In the footsteps of Robinson Crusoe. Sightseeing tour to Sakhalin, Shikotan and Iturup

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You will have an unforgettable trip to three islands: Sakhalin, Shikotan and Iturup. Get ready for a real gastronomic discovery — here you can enjoy the freshest seafood prepared according to local recipes.

On this trip, you will see picturesque places such as Snezhkova Bay, Cape Edge of the World, the Yankito lava plateau and the Aniva Lighthouse. You can also relax in the hot thermal springs, taste eggs boiled in the thermal stream, and even learn how to open oysters.

Every day of your vacation will be filled with vivid impressions and unforgettable moments!

Location

Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk

Sightseeing tours

from

Early
booking

Contact the tour coordinator

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

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Tour highlights

Magical nature

You will see truly fantastic landscapes: coves, hot springs, amazing islands

Gastronomic delight

Try fresh scallops, red caviar, fish, wild oysters and much more.

Hot baths

Enjoy your vacation in the thermal springs

An active volcano

Go to the Baransky volcano, where you can see turquoise-colored hot lakes, fumaroles and mineral streams.

Yankito Lava Plateau

You will be able to make a lot of memorable shots among the frozen lava flows.

Kasatka Bay

You'll find a stranded fishing vessel

Itinerary

Day 1 - Arrival to Sakhalin. Sightseeing tour of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk. Welcome dinner
Arrival in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk.
Meeting at the airport. Transfer to the hotel, accommodation.
Check-in at the hotel from 14:00 (early check-in is possible with a 50% surcharge/room/night).
City sightseeing tour (2 hours). The start is approximately at 15:00, the exact time will be indicated two days before the tour.
During the tour, you will learn how the city grew and developed during the period of Japanese rule (at that time it was called Toyohara), you will see preserved Japanese buildings built in the same distant times, including one of the oldest buildings built in 1908 and the most striking buildings built in 1937.
Get acquainted with the most beautiful places of the modern, cozy city of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk and the main sights of the island capital.
We will visit three squares — Lenin, Victory and Glory, as well as Chekhov Center Square.
Sakhalin-style welcome dinner.
We will begin our journey with an introduction to Sakhalin cuisine. At dinner, you will taste the famous hemultan soup and salads made from Sakhalin wild plants.
We'll discuss the details of the trip over dinner.
Transfer to the hotel after dinner. Rest.

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Day 2 - Departure by ship from the port of Korsakov
Breakfast at the hotel restaurant.
08:00 Room check-in.
Departure to the seaport of Korsakov.
09:30 Check-in and boarding the ship.
12:00 Departure to Shikotan Island (t/x Admiral Nevelskoy or t/x Pavel Leonov).
Travel time is ~21 hours.
Important information:
meals on the ship are paid additionally;
stock up on drinking water and snacks for the trip. Drinks can be purchased on the ship, but much more expensive;
payment by card on the ship is accepted, but the connection may "hang up", so always have cash with you.

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Day 3 - Arrival at Shikotan Island (Malokurilskoye). Snezhkov Bay
09:00 Approach to Shikotan island.
When approaching Shikotan Island, prepare documents in advance for disembarkation from the ship: a passport and documents allowing you to stay in the border area (a pass or a contract).
Disembarkation. Transfer to the hotel. Accommodation is possible after the tour.
10:00 a.m. Breakfast.
10:30 Departure to Snezhkova Bay.
Shikotan Island is an ideal place for hiking enthusiasts!
Snezhkova Bay is located far from highways. To see the beauty of the bay, you need to walk for about two hours in one direction.
But the path leading to the sea itself is also beautiful with its views. A low-growing stone-birch forest with intricately curved tree branches. An open hilly landscape that looks plush because of the green and yellow stunted bamboo.
Islands of juniper thickets: you just want to lie down in the very middle and breathe in plenty of useful aromas. So unnoticed, we will reach the top of the hill, from which a breathtaking panorama will open, covering the entire southeastern coast of the island!
You can't do without an escort: you won't turn off the path, and you'll find out that that shrub in the form of a Christmas tree is a juniper tree (not every city dweller knows this), and it will tell you which hill a miracle awaits us.
13:00 Lunch camping (lunch box) in the bay.
18:00 Return to the village.
19:00 Dinner at the hotel cafe.
Important information: The route starts from the village of Krabozavodskoye, it is difficult due to the hilly terrain. The distance there and back is 14-15 km.
The travel time there is ~2-2.40, and the return time is up to 3 hours. It will be much easier to walk along the trail with trekking poles.
Recommendations: on this route, it is advisable to have comfortable sneakers or trekking shoes, mosquito repellent, in case of adverse weather conditions, do not forget to take a raincoat and raincoats for shoes or rubber boots.
Day 4 - Cape Edge of the World, Nameless Bay
09:00 Breakfast in the hotel cafe.
10:00 Departure to Cape Edge of the World.
Perhaps the most popular place on the island of Shikotan. It is a rocky outcrop extending far into the sea and ending in 40-meter walls. When you get here, the meaning of the name immediately becomes clear.
From above, you can enjoy a breathtaking view of the vast expanses of the Pacific Ocean, and you can't help but think that you are really on the edge of the earth!
At a distance of just over 1 km to the southeast of the legendary Cape Edge of the World is Cape Crab, which got its name because of its external similarity to the arthropod of the same name.
In September 1943, the Spanberg Lighthouse was built on this cape, named after the captain who discovered more than three dozen Kuril islands in the 18th century, including Shikotan. It became the last lighthouse built by the Japanese on the Kuril Islands.
14:00 Lunch camping (lunchbox) in the bay.
There is an unnamed bay not far from cape "Edge of the World". According to many eyewitnesses, this bay is the most beautiful natural place on the island due to the scattering of islands located inside the bay.
It was there that the film "The Life and Adventures of Robinson Crusoe" starring Leonid Kuravlev was shot in 1972.
In the bay you will see the famous log that Robinson Crusoe chopped.
Our escorts will show you the most successful angles for creating photos!
19:00 Dinner at the hotel cafe.
The distance of about 24 km there and back is covered by transport, the passage between the bays up to 4 km is planned on foot. The duration of the tour is 6 – 7 hours.
Recommendations: on this route, it is advisable to have comfortable sneakers or trekking shoes, those who use trekking poles, mosquito repellent, in case of adverse weather conditions, do not forget to take a raincoat, wear waterproof shoes.
Day 5 - Mount Shikotan. Exit by sea island of Shikotan — O. Iturup
08:00 Breakfast in the hotel cafe. Check-in rooms.
08:30 Shikotan Mountain Tour.
The highest mountain on the island of Shikotan is 412 meters. It is located near the village of Malokurilskoye.
At the time of Karafuto, a Japanese sea observation post was located on the mountain, and later, during the Soviet era, military locators were abandoned at the present time. Most of the island is visible from the mountain.
The rift is clearly visible at the foot of the mountain. In clear weather, the islands of Kunashir and Iturup are visible.
11:00 Departure to the hotel.
13:00 Lunch at the hotel.
14:00 Transfer to the port. Boarding the ship.
16:00 Departure to Iturup Island (t/x Admiral Nevelskoy or t/x Pavel Leonov). Travel time is ~ 17 hours.
Important information:
meals on the ship are paid additionally;
stock up on drinking water and snacks for the trip. Drinks can be purchased on the ship, but they are much more expensive.;
card payment on the ship is accepted, but the connection may be suspended.

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Day 6 - Arrival on the island Iturup. Jeep tour along the coast to the White Cliffs. Hot Waters thermal springs
09:00 Arrival at the island. Iturup. Disembarkation.
Transfer to the cafe for breakfast.
10:00 Breakfast at the cafe.
11:00 Departure for an excursion along the coast of the Sea of Okhotsk to the beach with White cliffs. The length of the cliffs is about 28 km.
They consist of porous volcanic glass and pumice, frozen as a result of a colossal eruption of a red-hot gas cloud. The beach sand consists of white quartz and black titanium-magnetite sand. Due to the mixture of these two sands, an extremely beautiful gray-graphite sandy beach is formed.
12:30 Stop at the beach with White cliffs. A walk through the canyon.
13:30 Departure to the Black Stones.
14:00 Arrival at the Black Stones. Walk. Vacation on the coast of the Sea of Okhotsk. Those who wish can swim.
15:00 Lunch on the shore of the Sea of Okhotsk (Iturup fish soup, tea, fish preserves, sliced vegetables, tea with bagels or the like).
16:00 Boarding the transport. Departure to the thermal springs.
17:00 Rest in the Hot Waters thermal springs (1 hour).
18:00 Boarding the transport. Return to Kurilsk, to the hotel.
19:00 Dinner at a cafe in the city.
Recommendations: clothes for the weather, bathing accessories for swimming in the sea and springs, bed sheets (can be taken at the hotel reception).
If it is impossible to cook lunch in nature due to weather conditions, lunch will be provided in a cafe.

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Day 7 - Kasatka Bay Jeep Tour. The mirrored beach. The Devil's Rock. Jeep tour to the Yankito lava plateau. Thermal springs "Baths"
09:00 Breakfast in a cafe in the city.
10:00 Departure towards the Pacific Ocean.
11:30 Kasatka Bay. The first stop is at the "mirrored" beach, which looks like an endless sea mirror. A stranded fishing vessel is the most popular photo object among the island's guests.
12:00 You will definitely drive to the Chertovka rock. At one time, the Japanese pierced tunnels in it for through passage for military purposes, which have survived to this day.
You will walk (somewhere you will crawl) through the battlefields, you will see the site of the former "hospital", the so-called laboratory where the Japanese worked on the development of bacteriological weapons. In good weather, those who wish to swim in the Pacific Ocean.
13:30 Lunch on the shore of the Pacific Ocean (fried fish, boiled potatoes, canned fish, sliced vegetables, tea with bagels or the like).
Relaxing on the shore.
14:30 Departure on the way back.
15:30 Excursion to the foot of the Bogdan Khmelnitsky volcano in Yankito, which is a plateau of frozen lava flows of bizarre shape. Beautiful landscapes that open from any viewpoint. Bright, spectacular photos, unique impressions!
Dear ladies, feel like a fashion model, take your favorite dress with you and have an amazing photo shoot among the frozen lava flows!
16:30 Transfer to the thermal springs.
17:00 Visit to the thermal springs "Baths" (Rybaki village), 1 hour.
18:30 Transfer to the hotel.
Dinner on your own.
Recommendations:
If it is impossible to cook lunch outdoors due to weather conditions, lunch will be provided in a cafe.;
To visit the thermal springs, take bathing accessories, rubber slippers, and a bed sheet (at the hotel reception). In case of adverse weather conditions, do not forget to take a raincoat and rubber boots.

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Day 8 - The Museum of Local Lore. Jeep tour to the foot of Baransky volcano. Departure to Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk
09:00 Breakfast in a cafe in the city. Check-in rooms.

09:45 Transfer to the museum.

10:00 Visit to the Museum of Local lore, where you will be met by professionals who love their region and know the history of O. Iturup people.

11:00 Departure to Baransky volcano by car (duration 5 hours).

Baransky volcano (1132 meters high) is one of the most accessible active volcanoes on the island of Iturup with hot lakes of unusual turquoise color, fumaroles, mineral streams and healing springs.

You will enjoy the beauty and relaxation in the thermal baths, taste eggs with caviar, boiled directly in volcanic water.

11:30 Visit to the observation deck.

12:00 Visit to the mud cauldron field. Excursion. We cook eggs in a thermal stream.

13:00 Tasting of boiled eggs with red caviar and champagne. Camping snack (tea or coffee, fish preserves, vegetable and cheese cuts).

14:00 Departure to the complex with thermal springs.

14:30 Arrival at the thermal complex. Walk along the ecological trail to the turquoise lakes. PHOTOSESSION.

15:00 Return to the thermal complex. Bathing in thermal springs. Rest.

Transfer to the airport.

Check-in for the flight. Departure to Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk.

Arrival in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk. Meeting, transfer to the hotel, accommodation.

Attention! In the area of fumarole fields, precautions must be taken – you can fall into hot mud, and in the area of mineral springs you can get chemical burns. You can only swim in springs with a certain water temperature.

Recommendations: on this route, it is advisable to have bathing accessories, rubber slippers, and a sheet (you can take it at the hotel reception). The tour takes place by car.

The exact time of departure to Iturup is unknown at the time of the program's publication. In case of significant differences in the timing of the program with the actual flight schedule, the program may be changed, while the volume and content of excursions will remain unchanged.

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Day 9 - Aniva Lighthouse and lunch with oysters at Busse Lagoon
05:45 Pick up the cars at the hotel, departure to the place of the general gathering of the group at the Aniva lighthouse.
Important! The night before, order your breakfast with you at the hotel reception.
06:00 Departure from Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk to Novikovo settlement.
08:30 Arrival in the village. Novikovo. Briefing, preparation for going to sea.
09:00 Departure from Novikovo village on PVC motorboats.
11:00 Arrival at Aniva Lighthouse.
12:00 Transfer to Cape Marble.
During sea crossings we can meet sea lions, seals, dolphins and killer whales.
13:00 Arrival at Cape Marble. A walk, a photo shoot.
13:30 Departure to the village. Novikovo.
14:30 Arrival in the village. Novikovo. Preparation for departure to the village of Muravyovo (lagoon Busse).
14:45 Transfer to Busse Lagoon.
15:15 Stay on the lagoon coast.
A master class on opening oysters. PHOTOSESSION.
Lunch of freshly caught seafood and wild oysters.
You will have an exciting journey to a unique seafood "restaurant" with a tasting of wild oysters, completely unique in their taste qualities, which you can taste only on Sakhalin.
In the menu:
½ glass of wine;
fresh scallop;
red caviar;
slicing of fish;
wild oysters with lemon and signature oyster sauce;
baked oysters with cheese and garlic;
Sakhalin Childhood dish (seasonal fish baked in burdock leaves);
Sakhalin ear; fresh vegetables;
mors; tea/coffee.
18:00 Transfer from Busse Lagoon to Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk.
20:00 The end of the excursion to Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk.
Return to the hotel or to the gathering place.
Recommendations:
Aniva Lighthouse — on this route, on the way by boat across the sea, do not forget to take a raincoat, hat, and cotton gloves.
Lunch with oysters: take your favorite wine with you. Dry white wine, prosecco and brut go well with oysters.
Please note! While on board a swimming vessel, you must adhere to generally accepted norms of behavior, not create dangerous or threatening situations. Be sure to wear a life jacket, if you get motion sickness, you need to take a medication for motion sickness. During excursions, take care of cultural and historical monuments, as well as take care of nature.
A boat trip, part of a planned excursion, depends entirely on the mercy of the sea.
In case of bad weather conditions and the inability to go out to sea, part of the excursion, a boat trip, will be canceled. The money for the cancelled part of the tour in the amount of 5,500 rubles will be refunded. In this case, the Busse Lagoon Gastro Tour will be conducted.

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Day 10 - The end of the program. Departure from Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk
07:00 Breakfast in the hotel restaurant.
Transfer to the airport with the possibility to stop by (by prior arrangement) to the fish market.
Check-in time is until 12:00 (late check-out is possible with a 50% surcharge/room/day).

Difficulty

Involves moderate physical activity

Tour organizer's comments

Physical fitness and the absence of problems with the musculoskeletal system are important. Walking distance can be up to 20 km per day.

Accommodation

Hotel

3 nights

Comfort

Midscale
Upscale
Premium

The tour provides accommodation:

3 nights in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk in one of the hotels of your choice;
2 nights on Shikotan Island at the Ostrovnoy Motel (standard rooms with amenities);
2 nights on the island. Iturup in standard rooms at the Kasatka Guest House;
2 nights in a cabin on the ship Pavel Leonov or Admiral Nevelskoy.

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

Hotels	Double occupancy	Single occupancy	Child under 12 years old for double occupancy
Squirrel 3*	219 268	28 000	216 268
Mega Palace Hotel 4*	223 028	33 500	220 028

Mega Palace Hotel

This hotel is located on the Far Eastern island of Sakhalin, at the foot of the Susunai Mountains.

It features a restaurant with a varied menu, a spa and a nightclub.

The center of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk is just a 15-minute drive away.

The multi-storey Mega Palace Hotel offers its guests modern rooms and apartments with antique-style furniture.

Each room is equipped with cable TV, a safe and a minibar.

The hotel's spa area includes a fitness center, hot tub and sauna.

In the evening, guests can visit a karaoke bar or a nightclub with DJ performances.

A buffet breakfast is served every morning.

The Marquis Restaurant serves Russian, European and Japanese cuisine, while Serbian cuisine can be enjoyed at the Grill on the Sky Restaurant. The hotel also has an Asian cuisine restaurant "Asia" and a Japanese BamBoo restaurant.

Guests can relax at the Duke Karaoke Bar.

Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk Airport is a 30-minute drive from the hotel. Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk Central Railway Station is a 20-minute drive away.

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Another option

The Belka Hotel

A three-star hotel with an unusual name "Belka" is located in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk.

For the convenience of guests, there is parking, free internet access, a safe and laundry facilities. Those who want to relax after a busy day are invited to visit the sauna.

The hotel's room stock is represented by 46 categories, which vary in size and comfort level. Despite this, all rooms are equipped with comfortable furniture to make your stay as comfortable as possible. Each room has a private bathroom with a shower.

Breakfast is served every morning in the hotel's restaurant. Lunch and dinner can also be ordered or you can visit nearby cafes and restaurants.

In the immediate vicinity of the hotel there are attractions such as the Regional Museum of Local Lore, the Chekhov Theater Center and the Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ.

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Another option

Cabin on the ship "Pavel Leonov"/"Admiral Nevelskoy"

A place in a four-person cabin with Class III facilities.

Meals on the ship and drinking water are paid for independently.

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Another option

Ostrovnoy Motel

The Ostrovnoy Motel provides conditions for a comfortable stay for guests.

The motel has free parking and internet access.

The hotel offers rooms of two categories: single and double rooms. There are rooms for people with disabilities.

A buffet with a buffet breakfast line is available for guests. There is a kitchenette on each floor. The motel also has a relaxation room, its own laundry room, luggage storage, meeting rooms and a spacious lobby.

The interior of the motel is designed in loft style. The rooms are equipped with comfortable and modern furniture, as well as bathrooms, which provides guests with comfortable accommodation and relaxation.

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Another option

Kasatka Guest House

The Kasatka Hotel started its operation in May 2022.

The hotel has 4 rooms with two separate beds and a bathroom, as well as two showers for four rooms.

The hotel also has 2 single rooms with in-room amenities and one triple room that can accommodate four people.

The room has all the necessary amenities.

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Tour conditions

Group

up to 17 tourists

Minimum age

9 years old

Duration

10 days 9 nights

Group meets at

Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk

Included in price

guided tours according to the program;
transfers according to the program;
accommodation on the island Iturup standard rooms at Kasatka Guest House;
accommodation on the island of Shikotan in the Ostrovnoy motel, standard rooms with amenities;
meals included in the program (8 breakfasts + 1 with yourself, 6 lunches, 4 dinners);
transportation services on the routes;
Sakhalin Island tour service;
guided tours to Shikotan Island, Iturup Island;
entrance tickets to the springs;
registration of permits for staying in the border area on the island Iturup, Shikotan Island;
accident insurance, insurance coverage up to 100,000 rubles.

Paid extra

flights to Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk and back;
air ticket on the Kurilsk — Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk route (surcharge when booking the tour). The price of the 2024 flight ticket is indicated. In case of an increase in the cost of the ticket, the difference is paid additionally.:
- adult — 8,900 rubles.;
- child 2-12 years old — 5,500 rubles.;
ticket for the ship "Pavel Leonov" or "Admiral Nevelskoy" on the route O. Sakhalin (Korsakov Port) — Shikotan Island (Malokurilskoye port), travel time ~21 hours (place in a class III cabin, 4-bed with amenities). The price shown is for 2024. In case of an increase in the cost, the difference is paid additionally.:
- adult — 5,700 rubles.;
- child 2-12 years old — 4,300 rubles.;
ticket for the ship "Pavel Leonov" or "Admiral Nevelskoy" on the route O.Shikotan (Malokurilskoye port) – O.Iturup (Kurilsk) travel time ~ 17 hours (room in a cabin class III, 4-bed with amenities). The price shown is for 2024. In case of an increase in the cost, the difference is paid additionally.:
- adult — 3,500 rubles.;
- a child of 2-12 years — 2,800 rubles.;
meals on the ship, drinking water;
dinners on the island Iturup, indicated in the program marked "independently";
surcharge for early check—in at the hotel - 50%/room/day;
The surcharge for late check—out is 50%/room/day.

It's important to know

Camping equipment:

clothes:
- a warm sweater;
- warm wool socks;
- windbreaker;
- windproof and waterproof jacket;
- raincoat for clothes
- raincoat for shoes;
- thermal underwear;
- t-shirts;
- shorts;
- bathing suit;
headdress, accessories:
- a panama hat or a cap;
- knitted hat;
- sunglasses;
- cotton gloves;
shoes:
- comfortable sneakers, worn, with tenacious soles or trekking boots, waterproof sneakers;
- sandals for walking on water, slates.

On each route, you must have a change of clothes and shoes with you.

Documents:

passport, voucher;
compulsory medical insurance policy;
insurance policy;
birth certificate (if a child is flying with you).

Dates and Prices

from
$2,195

4 – 13 Aug 10 days 9 nights

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from
$2,195

1 – 10 Sep 10 days 9 nights

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Reviews

AA
Alexey Alexandrovich Tolmachev

13 Nov, 2024

about provider

The experience was incredible: the vast Pacific Ocean, the Sea of Okhotsk, rolling hills, volcanoes, mountain roads by jeep, miles of sea journeys, and new friends along the way. In Kurilsk, we were warmly welcomed and surrounded by kind, helpful people. A special thanks to Guram and Svetlana, Igor and Nikita. And many thanks to the 'Big Country' team, especially Dmitry. Explore the wonders of Russia...

13 Nov, 2024

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In the footsteps of Robinson Crusoe. Sightseeing tour to Sakhalin, Shikotan and Iturup

Location

Tour highlights

Itinerary

Accommodation

Tour conditions

Included in price

Paid extra

It's important to know

Dates and Prices

Reviews

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