Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands are beautiful places almost untouched by civilization. They are famous for their unbelievable nature: volcanoes, lakes, thermal springs, waterfalls. There are no historical attractions in the region, the transportation is poorly developed that makes Sakhalin one of the remotest places in Russia. It’s a perfect place for those looking to escape from modern digital world and find themselves surrounded by nature.
Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands are popular places for ecotourism and offer a wide range of extreme activities: mountain climbing, rafting, skiing, diving, photo safari and etc. Here you can taste the delicious mushrooms, berries and crab meat. You can get a real chance to meet a bear in the woods and the unpredictable transport timetable, using which is yet another type of Sakhalin adventure.
Meeting at the airport of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk. Transfer to the hotel. City sightseeing tour with all the must-sees of the city. Dinner.
Breakfast. Transfer to the airport. Flight to Kurilsk (the Iturup Island). Transfer to the hotel. A trip to Yankito Plateau. Here you will see a frozen volcano lava that looks like cliffs on a seaside – these landscapes won’t leave you indifferent. You will also see breathtaking landscapes at the foot of the Chirip Volcano. Lunch. Transfer to the Spa Resort “Rybaki”. Dinner.
Breakfast. After breakfast, you will go to the weirdly-shaped White Rocks. These landscapes are constantly being reshaped, as the rocks are soft and susceptible to weathering and erosion. The rocks are stretching for 10 kilometers along the coastline of the Prostor Bay. You will admire its wild beach with black and white sand. Lunch. Dinner.
Breakfast. You will see the fumarole field, “mud volcanoes” and the small boiling lakes called “Golubye Glazki” (Russian for “Blue Eyes”), from which a scenic sulfuric acid stream flows. The baths of Baransky Volcano are an amazingly beautiful place. It has therapeutic volcanic baths with temperatures varying from 42°С to 70°С and a hot waterfall. You will enjoy bathing and go back to the hotel in the evening. The ascent to the summit is long, but gentle. On the top of the peak Trinoga, you will have a chance to admire a panoramic view: on the Kurilsky Bay, the settlement of Kitov and the town of Kurilsk – in the west; on the volcano Bogdan Khmelnitsky – in the north; the Prostor Bay, village of Reidovo and White Rocks – in the east; the volcanoes of Baransky (1132 km), Tebenkova, Grozny, Volchok Mountain – in the south. From the bowels of the earth, therapeutic springs are beating; a hot river flows from the deep Boiling Lake. During the descending from the volcano, you can swim in the hot springs and enjoy the majestic beauty of the volcano. Lunch. Dinner.
ATTENTION! In the area of fumarolic fields you risk falling into the hot mud, in the area of mineral springs – getting chemical burns. You can swim only in the sources with a certain temperature of water.
Breakfast. Excursion to the fish factory in Kurilsk. Transfer to the port. Transfer to the Kunashir Island.
Arrival to the port of Yuzhno-Kurilsk. Transfer to the hotel. Trekking on the Cape Stolbchaty. The cape was designated by UNESCO as a natural monument of world importance. You will go the Stolbovskaya eco-path, see hot mud springs, and reach the coastline. You will examine the volcanic rocks formed of penta- and hexagonal stone poles. The cape is opened on the three of its sides and located on the coastline of the Sea of Okhotsk, so you can swim or fish if you want. Lunch. Dinner.
Breakfast. You will travel the first 42 kilometers by transport, then trek for 2.5 hours. You will have a 2-hour stop in caldera of the Golovnin Volcano to explore it. You will not only see the Boiling Lake (“Kipyashcheye”) and the Hot Lake (“Goryacheye”), but also enjoy swimming in the second one. Lunch. Dinner.
Breakfast. Visit to the Big Fumarole Field of the 890-meter high Mendeleev Volcano. You will travel 17 kilometers by transport and then trek for 2.5 hours (one-way trekking route) through bamboos. During trekking, we will make stops for having some rest. The last part of the way before coming to the field (150-200 meters) is a channel of a volcanic stream. You will have to climb the stones. Then you will have a 2-hour stop in the fumarole field. Lunch. You will examine the fumaroles and solfataras, and swim in hot springs. Dinner with local food.
Breakfast. Visit to the Local Lore Museum and the local market to buy the souvenirs. Transfer to the airport. Flight to Yuzhno-Sakhalin. Transfer to the hotel. Accommodation. Free time.
Breakfast. Trip to of the Sea of Okhotsk coast (100 km, 3 hours). Along the way you will stop for having views. You will walk along the coast (approximately 2 km one way) and explore Cape Giant and Ptichy Cape (Russian for “Bird Cape”) with their breathtaking landscapes: bays, grottoes, stone arches and colonies of birds. Dinner on the coast of the Sea of Okhotsk. Transfer to the hotel.
Breakfast. Visit to the local fish market. Free time.
Breakfast. Transfer to the airport.
*Please, take note that we reserve the right to change the order of visits.
Level 1 (easy)
Cruise
Level 2 (moderate)
