There are three options. You can reach Lensk from Yakutsk:
1) by plane,
2) by taxi,
3) hitchhiking (mostly with truck drivers).
BY PLANE
This way of getting to Lensk from Yakutsk is fast, comfortable, costly a little bit and adventure free. Anyway, here is the info.
There are direct flights on every Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday. In other words, you can fly to Lensk on any day, except Sunday.
2009-2010 Winter Flight Schedule
(October – April)
Monday, 15.30, Yakutia Airlines
Tuesday, 10.15, ALROSA Airlines
Wednesday, 13.40, Yakutia Airlines
Thursday, 16.10, ALROSA Airlines
Friday, 13.40, Yakutia Airlines
Saturday, 16.10, ALROSA Airlines
Fly time: 2 hr 20 min.
Price: approx. 11.000 rubles (one way per person)
BY TAXI
As I wrote in the post “Long-distance taxi rates within Yakutia,” the ride by taxi from Yakutsk to Lensk will cost approximately 6500 rubles in the upcoming winter.
But the journey will be really long. The distance is 1001 km, and the route appears to be complicated, Yakutsk – Vilyuisk (also written as Viljuisk or Viljujsk) – Verkhnevilyuisk – Nyurba (Njurba or Niurba) – Suntar (Sountar) – Mirny (Mirnyj or Mirnij) – Lensk. No direct road along the Lena River, including an ice river track.
The journey can take about two days.
HITCHHIKING
The route is the same as described above. Yakutsk – Mirny – Lensk. Travel time totally depends on your ability to negotiate with drivers.
Tips:
- Drivers can be found at road cafes.
Don’t stand outdoors, it’s risky. The extreme cold, you know, is not worth to play with.
- Preferably to know the Russian way of pronouncing and writing settlements names. Here they are Якутск (Yakutsk), Вилюйск (Vilyuisk), Верхневилюйск (Verkhnevilyuisk), Нюрба (Nyurba), Сунтар (Suntar), Мирный (Mirny), Ленск (Lensk).
- Share food with drivers.
- Give drivers a present, preferably local vodka.
No kidding. That’s a good currency. However, keep in mind that taking a vodka from a foreigner can appear to be offensive. So be careful, everything depends on a driver. I will recommend you to find another way to say thanks to your driver. Locals usually tend to give vodka. But in your case it might be, for instance, whiskey, scotch, schnapps or whatever it is not local.
- The final tip is to be generous.
Journey time? Well, it is up to you.
Hope, all the above-written travel info will be helpful enough to arrange your journey to Lensk in winter.
Similar Posts:
- Are there regular flights from Yakutsk to Magadan?
- Long-distance taxi rates within Yakutia. As of Oct. 20, 2009.
- Pros & Cons: Travel from Yakutsk to Magadan in winter by taxi
- How to get to Yakutsk by train and car?
- What is the Vilyuisky Trakt?
