THE NORTH ADVENTURE (12 DAYS / 11 NIGHTS)
If you are tired of city life and noise, you dream to change the scenery, to have an adventure
and unforgettable holidays, and then we have something to offer you!
In a modern world, there are almost no white spots on the map – but there is one place that holds many mysteries and unique places. Kamchatka – an unexplored peninsula on the edge of Russia, famous for its wild nature and various flora and fauna.
Travel period: June – September 2019
The tour duration: 12 days / 11 nights.
The group size: 6-20 persons.
Accommodation: Double/Twin rooms.
Meals: Full board (all meals).
Prices you can see here: PRICE-LIST**the price doesn’t include helicopter trip to the Kuril Lake and to the Valley of Geysers. Helicopter trips are optional tours and should be paid additionally.
The price of the helicopter trip to the Kuril Lake is 760 USD per person.
The price of the helicopter trip to the Valley of Geysers is 780 USD per person.
The tour schedule:
1 day– Arrival.
2 day –The helicopter trip to the Valley of Geysers and the volcanic Uzon caldera with stopover at the Nalichevo valley (optional).
3 day – The helicopter trip to the Kuril Lake with stopover at the Ksudach volcano and the Khodutka hot springs (optional).
4 day– Departure from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy to Tolbachik volcano.
5 day – Tolbachik volcano climbing.
6 day – Cones of The Northern break, «Dead forest».
7 day – Transfer to the Esso settlement.
8 day – Milkovo village. Evens ethnic cultural center.
9 day – The Kamchatka river fishing.
10 day – Returning to the Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy.
11 day – Russian bay sea cruise with visiting sea lions rookery.
12 day – Departure.
DAY 1. ARRIVAL. ACCLIMATIZATION.
Landing at the Yelizovo airport. The guide-interpreter meets tourists with a plate of “Red Rivers.”
Baggage claim takes about 20-30 minutes. Boarding the bus.
Lunch at a restaurant.
Transfer to the hotel located in the hot springs area or in the Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy city. The road takes about 30-40 minutes.
Check in at the hotel, rest, acclimatization. Dinner.
Overnight at the hotel.
DAY 2.
THE HELICOPTER TRIP TO THE VALLEY OF GEYSERS AND THE VOLCANIC UZON CALDERA WITH A STOP AT THE NALICHEVO VALLEY (6 HOURS)
(optional)
Breakfast and transfer to the heliport.
During a trip to the Valley of Geysers, it is possible to see the Karymskiy volcano (active) and the Maliy (Small) Semyachik volcano (active) with its impressive acid lake crater of turquoise color. Flight time will take approximately 45 minutes.
Walking sightseeing tour in the Valley of Geysers takes about an hour. Every guest of Kamchatka wants to visit the pride of the Kronotskiy natural reserve – the world-famous Valley of Geysers. This hard-to-reach place – is located 180 kilometers northeast of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, and there are reservation conditions on its territory. The ecosystem of the Valley is unique for Russia and highly fragile to external influences. The Valley of Geysers is full of wildly eddying columns of vapour, light smell of sulfur and sparkling rain of colored drops. You can see a great number of different gushing, boiling springs – these are geysers stretching for about 5 km along the Geysernaya River.
A flight to the Uzon caldera. The excursion is for 1 hour.
After all, the flight to the Nalychevo valley for a short rest and bathing in the hot springs. Lunch.
The way back to the heliport and transfer to the hotel. Having rest. Dinner.
Overnight at the hotel.
DAY 3.
THE HELICOPTER TRIP TO THE KURIL LAKE WITH A STOPOVER AT THE KSUDACH VOLCANO AND THE KHODUTKA HOT SPRINGS (6 HOURS)
(optional)
Breakfast and transfer to heliport.
The day program includes a flight to the Kuril Lake (about 45 minutes), a boat trip around the lake to see the bears fishing places, and a walk with rangers to TINRO scientific base for photographing bears (about 2.5 hours).
The Kuril Lake – a unique place, where it is possible to watch Kamchatka bears catchingsalmon. There is the biggest population of brown bears and the largest sockeye spawning place on the peninsula. The Kuril Lake is located in the southern part of the peninsula on the territory of South Kamchatka Sanctuary and it is included in UNESCO World Heritage Site.
On one side of the lake, there is the gorgeous Ilyinskiy volcano; and in the center of the lake, there is a rocky island “Heart of Alaid” resembling a heart in shape. On the islands in the middle of the lake, there is one of the biggest colonies of the Pacific seagulls in the fresh waters.
Lunch and short flight toKsudach volcano with a stop for about 30 minutes. This volcano is famous for its unique crater lakes. Flight to the Khodutka river area, bathing in hot springs.
Return to heliport, transfer to the hotel.
Dinner and overnight at the hotel.
DAY 4.
DEPARTURE FROM PETROPAVLOVSK-KAMCHATSKIY TO TOLBACHIK VOLCANO
The Ploskiy (Flat) Tolbachik Volcano (3085 m, active) and Ostriy (Sharp) Tolbachik (3682 m, extinct) are located in the central part of the peninsula on the south from the Klyuchevskayasopka volcano(4750 m active) – the highest volcano in Eurasia. PloskiyTolbachik and OstriyTolbachik are so close to each other that from the side it seems a single volcano with sharp and flat parts.
The latest Tolbachik volcano eruption was from November 27 of 2012 to February 2014, in the result of which one of the volcano cones disappeared. The previous eruption is known as the “Great Fissure Tolbachik Eruption” (BFTE) happened in 1974-1975. New cones called “Northern” and “Southern” breaks, “The dead forest”, a lot of unique lava caves and valley of lava column appeared during the eruption.
DEPARTURE FROM PETROPAVLOVSK-KAMCHATSKIY TO TOLBACHIK VOLCANO
Departure from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky or Paratunka towards the Tolbachik dale.
The journey takes minimum 10 hours (500 km.) and there is mostly no asphalt. A stop in the Milkovo villages to have lunch (paid by tourists on their own).
Arrival at the Tolbachik dale.
Setting up the camp next to the “Claw” cone.Dinner.
Overnight in tents.
DAY 5. TOLBACHIK VOLCANO CLIMBING
Breakfast.
Prepare for climbing, leaving the camp.
Looking at the top of Ploskiy (Flat) and Ostriy (Sharp) Tolbachik volcanoes it is hard to believe that Flat Tolbachik is an active one. There are two volcanic calderas at the top of the volcano. The top looks like it was cut down, that is why the volcano got this name. The first caldera was formed during the powerful eruption about 6500 years ago, its diameter is about 3 kilometers. There is a new caldera inside the old one; the depth is about 400 m. and diameter is 1.8 km. This new caldera appeared in the result of BFTE in 1975-76.
Flat Tolbachik height is 3140 m. The ascent takes about 9-11 hours. You’ll have a snack at the top and there will be enough time to have rest after ascending.
Return to the camp. Dinner.
Overnight in tents.
DAY 6. CONES OF THE NORTHERN BREAK
AND HIKING THROUGH THE “DEAD FOREST”
Breakfast.
Start for the cones of the Northern break, formed in the result of BFTE (lasted more than a year from July 6, 1975 to December 10, 1976). The result of that eruption was the appearance of new cones up to 300 m., and the lava streams covered the area of 40 sq.km.
The Northern break – it is quite a high cone preserved volcanic activity. The Northern break – it is a quite high cone of volcanic activity. When the weather is good, from that point you may enjoy a wonderful view of Ploskiy and OstriyTolbachik, the Klyuchevskaya hill volcano and the Bezymyanniy (Unnamed) volcano. The surface of the cone is still warm and if you put a stick or a piece of paper in the crack, they will be set on fire.
After a hike around the cones of the Northern break you will have lunch. Going by bus truck to the Star cone and you’ll have a walk along the “dead forest”. During BFTE, cloud of hot ash covered the nearby forest destroying all alive.
The most firm trees, despite the fact that they were covered with hot ash and burnt to the core, are still standing as a silent monument of the destroying disaster. The forest is slowly recovering but even now, you may feel the sulfur smell and the ground is covered with a thick layer of ash and slag.
If you are not tired from the hike, we will offer a trip to the nearest cone with amazing views: on the left side you will be able to see the green stripe of forest and on the right a huge part of burnt forest that appeared in the result of the eruption.
Return to the camp. Dinner.
Overnight in tents.
DAY 7. TRANSFER TO THE ESSO SETTLEMENT. THE ETHNOGRAPHIC MUSEUM
Breakfast.
Transfer to the Esso settlement.
Visiting the Ethnographic Museum. The bulk of museum items in ethnography dates back to the late XIX – first half of the XX century. The museum is the custodian of the cultural and spiritual heritage of the small peoples of Kamchatka. The exhibits give an opportunity to show the economic activities of the Even and the Koryaks, their lifestyle, rituals and religious views, the traditional experience of raising children. In the exhibition hall of the museum are exhibited author’s works of Kamchatka masters from fur, beads, bones, and wood, made in the national style.
Transfer to the hotel. Lunch.
Free time.Bathing in pools.
Dinner.
Night stay at the hotel.
DAY 8. TRANSFER TO THE MILKOVO VILLAGE.
THE EVENS ETHNIC CULTURAL CENTER “NYULTEN”
Breakfast.
Transfer to the Milkovovillageto the ethnic center “Nyulten”.
In the translation from the Even language, the word “Nyulten” means “Sun”. The head of the community is the hereditary Evenk of the Adukanov family, the keeper of the Even traditions and the Even language, the legendary and repeated participant in the dog sled races.
The activities of the ethnic center are aimed at preserving and familiarizing residents and guests of the Kamchatka with the culture and national traditions of indigenous small peoples of Kamchatka. Here you can get acquainted with the traditional life of Evens, take part in the ancient Evenritual, take care of dogs. Your attention will be presented to the elements of the dog harness, the national sled dog, stories about the competitions on dog sleds and Even life, legends and fairy tales in the Even language, national clothes, inventory for processing reindeer skins, traditional fishing.
Lunch.Free time.
Dinner.
Overnight in the hut in the center.
DAY 9. THE KAMCHATKA RIVER FISHING
Breakfast.
Departing from the ethnic center to the Kamchatka River (28 km.)
Arriving to the river.Preparation for rafting.
Kamchatka River is the largest river of the Kamchatka Peninsula in the Far East of Russia.The river is rich with salmon, millions of which spawn yearly including chinook salmon, chum salmon, coho salmon, char, grayling and others.
The valley of the river is the place of the greatest distribution of coniferous forests on the Kamchatka peninsula.
Lunch on the river bank.Fishing.
Returning to the ethnic center.Free time.
Dinner.
Overnight in the hut in the center.
DAY 10. RETURNING TO THE PETROPAVLOVSK-KAMCHATSKIY
Breakfast.
Departure to Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky (250 km, 6 hours)
Hotel accommodation.Lunch.
Free time.
Dinner.
Overnight stay at the hotel.
DAY 11.
RUSSIAN BAY SEA CRUISE OBSERVING THE SEA LIONS ROOKERY (9-10 HOURS)
Breakfast. Transfer to the harbor.
In order to catch the sleeping beauty and tranquility of the ocean with its numerous marine animals, we leave the port early in the morning. On the way to the Russian bay you can observe whales and the families of «domestic» killer whales, cutting the bay waters with their black triangular fins. As we move further towards the bay, you will discover lazy sea otters lying in the sun near the La Perouse stones. Finally, there is a famous sea lions rookery situated at the entrance to the Russian bay (Cape Kekurnyi) and containing about a hundred of animals. Huge males (beach masters) are surrounded by their harem of numerous females. Apart from sea lions the shores are inhabited by various bird colonies: cormorants, puffins, auklets, ducks and gulls swirling in the air and swooping into water for fish.
During our stop in a quiet bay every tour participant will be able to practice fishing and understand why this region is so famous among fishermen. Here one can catch flounder, perch, saffron cod, mackerel, halibut, cod, sculpin etc. A delicious lunch will be prepared for you by our professional cook: traditional fish soup «ukha», some snacks and, of course, exceptional seafood caught by a diver including sea-urchin roe and crab.
On the way back to the port our boat will pass by Starichkov island, famous for its bird colonies and you will also get to see a nest of a Steller’s sea eagle which is a wonder of the Far East.
Floating back to the harbor. Transfer to the hotel.
Dinner.Overnight in the hotel.
DAY 12. DEPARTURE
Breakfast.
Before going to the airport you may visit the fish market and souvenir shop.
Transfer to the Airport.
The price includes:
- Twin bedded accommodation in a hotel with breakfast (BB);
- Three meals daily according to the program;
- Transport services;
- English-speaking guide;
- Guides services on the routes;
- Cooks services on the route;
- Use of group touristic equipment;
- Accident insurance;
- Visa support.
The price does not include:
- Any additional excursions above the program;
- Helicopter excursion to the Valley of Geysers;
- Helicopter excursion to the Kuril Lake;
- Alcoholic beverages.
We recommend you to have personal equipment:
- Backpack (20-30 liters);
- Trekking shoes;
- Water- and windproof clothes;
- A set of warm clothes (sweater, warm trousers, socks, hat, gloves);
- Head protection from the sun;
- Sunglasses;
- Accessories for personal hygiene;
- Towel;
- Bathing suit;
- Insect repellent / spray;
- Sunscreen;
- Photo and video equipment.
Additional Information:
The route or the route schedule can be changed according to the weather conditions, the training level of the group, other external factors. The decision to change the route may be taken by the guide on the place.
WISHING YOU MANY DISCOVERIES AND PLEASANT HOLIDAYS
WITH THE RED RIVERS TOUR COMPANY!
