night, per personRUB 1,000
- Mid-range bedDouble room in a hotel or sanatorium, a night, per roomRUB 5,000
- High-end bedDouble room in a hotel or sanatorium, a night, per roomRUB 10,000
A day, not counting the bed: Budget RUB 2,500 · Mid RUB 5,000 · High RUB 10,000
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 →
DecideWhat it is known for, and when the weather works
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
- LED Pulkovo Airport (St. Petersburg) (About 3.5 h by car or bus via M10; no direct train.) · SVO Sheremetyevo (Moscow) (About 4.5 h by car or bus via M10.)
Best months at a glance
From the guide's best and avoid lists
Jan
Avoid
−6°C (21°F)21°F (−6°C)
Feb
Avoid
−5°C (23°F)23°F (−5°C)
Mar
Avoid
1°C (34°F)34°F (1°C)
Apr
not flagged
9°C (48°F)48°F (9°C)
May
not flagged
17°C (63°F)63°F (17°C)
Jun
Best
21°C (70°F)70°F (21°C)
Jul
Best
23°C (73°F)73°F (23°C)
Aug
Best
21°C (70°F)70°F (21°C)
Sep
not flagged
15°C (59°F)59°F (15°C)
Oct
not flagged
8°C (46°F)46°F (8°C)
Nov
Avoid
0°C (32°F)32°F (0°C)
Dec
Avoid
−4°C (25°F)25°F (−4°C)
Best: Jun–Aug. Avoid: Nov–Mar. Month by month →
Warmest Jul (23°C (73°F)73°F (23°C)), coolest Jan (−12°C (10°F)10°F (−12°C) low), wettest Jun (11 rain days), driest Feb (8). Averages, not a forecast.
Weather and climate
Valday: 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
−6°C (21°F)21°F (−6°C)
−12°C (10°F)10°F (−12°C)
10 rd
Feb
−5°C (23°F)23°F (−5°C)
−11°C (12°F)12°F (−11°C)
8 rd
Mar
1°C (34°F)34°F (1°C)
−6°C (21°F)21°F (−6°C)
9 rd
Apr
9°C (48°F)48°F (9°C)
1°C (34°F)34°F (1°C)
9 rd
May
17°C (63°F)63°F (17°C)
7°C (45°F)45°F (7°C)
9 rd
Jun
21°C (70°F)70°F (21°C)
11°C (52°F)52°F (11°C)
11 rd
Jul
23°C (73°F)73°F (23°C)
13°C (55°F)55°F (13°C)
11 rd
Aug
21°C (70°F)70°F (21°C)
12°C (54°F)54°F (12°C)
11 rd
Sep
15°C (59°F)59°F (15°C)
7°C (45°F)45°F (7°C)
10 rd
Oct
8°C (46°F)46°F (8°C)
2°C (36°F)36°F (2°C)
11 rd
Nov
0°C (32°F)32°F (0°C)
−5°C (23°F)23°F (−5°C)
11 rd
Dec
−4°C (25°F)25°F (−4°C)
−10°C (14°F)14°F (−10°C)
11 rd
High / low, both scales · rd = rain days
Arrive & moveAirports are listed under At a glance; this is how to move once you are in
Arrive & move
Airports are listed under At a glance; this is how to move once you are in
Getting around
The town is walkable. For the monastery (on an island), walk across the causeway or take a local taxi. No public transport inside the town.
See & doDay-trips, door to door
See & do
Day-trips, door to door
Day-trips
Door to door: About 1.5 h
Bus or car via A116, about 1 h
Dostoevsky museum and spa resort; a full day.
Door to door: About 2 h
Bus or car via M10, about 1.5 h
Kremlin, St. Sophia Cathedral and open-air museum of wooden architecture.
Eat & sleepWhich area to sleep in
Eat & sleep
Which area to sleep in
Where to sleep
Areas, not hotels: pick the one that fits your arrival time and plans.
Town centre (near the lake)
Walking distance to the monastery and museum; most hotels and guesthouses are here.
Sanatoria on the lake shore
Soviet-era health resorts with full board; book ahead in summer.
PracticalWhat a day costs, what to watch out for, and the pocket card
Practical
What a day costs, what to watch out for, and the pocket card
Cost per day
- Budget
- RUB 2,000–3,500 excl. bed
- Mid
- RUB 3,500–6,000 excl. bed
- High
- RUB 6,000+ excl. bed
Trip budget
| Double room in a hotel or sanatorium1 × 1 night × RUB 5,000 | RUB 5,000 |
| Food, local transport, entries2 × 1 day × RUB 5,000 | RUB 10,000 |
| Bus from Novgorod to Valday, one way2 × RUB 500 · check | RUB 1,000 |
| Museum entry (both exhibitions)2 × RUB 300 · check | RUB 600 |
| Buffer 10%Price creep, a taxi you did not plan, one splurge | RUB 1,660 |
| Trip total≈ RUB 9,130 per person per day, bed included | RUB 18,260 |
2026 estimate in rubles; flights and long-distance buses excluded. Your choices stay in this browser.
Prices of common things
| Coffee in a café | RUB 150–300 |
| Lunch (soup, main, drink) | RUB 500–1,000 |
| Beer (0.5 L, local) | RUB 100–200 |
| Taxi across town | RUB 200–400 |
| Museum entry | RUB 200–400 (check) |
2026 estimate; check locally.
Watch out
Safety
- The presidential residence on the lake shore is off-limits; a large sector of the lake is closed to boats and swimmers.
- Many facilities close or reduce hours from October to May.
- Check the official website for museum hours before visiting.
Emergency numbers
- Police
- 102
- Fire and ambulance
- 101
- Unified emergency
- 112
Pocket card
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Stays in this browser only; nothing is sent anywhere.
ValdayВалдай
Pocket card · Voykit
My bed tonight
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—
По этому адресу, пожалуйстаTo this address, please
Emergency
- Police102
- Fire and ambulance101
- Unified emergency112
Embassy
Most embassies are in Moscow; the nearest consulate for many nationalities is in St. Petersburg. Check your government's travel advice.
My embassy: —
Fare anchors (2026 estimate)
- Bus Novgorod → Valday: about RUB 500, about 1.5 h (check)
- Taxi Valday centre → Iversky Monastery: RUB 200–300
Say or show
- Здравствуйте — Hello (zdra-stvooy-te)
- Спасибо — Thank you (spa-SEE-ba)
- Сколько? — How much? (SKOL-ka)
- Где музей? — Where is the museum? (gde moo-ZEY)
Deep diveWhat this guide covers so far, and its sources
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 Valday. 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: June–August · avoid November–March (cold, some facilities closed)
- 2 airports and 2 areas to sleep in
- Weather: a 7-day forecast and monthly averages
- Cost per day in 3 bands
- 2 day-trips, door to door
- 3 things to watch out for, with emergency numbers
Coming as the guide grows
- Place pages for Iversky Monastery and the bell museum with verified opening hours.
- Eat pages with last orders and seasonal closures.
- Lake access and swimming spots map.
- Transport schedule for the M10 bus stop.
Sources
Ask about Valday
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