Kislovodsk with kids: a complete guide to the best places, entertainment, and tours

Kislovodsk National Park

The therapeutic Kislovodsk National Park is a large landscaped green area (965.8 hectares) adjacent to the tourist district of Kislovodsk. It features health trails (terrenkurs), many man-made and natural attractions, including the resort's top spots – the cable car and the famous Valley of Roses. Also worth visiting are the Mirror Pond, Tsar's Arbor, Mushroom Rocks, viewpoints, Maloye and Bolshoye Sedlo mountains, and the Grotto with a Face. For kids, this is a great place for active outdoor walks — you can ride bikes, scooters, or just run along the paths.

The park can be roughly divided into two parts: the developed part within the city for easy daily walks, and the natural part with health trails and natural attractions. No permits or fees are required to visit the park; you can just enter from any convenient spot via paths or trails. You can use signs for orientation, but some places can only be found with a navigator. More about Kislovodsk National Park and how to visit it.

Kislovodsk Cable Car

The cable car is located in Kislovodsk National Park and leads to the top of Sinyaya Mountain at an altitude of 1167 meters above sea level. At the top, there's a viewpoint, a cafe, and an Olympic complex (not visited by tourists). Along the way, great views open up, especially at the very beginning when the cabins pass over the Valley of Roses. Kids usually love this kind of adventure. From the top, you can descend back down by cable car or on foot along one of the trails. We can't help but mention the downsides: first of all, the price, and also that the cabins are often packed, so not everyone gets a window view. More about the Kislovodsk cable car.

Kurortny Pedestrian Boulevard

Kurortny Pedestrian Boulevard is the main walking area in Kislovodsk. The boulevard is 500 meters long. There are always many vacationers here, and something is always going on. Along the street, you'll find shops and boutiques, cafes and restaurants, tour sales, the most 'fashionable' treatment and cosmetic procedure facilities, and sanatoriums. There are also several interesting attractions, monuments, and entertainment: the Kolonnada, a wax museum, a children's amusement park, an exotic animal exhibition, a singing fountain, drinking galleries, a museum and visitor center of the national park, bike and gyroscooter rentals. For kids, this is a real paradise — they can ride around, eat ice cream, and just have a great time.

Visitor Center of Kislovodsk National Park

The Visitor Center opened in 2019 in the very center of the city on Kurortny Boulevard. It's an interactive museum that tells about the nature and natural resources of the national park and the resort as a whole. You can learn a great deal, from underground minerals and mineral waters to the varieties of animals living in these parts.

The museum is very modern, with interactive exhibits that react to visitors' actions, and even virtual reality. There are 8 halls in total, including a children's hall where you can pet 'virtual' wild animals. It's definitely worth visiting, and best of all during a guided tour, which are held 4 times a day. By the way, the first hall upon entering the center can be seen completely free of charge.

Kislovodsk Circus

This is one of the interesting places for family holidays in Kislovodsk, which, by the way, are not so numerous at the resort. The hall is spacious, accommodating up to 1483 spectators at once. The circus has been delighting residents and guests of the city with bright performances for several decades. The history goes back to when circus troupes performed for vacationers in the nascent resort towns. Booths and chapiteau tents were set up in parks and squares. More about the Kislovodsk Circus.

Wax Museum

This is, of course, not a classic museum, but entertainment for tourists. It displays figures of movie and cartoon characters, mostly popular American ones, and historical figures. There are also animals, but mostly mythical ones or cartoon characters. You can take photos with the sculptures. Over 60 figures in total. Kids will enjoy recognizing familiar characters and taking unusual photos.

Kislovodsk Dolphinarium

The dolphinarium is visited not only from this resort but also from other CMS resorts, as it's the only place of its kind in the entire region. The show featuring Black Sea bottlenose dolphins, sea lions, fur seals, walruses, sea lions, and beluga whales is enjoyed by both adults and children. The 'artists' dance, perform acrobatic stunts, and even draw, sing, and count. Everyone gets a lot of pleasure and positive emotions. More about the Kislovodsk dolphinarium.

City Amusement Park

The park is located on a hill in the center of the tourist district, and you'll probably notice its Ferris wheel while walking along Kurortny Pedestrian Boulevard. Unfortunately, the condition of the park leaves much to be desired, so it's unlikely to be of interest to resort guests. There are only a few very old children's carousels, a go-kart track, a fun house, and trampolines, which might only be interesting for the youngest children. The only attraction that will be interesting for older children and adults is the Ferris wheel, which offers a decent panoramic view of the resort area of Kislovodsk. Next to the park is the 'Crazy Cars' go-kart track. More about the Kislovodsk Amusement Park.

Exotic Animal Exhibition

This exhibition features over 50 species of animals, including: monkeys, chameleons, turtles, a python, hedgehogs, a boa constrictor, ferrets, rabbits, and much more. There is also a collection of live insects, including dangerous poisonous inhabitants of tropical forests. Some pets can be petted and held. Kids will be very interested in meeting such creatures.

Ostrich Farm

The Ostrich Farmstead operates at the AmondGarden landscape nursery. Here, in enclosures, there are domestic animals: ostriches, a camel, sheep, and also raccoons. You can interact with the animals, touch them, and feed them. The visit also includes a guide explaining how to care for them and what benefits they provide. Overall, a fairly interesting place for a nominal fee, worth visiting on the way to Ring Mountain or the Honey Waterfalls.

Narsana Eco-Park

This is a small complex with animals, something like a farm with enclosures. Here you can ride a camel or pony, feed a bison and deer, touch small leopards. Interesting inhabitants include a monkey, a collection of chameleons and snakes, bears, tigers, a panther, and a white lion. It might not be very interesting for adults, but it delights young children as one of their first places to get acquainted with the animal world. More about the Narsana eco-park.

Old Lake in Kislovodsk

If you get tired of the routine sanatorium treatments in Kislovodsk during the summer, Old Lake is the best way to diversify your vacation. It's a modern and completely free beach area where locals love to relax, while tourists are still passing it by. Here you can sunbathe on a wooden pontoon with loungers, swim, and for activities, there are catamaran and SUP rentals, a rope park, and even a zip line over the water. For kids, this is a real adventure. More about Old Lake and how to visit it.

Lermontov Rock and Dinosaur Plateau

Lermontov Rock is a picturesque 20-meter cliff in the Olkhovka River gorge, where, according to the plot of 'Princess Mary', the duel between Pechorin and Grushnitsky took place. Here is also the Dinosaur Plateau — fossilized tracks of ancient lizards dating back 135 million years, marked with paint and an information board. For kids, this will be an unusual and educational adventure. Entry is free, and you can get there by taxi or bus. This is a place for a walk with children and for lovers of unusual attractions, when you've already seen everything in Kislovodsk. More about Lermontov Rock and the Dinosaur Plateau.

Ring Mountain

A round rock arch about 8 meters in diameter, formed by weathering. It offers great views, and the climb is easy (about 20 meters high). At the foot, there's a tourist market with souvenirs. More about Ring Mountain.

Honey Waterfalls

One of the most famous natural attractions in the region. There's a cafe, a mini-zoo, horseback riding, a zipline, and even gazebo rentals for picnics. Kids will have a lot of fun. More about the Honey Waterfalls.

Castle of Cunning and Love

A tourist complex with a hotel and restaurant in a medieval castle style. You can just walk around the grounds and take beautiful photos. Kids will be interested in seeing the unusual architecture. More about the Castle of Cunning and Love.