Island trip: Sakhalin — Kunashir — Shikotan — Iturup

We invite you to see the most famous Kuril Islands!

You will visit four islands, swim in thermal springs, climb volcanoes and visit picturesque capes and coves.

You will find a boat trip between the islands, an airplane flight, the most interesting trekking routes and, of course, gastronomic delights — you will be able to enjoy the taste of the freshest seafood and Far Eastern delicacies.

Location

Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk
from
$2,872
+ tickets to the starting point of the tour
No need to pay now
Duration
18 Days
17 Nights
Departures
  • Group departures
    • Dates for next season
    • 13 – 30 July, 2025
    • 3 – 20 August, 2025
    • 1 – 18 September, 2025
or
Accommodation
  • Hotel
    16 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

Frozen lava flows
Take atmospheric photos on Cape Columnar on Kunashir and on the Yankito plateau on Iturup
Sea kayaking trip
We will go to Dolphin Bay, where you will take a relaxing walk surrounded by incredible landscapes
Jeep tour of Shikotan
You will visit the "Edge of the World", the filming locations of the film "Robinson Crusoe" and the lighthouse of Spanberg
Far Eastern delicacies
Enjoy the freshest seafood, caviar and fish soup with red fish
Relaxation in the thermal baths
Relax and recuperate in the relaxing hot baths
Fumarole fields
You will see the hot "breath" of two volcanoes — Mendeleev and Baransky

Itinerary

  • Day 1 - Sightseeing tour of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk. Lunch at a Japanese restaurant

    Arrival in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk. 

    Meeting at the airport. 

    Transfer to the hotel, we leave our things.

    Check-in at all hotels at 14:00, if necessary, early check-in is booked and paid in advance.

    Welcome lunch at a 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.

    2 more photos
  • Day 2 - The bay Is Quiet. The eastern coast of the Sea of Okhotsk
  • Day 3 - Flight to Kunashir. A walk along the coast
  • Day 4 - The fumarole field of the Mendeleev volcano. Thermal springs
  • 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. The Veslovsky Peninsula. Pacific ocean
  • Day 8 - Sea crossing to Shikotan
  • Day 9 - Jeep tour of the most iconic places of Shikotan Island with local hiking
  • Day 10 - Dolphin Bay. Sea kayaking trip
  • Day 11 - Jeep tour to Snezhkov Bay
  • Day 12 - Mount Shikotan. Aerodromnaya and Khromova bays. Departure by boat to Iturup
  • Day 13 - Arrival at Iturup. Fumarole field and thermal springs of Baransky volcano
  • Day 14 - Boat trip. The Chirip Peninsula. White rocks. The Sea of Okhotsk
  • Day 15 - Kasatka Bay. A rock massif in the Bay of Kasatka. Pacific ocean
  • Day 16 - The Yankito Plateau. Flight to Sakhalin
  • Day 17 - Free day
  • Day 18 - Departure
Difficulty
Involves moderate physical activity

Accommodation

Accommodation
  • Hotel
    16 nights
  • Cabin on the boat
    1 night
Comfort
  • Midscale
  • 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*297 00040 400
Mega Palace 4*299 00043 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 — 8,200 rubles/person/5 nights;
  • for a single room in the Iceberg 2 hotel (with amenities) on Kunashir Island — 8,200 rubles/person/5 nights;
  • for a double suite at the Iceberg 2 hotel (with amenities) on Kunashir Island — 8,200 rubles/person/5 nights.

Additional 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
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 5 nights
The hotel "Tomori" 3 nights
Cabin 1 night
Hotel on the island of Shikotan 4 nights

Tour conditions

Group
up to 25 tourists
Minimum age
7 years old
Duration
18 days 17 nights
Group meets at
Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk

Included in price

  • airport — hotel — airport transfer;
  • accommodation in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, 2-bed accommodation;
  • services of a tour guide;
  • meals according to the program;
  • transfer Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk — airport — Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk; 
  • accommodation in Yuzhno-Kurilsk at the Flagship hotel (b/w), 2-bed accommodation; 
  • 3 meals a day on Kunashir; 
  • accommodation in a hotel on Shikotan, 2-bed accommodation;
  • 3 meals a day on Shikotan;
  • accommodation in the hotel "Tomori" in Kurilsk, 2-bed accommodation; 
  • 3 meals a day on Iturup; 
  • boat and equipment rental;
  • kayak and equipment rental;
  • transportation services according to the program; 
  • escort by instructors-guides on the routes;
  • entrance tickets to the thermal complexes "Sources of the Baransky volcano" and "Hot Waters";
  • a pass to the Kurilsky Nature Reserve;
  • border crossing to Kunashir Island, Shikotan Island and Iturup.

Paid extra

  • flights to Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk and back;
  • flight Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk — Yuzhno-Kurilsk / Kurilsk — Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk — 15,000 rubles.;
  • ticket for the ship Yuzhno-Kurilsk — Malokurilskoye settlement, 4-bed cabin — 2,500 rubles/person.;
  • ticket for the motor ship Malokurilskoye — Kurilsk, 4-bed cabin — 2,500 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).
Safety Memo
Are plane tickets included in the tour price?
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
    $2,872
    13 – 30 Jul, 2025 18 days 17 nights
    Submit request
    No need to pay now
  • from
    $2,872
    3 – 20 Aug, 2025 18 days 17 nights
    Submit request
    No need to pay now
  • from
    $2,872
    1 – 18 Sep, 2025 18 days 17 nights
    Submit request
    No need to pay now