Chukotka, Kamchatka and Commander islands

Day 1 Arrival to Anadyr

Upon arrival in Anadyr you will be taken to the port where you will board the expedition ship. You will get acquainted with the crew and expedition staff, who will arrange a tour of the ship, show cabins, and hold a safety briefing.

Day 2 Egvekinot

You will spend the day in and around the town of Egvekinot on the shores of Kresta Bay. The town was built by Gulag prisoners who were then forced to construct a road to the mine. You will explore the town which has an excellent museum, the road and tundra as well as visit the Arctic Circle.

Day 3 Bukhta Gavrilla

This coastline is rich in marine mammals and one creature we will be looking for, in particular, is the walrus. The bukhta (or bay) was named after Commander Vitus Bering’s ship, the St Gabriel, of the First Kamchatka Expedition. Behind the expansive beach there is a lagoon where you can explore for waterfowl and waders.

Day 4 Pika River

You will start the day with a visit to the delta of Pika River – a well known walrus haul out. 

During a Zodiac cruise along the river’s cliffs you can expect to see the rowdy spectacle of thousands of nesting Black-legged Kittiwakes, and may also see Harlequin Ducks, Pelagic Cormorants, Common Guillemots and Glaucous Gulls. 

Day 5 Bukhta Natalii

Along the Koryak Coast there are many beautiful fiords (bukhtas or bays) and none are more beautiful than Bukhta Natalii. This fiord has two smaller fiords that drain into it from the south. You will hike from one bay to another whilst surrounded by the magnificent mountain landscapes and tundra vegetation.

Day 6 Tintikun Lagoon

Much of the southern Govena Peninsula was recently made into a state reserve. There are a number of fiords included in the reserve; one of the most spectacular is Tintikun Lagoon which is one of the most picturesque locations found anywhere in the world. A large population of brown bears inhabits this area, if you are fortunate you should see a number of them.

Day 7 Bukhta Yuzhnaya Glubokaya and Cape Primetniy

With an early morning planned, you will start the day with a landing on the remote, scenic shores of Bukhta Yuzhnaya Glubokaya on Kamchatka Peninsula’s eastern coast. Landing near the base of a stream that cascades down the mountains in a series of falls and torrents, you will walk through alpine meadows. The path upwards will follow the edge of the stream above the trees where panoramic views of the fiord below can be enjoyed.

After lunch you will sail south to Cape Primetniy, a reserve situated on Goveno Peninsula and nicknamed "Bear Gully" due to the number of brown bears regularly seen here.Cruising along the shores you will be looking for brown bears and, hopefully, observe some females with cubs. You will also see a breeding colony of Slaty-backed Gulls.

Day 8 Koryakskiy Reserve and Verhoturova Island

You will start the morning in Kamchatka Brown Bear country, an undisturbed habitat within the Koryakskiy Reserve, where you will go bear watching. Brown bears frequently visit this area which is completely protected and rarely visited.

In the afternoon you will visit Verkhoturova Island where Tufted and Horned Puffins, Pigeon, Common and Brunnich’s Guillemots and also Parakeet and Least Auklets can be seen. On nearby rocky islets there is a regular non-breeding haul out of Steller Sea Lions.

Days 9-11 Commander Islands

The wildlife-rich Commander Islands were first discovered by Commander Vitus Bering when his ship was wrecked here in 1741. He perished on the island along with many of his men. The reports from those that survived led to a ‘fur rush’ and the settlement of the islands.

There are two large islands (Bering and Medny) with two smaller islands Ariy Karmen and Toporkov. We intend to explore the islands through a combination of landings and Zodiac cruises. We plan to stop at the village of Nikolskoye. You will visit the fur seal rookery at North-West Cape and Zodiac cruise around the impressive bird colony at Ariy Kamen. We will also possibly visit the gravesite of Commander Vitus Bering and the remarkable Medny Island.

Day 12 Olga Bay and Zhupanova River

Olga Bay is a part of the very large Kronotskiy Reserve, which also includes the world-famous Valley of the Geysers. The habitat has lush Kamchatka forests coming right down to the beach. The area around Olga Bay is frequented by large numbers of Gray Whales that are usually quite friendly to visiting boats. The rising volcanoes in the background will provide a beautiful setting to explore real Kamchatka wilderness.

In the afternoon you will make your way along the Zhupanova River by Zodiac. This journey allows you to explore a river habitat which is common in Kamchatka. Steller’s Sea Eagles are known to nest in the lower reaches of the river.

Day 13 Bukhta Russkaya

If the weather is fine, fantastic views of the many snow-covered volcanoes that dominate the southern part of the peninsula will greet us as you sail up Bukhta Russkaya. There is also an excellent chance of seeing Sea Otters, Largha Seals, Steller Sea Lions and Orcas, as well as numerous sea birds.

This afternoon, if weather permits, we have arranged a helicopter to transfer you to the huge, freshwater volcanic basin that is Kuril Lake, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and reserve in the extreme south of Kamchatka. Home to a bounty of wildlife and one of the largest salmon spawning grounds in Kamchatka, the lake is also famous for the numbers of Brown Bears which bring their young to feed here. Exploring this wild-rich and remote outpost surrounded by the conical domes of lava islets under the guidance of the reserve’s rangers promises to be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Day 13 Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy

During the night the ship will enter Avacha Bay which is one of the greatest natural harbours in the world. There will be a complimentary transfer to the airport or to a central downtown hotel.