Tomsk is served by Bogashevo airport, receiving flights from Moscow, St.Petersburg, Vladivostok, Krasnoyarsk, Novokuznetsk and other cities. There is a rail branch from the Trans-Siberian Railway junction at Taiga, Kemerovo Oblast leading to Tomsk. Besides, you can use buses from Novosibirsk, Kemerovo, Novokuznetsk, Krasnoyarsk and other cities in the region.
'''Tomsk State University''' and other university campuses - Tomsk boasts 6 universities, some of them among the top 3 in Russia in their respective industries. The campuses were built in the late 1800s and are a nice place to visit.
'''Governor's District''' - the central location in Tomsk, near the Oblast Administration office, on the bank of the river Tom. It was built to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the city and reflects its history with several attractions, including the city's main cathedral and controversial and funny monument to Anton Chekhov.
'''Verhnyaya Yelan'''' - a carefully renovated and well-kept little district with wooden architecture, where old traditional merchant mansions are situated. Stunningly beautiful at night.
'''Lagerny Sad''' (Camp Garden) - a WWII monument on the bank of the river Tom which is beautiful by itself and provides an amazing view of the river and the surroundings.
'''Climb''' the Voskersenskaya hill and go to the city viewing point - see the view the 19th century firefighters watched everyday for signs of fire.
'''Listen''' to the church choir in the Epiphany Cathedral or to the Tomsk State University capella performing at what was the University chapel - a must hear for everyone who is interested in vocal music.
'''Try''' the Siberian Pancakes (Sibirskie Bliny) with a lot of different stuffings (sold at outlets throughtout downtown).
'''Have''' a ride on the Ferris wheel in the Town Park.
'''Attend''' a Russian Premier Football League game with the local team called Tom - a great chance to see Russia's best football teams and feel the heat amongst Tomsk football fans supporting their favorite team.
'''Ask''' your local friends or guides for other things to do - there is a lot more.
Want something more traditional? Go to the Korchma u Tarasa (there are several in the downtown) - originally a Ukrainian place, it features a lot of traditional Russian and Siberian cuisine. Zhili-Byli is a Russian-style place resembling a peasant's hut with local pop-music and waiters (and waitresses!) dressed appropriately. The service in both places can be painfully slow, especially on weekend evenings but you will be rewarded with good and relatively cheap dinner (6-10 Euros excluding alcohol that is quite affordable as well).
For a high-class dinner go to Vechny Zov, Slavyansky Bazar or Parmezan - for a price that starts at around 30 Euros plus wine you will get a high-standard European or Russian meal including traditional Russian and local delicacies. Chefs are often invited from France, Italy, etc., so European quality is guaranteed - at a European rate.
There are also a lot of smaller places offering good meals for relatively low prices - ask whoever reads Russian to browse local Internet or look through the papers. Also, don't expect the restaurant staff to speak anything but Russian (except the most expensive places).
...everywhere! If it is a '''flat or house party''' - go take a couple of large bottles of Nefiltroff - the local non-filtered beer - cheap, tasty and cheerful! Local vodka is also pretty cheap and considerably well-done. Many supermarkets and small shops are open 24/7 so it's never late to go take another one, though be careful not to walk through the city at night if you are intoxicated.
There are a lot of '''places to go''' in the downtown, from coffeeshops to pubs to night clubs - Teatro, Fakel, Trash&Glam, Siberian Pub, Pivlyandia (Beerland), and U Kruegera (Krueger's) just to name a few. Most of the bars offer an international set of beers and other drinks for a decent (sometimes really low) price. Nightclubs usually have pretty high entrance fees to screen out the poorest part of the population causing the most unrest, so be ready for outrageous 25-30 Euros in the most 'fashionable' places to about 6-7 Euros in the less high profile ones. Sometimes some places take no entrance fees but add 5-7 Euros to your bill for live music.
'''Drinks''' usually start at 2 Euros for a beer or 4 Euros for a coctail. Vodka's pretty cheap so enjoy your stay. Bartenders and waiters may speak English, especially in places like Siberian Pub where the small expat crowd gathers. The risk of being cheated is scarce, especially in the more respectable places - still take a look at your bill before paying.
Just in case - there is '''zero tolerance toward drugs''', even the softest ones - so take extreme care.
You are obliged to '''carry your passport''' with you - though cases when you are actually asked for it are ''extremely'' rare.
'''Don't take walks outside downtown at night''' - it is better and faster to use a taxi and watch the night city from a car. Also, try to steer clear of intoxicated people wherever you meet them.
'''Don't stop private taxis on the street''' - there are plenty of reliable taxi companies in the city that can be easily called. Ask your guide or a Russian speaking friend for a phone number.
'''Try not to drink on the streets''' - or at least not to show it to local policemen - they are usually quite tolerant and in most cases will just tell you to stop drinking, still there may be accidents.
'''Call your Russian-speaking friends''', your country's representative or your guide immediately if you think you may be in trouble with the police or anyone else.
Call a taxi to the airport, the railway or the bus station '''the evening before''' or at least a couple of hours before the departure and agree on the time - the taxi service is extremely popular with the city's inhabitants and there are a couple of times during the day when it is difficult to get one.
To get out of the country travel first to Moscow or Novosibirsk and then wherever you like.