How much money do you need to have a holiday in Kaliningrad

Despite the proximity of Europe, the former Königsberg is not that expensive.
But here you will find churches, klopses, and the Baltic Sea.

Now we will tell you how much money to set aside for:

The road.
Accommodation .
Transport .
Museums .
Trips to other cities and to nature.
I'm on my way.
Souvenirs .
Road

The fastest way to get to Kaliningrad is by plane.
You can fly here every day from Moscow (a direct flight will take just under three hours) and St. Petersburg (about two hours).

There are also direct flights to Kaliningrad from Yekaterinburg, Kazan, and Samara.
Round-trip tickets from the capitals will cost about 10,000 rubles. You can choose the date and time of departure, look at prices from different air carriers and buy a ticket conveniently on the Aviasales website .

Accommodation

"High season" in the Kaliningrad region is July and August. The sea warms up to 18-19 °C, the beaches and commuter trains to the seaside are full. Prices for hotels and apartments reach their peak.
The weather is also great in early September, but there are traditionally fewer vacationers because of the start of the school year. And after that and until spring, prices drop sharply.

The most popular cities among tourists in the Kaliningrad region are Kaliningrad itself, as well as Zelenogradsk and Svetlogorsk. The last two are resorts, and the average price for housing in central locations will be higher than in Kaliningrad.

In the main city of the region, the range of prices and offers is wider: you can find both very expensive and very budget options.
For example, in the Art Hostel "Tolstoy" renting a bed can cost less than 1,000 rubles per night . And those who are used to not denying themselves anything can stay in the Royal suite of the Crystal House Suite Hotel & Spa in the very center of the city - for 265,000 rubles per night . Naturally, there are many intermediate options.

Yulia, I have been to Kaliningrad and the cities around it many times. In 2023, renting a small, nice studio in Svetlogorsk near Lake Tikhoye for 10 days cost my husband and me 30,000 rubles. In winter, it costs significantly less.

Transport

The only way to get from “big Russia” to the Kaliningrad region (or more precisely, from the port of Ust-Luga in the Leningrad region to Baltiysk ) by car is by ferry. But it is long and expensive.Therefore, the easiest way to get around the region is by public transport or car sharing.Rental points are in Kaliningrad, at Khrabrovo airport, in Zelenogradsk. Prices start from 1,500 rubles per day (the longer the rental, the cheaper).

The main transport hub of the region is Kaliningrad. This means that almost all regional routes pass through it.The coast is an exception: you can travel along it without going to the regional center. The coastal cities are connected by several buses:

587 — from Baltiysk to Zelenogradsk via Yantarny, Svetlogorsk and Pionersky.

596 - from Svetlogorsk to the Curonian Spit (to the village of Morskoye) via Zelenogradsk.
210 - from Zelenogradsk to the Curonian Spit.

You can travel around Kaliningrad by bus, trolleybus or tram. The fare is 37 rubles in cash and 33 rubles by bank card (you can also get a local transport card "Volna Baltiki", then it will cost 28 rubles). In addition to electric trains, there are three Lastochka trains running back and forth in the Kaliningrad region:

From Kaliningrad to Svetlogorsk (one hour on the road, 111 rubles).
From Kaliningrad to Zelenogradsk (32 minutes on the way, 90 rubles).
Between Svetlogorsk and Zelenogradsk (33 minutes on the road, 56 rubles).

The train will be cheaper than the bus. For example, the bus from Kaliningrad to Svetlogorsk takes an hour and a half and costs 290 rubles. But it runs more often.
Yulia, I have vacationed in Kaliningrad and the cities around it many times.
In 2023, my husband and I lived in Svetlogorsk for 10 days and every day we went to Kaliningrad, then to the Kursk Spit, then to Zelenogradsk. All transportation costs cost us about 7 thousand rubles, including a taxi from and to the airport.

Museums

To get an idea of ​​the city's history, we recommend visiting the museums.

We wrote about them in more detail here . And here we will tell you how much entrance tickets for adults will cost (as of March 2024).Cathedral - from 150 to several thousand rubles, depending on the program of the visit. Friedland Gate (a museum dedicated to the life of the city in the 17th-20th centuries) - 350 rubles.

Historical and art museum with an archaeological collection and a large hall with stuffed animals - from 300 rubles (price list here ). Museum of the World Ocean with ships, an aquarium and historical exhibits - from 300 rubles.  Museum-apartment of a Königsberg merchant from the early 20th century "Altes House" - 1,000 rubles. The Museum of Soviet Life “The Whaler’s House” , which tells how the families of Kaliningrad sailors lived – 600 rubles.

The only Amber Museum in Russia in the Don Tower - 350 rubles. Museum of Fine Arts in the building of the Königsberg Stock Exchange - 250-400 rubles. If you are lucky with the weather, be sure to visit the Kaliningrad Zoo. This is one of three historical zoos in Russia: it was founded in 1896. At the same time, it is a luxurious arboretum with relict trees. The entrance ticket costs 400 rubles.

Another pleasant green corner of the city is the Botanical Garden . Entrance fee is 150 rubles without visiting the greenhouse. History buffs should definitely invest in city tours, such as the popular local project "People's Guide" . Tickets cost 500-1000 rubles, depending on the length of the tour. Yulia, I have been to Kaliningrad and the cities around it many times. It is difficult to visit more than one museum a day, but we love this kind of leisure. We spent a little more than 7,000 rubles for two on the cultural program for 10 days of travel.

Trips to other cities and to nature

It makes sense to combine a trip to Kaliningrad with an excursion to the Curonian Spit and other cities in the region.Yulia, I have been on holiday to Kaliningrad and the cities around it many times.
I highly recommend Sovetsk and Chernyakhovsk. Read more about them and other points of attraction in the region here .

Several tour operators offer one-day trips (presented on the Kaliningrad Region tourist portal ). The routes are more or less the same for all of them, but there are also good author's excursions - for example, the Hobby Tour project .An excursion to the Curonian Spit costs on average 1,500-2,000 rubles per person. A trip with a tour operator is more comfortable and faster than an independent one - however, the time spent on the spit will be limited.

But if you go on your own, you can spend the whole day in the national park: there are many interesting things on the spit . The schedule and routes of regular buses are here . To visit the Curonian Spit, you will need to pay 300 rubles per person (plus 150 rubles if you are by car).

In the warm season, you can go on a hike, a one- or two-day rafting trip down the river, or take a steam bath on the river bank with the Wild World project . Prices range from 1,100 to 5,300 rubles (for a two-day turnkey trip).

In summer, you should definitely swim in the sea. The best beach is in the village of Yantarny. Entrance is free, and renting a sun lounger will cost 700 rubles per day.

Food

In Kaliningrad and the region you will be fed deliciously in both budget and expensive establishments. You can eat for 500 rubles per person (and a substantial meal, with drinks and desserts, for 750 rubles) in the Patisson Mark cafe .
Yulia, I have been to Kaliningrad and the cities around it many times. If you spend money, then spend it on local specialties: stroganina from bonito - frozen fish cut into thin shavings, Baltic eel, venison, Königsberg marzipan. They are served in Baltic cuisine restaurants in Kaliningrad, Svetlogorsk and Zelenogradsk. The bill for one person without drinks will be 2,000-2,500 rubles.

Here are some good places to eat locally sourced food:
KaliningradSeasons .
"Steindamm 99 "
"About the OVEN "
"Salt" .
SvetlogorskLocal .
"Felix Krul "
Hartman .
Zelenogradsk"Telegraph" .
"Clouds" .
Curonian Spit"Fischhoff" .
"Altrimo "

You can find more delicious places in our guide Koroche .
Souvenirs

Shopping will inevitably become a separate expense item - there are just too many things for sale in Kaliningrad .First of all, amber . Jewelry that will appeal to beautiful ladies of any age is sold in the showroom of the Strelnik brand . It is located in the center, in the historical district of Amalienau. Here you can find both inexpensive rings and massive multi-tiered earrings. The brand's specialty is asymmetrical products, which adds a special chic to them.

Earrings will cost from 3,000 rubles .

You can also go for amber to its main repository - the Amber Museum in the Tower of the Don . There is a souvenir shop inside, and several shops are also open nearby. To make your memories of visiting the Curonian Spit even more pleasant, you can buy amber there. At the height of Efa there is a whole shopping arcade with souvenirs and jewelry.

If you are a serious fan of amber, you need to go to the village of Yantarny. It is famous for one of the best beaches in Russia, as well as an amber factory. The museum and exhibition complex "Yantarny Zamok" operates in the village : there is a historical exposition, a collection of amber products, and an exhibition and sale.Another must-have from Kaliningrad is marzipan . It can be found in literally every tourist spot. Remember the local brand — POMATTI. We recommend trying their EDEL bars in dark chocolate and loaves of baked marzipan. The minimum price for a bar is 90 rubles.

Also, products from the famous German company NIEDEREGGER are brought to the Kaliningrad region. We especially recommend their marzipan tea and hot chocolate. For marzipan, head straight to the Brandenburg Gate . Inside, there is a museum where you can see unusual marzipan figures, old confectionery molds, vintage boxes for sweets, a model of the Royal Castle and much more. And at the museum, there is a marzipan shop with a large assortment. There you will also be offered marzipan coffee.

You can also visit the Marzipan House chain stores. The most central one is on rue Victor Hugo, 1, opposite Kant Island (landmark: the Holiday Inn hotel). In the ZFORT shopping center near the Upper Pond there is a store called “Konigsberg Marzipan”. (By the way, products from the family cheese factory Shaaken Dorf are also sold there .)

In Svetlogorsk, in the Kupets store, you can buy marzipan and other gastronomic products. The goods are local, German, and Polish.  In Kaliningrad, you can also make a great profit at flea markets , antique shops, and a flea market. The most famous one is open on Saturdays and Sundays at the Wrangel Tower near the Upper Pond . There you can find items from German pre-war life, such as dishes, as well as money, old photographs, books, and much more.

It makes sense to budget 2-3-5-10 thousand rubles for souvenirs, depending on your appetite.
Yulia, I have been on holiday to Kaliningrad and the cities around it many times. Here is the final cost of my husband and I's trip "in season". Two weeks of the May holidays in 2023 with round-trip air tickets from St. Petersburg, accommodation in private apartments in Svetlogorsk, group and country excursions, visiting the above-mentioned museums and restaurants and without car sharing cost 60 thousand rubles per person. In winter, a similar trip would cost significantly less - primarily due to housing.