Breakfast in the hotel restaurant or cafe.
09:00 Departure on the route Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk – Nevelsk.
The road to Nevelsk passes through one of the picturesque and high passes of Sakhalin Island — Lovetsky Pass, the length of which is about 13 km. The highest point is Staritsky Mountain, which rises 439 meters above sea level.
The pass offers beautiful views of the Sakhalin hills, which allows you to see all the beauty of the flora on Sakhalin. At the beginning of the 19th century, the site of Nevelsk was occupied by the Ainu settlements of Ponto-Kesi, which means "on the edge of the lake". From 1905-1946, the city bore the Japanese name Honto.
10:45 Arrival in Nevelsk. Visit to the city's waterfront.
11:15 Departure to the place of the tour.
11:30 Arrival at the seaside. Verification of documents, briefing, issuance of life jackets.
12:00-12:30 Boat trip to sea lions. The duration is 30 minutes.
Boat access to the breakwater with the sea lion rookery, the total distance on the water (from the shore to the breakwater): 3 km.
We will see a unique natural phenomenon (only in three places on the planet: Nevelsk/Sakhalin, Kamchatka, Seattle/USA) — sea lion rookery in the city, we will hear their “dialogues”, take stunning photos at a minimum distance.
12:30 Return to the shore.
12:45 Departure along the picturesque sea coast to the port city of Kholmsk.
The city of Kholmsk is the main sea gate of Sakhalin. The seaport of Kholmsk is located on the southwestern coast of the island, at the top of Nevelsky Bay and includes the Southern Harbor and the Northern Harbor.
13:30-14:20 Arrival in Kholmsk. Sightseeing tour.
During the tour, we will see the remains of an old Japanese pulp and paper mill, visit the courtyard where our famous poet, musician and composer lived in his youth. An interesting fact: Igor Nikolaev was born in Kholmsk.
Let's take a walk along Primorsky Boulevard and take beautiful photos against the background of the sea coast, with panoramic views of the main sea gate of Sakhalin, connecting the island with the mainland.
14:20-15:30 Lunch at a cafe on the territory of Primorsky Boulevard (self-payment). A walk along the embankment.
15:30 Departure to Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk along another of the beautiful passes of our island, the Kholmsky pass.
On the way, we will make a stop at the highest point of the pass, which offers a wonderful view. We will visit the memorial to the soldiers who fell during the storming of the pass, during the liberation of Southern Sakhalin in 1945.
We will stop at the base of "Bambucki", where we can arrange a photo session against the background of the fragments of the governorate of Karafuto.
18:00 The end of the tour. Return to the hotel or to the gathering place.
Dinner on your own.
Recommendations: windproof hiking / sweatpants and a hooded jacket, fleece and thermal underwear under them, scarf / snood, headdress (tightly fitting to the head), trekking shoes, motion sickness remedy (for those who are seasick, reception 1 hour before departure), identity document, raincoat when adverse weather conditions.