Tour condition: Grade B. The route is suitable for everyone although on 2 days you may expect trekking for 7 hours a day.
Activity: discovery journey
ITINERARY
Day 1. Arrival in Moscow. Transfer to the hotel. Your first night in Moscow.
Day 2. Check out from the hotel. After breakfast in the hotel, a bus tour around the city. Our tour guide takes you to the “Sparrow Hills” with an observation platform which provides a fantastic panoramic view of Moscow; then we will go to “Poklonnaya Hills” - the most significant monument constructed in honour of victory in the Great Patriotic War (World War II). Our bus will take you through the main streets of Moscow - huge, busy and elegant at the same time. We will have time to explore the major highlights of Moscow – the city of great Russian history and culture. Transfer to the airport to catch your flight to Kamchatka.
Day 3. Arrival in Petropavlovsk, where you will be introducted to your English-speaking local guide. Check-in at the hotel. After a welcome lunch in a restaurant, you will have some time to rest after the long flight and to start preparing for the trip.
Day 4. A boat tour around Avacha bay, Petropavlovsk's historical gateway to the world. Here you can try the preferred leisure activity of Russians – fishing, and taste the famous Russian fish soup, Ukha. Next we will visit Starichkov island to watch sea birds and mammals. This 6-hour trip is a unique opportunity to see the beautiful countryside around Petropavlovsk from the sea, to explore the shores of Avachinskaya Bay, and to watch colonies of seabirds in their natural environment. Return to Petropavlovsk. Overnight in a hotel.
Day 5. A helicopter trip to the Valley of Geysers. We will enjoy a breathtaking helicopter flight, skimming over Kamchatka's spine of towering volcanoes, and finally landing in the UNESCO World Heritage-Listed Valley of Geysers. Here we will see more than twenty active geysers and numerous mud pools, surrounded by beautiful and powerful water-and-steam fountains. Lunch will be provided during the day. Return to the helicopter base and then to Petropavlovsk. Overnight in a hotel.
Day 6. We will drive by six wheel drive bus to the Mutnovsky volcano caldera (a caldera is a large, basin-shaped volcanic depression formed by the collapse of the roof of a magma chamber), which is about 150 km from Petropavlovsk. On our way, we will stop to bathe in the Verkhne-Paratunskie mineral thermal springs. Our next stop will be the Viluchinsky volcano. Here we will have a break near the Viluchinsky waterfall and enjoy a magnificent panoramic view of the volcanoes. After some rest, we will drive to our final destination - the caldera of Mutnovsky volcano. In the evening, we will go for a short walk on the caldera and enjoy a magic view of the ice-capped summit of Mutnovsky volcano – one of the most powerful and active volcanoes in Kamchatka. Dinner. Overnight in tents.
Day 7. Today we will reach the crater of Mutnovsky volcano (2,323 meters). You will have an opportunity to experience firsthand the thundering power of an active volcano - a cantankerous, belching 7,200 ft behemoth. You will feel like you are on another planet when you stand atop its colossal, craggy crater rim. You will see a surreal blue crater lake wreathed in an ethereal cloak of mist, hear a deafening roar of volcanic madness surrounding you, and see sulphur-encrusted fumaroles dispensing jets of steam. We will complete this unforgettable experience by hiking along the narrow canyon to the crater. You will see steep walls surrounding the vast and deep crater cavity with its glittering glaciers split by cracks and torches of fumaroles (A fumarole is an opening in Earth's crust which emit steam and gases such as carbon dioxide, hydrochloric acid, and hydrogen sulphide). Snack lunch in the crater. Return to the camp. Overnight in tents.
Day 8. Visit to the Paratunka thermal resort. Here we will be able to bathe in a natural pool with thermal water which can reach 40 C°. There is a warm waterfall 70 meters from the source of the stream. Later on, we will visit a local farm, where a folk concert will be performed in a yurt, a traditional local house. After the concert, you will be welcomed with a traditional dinner, giving you the opportunity to sample various seafood dishes, homemade balsam and the famous Russian vodka. Accommodation in a guest house - a simple local hotel.
Day 9. Travel by tourist coach to the old vilalge of Russian Cossacks (former military servants to the Tzar) – Milkovo. This is a longer trip (306 km), but will give you the opportunity to learn about another unique, isolated society. On our way, the guide will tell you about the history of Kamchatka’s discovery and colonization by the Russian Cossacks in the 18th century. There is a local museum featuring the life of Russian Cossacks which we will be able to visit. The village is now inhabited by a very interesting population of people known as Kamchadals. This group was formed as a result of the mixture of two completely different nations and cultures: Russian Cossacks and local Itelmen: the name Itelmen means “living here.” Accommodation in a hotel.
Day 10. Another discovery awaits you today in Esso, a settlement of the Evenks people, who are traditional reindeer breeders from Kamchatka. (240 km away). You will be warmly welcomed by dinner and an Evenk folk concert. Accommodation in private apartments in a big wooden house.
Day 11. We will continue our discovery of the local Evenk culture. We will fly by helicopter to see the last reminging camp of real Evenk reindeer herds. This is a unique opportunity to meet Evenk reindeer herders and get acquainted with the lifestyle and customs of one of the rarest populations in the world - Kamchatka's native Evenks. We will spend a day at the reindeer camp, experiencing their time-honoured way of life and their exotic culture. Overnight in a yurt, the Evenk version of a tent-home.
Day 12. At the reindeer camp. We will be able to try horseback riding, watch reindeer herds with the shepherds, and taste the best local dishes and drinks. Overnight in yurts or in your own tents.
Day 13. Return to the settlement of Esso by helicopter. We will visit the local Ethnographic Museum, the most interesting of its type on the whole Kamchatka peninsula. Here we will learn many details about the original inhabitants of Kamchatka – the Evenks, Itelmen, Korjaks, and many others; who form some of the smallest societies on the planet. Accommodation in private apartments.
Day 14. Today we will leave the unique Evenk culture and return to Petropavlovsk by coach. On the way, your guide will tell you interesting stories and legends about the history of the local people and about the nature of Kamchatka. Overnight in a hotel.
Day 15. We will explore Petropavlovsk - the main city of Kamchatka. We will have a guided city tour and visit the Ethnographic Museum, the central market, an art gallery, and a local crafts workshop. The Ethnographic museum's displays are devoted to the history of the region, its flora and fauna, the native peoples of Kamchatka, and their ancient cultures. You will learn about the ancient tribes that lived in Kamchatka thousands of years ago, and about the discovery of this beautiful land by Russian explorers. The museum also contains interesting exhibits of Kamchatka's wildlife from the Kronotsky Nature Reserve and from volcanoes. Overnight in a hotel.
Day 16. Breakfast in the hotel. Check-out from the hotel and transfer to the airport to catch your flight to Moscow. Arrive to Moscow in the afternoon. Transfer from the local airport to the international airport for the flight back home.
Major Highlights of this Tour:
- Red Square
- The magnificent Valley of Geysers located in the Kronotsky State Biosphere Reservation
- Mutnovsky Volcano, which is a compound volcanic complex about 45,000 years old (summit of 2,323 m). It has numerous and various fumarolic fields where one can see a variety of forms of modern gas hydrothermal activity with magnificent structures of volcanic sulfur. River Vulkannaya, which flows down from the crater of this volcano, forms a 80 meter high waterfall and a deep canyon. All these specific features make Mutnovski volcano unique and allow it to be compared with the most outstanding thermal fields of the world. Mutnovsky is the one of the most active volcanoes of Kamchatka.
- Avacha Bay - one of the most beautiful harbors in the world. Its indisputable highlights are the fabulous sheer rocks at the entrance of the bay, called the "Three Brothers".
- Paratunka thermal hot springs suitable for bathing and swimming
- Helicopter 3 day trip to the authentic reindeer settlement of Evenks
Optional: You can also enjoy Moscow for one more day. On your request we can organize for you one of the following activities:
- If you are an art-lover then you will be impressed by the world famous masterpieces displayed in the Tretyakov Gallery and in the Pushkin museum.
- Another option would be a visit to the large and interesting Izmailovo Park presenting traditional wooden houses and churches as well as authentic Russian souvenirs.
- You can also visit the Novodevichy Convent, included in the UNESCO’s World Heritage List. The Convent was used by women of the Tsar’s family and of the aristocracy. Many members of the Tsar’s family and some very famous Russian artists, writers, politicians have been buried in its cemetery. The Convent provides an example of the highest accomplishments of Russian architecture with rich interiors and an important collection of paintings and artefacts.
Some places you visit in this journey are inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Please click here to view the UNESCO review page:
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