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

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The distant Kuril Islands are invited to visit!

You will go out to the Sea of Okhotsk by boat, admire the picturesque coves of Shikotan, make fascinating trekking trips and visit the volcanoes of Kunashir. This trip will be remembered for a long time!

Location

Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk

from

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

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Tour highlights

Sea kayaking

Go to Dolphin Bay and swim surrounded by incredible landscapes

The greatness of volcanoes

Admire the fumarole field of the Mendeleev volcano and the lakes of the Golovnin volcano

Cape Columnar

You will see basalt lava frozen millions of years ago in the form of 5-6-faceted columns

Water relaxation

Swim in the Sea of Okhotsk and wild thermal springs

Jeep tour of Shikotan

Find yourself at the Edge of the World, in the filming locations of the film "Robinson Crusoe" and see the lighthouse of Spunberg

Itinerary

Day 1 - Departure by boat to Shikotan
09:00 Transfer to Korsakov port. Registration on the ship.
12:00 Departure of the ship to Shikotan Island.
The vessel 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 2 - Arrival at Shikotan. Jeep tour of the most iconic places of Shikotan
Breakfast on the boat (on your own).
09:00 The ship's approach to the port of Malokurilskoye settlement, Shikotan island.
Shikotan is a special place, a small Kuril island in the ocean unlike any other.
Shikotan is a poem! If the island has a soul, then it is here, among bamboo expanses, meadow terraces, juniper thickets and inaccessible rocks with edelweiss blooming on them.
There are no volcanoes, thermal springs, bears or snakes on Shikotan.
Meeting at the port. Transfer to the hotel. We leave our things.
Route: Jeep tour of the most iconic places of Shikotan island with local hiking.
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 — ear.
Return to the hotel in the evening.
Supper.

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Day 3 - Dolphin Bay and sea kayaking
Breakfast at the hotel.
Departure by car to Dolphin Bay, the opposite part of the island from Malokurilskoye settlement.
Due to the fact that the bay cuts deeply into the land, the water here is calm and extremely comfortable for sea kayaking (a safe, inflatable, very comfortable vessel).
Shikotan has incredibly beautiful bays with sandy beaches, surrounded by steep cliffs and protruding capes, with multiple kekurs and arches. A walk through one of them, Dolphin Bay, will give you great pleasure from the pristine splendor and endless Quiet.
Lunch on the coast.
Return to the hotel in the evening.
Supper.
According to the weather, the route can be arranged on another day.
Day 4 - Mount Shikotan. Aerodromnaya Bay. Cape Khromova
Breakfast at the hotel.
Departure by jeep to the main mountain of the island — Shikotan (412 m), from the top of which you can enjoy a panorama of Shikotan Island and the neighboring islands of Kunashir and Iturup.
Lunch on the route.
Visit to the observation deck in Aerodromnaya Bay and a walk on Cape Khromova.
Return to the hotel in the evening.
Supper.
Day 5 - Sea crossing to Kunashir
Room release.
Breakfast at the hotel.
A short trip to the surrounding area.
Transfer to the port. Registration on the ship.
13:00 Departure of the ship to Kunashir Island.
17:00 Arrival of the vessel in Yuzhno-Kurilsk, Kunashir Island.
Meeting at the seaport, transfer to the hotel, accommodation.
Let's go say hello to the Pacific Ocean! Endless Quiet... with a serious character and a powerful energy. A short walk along the coast — kekur "Devil's finger", "Devil's Gate".
Dinner at the cafe.
Day 6 - The fumarole field of the Mendeleev volcano. Thermal springs
09:00 Breakfast at the cafe.
10:00 Departure for the medium-difficulty route "Large fumarole field of the Mendeleev volcano".
30 minutes by car, then trekking 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. Portals to the bowels of the earth. 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.
Return to the hotel in the evening.
Dinner at the cafe.
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. But swimming in the Hot lake is a great pleasure.
Return to the hotel in the evening.
Dinner at the cafe.

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Day 8 - Cape Columnar
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 / fragments of 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 the parking lot, where a bonfire lunch will be organized – delicious fish soup.
Return to the hotel in the evening.
Dinner at the cafe.
The total mileage of the walking part of the route is 6 km.

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Day 9 - Golovninsky cliff. The Veslovsky Peninsula. Flight to Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk
Room release. Breakfast at the cafe.
10:00 Departure by car to the Veslovsky peninsula, Golovnino settlement, the southernmost part of the island.
Visit to the memorial sign at the site of the founding of the Russian settlement on the island of Kunashir in 1778.
Golovninsky Cliff is an extremely impressive natural site. The giant outcrops of this unique relief form capture the main stages of the Golovnin volcano's activity and climatic events over the past 2 million years.
The structure of the cliff deposits is very complex: the ashes of ancient volcanic eruptions alternate with strata of marine sediments and include peat bogs of different ages.
The cliff is "alive", constantly crumbling, and autumn storms play a particularly important role in this.
It is possible to drive to the cliff only at low tide (!). Otherwise, only visit the Veslovsky Peninsula, rest.
Lunch by the ocean.
Return in the evening.
Dinner at the cafe.
Departure to Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk by plane.

Difficulty

Involves moderate physical activity

Accommodation

Hotel

7 nights
Cabin on the boat

1 night

Comfort

Midscale
Upscale
Premium

The tour provides accommodation in hotels along the route:

1 night on the ship (4-bed cabin with amenities);
4 nights in Yuzhno-Kurilsk at the Flagship Hotel (partial amenities, 2-bed accommodation);
3 nights in a hotel on Shikotan (rooms with amenities, 2-bed accommodation).

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

Double room*	Surcharge for single occupancy
138 000	15 000

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

for a double suite at the Flagship hotel (with amenities) on Kunashir Island — 6,600 rubles/person/4 nights;
for a single room in the Iceberg 2 hotel (with amenities) on Kunashir Island — 6,600 rubles/person/4 nights;
for a double suite at the Iceberg 2 hotel (with amenities) on Kunashir Island — 6,600 rubles/person/4 nights.

The hotel occupies the second floor in a 2-storey building. There are 7 rooms in total.

Shower, sauna — separately on the floor. Breakfast is served in the cafe of the village, as there is no separate restaurant.

Number of rooms:

four 2-bed rooms (sink and toilet);
two single rooms (sink and toilet);
one 3-bed suite (2-room, two 1.5-double beds in one room and a pull—out sofa in the living room, all amenities in the room).

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Tour conditions

Group

From 3 to 25 tourists

Minimum age

7 years old

Duration

9 days 8 nights

Group meets at

Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk

Included in price

transfer Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk — Korsakov port — Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk;
habitation:
- 4 nights in Yuzhno-Kurilsk at the Flagship Hotel (partial amenities, 2-bed accommodation);
- 3 nights in a hotel on Shikotan (rooms with amenities, 2-bed accommodation);
Meals: 7 breakfasts, 7 lunches, 8 dinners;
port charges;
bed linen on the ship;
kayak and equipment rental;
transportation services according to the program;
escort by instructors-guides on the routes;
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— Malokurilskoye motor ship in a 4-bed cabin 5,400 rubles/person.;
Yuzhno-Kurilsk—Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk plane ticket;
ticket for the Malokurilskoye — Yuzhno-Kurilsk motor ship, 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;
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 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).

Dates and Prices

The tour dates are not confirmed yet. Please, for clarification

$1,566

5 – 13 Jul 9 days 8 nights

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Shikotan — Kunashir