Take a trip to Balaklava about 1 1/2 hours from Yalta. This beautiful harbor town overlooked by a Genoese fortress towers and walls, was hidden from visitors up to 1996 because of the Soviet submarine base that was buried in the hillside across the bay. The base was operational until 1991 and the last submarine left in 1996. This relic of the Cold War now contains a small museum which is worth a visit. Balaklava is best known for the ill fated British - Russian war of the 1850's and the famous "Charge of the Light Brigade" which took place in the valley about 4kms from the town. Balaklava is just waking up to its tourist potential with some new hotels and some great restaurants.
There are some 50 monuments in Balaklava to the heroic exploits of its soldiers, worth searching for if you can find them all!
Sevastopol is another place worth a visit. It is a busy bustling city of over a half a million people, famous for its many war monuments of the Second World War when the occupants held out against overwhelming Nazi troops to gain the name "City of Russian Glory". Home to the Ukrainian and Russian Black Sea fleets a nice collection of rusting hulks. Make sure you visit the large markets for fantastic bargins on just about anything you can think of!
Simferopol the gateway to the Crimea Region. Not a lot to see except the wonderful Railway Station. Nice shopping areas, great bargins and plenty of places to eat.
Vorontsovsky Palace and park in Alupka is about 30 mins away by mini bus from Yalta and was home to Prince Mikhail Semyonovich Vorontsov, Russian Field Marshal known for his exploits during the Napoleonic Wars. The Palace is a mixture of Middle-Age and Moorish design which actually works really well. The Palace is overlooked by Ai-Petri.
Yalta Zoo - Well worth a trip out to see the animals. The Zoo is actually quite large and spread out with various types of animals from Lions to Bears to Monkeys. Some of the cages are a bit small, but the animals appear to be well looked after.
There is a small aquarium opposite the Zoo. Do not waste your time; you can be in and out of it in a blink of an eye, and not worth the entrance fee.
