In this tour you will visit Sakhalin and Kunashir, the southernmost island of the Great Kuril Ridge. 

Here, the earth breathes hot steam, the grass is taller than a man, and the foothills of volcanoes are lined with bamboo. 

You will taste fresh seafood, go to the neighboring island by boat, see the fumarole field of the Mendeleev volcano and swim in wild thermal springs

Location

Russia, Sakhalin region, Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk
from
$1,469
+ tickets to the starting point of the tour
No need to pay now
Duration
11 Days
10 Nights
Departures
  • Group departures
    • Dates for next season
    • 21 June – 1 July, 2025
    • 23 July – 2 August, 2025
    • 2 – 12 October, 2025
    • 9 – 19 October, 2025
or
Accommodation
  • Hotel
    8 nights
  • Cabin on the boat
    2 nights
Comfort
  • Upscale
  • Premium
Difficulty
Moderate
Involves moderate physical activity
Group
Up to 25 people
Minimum age
7 years old
Group meet at
Russia, Sakhalin region, Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk
Contact the tour coordinator
Weekdays: 8am - 8pm
Weekends: 8am - 7pm (GMT +3)
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Tour highlights

Cape Columnar
Let's explore a mystical place with our own music
Hello, Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk!
Let's go on a sightseeing tour of the city
Cape Giant
We will walk along the coast of the Sea of Okhotsk and explore the bay, grottoes, bird markets
Natural thermal springs
Take a dip in the wild springs
The nature of Kunashir
We will see the most beautiful fields of cedar elfin and Kuril bamboo
Tastes of the Far East
Let's taste Sakhalin fish soup, local delicacies and caviar

Itinerary

  • Day 1 - 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 the hotel is at 14:00 (early check-in is booked and paid in advance if necessary).

    Welcome lunch at a Japanese restaurant.

    Sightseeing bus tour of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk

    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.

    3 more photos
  • Day 2 - The bay Is Quiet. The Island Is Noticeable. The eastern coast of the Sea of Okhotsk
  • Day 3 - Cape Bird and Cape Giant. The southeastern coast of the Sea of Okhotsk. Jeep Tour
  • Day 4 - Departure to Kunashir
  • Day 5 - Arrival on Kunashir. A walk along the Pacific Ocean coast
  • Day 6 - The fumarole field of the Mendeleev volcano. Thermal springs of the Mendeleev volcano
  • Day 7 - Golovnin volcano. Lakes are Boiling and Hot
  • Day 8 - Cape Columnar. Stolbovsky sources. The White Monks Rocks. The Sea of Okhotsk. Departure to Sakhalin
  • Day 9 - Arrival in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk
  • Day 10 - Free day
  • Day 11 - Transfer to the airport
Difficulty
Involves moderate physical activity

Accommodation

Accommodation
  • Hotel
    8 nights
  • Cabin on the boat
    2 nights
Comfort
  • Upscale
  • Premium

The tour includes accommodation in hotels. 

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

HotelsDouble occupancySurcharge for single occupancy
Gagarin 3* / Belka 3*144 00015 600
Mega Palace 4*146 00019 800

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

  • for a double suite at the Flagship hotel (with amenities) on Kunashir Island — 5,000 rubles/person/3 nights;
  • for a single room in the Iceberg 2 hotel (with amenities) on Kunashir Island — 5,000 rubles/person/3 nights;
  • for a double suite at the Iceberg 2 hotel (with amenities) on Kunashir Island — 5,000 rubles/person/3 nights.

Extra day of stay in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk (if necessary), RUB.: 

HotelsDouble RoomSingle Room
Gagarin 3* / Belka 3*7 2005 800
Mega Palace 4*8 3007 200
Mega Palace Hotel 4* or Gagarin 3 Hotel* or 5 nights
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.

4 more photos
Another option
Gagarin 3 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.

Another option
Hotel Belka 3*

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.

3 more photos
Cabin 2 nights
Flagship Hotel or The Iceberg Hotel 3 nights

Tour conditions

Group
up to 25 tourists
Minimum age
7 years old
Duration
11 days 10 nights
Group meets at
Russia, Sakhalin region, Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk

Included in price

  • airport — hotel — airport transfer;
  • accommodation in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, 2-bed accommodation;
  • transfer Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk — Korsakov port — Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk; 
  • port charges;
  • bed linen on the ship;
  • accommodation in Yuzhno-Kurilsk, in the Flagship hotel, 2-bed accommodation (b/w); 
  • meals on Sakhalin according to the program;
  • meals on Kunashir 3 times a day; 
  • transportation services according to the program; 
  • escort by instructors/guides on the routes; 
  • services of a tour guide;
  • a pass to the Kurilsky Nature Reserve;
  • border crossing to Kunashir Island and Shikotan Island.

Paid extra

  • flights to Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk and back;
  • ticket for the Korsakov — Yuzhno-Kurilsk — Korsakov train (4-bed cabin) — 10,800 rubles/person.;
  • meals on the ship;
  • dinners in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk;
  • early check-in to hotels and late check-out from hotels;
  • surcharge for single occupancy;
  • additional payment for an increased level of comfort of living on Kunashir;
  • 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).
Are plane tickets included in the price of the tour?
Is insurance included in the price of the tour?
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
    $1,469
    21 Jun – 1 Jul, 2025 11 days 10 nights
    Submit request
    No need to pay now
  • from
    $1,469
    23 Jul – 2 Aug, 2025 11 days 10 nights
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    No need to pay now
  • from
    $1,561
    2 – 12 Oct, 2025 11 days 10 nights
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    No need to pay now
  • from
    $1,561
    9 – 19 Oct, 2025 11 days 10 nights
    Submit request
    No need to pay now