Accommodation during the trip
Languages
Accommodation during the trip
Languages
Experiences you'll have
Not only incredible nature but also exciting activities await you on the voyage. We have packed this journey with adventures to the maximum! The cruise will take place on the renovated expedition vessel "Omega", so you will not have to sacrifice comfort.
The group will be limited to only 10 people, allowing us to organize a wide range of activities on the expedition
During this voyage, you will:
Check out the teaser for a movie about the Kuril Islands produced in partnership with RussiaDiscovery:
The price per person with double occupancy in a cabin is 785,000 RUB (9,066 USD). The base rate is in RUB. The price in USD depends on the exchange rate of the Central Bank of Russia minus 2% and is valid as of January 18, 2024.
A 50% prepayment is needed to make a reservation. The remaining 50% must be paid 120 days before the cruise starts.
Itinerary
Your journey will start in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky and end in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk. Airfare is paid separately. We are ready to help with the purchase of tickets. If necessary, leave a comment in the application.
This is a general plan of the expedition, the route may vary depending on the weather.
Day 1 Arrival in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky
After picking up at the airport you will be taken to the port of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. Here you will board the ship "Omega". You will pass Avacha Bay, one of the largest bays in the world, and take a course to the southern edge of the Kamchatka Peninsula.
Day 2 Russkaya Bay
Today the ship will approach the southern part of the Kamchatka Peninsula. Here you will go on an expedition boat trip in Russkaya Bay. You will get acquainted with the wildlife of the peninsula. At the entry to the bay there are rookeries of Steller sea lions, sea birds nest along the shores. During the spawning season, you can see brown bears on the coast, and orcas are often seen on the entry to the bay.
Days 3-4 Paramushir, Antsiferov and Atlasova Islands
During these days, the captain and expedition leader will offer you the best opportunities to explore the Northern Kurils depending on weather conditions.
A landing is planned in Krasheninnikov Bay, the pearl of Paramushir Island. You will enjoy a magnificent view of the active volcanoes Karpinsky and Lomonosov here. You can also see whales and orcas feeding in the coastal waters.
You will climb the Ebeko volcano (1,156 m). This is an active volcano with fumarole fields and frequent eruptions. From the height, you will see the southern volcanic group of Paramushir Island: Tatarinov, Chikurachki, Fussa, and Alaid. It is a challenging trek of 12 km long and an altitude gain of 1200-1400 m, but the scenery is definitely worth the effort.
On Antsiferov Island or the Lovushki Islands, you will approach rookeries of sea lions and seals by expedition boats.
On the northernmost island of the Great Kuril Ridge, Atlasov Island, there is an active volcano Alaid (2,339 m). It is the highest point of the Kuril Islands. Foxes, sea lions, seals, sea otters, and numerous species of seabirds live here.
Upon landing on the island, you will easily climb to the side crater of Alaid called Taketomi (1 km on foot with an altitude gain of 126 m). From here you can enjoy an amazing view of Alaid volcano. Its beauty is often compared to Fuji Mount.
Day 5 Onekotan Island
Onekotan Island is famous for its unique Krenitsyn volcano (1,324 m). Krenitsyn is the volcano inside another volcano. Its cone rises in the center of the lake, which occupies the caldera of the ancient destroyed volcano. On this island, you will climb a ridge for a magnificent view of the volcano. The route is suitable for physically fit travelers: you have to walk 15 km with an altitude gain of 600 m.
Day 6 Simushir and Yankicha Islands
In the morning you will visit Broughton Bay on Simushir Island. This is the neck of a sunken volcano, which was artificially widened by powerful explosions for the passage of warships. On the shore of the island, you will see the military town abandoned in the 90s. It used to be one of the largest bases of the Pacific Fleet of the Soviet Union. Fishing from the shore or boats is possible here.
On Yankicha Island, you will enter Kraternaya Bay by expedition boat. This sunken volcanic caldera is one of the most beautiful places of the Kuril Archipelago. Here you can bathe in thermal springs and see a variety of seabirds, including rare species. In good weather, you will spend the night in a tent on the coast of the bay.
Day 7 Urup Island
On the coastline of Urup Island, you will see picturesque waterfalls, grottoes, and caves.
There is an active volcano Berga (1,040 m) on the island. You will see Taka Waterfall and Tokotan Lake, Glybisty Cape, and Pivnaya Kruzhka Arch (Rus. for Beer Mug). In Novokurilskaya Bay fishing for char and redfish is possible and in Abramova Bay, you can fish for halibut.
Days 8-9 Iturup Island
These days you will explore the iconic places of Iturup, the largest island of the Kuril Archipelago. The visiting sites will be determined by the weather. There are a few options:
One of the days you will land on the Sea of Okhotsk's coast to see the famous White Сliffs, unusual in shape and color. The cliffs consist of soft pumice formed after a volcanic eruption. Under the influence of wind and storms, the pumice has been eroded and the cliffs got a bizarre shape. The black volcanic sand on the shore makes white cliffs even more spectacular.
Day 10 Kunashir Island
Today you will reach Kunashir Island. This is the southernmost and largest island of the Great Kuril Ridge. There are 3 active volcanoes here: Golovnin, Mendeleev and Rurui.
You will trek to Golovnin volcano's caldera (14 km in both directions). The route will pass in the protected Kuril reserve's zone, on a dirt road through the forest, thickets of bamboo and cedar shrubbery. You will descend into a deep crater with 2 volcanic lakes and have a chance to swim in one of them. Those who climb up to the viewpoint will see a mesmerizing panorama of turquoise lakes.
Then you will visit the unique Stolbchaty cape. It is made of multifaceted "pillars", which were formed due to the slow extrusion of viscous lava, solidified under the influence of seawater.
Day 11 Flight to Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk
The ship will take you to Iturup Island, where you will disembark. Then you will be transferred to the airport and fly to Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk.
Accommodation during the trip
Languages
Accommodation during the trip
Your voyage will take place aboard the small expedition vessel Omega.
The ship will be completely renovated by 2024. Its length is 30 m, width is 6 m. 10 guests can be accommodated on board.
Facilities on board: Finnish sauna, open decks for relaxation and photo and video shooting, spacious lounge with bar, karaoke multimedia center, TV monitor, and thematic books. Breakfasts, lunches, and dinners are served in the lounge. Tea and machine-made coffee are available 24 hours. Rental of paddleboards, kayaks, foilboards, trekking poles, tents, and sea fishing gear is included in the price of the cruise.
You will be accommodated in 6 cabins (2 with double beds, 4 with twin beds). Each cabin has windows, beds, desk, closets and shelves, hangers, and personal nightlights. 3 shower and 3 toilet rooms are located on the same deck. All rooms are sound-insulated, ventilated, and heated.
The price per person with double occupancy in a cabin is 785,000 RUB (9,066 USD). The base rate is in RUB. The price in USD depends on the exchange rate of the Central Bank of Russia minus 2% and is valid as of January 18, 2024.
A 50% prepayment is needed to make a reservation. The remaining 50% must be paid 120 days before the cruise starts.
3D models of the boat and cabins are presented in the gallery. Photos will be available in spring 2024.
Common questions
The cruise will be accompanied by an experienced expedition leader and experts on the region, who will give a variety of thematic lectures and presentations on board.
When choosing clothing and footwear, take into account the peculiarities of the Arctic region. Temperatures can drop below freezing at the northern points of the route. Sometimes there are no landings on the shore and the boats go along the shore.
Keep in mind that it can be very windy on the coast, this adds to the temperature effect. There will be splashing on the boat even in small waves, so clothing should be waterproof and windproof. The main heat loss occurs through the head, arms, and legs – pay maximum attention to these places. We recommend taking a camping seat with you. Don't forget about equipment: you need a waterproof case for shooting in rain and drizzle.
Clothing: warm pants, waterproof pants, thermal underwear, sweater, turtleneck, wool hat covering ears, balaclava/scarf, warm socks, waterproof hooded jacket. You can bring dressy clothes for the farewell party (heeled shoes are not recommended).
Footwear: trekking boots (not compulsory, but recommended for long walks on the shore). If you prefer trekking boots to rubber boots, you should bring them with you in your backpack and change them on the shore. Boots with grooved soles will give you the most stable footing. Rubber boots are also necessary, but they can be given free of charge on the first day of the cruise. It is important to bring warm insoles with you. If you plan to bring your boots, they should be mid-calf height or higher with thick ribbed non-slip soles. Some landings will require stepping into water up to 25 centimeters deep. It can also be quite slippery on the ice and on the shore. Make sure the boots fit comfortably with a wool sock. You will also need sandals, sneakers, or any other comfortable shoes for the ship, and flip-flops for the shower.
Other: a small backpack for landings (preferably waterproof), warm and waterproof gloves, sunglasses, cream (in windy weather preferably greasy nourishing), lipstick, binoculars, earplugs, swimsuit (for baths, hot springs, and optional bathing in the ocean), towel.
Documents: passport, boarding pass (issued in advance or mailed), airplane ticket, copy of insurance.
This cruise is suitable for active tourists in good physical shape. The program includes landing on the wild coast and daily trekking. You will climb to the crater of Krenitsyna volcano (15 km with an altitude gain of 600 m) and Ebeko volcano (12 km with an altitude difference of 1200-1400 m).
Purchasing this cruise will give you a 5% discount on all future journeys with RussiaDiscovery.
Booking
Accommodation during the trip
Languages
cabin accommodation
three meals a day on board, tea and coffee 24 hours
group transfers between airports and port according to the program
all excursions and landings according to the program
entrance tickets
overnight in tents on the Kuril Islands (weather permitting)
airfare Kurilsk – Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk
rental of fishing gear, tents, paddleboards, kayaks, foilboards, trekking poles
health insurance
airfare to Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky and from Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk
meals and accommodation in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky and Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk
personal expenses on board
tips for the crew
cabin accommodation
three meals a day on board, tea and coffee 24 hours
group transfers between airports and port according to the program
all excursions and landings according to the program
entrance tickets
overnight in tents on the Kuril Islands (weather permitting)
airfare Kurilsk – Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk
rental of fishing gear, tents, paddleboards, kayaks, foilboards, trekking poles
health insurance
airfare to Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky and from Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk
meals and accommodation in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky and Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk
personal expenses on board
tips for the crew
The Islands of Volcanoes
_1538748461.png)
