Big Country Travel: Trips to Russia, Adventure Tours & Vacation Packages

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Let's go on a trip to the magical Kuril Islands!

You will immerse yourself in the world of grandiose volcanoes, enjoy the thermal springs at the Mendeleev volcano, walk along the outlandish coasts, see the most beautiful coves, grottos and bird markets, feel the atmosphere of Cape Columnar – a place where sky and sea merge, and basalt columns seem to grow right out of the water.

The trip will be not only informative, but also delicious – you will taste local delicacies and enjoy hot lunches in nature.

This is just a small part of what awaits you! Are you ready to plunge into this exciting adventure?

Location

Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk

from

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Weekdays: 8am - 8pm
Weekends: 8am - 7pm (GMT +3)

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Tour highlights

Sea kayaking

During the boat trip, you will admire the coves with sandy beaches surrounded by steep cliffs and protruding capes.

Gastronomic delights

Delight your taste buds with delicious Sakhalin fish soup, Far Eastern delicacies and caviar

Thermal springs

Relax and recuperate in the relaxing hot baths

Scenic spots

Enjoy the atmosphere in the places where the film "Robinson Crusoe" was shot, and you will feel yourself at the edge of the world.

Volcanic heritage

You will see how physico-chemical processes have created extraordinary columnar structures in the form of five-hexagonal columns.

Atmospheric fumarole field

Take a walk among the peculiar portals into the bowels of the earth, which create the impression that you are on another planet.

Itinerary

Day 1 - Arrival in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk. City Sightseeing Tour
Arrival in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk. Meeting at the airport.
If arrival is at 09:15, then transfer to the hotel, we leave our things.
Free time ~2.5-3 hours.
Please keep in mind that check-in at the hotel is at 14:00. Early check-in can be booked and paid in advance, if necessary.
If arrival is at 12:30, then we immediately go to the restaurant.
Welcome lunch at one of the best Japanese restaurants.
Sightseeing bus tour of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, the capital of the Sakhalin region.
A modern, beautiful city with a history.
Return to the hotel.
Dinner (on your own).

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Day 2 - The bay is Quiet. The island Is Noticeable. The eastern coast of the Sea of Okhotsk
08:00 Breakfast in the hotel restaurant.
09:00 Departure from Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk by bus.
Travel time with stops is approximately 3 hours, 135 km, paved federal highway.
On the way, we will stop at the amber coast and collect amber, watch the seals resting on the rocks.
We will visit the Japanese Torii gates of the Karafuto governorate period, which were installed in front of Shinto temples.
An intermediate stop is in the fishermen's village of the Seaside, where you can buy freshly boiled crabs and taste them during lunch.
There is a quiet walk along the coast in the bay, after which you will have a hot gastronomic lunch – delicious Sakhalin fish soup with red fish, Far Eastern delicacies, caviar, tea with herbs, Sakhalin sweets.
19:00 Return to the hotel.
Dinner (on your own).

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Day 3 - Cape Bird and Cape Giant Jeep Tour
08:00 Breakfast in the hotel restaurant.
09:00 Departure from Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk with a jeep guide.
The journey time is 3 hours, during which we will travel 100 km, the first half of the way is a federal paved highway, the second half of the way is a difficult road through the pass.
After Okhotsk, rush along the seashore, then through the Sakhalin taiga through the pass, and in front of you soar majestic stone arches, columns and kekurs-giants created by wind and sea waves.
Beautiful coves and grottos, bird markets.
A walk along the coast will be a great pleasure, one Cape Bird is worth it.
A walk through the sea terraces and Sakhalin taiga will introduce you to the diverse world of flora. The guide will tell you a lot of interesting things.
Lunch — lunch box (Japanese cuisine), Far Eastern delicacies, tea with herbs and berries.
19:00 Return to the hotel.
Dinner (on your own).

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Day 4 - Departure by boat to Kunashir
08:00 Breakfast in the hotel restaurant.
09:00 Transfer to Korsakov port.
Registration on the ship.
12:00 Departure of the motor ship "Igor Farkhutdinov" to the island of Kunashir.
The ship leaves the port of Korsakov and follows the coastline of the Tonino-Aniva Peninsula for 4 hours.
You can see the Aniva Lighthouse from aboard the ship, and dolphins and killer whales are likely to be seen during the passage through the Sea of Okhotsk.
Lunch and dinner on the boat in a cafe on your own.
Day 5 - Arrival in Yuzhno-Kurilsk. Fumarole field and thermal springs of the Mendeleev volcano
09:00 The ship's approach to the port of Yuzhno-Kurilsk, Kunashir Island.
Meeting at the port.
Breakfast in the cafe.
Transfer to the hotel. We leave our things.
Departure to the route of medium difficulty "Large fumarole field of the Mendeleev volcano".
By car for 30 minutes, then trekking for 2-2.5 hours through bamboo with a constant climb, 3 km in one direction.
A path with stops for a short rest.
Parking on the fumarole field ~ 2 hours.
Fumaroles and solfatars are among the largest, if not the largest, on all the Kuril Islands. From the erupting hum and high-temperature gases, it's even scary to imagine what's going on inside.
Lunch (dry ration).
Bathing in wild thermal springs (optional).
Dinner at the cafe.
Return to the hotel.
Day 6 - Cape Columnar. Stolbovskie springs. White Monks Rocks
09:00 Breakfast at the cafe.
10:00 Departure for the route of medium difficulty "Cape Columnar" — one of the most amazing and unique places on earth.
Residents of Kunashir say, "Whoever has not seen Cape Columnar has not seen Kunashir." Millions of years ago, as a result of the eruption of the Mendeleev volcano, basalt lava flowed towards the sea.
Physico-chemical processes have created such columnar structures in the form of five-hexagonal columns. But once you get here, it's impossible to accept that nature created it.
A mystical place with its own music. The cape, open on three sides, is located on the coast of the Sea of Okhotsk.
A difficult passage through small shelves of broken pillars.
Relaxing at the cape, swimming in the sea.
There are many sea urchins in the littoral lagoons.
Then 2 km along the shore to our cozy parking lot, where a bonfire lunch will be organized – delicious fish soup.
Dinner at the cafe.
Return to the hotel.

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Day 7 - Golovnin volcano. Lakes are Boiling and Hot
09:00 Breakfast at the cafe.
10:00 Departure for the route of medium difficulty "Volcano Golovnina. The Lakes are Boiling and Hot."
40 minutes by car, then trekking 2.5–3 hours along the path, 7 km in one direction.
The entire journey is accompanied by beautiful fields of cedar elderberry and Kuril bamboo, completely impassable to humans.
The volcano is a caldera about 4 km in diameter, surrounded by a ridge with a maximum height of 541 m.
There are four small domes and two crater lakes at the bottom of the caldera, Boiling and Hot.
The parking time in the caldera is ~3 hours.
Lunch (dry ration).
You can not swim in Boiling lake, there are hot springs, mud boilers and hot steam at the bottom of the lake and along the shores. It's possible and necessary to have hot things in the lake.
Dinner at the cafe.
Return to the hotel.

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Day 8 - Departure by boat to Shikotan Island
Room release.
Breakfast at the cafe.
11:00 Registration on the ship.
13:00 Departure of the Admiral Nevelskoy motor ship to Shikotan Island.
17:00 Arrival in Malokurilskoye settlement, Shikotan island.
Meeting at the port, transfer to the hotel.
Shikotan is a special place, a small Kuril island in the ocean, unlike any other.
Shikotan – if the island has a soul, then it is here, among bamboo expanses, meadow terraces, juniper thickets and inaccessible cliffs with edelweiss blooming on them.
There are no volcanoes, thermal springs, bears or snakes on Shikotan.
Shikotan has the most beautiful coves! You can't find them anywhere in the Kuril Islands.
A trip around the neighborhood.
Dinner at the hotel.
Day 9 - Jeep tour of the most iconic places of Shikotan with local hiking
Breakfast at the hotel.
Cape Edge of the World is a long (protruding into the ocean at 800 m) and flat cape surface breaks off into the ocean on three sides with 40-meter walls. And you realize that you are really on the edge of the world... both literally and figuratively. There are 7,000 km of the Pacific Ocean ahead.
Bezymyannaya Bay – in these places S. Govorukhin shot the film "Robinson Crusoe" starring Leonid Kuravlev in 1972.
Cape Crab, the lighthouse of Shpanberg (1943) is the last lighthouse built by the Japanese on the Kuril Islands from the remaining large lighthouse construction program that was not implemented due to the war.
The lighthouse is named after the brave traveler and navigator Martin Petrovich Shpanberg, who explored the Kuril Islands.
Lunch is hot on the coast.
Return to the hotel in the evening.
Dinner at the hotel.

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Day 10 - Sea kayaking trip. Cape Trident. Dimitrov Bay and Airfield
Breakfast at the hotel.
On shore, briefing, boarding sea kayaks is a safe and comfortable vessel.
There is always a boat with the group on insurance.
Shikotan has incredibly beautiful coves with sandy beaches, surrounded by steep cliffs and protruding capes, with multiple kekurs and arches.
A walk through such places will give you great pleasure from the pristine splendor and endless Pacific Ocean.
Lunch on the coast.
Then transfer to Dimitrov Bay and Airfield – incredibly beautiful places.
Small walks.
Dinner at the hotel.
According to the weather, the route can be arranged on another day.
Day 11 - Mount Shikotan. Departure to Sakhalin
Room release.
Early breakfast at the hotel.
Departure by jeep to the foot of the island's most important mountain, Shikotan (412 m), from the top of which you can enjoy a magnificent panorama of Shikotan Island and the neighboring islands of Kunashir and Iturup (in clear weather).
A simple hike up the mountain.
Transfer to the port, registration on the ship.
14:00 Departure of the Pavel Leonov motor ship.
Lunch and dinner on the boat on your own.
18:00 Transit stop on Kunashir.
Day 12 - A day on the ship and arrival on Sakhalin
Breakfast and lunch on the boat on your own.
20:00 Arrival at the port of Korsakov.
Transfer to the hotel.
Day 13 - Free day on Sakhalin
Breakfast at the hotel restaurant.
Free day (reserved in case of late arrival).
Walking through the beautiful Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk with a large number of alleys and parks, fragrant flower beds and many fountains will give you pleasure.
In the evening, land in one of the cozy restaurants with Japanese, Korean or pan-Asian cuisine.
We also recommend visiting:
1. Sakhalin Museum of Local Lore.
2. Victory Memorial Complex with interactive expositions and panoramas using various modern technologies. The Pobeda complex has entered the top of the best military museums in Russia.
3. Shops with Korean and Japanese goods.
4. Souvenir shops and a fish market with a wide variety of fresh seafood and Sakhalin delicacies. You can't think of a better gift for your family and friends!
Day 14 - Departure
Breakfast at the hotel.
Transfer to the airport.
Departure.

Difficulty

Involves moderate physical activity

Tour organizer's comments

The tour provides hiking routes of moderate difficulty, including those with constant climb, as well as jeep rides.

Accommodation

Hotel

8 nights

Comfort

Midscale
Upscale
Premium

The tour includes accommodation in hotels, a ship cabin and a motel.

The cost of the tour for 1 person is 239,000 rubles.

The surcharge for single occupancy on the tour is 40,000 rubles.

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

for a double suite at the Flagship hotel (with amenities) on Kunashir Island – 7000 rubles/person. (3 nights);
for a single room in the Iceberg 2 hotel (with amenities) on Kunashir Island – 7000 rubles/person. (3 nights);
for a double suite at the Iceberg 2/Iceberg 1 hotel (with amenities) on Kunashir Island – 7000 rubles/person. (3 nights).

4* hotel in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk

The tour provides accommodation for 5 nights in a 4* hotel in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk.

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Another option

The cabin

The tour provides accommodation in a four-person cabin of the motor ship Igor Farkhutdinov (on Kunashir) and the motor ship Pavel Leonov (on Sakhalin).

Port fees and bed linen on the ship are included in the price of the tour.

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Another option

Ostrovnoy Motel

Ostrovnoy Motel offers accommodation on the picturesque island of Shikotan.

The hotel offers:

buffet buffet;
mini-kitchens on each floor for comfortable cooking;
private laundry for the convenience of guests;
Internet;
recreation room and luggage storage;
rooms of two categories.

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Tour conditions

Group

From 3 to 25 tourists

Minimum age

7 years old

Duration

14 days 13 nights

Group meets at

Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk

Included in price

airport – hotel – airport transfer;
accommodation in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk at the 4 hotel*;
tour guide services;
meals specified in the program, including three meals a day on Kunashir and Shikotan;
Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk – Korsakov Port – Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk transfer;
accommodation in Yuzhno-Kurilsk at the Flagship Hotel (partial facilities);
accommodation on Shikotan at the Ostrovnoy Motel;
kayak and equipment rental;
port charges;
bed linen on the ship;
transportation services according to the program;
accompanying instructors- guides on the routes;
Kurilsky Nature Reserve pass;
border pass to Kunashir Island and Shikotan Island.

Paid extra

flights to Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk and back;
tickets (the price is preliminary, the exact price will be announced in April):
- tickets to Korsakov – Yuzhno-Kurilsk, Yuzhno-Kurilsk – Malokurilskoye, Malokurilskoye - Korsakov (four–person cabin) - 37 500 rub.;
meals on the ship;
surcharge for single occupancy;
additional payment for an increased comfort level of living on Kunashir (optional);
dinners in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk;
early check-in and late check-out of hotels;
medical insurance.

It's important to know

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 necessary 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).

Dates and Prices

from
$2,817

22 Jun – 5 Jul 14 days 13 nights

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14 days on the islands: Sakhalin — Kunashir — Shikotan