New Year's Eve in Tula is a ready-made script from 22:00 to 04:00 — and all of it is within walking distance of our hostel. At ten in the evening, the city's main New Year tree lights up on Lenin Square: a concert, lights, Ded Moroz (Father Frost) and round dances right beneath the walls of the Tula Kremlin. Just before midnight, walk over to the Kremlin and the Kazan Embankment, where the fireworks burst over the Upa River at the stroke of twelve. Afterwards — hot tea from a thermos, and by two or three in the morning you are back in a warm hostel just 800 metres and a ten-minute walk away. No taxis through the closed-off center, no freezing night in the car.
We are for those who come to celebrate New Year and spend the winter holidays in Tula: families with children, couples, groups of friends from Moscow, Kaluga, Ryazan and the region. In the center, 800 metres from the Kremlin, the tree and the fireworks, from 400 ₽ per bed a night — 5 to 10 times cheaper than a hotel on holiday dates. Cook your own festive dinner in the equipped kitchen, and on the morning of January 1 sleep in without counting the minutes to check-out. One catch: New Year dates go first — free beds for December 31 sell out as early as November, so book ahead by phone: +7 (920) 775-00-11.
New Year's Eve and Holidays in Tula — a Day-by-Day Program
A ready plan for the holidays: where to see in midnight, when to go to the ice rink and the fair, and what to bring. Everything is within walking distance of the hostel at Karl Marx Street, 171.
| Date & time |
Event |
Where |
Cost |
Hours |
What to bring |
| December 31, evening |
Main city tree, concert, Ded Moroz |
Lenin Square, by the Kremlin |
Free |
approx. from 19:00 until midnight |
Warm boots, hat, thermos of tea |
| January 1, 00:00 |
New Year fireworks |
By the Tula Kremlin / Kazan Embankment |
Free |
around 00:00–00:30 |
Charged phone, gloves |
| January 1, daytime |
Sleep in, late breakfast |
Hostel kitchen |
Included in the stay |
24/7 |
Tangerines, tea (meals not included) |
| January 2–8 |
Ice rink on the embankment |
Kazan Embankment |
Ice free/cheap, skate rental ~200–400 ₽ |
approx. 10:00–22:00 |
Warm socks, gloves, your own skates if any |
| January 2–8 |
Christmas fair, souvenirs, gingerbread |
Metallistov pedestrian street |
Free entry, souvenirs from 100 ₽ |
approx. 11:00–21:00 |
Cash, a bag for gingerbread and pastila |
| January 2–8 |
Ice slides and tubing |
Embankment and city venues |
Free / cheap tube rental |
daytime hours |
Waterproof trousers, mittens |
Exact hours and prices of the holiday program are best checked closer to the dates — the schedule of concerts, the rink and the fair changes slightly each season. Meals and groceries are not included in the price of the stay: you put together the festive table yourself.
What to Know for the New Year Holidays in Tula
Three things visitors most often trip over at New Year: the frost, the crowd at the fireworks, and shop opening hours during the holidays. Let's sort them out in advance so nothing spoils the celebration.
The frost
On New Year's Eve, Tula is usually between −5 and −15 °C, sometimes colder. You will spend two or three hours outdoors on the square and at the fireworks, so thermal underwear, warm windproof boots, a hat and gloves are a must. A thermos of hot tea warms you better and more safely than alcohol — and after the program you can always warm up at the hostel a 10-minute walk away.
The crowd at the fireworks
By midnight, thousands gather by the Kremlin and on the Kazan Embankment. Arrive 15–20 minutes early and agree in advance where to meet if you get separated: mobile signal often fails in a dense crowd. With small children, stay at the edge of the square, away from the crush — the view of the fireworks is just as good from there.
Shop opening hours
On December 31 supermarkets, including the nearby Magnit, work shorter hours — roughly until 18:00–20:00, and on January 1 many open later or stay closed. Buy food, water and everything you need on December 30–31 during the day. Pharmacies keep a special holiday rota — check in advance. Mind the transport too: on New Year's Eve the center is partly closed, buses run less often and taxis surge in price, so accommodation within walking distance of the Kremlin is the key advantage.
5 Rules for a New Year Guest in Tula
A short checklist so your New Year trip goes smoothly and without overpaying.
1
Book your bed in advance
New Year dates go first — free beds for December 31 sell out as early as November. Book a place in central Tula ahead by phone +7 (920) 775-00-11 so you are guaranteed to celebrate 10 minutes from the Kremlin and the fireworks.
2
Buy groceries on December 30–31
On January 1 almost all shops are closed or on short hours. Put together your festive table and a water supply in advance — our kitchen has a stove, fridge, microwave and dishes, so cooking is easy. Meals are not included in the price of the stay.
3
Dress for winter and agree on a meeting point
You will spend several hours in the frost in a dense crowd on the square and at the fireworks. Warm boots, thermal underwear, a hat, a charged phone and an agreed meeting spot will save your nerves if the group gets split up.
4
Cook yourself — it's cheaper than a restaurant
New Year banquets in Tula cafés start from 3,000–5,000 ₽ per person. The same table in our kitchen costs several times less, and cooking together is more fun. Groceries come from the Magnit supermarket a 3-minute walk away.
5
Plan the holidays in advance
In 3–5 days you can fit the ice rink on the Kazan Embankment, the fair on Metallistov street, the Weapons and Gingerbread museums, and Yasnaya Polyana in the snow. Map out a route and check opening hours — they are special during the holidays.
Festive Table and Pharmacy Nearby — Magnit and Rigla
At the Magnit supermarket (a 3-minute walk) you can put together the whole festive table: tangerines, champagne and sparkling wine, ingredients for Olivier salad and herring under a fur coat, goose or chicken, red fish, bread, water and ice. Drop by on December 30–31 during the day, while the shop keeps normal hours — on January 1 it opens later. You cook in our kitchen yourself: meals are not included in the price of the stay, but a homemade festive table costs several times less than a restaurant banquet.
And on the morning of January 1, if the party went a little too well, the Rigla pharmacy (a 5-minute walk) will help out: rehydration salts and mineral water to recover, activated charcoal and sorbents, aspirin and painkillers, remedies for heartburn after all those salads. Check the pharmacy's holiday hours in advance — on January 1 they are shorter too.
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