Attractions — Zabaykalsky

A large selection of gifts and souvenirs, including handmade items by local artisans.

Between the settlement of Novaya Chara and Kodar Park lies the northernmost sand desert in the world — the Chara Sands. This natural desert, with classic crescent dunes, is bordered by taiga forest on one side and mountain ranges on the other. The dunes reach 15–30 metres in height, and you can even snowboard on them. How to get there: from Chita to Novaya Chara you can fly (flights run every other day). A one-way ticket starts at about 15,000 rubles per person with luggage; flight time is one and a half to two hours. Another option is to take the train with transfers: first Chita — Skovorodino (along the Trans‑Siberian about 20 hours), then Skovorodino — Novaya Chara (along the BAM about 12–13 hours) — the whole trip costs almost the same as by plane: 12,000–15,000 rubles.

Teas, pine‑cone jam, balms, tinctures and wooden products — everything is sold in the shop.

The largest datsan in Zabaykalsky Krai and also quite old — it opened in 1816. The first datsan buildings were built by Russian carpenters, so some structures show influences of church architecture. By the end of the 20th century there were 13 temples on the grounds. A Buddhist academy now operates here, and as early as 1884 a medical faculty opened at the datsan. In the 1930s, as at the Tsugol Datsan, the lamas were repressed and many were executed. Valuables from the datsan were looted, though some items ended up in various Russian museums. Until the end of the Great Patriotic War it housed a tuberculosis sanatorium, and later a military unit.

Most Buryats practice Buddhism. A Buddhist temple‑monastery (datsan) existed in Chita in the early 20th century but was destroyed during the Soviet antireligious campaign. The present datsan building was constructed and consecrated relatively recently, in 2010. The three‑storey datsan is decorated with garlands of multicoloured prayer flags—believed to carry messages on the wind. Around the temple are pavilions where lamas hold meetings with visitors, and incense burners where worshippers can leave offerings. The datsan is open to people of all faiths: you can ask lamas for help and support, attend a service, or simply walk the grounds. According to the sacred circumambulation (goroo), visitors should walk around the temple from left to right an odd number of times to seal good intentions in the heart. Visitors may enter only the first floor; the second floor is reserved for monks. Nearby is the popular restaurant "Zvezda Kochevnika" ("Star of the Nomad"), where you can try Buryat‑Mongolian cuisine.

The Polutovsky Quarter, bordered by Zhuravlyov, Chaikovsky, Butin and Lenin streets, preserves 12 pre-revolutionary buildings. They once all belonged to the Polutov family, who developed the area with revenue houses.

In 2023 Sukhotino Park on Titovskaya Sopka was granted protected-area status. An archaeology museum in the form of a yurt has been built here; in winter 2024–2025 New Year celebrations were held in the Evenki style, and in 2025 the first open‑air music festival "Kalinov Most" took place, which organizers plan to make annual. According to the administration, the park will continue to develop, and hiking routes are planned in the coming years. You can reach Sukhotino Park from central Chita by taxi (about 15–20 minutes) or by minibus No. 2 to the final stop.

A pre-revolutionary mosque building.

Tsugolsky Datsan is the oldest in Zabaykalsky Krai—it was founded in 1801. Monastic schools Tsannid and Manba were established here modeled on the Tibetan Labrang monastery; later other monasteries in Buryatia were founded following these schools' example. Before the revolution the datsan had a hospital and a printing house and was fairly developed. On its grounds there was an eight‑metre statue of Maitreya Buddha. In the 1930s lamas were repressed, the monastery's property destroyed and a military unit stationed there. In 1988 the monastery was returned to the faithful. Three pre‑revolutionary buildings have been preserved on the site.

A very clean freshwater lake with a sandy bottom surrounded by pine and larch forests. People come here to camp, fish and use the banya (sauna). The mud from Lake Arey has medicinal properties confirmed by research at the Tomsk research institute; it has been used to treat skin conditions (psoriasis, dermatitis). There used to be a mud‑treatment facility but it is now closed, so locals simply smear the lake mud on themselves on the shore and let it dry. There are a few tourist bases, but most are run‑down; most visitors come with tents or in RVs. You can walk around the lake—about a two and a half hour walk. How to get there: two buses a day run from Chita to the settlement of Arey at 08:45 and 15:30; the trip takes about four hours.

The Kheetey Caves consist of two karst caves — the Wet Cave and the Dry Cave — with a total length of about 190 metres. The Wet Cave, 30–35 metres deep, is covered in ice formations and crystalline stalactites. The Dry Cave is less spectacular: it is essentially a large collapse grotto filled with limestone rubble. Important: the caves are dark and cold even in summer, so bring warm waterproof clothing and a headlamp. If you go with a tour, the required equipment is usually provided by the organisers. Independent descent into the caves can be dangerous. Excursions can be booked through the official tourism agency. The trip takes a full day and costs 3,100 rubles per person. How to get there: the nearest settlement with public transport is the village of Byrka. Six buses run from Chita through Byrka every day; the journey takes about five and a half hours. From Byrka to the caves is another 15 kilometres.

This majestic sky-blue church greets all visitors arriving by train — it stands opposite the railway station. It is the largest church in Chita, built in 2004. The once-beautiful pre-revolutionary station building was heavily altered by modern repairs and it's not immediately obvious that it was originally built in 1900.

The oldest building in Chita: it was built in 1776 with donations from the townspeople. Today the building houses the Museum of the Decembrists, which presents this period of Chita’s history through documents and photographs. After the Decembrist uprising in 1825 in Saint Petersburg, 88 people were sent to penal servitude in Transbaikal — to Chita and Petrovsky Zavod. Among those exiled to Transbaikal were some of the movement's best-known figures: the organizer Sergey Trubetskoy (who later did not appear on Senate Square; his wife Ekaterina Trubetskaya was the first to follow her husband to Siberia), the de facto leader Yevgeny Obolensky, the intellectual center of the movement Mikhail Lunin, one of the uprising's leaders Nikita Muravyov, the artist Mikhail Bestuzhev, and Prince and hussar regiment commander Nikolai Repnin-Volkonsky (whose wife Maria Volkonskaya became one of the key figures among the Decembrists’ wives). In Transbaikal the Decembrists spent their first years of exile, and it was there that their wives arrived. Together they influenced the cultural life of the whole region: their presence led to the opening of schools and medical points, improving life for the local population. A ticket to the museum costs 180 рублей; if you need a guided tour, you must register in advance on the website.

Occupies a gigantic, pompous Stalin‑era building.

A small church on Lenin Square.

The Chita children's railway opened in 1971. Its length is nearly four kilometres and there are three stations on the line: "Porechye", "Severnaya" and "Solnechnaya". A one-way ride costs 140 rubles for adults and 70 rubles for children. In summer the train usually runs three trips before lunch and three after; check the current timetable on the website.

Titovskaya Sopka (950 metres) is a long‑extinct volcano and now the best viewpoint over the city. More than 30 archaeological sites have been found on its slopes, including ancient campsites and mammoth bones. At the summit there is the chapel of Alexander Nevsky, Buddhist bells and tables with benches for visitors.

A partly dilapidated but very characterful building with original architectural details — metal ornamentation and stucco.