Kamchatka

Land of geysers

Kamchatka is a wild splendor created by Times, Mother Nature, and the Ocean. Kamchatka is a land of untouched landscapes and the unspoiled nature with its volcanoes, acid lakes, and geysers. There are over 300 volcanoes (29 of which are still active); its landscape is a mosaic of tundra, forest, and pristine waterways, while its Pacific coastline supports a remarkable abundance of wildlife.

Due to its remoteness, the peninsula is rarely visited by foreigners, though this region has a lot to offer to nature lovers and spoiled travelers.

Kamchatka can be a great (though expensive) adventure travel destination for FIT and small groups, who love active and Eco tourism. It is good for the type of travelers who tends to avoid the well-trodden path in search of one-of-a-kind adventure experiences.

Location

Kamchatka is a 1,250km (780 miles) long peninsula in Russia’s Far East, geographically closer to Alaska than to Moscow.

Big cities of Kamchatka: Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Yelizovo, Ust-Kamchatsk, Viluchinsk. Population of Kamchatka is less than 400,000 people.

How to get there

The only way to get to Kamchatka is by air (airport of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky):

Best time to visit

July — September: it is the best time to visit Kamchatka for trekking tours and wildlife watching.

January — April: it is a good time for adventure tours, embarking on skiing and heli-skiing. But it is a cold period, too: temperature is below-zero.

October — December and May — June: Shoulder season months, are not recommended for travelling.

Main Highlights

Possible activities

In late autumn and winter

Example of the Itinerary

Day1

Arrival to the Yelizovo Airport and transfer to Petropavlovsk-Kamchatski (20 km). Check in at a hotel.

Day 2

Ride 500 km in a cross-country vehicle from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky to the Kozyrevsk village located in the central part of Kamchatka. Enjoy sceneries of the Middle and East mountain ridges, cross the Kamchatka river and visit the Kluchevskoy, the highest summit in the Russian Far East and the biggest volcanic cone in Eurasia. In fact, there are few volcanoes that can compete with this impressive giant! Set a camp next to the Kozyrevsk village. Accommodations are in two-bed tents.

Day 3

Your groups will be transferred to the foot of the Plosky Tolbachik shield volcano that overlaps with the Ostry Tolbachik to volcano and forms the Tolbachik volcanic complex, one of Kamchakta’s largest and most active volcanoes. Set a camp and explore surreal and striking views of the area.

Witness “the moon sceneries”, boundless slag fields, and the weird shapes of hardened volcanic lava. Touch still warm volcanic rocks, and feel as if being on another planet. This is the very place where in the 1970s the first Soviet space robots «Lunokhod-1» and «Mars Rover-1» were tested confidentially.

Day 4

Put on your hiking shoes for a 5-7 hour climb to the top of the Plosky Tolbachik volcano (3,082 m)! The trail weaves around frozen lava flows and slag fields. From the summit, see a striking panorama of the Kluchevskoy volcano complex and the crater, 500 meters deep and 1700 meters wide. Return to the camp. Forest and Lava Caves

Day 5

Visit the New Northern cones and walk through a petrified forest formed at the 1975 Great Crack eruption of the Tolbachinsky volcano. Explore the ascending New Tolbachinsky cones (300 meters) and the famous lava caves. Return to the camp. Esso

Day 6

Transfer to Esso known as «Kamchatka Switzerland», a village in Kamchatka’s central region, 520 km north of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. Check in to a hotel. Rest and relax in nearby thermal hot springs. Interestingly enough, the hot springs are used for heating homes in Esso.

Day 7

Visit the Ethnographic Museum and learn about the culture and life style of the Kamchatka population. Take a walk around the Esso village. Ride back to Petropavlovsk-Kamchatski, check in to a hotel and rest. River

Day 8

Ride 400 km to Bystraya (Malkinskaya) river, set camp on the river bank, rest, and go fishing. Prepare for the next days’ rafting adventure.9: Rafting

Rafting begins! It is not uncommon to see a brown bear on a rafting trip. Fish from a raft and catch a salmon. Accommodations are in two-bed tents. Springs

At the Malkinsky Hot Springs, our rafting adventure ends. Relax in the thermal mineral water. Transfer to Petropavlovsk-Kamchatski and check in to your hotel.

Day 9

A 7-hour helicopter trip to The Valley of Geysers. From above, observe the Karymsky and Maly Semyachik volcanoes. On the way back, your helicopter lands by the hot thermal springs where you can relax. Return to your hotel in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatski. 12: Sea Fishing

Day 10

Take a boat trip along the Avacha Bay and go out to the open ocean. Explore the Starichkov Island and try your luck in sea fishing. While not guaranteed, our tourists are often fortunate enough to see marine life including orcas, seals and sea lions.13: Fish Market

Day 11

A Helicopter Ride

Visit Petropavlovsk-Kamchatski’s Fish marketing and souvenir shops. Transfer to the airport.

When

January — April (best for adventure tours, skiing and heli-skiing)
July — October (best for trekking tours and wildlife watching)

How long

From 7 days

How

By daily direct overnight flights from Moscow, non-regular flights from the Russian major cities (St. Petersburg, Vladivostok, Khabarovsk)
During summer — by non-regular international direct flights from Tokyo (Japan) and Anchorage (Alaska)

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