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RussiaFree holidays in Kislovodsk: main tips
Kislovodsk is one of the few Russian resorts where most of the interesting things are available without paying an entrance fee. You can walk through the huge park, drink narzan from the springs, climb to viewpoints, and breathe the healing air completely free. You can save on everything: from tours to mineral water. Below are a few tried-and-tested life hacks:
- Parking. In the center and in Kurortny Park, parking is almost everywhere paid (from 50 rub/hour). You can leave your car for free in residential areas (for example, on Krasnoarmeyskaya, Chkalova streets) or near large supermarkets ("Magnit", "Pyatyorochka" at the city entrance). Many hotels and sanatoriums provide free parking for guests — check when booking.
- Water. You can drink narzan for free at all pump rooms — bring your own glass or mug. Plastic cups are sold for 5-10 rubles, but it's better to have your own.
- Tours. Many guides offer free walking tours of the center and park (schedules can be found on social media by searching for "free tours Kislovodsk" or at the visitor center). This is a great way to get to know the city without spending money.
- Transport. The entire tourist zone (park, boulevard, pump rooms) is compact and easy to walk. Taxis or buses only make sense for distant objects (Ring Mountain, Honey Waterfalls).
- Sanatoriums. You cannot enter most sanatoriums for free — only with a voucher or for a separate fee (tours, spa treatments). Free vouchers under compulsory medical insurance for pensioners and beneficiaries are allocated in extremely limited quantities, usually through social security — check with your local office.
And now — a list of free attractions worth seeing with your own eyes.
Complete list of free places in Kislovodsk
Kislovodsk National Park
The main free attraction of the resort. A huge green area (965 hectares) with health trails, rocks, grottoes, arbors, and excellent views. You can walk for hours and find something new every time — and all without spending a penny. The only thing you'll have to pay for is the cable car, if you want to shorten the way up.
Practical info
🕐 Opening hours: 24/7.
💵 Entry fee / ticket price: free.
🚶 How to get there: the park starts at the Kolonnada in the city center (on the map). Free entry from anywhere.
Kurortny Pedestrian Boulevard
The main walking artery, 500 meters long. It's always crowded here, street musicians perform, fountains work, and monuments stand. You can just walk, watch passersby, drink free narzan in the galleries — and not spend a ruble. Only the rides, wax museum, and animal exhibition are paid, but that's optional.
Practical info
🕐 Opening hours: 24/7.
💵 Entry fee / ticket price: free.
🚶 How to get there: on the map.
Kolonnada
The famous Kolonnada at the park entrance is a favorite meeting place and starting point for walks. The structure itself doesn't have an entrance as such, it's just a beautiful arch where you can shelter from the sun or rain. Nearby are bike and scooter rentals (paid), but admiring the architecture and taking photos is free.
Practical info
🕐 Opening hours: 24/7.
💵 Entry fee / ticket price: free.
🚶 How to get there: on the map.
Main Narzan Gallery
The most popular place for free mineral water drinking. Water from several springs (dolomite, sulfate) is served for free, you just need to have your own cup. You can drink as much as you like, but taking it with you is forbidden. The healing water loses its properties after a few hours, so it doesn't make sense anyway.
Practical info
🕐 Opening hours: 07:00 - 09:00; 11:00 - 14:00; 16:00 - 19:00, daily.
💵 Entry fee / ticket price: free.
🚶 How to get there: 4 Kurortny Boulevard (on the map).
Narzan Pump Room No. 5
An alternative to the main gallery, located right there on the boulevard. The water is just as good, and there are fewer people. Here you can also buy a ceramic mug for 200 rubles or a disposable cup for 5 rubles if you forgot your own. The water itself is free.
Practical info
🕐 Opening hours: 07:00 - 09:00; 11:00 - 14:00; 16:00 - 19:00, daily.
💵 Entry fee / ticket price: free.
🚶 How to get there: at the intersection of Kurortny Boulevard and Vokzalnaya Street, 3 (on the map).
Zhelyabovsky Pump Room or Narzan No. 23
This spring is located a bit away from the main tourist flow, so it's always quiet and uncrowded here. Water comes from a depth of 308 meters — this is the deepest pump room in Kislovodsk. Warm and cold narzan — free. A great place to calmly drink water without queues.
Practical info
🕐 Opening hours: 07:00 - 09:00; 11:00 - 14:00; 16:00 - 19:00, daily.
💵 Entry fee / ticket price: free.
🚶 How to get there: 3 Kirova Street (on the map). 5-10 minutes on foot from the boulevard.
'Narodny Spring' Drinking Pump Room
Operates in the breaks between sessions of the main gallery. Located right there on the boulevard, in the form of an open arbor. You can drink water at unusual times. True, the condition of the pump room is a bit neglected, but the water is no worse for it.
Practical info
🕐 Opening hours: 09:00 - 11:00; 14:00 - 16:00, daily.
💵 Entry fee / ticket price: free.
🚶 How to get there: Kurortny Boulevard, next to the main gallery (on the map).
Valley of Roses
The most beautiful place in the park, where over 30 varieties of roses bloom from July to August. You can take photos against the background of flowers for free and as much as you like. The main thing is not to pick the plants. The rest of the year it's also pleasant to walk, but the peak of beauty is in mid-summer.
Practical info
🕐 Opening hours: 24/7, best during the day during flowering.
💵 Entry fee / ticket price: free.
🚶 How to get there: 2 km from the Kolonnada through the park (on the map).
Grotto with a Face or 'Master of the Mountains'
One of the most mysterious free attractions in the park. A large stone face of unknown origin is carved into the grotto wall. Who the author is and when it was made is unknown, local guides tell legends. You can only find it with a navigator or signs, but it's worth it — the place is truly mystical.
Practical info
🕐 Opening hours: 24/7.
💵 Entry fee / ticket price: free.
🚶 How to get there: on Kosygin's trail in the park (on the map). From the Valley of Roses — 2.5 km.
Cascade Staircase
An original staircase on the edge of the park. Not as grand as in Zheleznovodsk, but still an attractive place for a walk and photos. The climb is free, and it's also a little warm-up before the health trails.
Practical info
🕐 Opening hours: 24/7.
💵 Entry fee / ticket price: free.
🚶 How to get there: Volodarskogo Street (on the map). 15-30 minutes on foot from the Kolonnada.
Temple of Air
A pavilion on a hill offering a great view of the park and, if you're lucky with the weather, Elbrus. The structure itself has no religious significance, it's just an arbor with columns. The place is popular, but free and very photogenic.
Practical info
🕐 Opening hours: 24/7.
💵 Entry fee / ticket price: free.
🚶 How to get there: in the park near the Valley of Roses (on the map). 40 minutes on foot from the Kolonnada or 5 minutes from the Valley of Roses.
Red Stones
At first glance — just reddish cliffs. But in fact, this is a unique geological formation millions of years old: there used to be a seabed here. Along the way, you can find a bas-relief of Lenin carved into the rock. The place is marked by signs, but there are usually few tourists.
Practical info
🕐 Opening hours: 24/7.
💵 Entry fee / ticket price: free.
🚶 How to get there: in the park, 30 minutes on foot from the Kolonnada (on the map).
'Balancing Rocks' Sculptures
A local craftsman, without glue or nails, arranges whimsical pyramids of stones by the Olkhovka River. The structures stay together only through balance and friction. You can watch, photograph, and marvel — all for free. The master himself often works nearby and can show you the process.
Practical info
🕐 Opening hours: 24/7, but better during the day.
💵 Entry fee / ticket price: free.
🚶 How to get there: in the park by the Olkhovka River, 5-10 minutes from the Kolonnada (on the map).
St. Nicholas Cathedral
The main Orthodox church of the city. Entry is free, you can go in to pray, light a candle, or just look at the decoration. The church is active, services are held daily. Women are advised to have a headscarf, but this is not a strict rule for tourists.
Practical info
🕐 Opening hours: from 06:30 to 19:30.
💵 Entry fee / ticket price: free.
🚶 How to get there: 19 Mira Avenue (on the map). 5-10 minutes on foot from the Kolonnada.
Mirror Pond and Glass Stream
A small pond with clear water and a man-made waterfall, the 'Glass Stream'. In calm weather, the surface of the pond becomes like a mirror — you get great shots with reflections. One of the most popular free places for photo shoots.
Practical info
🕐 Opening hours: 24/7.
💵 Entry fee / ticket price: free.
🚶 How to get there: in the park, 5 minutes from the Kolonnada (on the map).
Grotto or Demon's Cave
An artificial grotto under a staircase, where a statue of the demon — the hero of Lermontov's poem — 'lives' behind a grating. The place is right behind the Kolonnada, you can't miss it. You can look at the demon and take a photo for free.
Practical info
🕐 Opening hours: 24/7.
💵 Entry fee / ticket price: free.
🚶 How to get there: behind the Kolonnada (on the map).
Memorial Stone for the Founding of the Resort
A huge boulder (12-15 tons), extracted from the ground during the construction of the first narzan well in 1823. Symbolizes the founding of the resort. Located near the train station, so if you're nearby — stop for a minute.
Practical info
🕐 Opening hours: 24/7.
💵 Entry fee / ticket price: free.
🚶 How to get there: Vokzalnaya Street, near the train station (on the map).
Viewpoint on Sosnovaya Mountain
A new equipped viewing platform with a roof and benches. It rises almost 100 meters above the center. Climb up a staircase with railings (a workout for your legs), but the view is worth it. Recently opened, still few tourists.
Practical info
🕐 Opening hours: 24/7.
💵 Entry fee / ticket price: free.
🚶 How to get there: in the park, on foot from the center (on the map).
'Krasnoye Solnyshko' Viewpoint and Lermontov Monument
One of the best viewpoints in the park. From here you can see Elbrus (65 km) and the Greater Caucasus Range. True, Elbrus is only visible in clear weather and in the first half of the day. There's a monument to Lermontov on the platform. The climb is on foot, but free.
Practical info
🕐 Opening hours: 24/7.
💵 Entry fee / ticket price: free.
🚶 How to get there: deep in the park, on foot from 40 minutes to several hours (on the map).
Arbor of Seven Winds
The highest equipped viewpoint (altitude over 1130 m above sea level). From here you can see the city, the park, and in clear weather — Elbrus. It's best to get there on foot or by cable car (paid), but the arbor itself is free.
Practical info
🕐 Opening hours: 24/7, Elbrus is better visible before noon.
💵 Entry fee / ticket price: free.
🚶 How to get there: in the park, about 5 km from the center (on the map).
Ring Mountain
The famous rock arch with a diameter of 8 meters, 9 km from the city. The attraction itself is free, you only pay for a taxi or gas if you drive your own car. The view from the 'ring' is excellent, especially in good weather. A souvenir market operates at the foot.
Practical info
🕐 Opening hours: 24/7.
💵 Entry fee / ticket price: free.
🚶 How to get there: 9 km from the city (on the map). Best by taxi or your own car. You can take buses #1,12,14,19,22,23,24,104,109 to the bus station, then walk 3 km.
Lermontov Waterfall
The only waterfall within the city limits. Not high (about 3 meters), but wide and full-flowing all year round. Located on the Olkhovka River. Free, you can get close and refresh yourself.
Practical info
🕐 Opening hours: 24/7.
💵 Entry fee / ticket price: free.
🚶 How to get there: intersection of Olkhovskaya and Prudnaya streets (on the map). From the center by taxi from 70 rubles, buses #10,11.
Lermontov Rock and Dinosaur Plateau
A picturesque 20-meter cliff where, according to the plot of 'Princess Mary', the duel between Pechorin and Grushnitsky took place. And right nearby — the Dinosaur Plateau with fossilized tracks of ancient lizards dating back 135 million years. Free and very unusual. It's better to get there by taxi or bus.
Practical info
🕐 Opening hours: 24/7.
💵 Entry fee / ticket price: free.
🚶 How to get there: 4 km from the city (on the map). By taxi 300-350 rubles, buses #10,11 to the 'Sadovoye Obshchestvo' stop.
Castle of Cunning and Love
A tourist complex with a hotel and restaurant, stylized as a medieval castle. The grounds themselves are open for free visits — you can walk around, take beautiful photos, and leave without ordering anything. Public transport does not go there, only taxi or your own car.
Practical info
🕐 Opening hours: the grounds are open 24/7, but better during the day.
💵 Entry fee / ticket price: free.
🚶 How to get there: 7 km from the center (on the map). Only by taxi or your own car.
Birch Gully
A picturesque gorge outside the city, where almost no tourists go. Ideal if you've already walked enough in the park and want solitude with nature. The route goes along the Berezovaya River. Entry is free, but you need comfortable shoes and a navigator — there are almost no signs.
Practical info
🕐 Opening hours: 24/7, better during the day.
💵 Entry fee / ticket price: free.
🚶 How to get there: the gorge is outside the city (on the map). On foot or by car.
Just a reminder that the best way to get to know the resort is through tours. Even better if they are conducted by locals who know and love Kislovodsk well. You can find and book group or private tours from locals with reviews on these trusted sites: