What to see in Sochi for free

To diversify your vacation in Sochi, you do not necessarily have to spend a lot of money. You can buy inexpensive group tours from distributors on the street, get acquainted with the sights yourself, or even visit free interesting places. Throughout the vast territory of Greater Sochi, there are many free attractions that can be reached from the center or from the resorts of Sochi by public transport, spending very little money on it.

Moreover, if you come to Sochi in the low season, you can get absolutely free of charge to many hiking eco-trails Sochi National Park, which lead to the most beautiful natural attractions: gorges, waterfalls, mountain rivers, caves. Recall that in 2021, access to the territory of the Sochi National Park immediately doubled in price from 100 rubles to 200, but in the low season, due to low demand at the entrances to the routes, ticket offices often do not work, and therefore you can go for free. True, it is difficult to predict when and where there will be a free pass, you will have to check everything on the spot. For example, in the low season of 2020/2021, we (the authors of the site) passed for free at least on the Achipse Fortress, the health path and the high waterfall, the Polycar waterfall, the cave waterfall, the deep Yar waterfall or the Dragon's mouth. Well, to be quite honest, many eco-trails of the National Park can easily go for free bypassing the cash register with bypass trails.

And now we reveal the list of the most interesting places in Sochi, which can be visited completely free of charge, having spent only on transport to get to them:

Navaginskaya pedestrian street

There are several pedestrian zones in Sochi, and Navaginskaya Street among them is the best place for walking in the center. It stretches from the very center in the area of the railway station and reaches the embankment near the Sea station. Along it there is a gallery of cafes and shops, and the alley itself is decorated with palm trees, flower beds, sculptures, with which tourists love to be photographed. Here is the flag Square with a fountain and a large open space, where children are happy to launch luminous toys from slingshots, rollerblades and scooters. Learn more about Navaginskaya pedestrian street here.

Riviera Park

This is the main entertainment park of Sochi with children's and extreme attractions, a ferris wheel, a dolphinarium, a crocodile show, a mini-aquarium, a Penguins, a mini-zoo, a butterfly rear, alleys for walking and Recreation, several mini-museums, a fear room. The park is very large in area (but not in the amount of entertainment), and going here with the whole family you should plan to spend half a day on it, and, of course, a lot of money if you decide to take advantage of attractions and entertainment. But even without Entertainment, a walk along the "Riviera" will bring a lot of impressions and joy. There are free places to relax, fountains, funny sculptures, a beautiful flower garden. In general, if you want to take a walk in a beautiful pleasant place in the center of Sochi, feel free to go to the Riviera. . Learn more about the park "Riviera" here.

Drinking pump room in the "Riviera"

Drinking pump room is not that an attraction or entertainment, but a place worth visiting. Here you can drink absolutely free of charge or take with you the therapeutic and dining mineral water from the Plastunsky spring. Water is extracted not directly here in the park, but from a well from a depth of 550 meters in the Khostinsky district, and is delivered to the pump room. Nevertheless, it retains all its medicinal properties, information about which is posted on the stand inside the pump room. Since water is a therapeutic canteen, there are no contraindications for it, and you can drink it in any quantities, of course within reasonable limits.

Historic boulevard

Historical Boulevard is sometimes called "secret Boulevard", although, of course, there is nothing secret in it, and many tourists walk along it, not even suspecting that this is a landmark. In general, historically this place has always been called "upper embankment", and today a pedestrian route called "historical Boulevard" has been conditionally organized here. This is a walking route in the center of Sochi, which runs from the Sea station to the Winter theater, but not along the embankment, but parallel to it and a little higher. A few years ago there were abandoned footpaths, but now they have been updated and equipped, signatures have been installed to historical sights and monuments, signs, a route map and even QR codes in the most interesting places so that you can get more information about them. So if you like to walk, you should definitely take a walk here. In addition, this is one of the best places from where you can watch beautiful sunsets on the sea. Learn more about the historical Boulevard here.

Sochi Sea Terminal

This is one of the symbols of the city and an important point for reference, an architectural landmark of federal significance. The building of the sea station was opened in 1955, and the work was carried out under the supervision of famous Soviet architects K. S. Alabyan and L. B. Karlik. For tourists today, this is a beautiful majestic building, from where many tourist "adventures" begin. So, here starts a new walking route along the historical Boulevard, from here begins the main embankment of Sochi and the city beaches. And here you can buy tickets for boat trips and cruise ships to Georgia, Abkhazia, Turkey at the box office or from distributors. Nearby there are several remarkable modern and historical monuments and sculptures: a monument to the heroes of the film "The Diamond hand", a fountain with the goddess of navigation Isida, a rotunda, a flower clock, a decorative inscription "Sochi", graffiti by Jacques Yves Cousteau on the Buna embankment and others. Similar about the Sea station of Sochi here.

Cathedral Of The Archangel Michael

This is the oldest Orthodox Church in Sochi, built from 1874 to 1891. During the periods of Soviet power, it was closed for a short time from 1931 to 1944, and was used as a warehouse. In 1944 it was returned to believers, and in 1981 it received the status of a state monument of cult architecture.

St. Vladimir's Cathedral

The Church of the Holy equal-to-the-Apostles Prince Vladimir is a modern church. Its construction began in 2004, and was completed only in 2011. But for its short history, the temple managed to become one of the symbols of the city and its "calling card". This is not at all surprising, because the temple is very beautiful and sparkles very brightly with domes in sunny weather. It creates an even greater impression due to its location on a hill.

Orekhovsky waterfall

This is one of the closest to the center, and the second highest in all of Sochi. The height of its two cascades is 27 meters, which roughly corresponds to the height of an eight – story house. It is easily accessible by city buses, private car or with a tour, and go a little on foot directly to the waterfall itself. At its base there is a swimming pool and the Sochi river flows, where the most resistant can swim in cool water. Nearby there is a cafe and a landscaped Recreation Area (paid). Learn more about Orekhovsky waterfall here.

Olympic Park

This is the main and largest attraction of Adler, and indeed the whole of Sochi. If someone else does not know, then it was originally created for the Winter Olympic Games in Sochi in 2014, and around the Olympic facilities the Sochi Autodrom race track was equipped for the Royal F1 car races and others. By 2018, Fisht Stadium was converted to host FIFA 2018 matches. You can visit it yourself and for free, or with a sightseeing tour, which are sold at all resorts of Greater Sochi and beyond. Learn more about the Olympic Park and how to visit it here.

Singing fountains in the Olympic Park

The singing fountains in Adler's Olympic Park are one of the resort's most visually impressive attractions. To watch this light and sound show, people even come here from other resorts of Greater Sochi and from the city of Sochi with excursions or on their own. The show is accompanied by modern and classical music, including Russian and foreign hits. The show lasts one hour and starts every day at the same time, but the schedule changes from season to Season (see below). Learn more about singing fountains here.

Imereti embankment

This is one of the longest and most comfortable among the Sochi resorts, its length is almost 6 kilometers. It is great for hiking and cycling, but not all over it is equally developed. The most pleasant and well-equipped part is about 4 kilometers in the central part of Sirius. There are shops for recreation, exits to the beaches, cafes and restaurants. Excursions, fast food, draft alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages are sold. Learn more about Imereti embankment here.

Natural Ornithological park of Imereti lowland

Before the appearance of the Imereti resort, the Imereti lowland was a protected natural area, declared as such in 1911. During the development of the territory and the construction of the resort, the marshland was drained, which greatly changed the ecosystem. In order to at least partially preserve the ecosystem and its inhabitants, natural Ornithological parks were formed. One of these parks stands out. Its territory is fenced and landscaped with paths and places for recreation. Here you can see typical plant species and exotic varieties for this area, and if you are lucky, then birds. There are also mini-zoos with rabbits and birds. Learn more about the Ornithological park here.

Ruins of an ancient Christian temple in Imereti

The remains of the Byzantine temple were discovered during archaeological excavations in 2011, and made a kind of furor in the historical environment. The fact is that, according to scientists, this is one of the first Christian churches on the territory of modern Russia, because the ruins date back to the IX – X century, i.e. even before the baptism of Russia. Unfortunately, now the ruins of the temple are not in such a state that they can be presented to tourists as a tourist attraction, but information about plans for its restoration sometimes appears. In the meantime, the excavation area is surrounded by a fence, behind which the "people's toilet" appeared. If you are very interested, you can look over the fence, and you will see there what is in the photo, and no more.

Adler Central (Indoor) Market

It is here that it is best to go in order to buy souvenirs and gifts home, or something tasty or hot for rest. The rows sell fresh fruits (but not all local, often imported), sweets, teas, spices, dried fruits, honey, fish, cheeses. Churchkhella alone can be counted here several dozen species, and from the variety of halva, pastille, pahwala and other types of oriental sweets, the eyes simply run away. Moreover, everyone gives a try, so you can eat without even leaving the counter. Homemade wine, Chacha and cognac are sold from under the counter. Learn more about Adler Central Market here.

Trip to Abkhazia

Adler is the best place from where you can go on excursions to Abkhazia, because the border crossing is very close in the village of Veseloe. But you can get to the neighboring country yourself by public or private transport, if you allocate more than one day for this. In Abkhazia, you can see a lot of things for free or relax on the beaches, which are considered much cleaner than in Sochi. But this, of course, is a whole journey that requires preparation. For more information, see Gagra, New Athos and Sukhum and others. A foreign passport and insurance will not be needed, entry is made using a valid internal passport of the Russian Federation or a birth certificate for children. Read more about the visa regime of Abkhazia here.

Resorts Of Krasnaya Polyana

At every corner in Adler you will be offered sightseeing trips to the mountain resorts of Krasnaya Polyana, including a walk through the resorts and a cable car ride to one of the mountain peaks. If the cable car is not very interesting to you, and you want to see the resorts, then you can get there yourself by city buses, trains or your own transport, and return back within one day. On the way to Krasnaya Polyana you can make stops in other interesting places: Trout Farm; narzan Spring Chvizhepse; suspension bridge and Extreme Park SkyPark; akhshtyrskiy Canyon; glubokij-Yar waterfall; ivanovskiy waterfall. Learn more about Krasnaya Polyana here.

Akhshtyr Gorge (canyon)

Some pseudo-guides on the Internet describe the Akhshtyr Gorge (canyon) as one of the most notable sights of Sochi and an incredible creation of nature. In our opinion (the authors of the site) these are rather advertising exaggerations. In fact, the Akhshtyr Canyon is just a long deep gorge (about 200 Meters) formed by the Mzymta River in the rocks, and one of the stopping points for a few minutes during group excursions, and nothing more. Therefore, it makes no sense to visit the Akhshtyr Gorge as an independent natural attraction, since a long trip to it from Adler or the center of Sochi is not worth it. But around it there are several interesting places that can be visited in the complex. This is a suspension bridge and extreme amusement park SkyPark, Akhshtyr cave, Dzyhrin waterfall Akhshtyr Lake. Learn more about the Akhshtyr gorge here.

Devil's Gate Canyon

The Devil's Gate Canyon is located on the Khosta River and is formed by rock walls up to 50 meters high, narrowing in the narrowest places to a width of several meters. It consists of a paid part, which is included in the tourist route along the Yew-boxwood grove of the Sochi National Park; and a free part, which is visited for swimming and relaxing in the cafe of the same name at the entrance, or to have a picnic in a spacious clearing. Learn more about the Canyon "Devil's gate" here.

Temple-fortress of IX century and eco-trail "Abaski"

The paid Eco-Trail "Abaski" runs between the popular Glubokiy Yar waterfall and the Akhtsu Recreation Center, its length is 1200 meters. But at the very beginning of the trail from the side of the waterfall there is a temple-fortress of the IX century on the mountain, access to which is free. To get to the temple, you will have to overcome a low, but very steep climb up the mountain, but along the way you will have a view from the observation points. And to be honest, you'll even be able to walk from the fortress Temple along part of the "Abaski" trail with a hare, since the entrance fee is only charged on the other side at the recreation center when entering or exiting the route. Accordingly, after walking a little for FREE along the eco-trail, you need to turn around and go out the same route. Be extremely careful when going down the mountain: going down is even more dangerous and difficult than going up. Read more about the IX century fortress temple and the abaski eco-trail here.

Chvizhepse mineral spring and bear corner

Narzan mineral spring Chvizhepse is very popular as a stopping place for excursions to Krasnaya Polyana, and a fee is charged for entering it, as for entering the Sochi National Park. But not everyone knows that very close there is a free spring with the same wonderful water. To get to it, you need to drive or go further after the tourist source of 1.3 kilometers, and go over the bridge to the free source.

Here is the bear Corner Hotel and an equipped outdoor recreation area, for the use of which you will have to pay if you decide to have a picnic on it. Learn more about the mineral spring Chvizhepse and bear corner here.

Canyon white rocks and Navalishchenskoe gorge

Canyon white rocks and Navalishchenskoe Gorge - one of the most beautiful places in the Khosta region in Sochi, are located on the Bolshaya Khosta River next to each other. At the same time, the route along the equipped White Rocks Canyon is paid, and part of the Navalishchensky gorge in the area of the cafe of the same name is available for free. Learn more about the Canyon white rocks and Navalishchenskoe Gorge and how to visit them here.

Abandoned sanatorium Ordzhonikidze

This is one of the iconic architectural sights of Sochi, the heritage of the USSR. The complex of several buildings and extensive well-groomed territory at one time has been in disrepair since 2010. Today it has become a place of attraction for tourists for walks and photo shoots. We would not include this attraction in the number of mandatory visits during a holiday in the resorts of Sochi, but if you have already looked at everything and have nothing to do, then you can look here, especially since it is not difficult to get to it from almost any place in Greater Sochi. Inspection of the sanatorium is possible only from the outside, you can not go inside the buildings. The visit will take 10-20 minutes. Learn more about the Ordzhonikidze sanatorium here.

Mount Akhun

This is a natural and architectural landmark at the same time, and the highest observation deck in Sochi. The height of the peak is 663 meters. At the top is an observation tower with a height of 30.5 meters, built in 1936 and recognized as an architectural monument of federal significance. The tower can be climbed for a fee of 100 rubles, there is a panoramic observation deck. Also near the top there are the ruins of a chic restaurant of the Soviet period, which can be viewed for free. For the entertainment of tourists, a ferris wheel "peak 701" and other entertainment was installed here. The mountain with the tower is a traditional "tourist trap" for luring money from tourists who are brought to the top by large excursion buses. But, in our opinion, it is much more interesting to visit it yourself in the form of an easy hiking route. This route can be done within one day from any resort, having previously reached here by public or private transport. Learn more about Mount Akhun and how to visit it here.

Center of national cultures in Lazarevskoye

The center of national cultures is the main cultural and educational platform of the resort. Temporary exhibitions of artists are held in the building of the center, and at the height of the season there are shows and performances of pop stars, comedians. In front of the building is a square with a fountain for walking.

Recreation Area and waterfall "Paradise delight" in Loo

Paradise delight is a recreation complex in the vicinity of loo, consisting of a cafe of the same name, an equestrian base, a playground, an ethnographic museum, a mill and a hiking route through the forest along the gorge of the Loo River to the Paradise delight waterfall. You can come here for a whole day to eat in a cafe, while children ride horses or play on the playground, or you can just walk along a simple walking route to the waterfall and visit the free Ethnographic Museum. Learn more about the Recreation Area and the waterfall "Paradise delight" here.