With some terrific road trip options in the surrounding area, renting a car makes sense. Without one, it’d be much more difficult to experience everything that Yoshkar-Ola, 30 miles away, has to offer. Museum of the History of the Gulag should be at the top of your to-do list here. Sapaev Mari State Opera and Ballet Theatre and Mari El National Shketan Drama Theater are awesome attractions too. Located 30 miles away, Cheboksary is another popular choice. If you swing by, make sure you check out Monument of Mother, Chuvash National Museum and Museum of V.I. Chapaev.