A UNIQUE ADVENTURE TO THE SOVIET RING OF FIRE
JULY 01 ⇾ JUly 11
In addition to our regular group departure to Kamchatka, we also offer tour services for private travel parties and lone wolves alike. As a traveller-oriented boutique operator, tailored trips and bespoke adventures are our bread and butter. Get in touch for more info on our Bespoke Kamchatka Tours!
DAY 1 • Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky
Meet-and-greet at Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky International Airport, transfer to our hotel of choice in Petropavlovsk and introductory briefing about Kamchatka, its culture, nature and history.
Acclimatisation, short city walk (depending on your arrival time) and sunset vista over the Avacha Bay, first discovered by Vitus Bering in 1729, then home to the Soviet Pacific Fleet and now harbouring Russian nuclear submarines.
Overnight in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky.
DAY 2 to DAY 5 • Avacha Bay
We’ll spend four full days touring the many natural and historical sights scattered around Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky and the Avacha Bay, particularly focussing on off-the-beaten-path attractions and Soviet heritage.
Highlights of our sojourn along the bay will include:
A half-day boat tour to Starichkov Island, a rocky islet officially recognised as a natural monument for harbouring massive bird and seal rookeries;
A full-day Soviet-architecture-and-monumentalism tour around and about Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky and further onto the abandoned secret city of Finval (officially known as Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky-54) and the military settlement of Zavoyko on the picturesque Babya cove;
A romantic and surreal stroll on the dark volcanic sands of Khalaktyrsky Beach, just a few miles east of Petropavlovsk;
A slightly challenging but extremely rewarding ascent to the Avacha and Koryak volcanoes, two active ultra-prominent stratovolcanoes majestically standing in dangerous closeness to Petropavlovsk’s northern outskirts;
A rock-pooling and sea-foraging session to discover, photograph and (should the appetite arise) taste alien-looking sea inverts such as giant sea urchins, king crabs, sea stars, sea cucumbers and similar water weirdos.
Well-deserved relaxation hours to be spent bathing and steaming at one among the several geothermal spas and natural hot springs constantly bubbling up in the immediate surroundings of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky.
Overnights in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky.
DAY 6 • Road to the North
Transfer by car to the village of Esso, the remote administrative centre of the Bystrinsky District, an area of central Kamchatka mainly inhabited by the indigenous ancestral dwellers of the peninsula.
The journey from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky to Esso will take an entire day as distances here are immense and road conditions very poor.
Besides the routine stops for food and photography, we’ll break the long haul in the villages of Yelizovo and Milkovo, home to an odd bunch of Soviet-era monuments and mosaics, as well as at the Bakening Volcano.
Overnight in Esso.
DAY 7 • KORYAKS
We’ll devote one full day to the beautiful natural areas surrounding the village of Esso.
The region is locally known as the Switzerland of Kamchatka and not without a reason: the village of Esso is, indeed, surrounded by an idyllic landscape of evergreen forests, imposing ridges, pristine moorlands and serene mountains streams.
Right beyond Esso there are also several hot thermal springs providing clean energy to the local households and permanently heating the village’s über-cool open-air public pool.
Besides boasting a rich cornucopia of natural attractions, the Bystrinsky District is also home to a diverse population of aboriginal ethnicities such as the Koryaks and the Itelmens: obscure Paleo-Siberian shamanic people that have been living in the boundless expanses of central and northern Kamchatka well before the arrival of the Russians.
During our stay in the region we will have the unique chance to meet with indigenous farmers, herders and shamans, who will share with us their food, their home and the mystic secrets of their endangered culture.
The icing on the cake? In the evenings, after intense daylight hours of marching and sightseeing, we will always find a fuming thermal bath or a steaming banya (Russian sauna) waiting for us to sooth our aches and free our thoughts.
Overnight in Esso.
DAY 8 to DAY 9 • Tolbachik
From Esso we will drive east-northeast to the secluded settlement of Kozyrevsk, the gateway to Tolbachik, a stupendous volcanic complex consisting of two different volcanoes, Plosky (“the Flat One”, 3,085 m) and Ostry (“the Sharp One”, 3,682 m).
Tolbachik’s most notable eruption happened in 1975 and led to the formation of an otherworldly landscape of slag cones, hardened magma flows and extensive lava fields: back in the heydays of the Space Age, lunar roving vehicles were tested here before being sent to the Moon!
We’ll spend two full days in the area, trekking across the lava flows, partly ascending the volcanoes and exploring the enchanting and slightly unsettling Dead Forest, an ancient larch forest that was completely covered by the giant cloud of burning ash unleashed by the 1975 eruption.
Overnights in tents/huts.
DAY 10 • Back to Petropavlovsk
Early morning transfer back to Petropavlosk-Kamchatsky via Kozyrevsk and Milkovo.
Free afternoon in town or - if time permits - visit to the highly interesting Vulcanarium Museum.
Overnight in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky.
DAY 11• Farewell to Kamchatka
After enjoying a last Kamchatka-style meal together, we'll take care of your transfer to Petropavlovsk International Airport.
Possible tour extensions to this itinerary include: Sakhalin and/or Chukotka.
End of the tour.
3790 €
INCLUSIONS
Double/twin hotel accommodation (breakfast included), private transport in Kamchatka (car/minivan), all activities listed in the itinerary, all meals outside Petropavlovsk, all entrance fees, English-speaking guiding service, 24/7 on-site and remote assistance.
EXCLUSIONS
Single supplement, international flights, main meals (lunches and dinners) in Petropavlovsk, extra drinks, visa fees (if required), tips, travel insurance.