✈️ TLV to Sochi (AER)
Russian Federation
Sochi
CityAER
IATA1345.8 km
Distance2h 11m
Flight TimeCoordinates: 43.4499, 39.9566
Airlines:
About Sochi
Weather in Sochi
Understand
Sochi is often called the unofficial 'Summer Capital' of Russia, or the Black Sea Pearl. This is the country's biggest and busiest summer sea resort, attracting more than 4 million visitors annually with its amazing mountainous coastline, endless shingle beaches, warm sunny days, and bustling nightlife. From May to September Sochi's population at least doubles with tourists, including celebrities and political elite of the country. Likely due to Russian visa costs and requirements, only 3 percent of this visitors' crowd are international travellers. Perhaps the most famous non-politician foreign visitor to Sochi was Bono, who was invited to spend some time at President Medvedev's residence in 2010. But in general the city remains a very domestic destination, somewhat lacking in appropriate international infrastructure and having the same language barrier most regional centers of Russia do. Another paradox of Sochi is that the city, always associated in national mentality with south, palms and hot climate, won the 2014 Winter Olympic bid. This phenomenon will be probably never understood by Russians completely: every place in the country has a real winter, but Sochi? The answers are absence of harsh frost and the very promising Alpine resort of Krasnaya Polyana in the city area. A less pragmatic explanation is the lucky destiny of Sochi. The most famous Russian saying about the city is "If I could read the cards, I would live in Sochi" ( Знал бы прикуп - жил бы в Сочи ). Derived from the Preference card game, this saying shows the association of Sochi and its inhabitants with luck, moreover, with an accidental and unpredictable fortune. Well, perhaps such an Olympic luck will help the city to reach beyond the national borders and to become a truly global site. Sochi has many attractions to offer for anyone who loves nature, sports, history, and sunny beach leisure. This Black Sea Pearl is still waiting to be discovered.
Climate
Sochi belongs to that tiny part of Russia, which is happily located in the subtropical climatic zone. In contrast to Mediterranean climates, Sochi has a very high humidity level, like that in Abkhazia or in some USA states (e.g. Mississippi , Alabama , Louisiana , and Georgia ). Despite high precipitation, Sochi enjoys 300 sunny days annually, which is unbelievable for any other part of Russia except neighboring Krasnodar Krai coastal cities. This makes nearly all the year months comfortable for visiting Sochi, except maybe November, December and January. Most of precipitation falls during the winter , partly in snow, but there is usually no regular snow cover in the coastal part of the city. Sochians rarely use winter tyres, so every heavy snowfall comes unpredictably for drivers. The climate of the mountainous part of Greater Sochi is significantly colder, allowing for a full ski season in winter (usually, February and March). Thanks to that, Krasnaya Polyana is quickly developing as a winter resort and hosted all outdoor competitions during the 2014 Winter Olympics. The period of spring is quite short and is characterized by gardens blossoming (usually starts in March, even if temperatures are lower than in February). This is a comfortable season with less rain, but still with the cold sea. Sochi summer can be associated with the swimming season, which usually lasts from the mid-end of May till the end of October. This is the true high season with its touristic peak in July–August. In September and October the city attracts fewer visitors, partly because of the start of the school year. These two months, when the Black Sea is still warm, air is not very hot, and streets are not filled with tourists' crowds, seem to be the most enjoying time to visit Sochi. This period is called smoothy season ("бархатный сезон"). The off-season autumn , coming to Sochi in the end of October, is warm, but with more cloudy days and rain. By the end of November daily average temperature drops below 10 °C.
Get in
Sochi is among several Russian seaports, where international tourists have the opportunity of visa-free entry for up to 72 hours (applicable for cruise ships and ferry line passengers only). Check limitations and requirements carefully before use. For other foreign visitors standard Russian visa requirements apply.
Outdoor sights
As a rule with some exceptions, Sochi outdoor sights are inside the area of Sochi National Park . This means that in some cases you will need to pay the park entrance fee. All major sights attract both independent travellers and guided groups. Tours can be arranged at hotels or at the hot tourist areas in the city. Mount Akhun , Khosta district . Mount Akhun is the highest Greater Sochi coastal point famous as the best panoramic view of the city. The castle-looking tower on its 700-meter top gives a perfect overlook of the city. It is probably even possible to see the remote Turkish coast, if the weather and visibility are fine. Taking a trail down from Mt. Akhun, it is possible to get to the nearby Agurskoe Canyon (Агурское ущелье), another popular destination with a cascade of 3 waterfalls surrounded by high cliffs. It is spoken to be the oldest tourist sight in the city. Outside of the waterfalls there is the place called Eagle Rock (Орлиные скалы) with few caves around. As a legend says, Eagle Rock is the place, where Prometheus (Classical Greek god of fire) was enchained. To reach Mount Akhun and its surroundings it is best to use a car/taxi. Using a bus, take route 110 from Central Sochi to Sputnik stop. In this case you will need to climb the mountain (2-3 hours walk). Yew & boxtree wood ( тисо-самшитовая роща ), Khosta district . An exclave of Caucasian Biosphere Reserve and a UNESCO World Heritage List item, yew and boxtree wood occupies 3 square kilometres at one of the Mt. Akhun slopes. This is a unique nature sight with over 700 plant species, some of those are relicts remained unchanged for 30 million years. There are also endemic species and very aged plants, like 2 thousand years old trees. The wood has 20 endangered species included into the IUCN Red List. If you are not going to use car or taxi to reach it, take marshrutka route 122 from Central Sochi to Khosta. The stop you need is "Khosta-most". From that walk by Samshitovaya street (Самшитовая улица) till the road turning and the pointer. Soon after the turn a usual group of taxi cars act as the sign of the entrance to the wood. Vorontsovka Caves ( Воронцовские пещеры ), Vorontsovka village - Khosta district . The mountain part of Greater Sochi area contains over 400 caves in total. The most known of them is the complex of caves in Vorontsovka village of Khosta district. It consists of 3 interconnected parts (Kabanya, Vorontsovskaya and Labirintovaya) with total length of 11 km and the height difference of 240 m. This is one of the largest cave systems in Caucasus, a significant part of it is open for visiting. Dagomys Tea-Party Houses , Dagomys and Uch-Dere - Lazarevskoe district . The world northernmost tea has been cultivated in Sochi since 1887, as "Krasnodar Tea" brand. There are group tours to Dagomys Tea Plant, and also, on a hill in Uch-Dere there are tea-party houses, open for visiting. There you can find out how tea is grown, collected and manufactured. You will be offered a tea-party with samovar , pirozhki , pancakes, jam, and folk songs. As a bonus, at the place there is a museum with traditional Russian crafts exposition. 33 waterfalls , Lazarevskoe district . There are several waterfall locations in Greater Sochi area. This certain one is a bit remote, but contains as many as thirty three waterfalls, those are not so high (1.3 to 10 metres), but very scenic ones. They are best seen in spring, when rains and snow melting at mountains bring more water. Dzhegosh stream has only 2 km length flowing down to Shakhe river not far from a traditional Circassian settlement Bolshoy Kichmay, 11 km from the sea coast, Golovinka sub-district and regular public transportation. To get to waterfalls less cheaper, but more suitable is to use a taxi or to join an organized tour. Trout Farm ( Форелевое хозяйство ), Forelevaya st, 45, Kazachiy Brod settlement - Adler . The largest fish farm in Russia , includes 131 ponds for trout and 6 more for carps. This is not only a farm, but also an amazing tourist spot. Visiting it, you can get information about trout planting, watch the fish, feed it, and even go fishing at ponds. It's also possible to buy incredibly tasty smoked trout at the place. Akhtyrshskaya Cave ( Ахтыршская пещера ), Adler district . Many of Sochi caves were inhabited by primeval people. Akhtyrshkaya cave is among them, having many petroglyphic drawings and other primeval remains. Take a bus/marshrutka 106 to its ending point (Trout Farm). Cross the street from the bus stop and go to the tunnel. Turn right close to the tunnel and go down to Mzymta river and a monkey bridge. Prior to the bridge go left and up to the entrance to the cave. There is beautiful scenery and panoramic view close to the cave: cross Mzymta river and take the trail left and up.
Do
Boat tours ( Sochi port ), ☏ +7 8622 609-603 . 11:00 - 21:00 . 1-hour regular sea boat tours. Organized by Sochi seaport, May to October.
Drink
43.5819 39.7193 1 London Bar , Nesebrskaya street, 6 - Central ( beach zone ), ☏ +7 8622 60 82 00 . 24/7 . Stylish restaurant and bar, offering business lunches during the day and transforming into a music club by nights. European and Japanese cuisine, wide array of cocktails and spirits. Concerts (rock, disco, chillout, both Russian and international) and parties each 1-2 weeks. 43.5881 39.72389 2 Shum Karaoke Club ( Шум ), Navaginskaya street, 9 - Central , ☏ +7 9882 37 54 20 , +7 9882 26 30 30 , shum-sochi@mail.ru . 24/7 (09:00-18:00 - restaurant of European cuisine, 19:00-07:00 - karaoke . Luxury karaoke club with fine design and wide assortment of cocktails. Professional sound and back vocalists, songs are free on Sundays to Thursdays. 43.4266 39.92536 3 [formerly dead link] Treugolnik Rock Bar ( Треугольник ), Kirova street, 56 - Adler . 12:00-03:00 . A democratic rock-n-roll club with an authentic atmosphere and a large musical collection: from rock classics to newest trends. Regular parties and concerts of mainstream and underground teams (primarily from Russia and former Soviet Union countries). A library of books and DVDs on rock topics. The club provides not only drinks and parties, but also breakfasts, lunches and dinners, its pizza seems to be the best in Adler. Transfer to Central Sochi is possible.
Sleep
Sochi has more than 200 hotels, and their number is steadily increasing, but the cost of stay may seem to be overpriced, comparing to many European destinations. There are more than enough gigantic health resorts and hotels, which were a pride of former Soviet Union resort industry, but which are completely obsolete. On the other hand, many mini-hotels have opened in Sochi, but only few of them are able to meet average international service requirements. Hotel staff often has problems with hospitality, helpful answers and advice, and with speaking any other language than Russian. Between these two extremes, there is a gap of normal chain or chain-like 2-3-4 star hotels with reasonable prices and acceptable level of English and hospitality skills of staff. The situation is slowly improving, but the room to grow is still large. In general, Lazarevskoe district offers cheaper accommodation, while Central Sochi and Adler have more expensive options. Prices also depend on season, traditionally increasing in summer and in the beginning of May (between 2 national holidays). Always book in advance in summer. The selection of hotels below includes mainly those of them, where better English and/or service level has been reported. For the mountain part hotels please see Krasnaya Polyana .
Stay safe
Krasnodar Krai is probably one of Southern Russia 's most safe regions. Sochi does not stand out with the higher crime rate, but standard safety precautions should be used. There is a saying in Russia : "Nights are dark in Sochi" ("В городе Сочи темные ночи"), and this can be explained as that anyone or anything can get lost in the city. Try to avoid unlit spaces during the night and beware pickpockets in crowded places, such as markets and transport terminals. Beggars can approach you at stations and beaches. Fraud is widespread at Russian summer resorts, but most of its organizers would have problems with English. Anyway, try to avoid drinking and gambling with newly met people. Several reports of explosions in Sochi area luckily were more vandalistic than terroristic, and their organizers were arrested soon after. Sunburn can occur in summer, so use sunblock during the hot season. Tap water is practically safe and Sochi was awarded with first in Russia drinking tap water certificate (2011).