12 days on the islands: Sakhalin — Kunashir — Iturup

Join us on an exciting adventure through the most mysterious islands of Russia: Sakhalin, Kunashir and Iturup. 

Explore volcanic landscapes and fumarole fields, enjoy thermal springs, immerse yourself in the rich cultural heritage of the region and experience the magic of the Pacific Ocean. 

This trip will be unforgettable and full of discoveries!

Location

Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk
from
$1,814
+ tickets to the starting point of the tour
No need to pay now
Duration
12 Days
11 Nights
Departures
  • Group departures
    • Dates for next season
    • 29 April – 10 May, 2025
or
Accommodation
  • Hotel
    10 nights
  • Cabin on the boat
    1 night
Comfort
  • Midscale
  • Upscale
  • Premium
Difficulty
Moderate
Involves moderate physical activity
Group
Up to 25 people
Minimum age
7 years old
Group meet at
Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk
Contact the tour coordinator
Weekdays: 8am - 8pm
Weekends: 8am - 7pm (GMT +3)
Or text us in messengers

Tour highlights

Thermal springs
Relax and recuperate in the relaxing hot baths
Volcanic splendor
Visit Baransky Volcano and Mendeleev Volcano with their fumaroles and mineral streams, Golovnin volcano with its lakes, as well as the Yankito Plateau with its bizarrely frozen lava flows
Picturesque White Cliffs
Take a walk along the gray-graphite sandy beach and take beautiful photos against the background of the famous rocks that will stand out in your gallery
Delicious cuisine
Discover seafood and Japanese cuisine, enjoy Far Eastern delicacies, fish soup, caviar and Sakhalin sweets
Cape Columnar
Immerse yourself in the magic of this place: the sounds of waves caressing the shore, the fresh sea breeze, the majestic columns of basalt towering over the ocean

Itinerary

  • Day 1 - Lunch at a Japanese restaurant and sightseeing tour of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk

    Arrival in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk. 

    Meeting at the airport. Transfer to the hotel, we leave our things.

    Please keep in mind that check-in at all hotels is at 14:00. Therefore, if necessary, early check-in is booked and paid in advance. 

    13:00 Welcome lunch at the Japanese restaurant.

    Sightseeing bus tour of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, the capital of the Sakhalin region. A modern, beautiful city with a history.

    A visit to the viewport at the Mountain Air ski complex, which offers a magnificent view of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, located in a valley surrounded by hills and ridges. 

    Return to the hotel. 

    Dinner (on your own).

    Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk has many authentic cozy restaurants with Japanese, Korean, Chinese and European cuisine.

    1 more photo
  • Day 2 - Tikhaya Bay, Noticeable Island, east coast of the Sea of Okhotsk
  • Day 3 - Departure by boat to Kunashir island
  • Day 4 - The fumarole field of the Mendeleev volcano. Thermal springs of the Mendeleev volcano
  • Day 5 - Golovnin volcano. Lakes are Boiling and Hot
  • Day 6 - Cape Columnar. Stolbovsky sources. The White Monks Rocks. The Sea of Okhotsk
  • Day 7 - Golovninsky Cliff is the white cliffs of Kunashir Island. Veslovsky Peninsula. Departure to Sakhalin Island
  • Day 8 - Arrival at Iturup. The fumarole field and thermal springs of the Baransky volcano are a true SPA relaxation
  • Day 9 - White rocks, Black rocks, Prostor Bay, Sea of Okhotsk
  • Day 10 - Yankito Plateau and departure to Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk
  • Day 11 - Free day (reserved in case of late arrival)
  • Day 12 - Departure
Difficulty
Involves moderate physical activity

Accommodation

Accommodation
  • Hotel
    10 nights
  • Cabin on the boat
    1 night
Comfort
  • Midscale
  • Upscale
  • Premium

The tour provides accommodation in hotels along the route:

  • 4 nights in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk (rooms with amenities, 2-bed accommodation);
  • 4 nights in Yuzhno-Kurilsk at the Flagship Hotel (partial amenities, 2-bed accommodation);
  • 2 nights in a hotel on Iturup (rooms with amenities, 2-bed accommodation);
  • 1 night on the ship (4-bed cabin with amenities).

The cost of the tour for 1 person, RUB.:

HotelsDouble room*Surcharge for single occupancy
Gagarin 3* / Belka 3*18760022200
Mega Palace 4*18960025400

Additional payments on Kunashir are optional (increased comfort level of accommodation):

  • for a 2-bed suite in the Flagship hotel (with amenities) on Kunashir island 6600 rubles/person/4 nights;
  • for a single room in Iceberg 2 (with amenities) on Kunashir island 6600 rubles/person/4 nights;
  • for a 2-bed suite in Iceberg 2 (with amenities) on Kunashir island, 6600 rubles/person/4 nights.
Gagarin Hotel or Mega Palace hotel 4* or 4 nights
Gagarin Hotel

This hotel is located in a quiet location in the park area of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, a 15-minute drive from Khomutovo Airport. The Gagarin Hotel offers a sauna with a mini-pool.

The rooms of the Gagarin Hotel in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk are decorated using elements of Japanese and European styles. They are equipped with a work desk and a TV with over 100 satellite channels. Featuring a bath, the private bathroom also comes with a hairdryer, bathrobes and slippers.

A full buffet breakfast is served every morning at the hotel. The Gagarin restaurant specializes in European cuisine.

Guests can relax in the karaoke bar. A park named after him is located next to the hotel. Gagarina with a beautiful rock garden.

Free parking is available on site at the Gagarin Hotel. Staff at the 24-hour front desk can arrange a shuttle service for guests.

8 more photos
Another option
Mega Palace hotel 4*

This hotel is located on the Far Eastern Sakhalin Island of Russia, at the foot of the Susunai Mountains. It offers an international restaurant, a spa and a nightclub. Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk city centre is a 15-minute drive away.

Mega Palace Hotel is a multi-storey building with modern rooms and apartments furnished with antique furniture. All rooms are equipped with cable TV, a safe and a minibar.

It offers a fitness center, a hot tub and a sauna. In the evenings, guests can visit the karaoke bar or a nightclub with a DJ.

A buffet breakfast is served every morning. The Marquis Restaurant serves Russian, European and Japanese cuisine. Serbian cuisine can be enjoyed at the Grill in the Sky restaurant. Asian cuisine restaurant "Asia" and Japanese restaurant Bambu are also available on site. Guests can relax at the Duke Karaoke Bar.

Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk Airport is a 30-minute drive away. Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk Central Station can be reached in 20 minutes by car.

8 more photos
Another option
Belka Hotel

Built of wooden beams, this hotel is located in the business district, a 10-minute walk from Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk Main Station in the business center of the city. It offers free Wi-Fi and rooms with a flat-screen TV.

Rooms at Belka Hotel are decorated in Alpine style and feature wooden walls and air conditioning. The rooms have a minibar and a bathroom with bathrobes, slippers, a hairdryer and toiletries.

The Belka Hotel's restaurant serves Russian cuisine. Guests can order a buffet breakfast. There are restaurants and bars within walking distance of the hotel.

4 more photos
The Flagship Hotel 4 nights
The hotel "Tomori" 2 nights
Cabin 1 night

Tour conditions

Group
up to 25 tourists
Minimum age
7 years old
Duration
12 days 11 nights
Group meets at
Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk

Included in price

  • airport – hotel – airport transfer;
  • habitation:
    • 4 nights in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk (rooms with amenities, 2-bed accommodation);
    • 4 nights in Yuzhno-Kurilsk at the Flagship Hotel (partial amenities, 2-bed accommodation);
    • 2 nights at the hotel "Tomori" in Kurilsk (rooms with amenities, 2-bed accommodation);
  • services of a tour guide;
  • Meals: 10 breakfasts, 8 lunches, 7 dinners;
  • transfer Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk – airport – Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk;
  • port charges;
  • bed linen on the ship;
  • transportation services according to the program;
  • escort by instructors-guides on the routes;
  • tickets for the thermal complexes "Sources of the Baransky volcano" and "Hot waters";
  • a pass to the Kurilsky Nature Reserve;
  • border crossing to Kunashir Island and Iturup.

Paid extra

  • flights to Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk and back;
  • Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk – Yuzhno-Kurilsk air flight/Kurilsk – Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk 15,000 rubles.;
  • ticket for the ship Yuzhno-Kurilsk – Kurilsk, 4-bed cabin – 2500 rubles/person.;
  • meals on the ship;
  • dinners in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk;
  • early check-in to hotels and late check-out from hotels;
  • medical insurance.

It's important to know

Personal equipment you need for the tour
  • lightweight headdress for sun protection;
  • trekking waterproof sneakers/boots (Gore-Tex), or treated with a water repellent + a replaceable pair of shoes;
  • comfortable sports sandals with a rigid fixation on the foot, in which it is convenient to walk on water and stones (necessary on the route Tikhaya Bay, for visiting thermal springs / baths on the islands of Kunashir and Iturup);
  • sports trousers are comfortable for trekking (2 pairs). It is also preferable to have waterproof trousers. It is especially convenient on the side zippers to quickly put on over sweatpants if necessary. They are light and do not take up space at all;
  • comfortable, lightweight, wind and moisture proof(!) jacket;
  • warm clothes: sweater, fleece jacket or similar warm clothes;
  • T-shirt with short or long sleeves with moisture-repellent properties for trekking;
  • lightweight cotton clothing: shorts/capris, T-shirts;
  • bathing suit;
  • socks are warm and thick;
  • a small travel towel (quick-drying);
  • a small backpack of 25-30 liters for one-day radial routes for water, photo/video equipment, swimsuit, towel, raincoat, etc. It is mandatory to have a waterproof backpack cover;
  • sunscreen and sunglasses;
  • a sunscreen adapted for you with a protection factor (SPF) of at least 30 units;
  • plastic water bottle for routes;
  • gloves;
  • telescopic poles for hiking (personal necessity);
  • photo/video equipment;
  • mosquito and tick repellents (personal necessity).
Safety Memo
Are plane tickets included in the price of the tour?
Is accident insurance included?
What documents are required to obtain a pass to the Kuril Islands?
Are there any possible changes in the program?
What else is important to know?

Dates and Prices

The tour dates are not confirmed yet. Please, for clarification
  • from
    $1,814
    29 Apr – 10 May, 2025 12 days 11 nights
    Submit request
    No need to pay now