Kamchatka holidays, small group tour
Kamchatka is a vast wilderness perched on Russia’s far eastern frontier, jutting out into the Pacific Ocean. Renowned for its unspoilt landscapes, its fantastic wildlife and its spectacular natural phenomena, it represents one of the most untouched, and certainly least visited, places on our planet.
On this trip we take in the very best of the region, with opportunities to visit the breathtaking Valley of the Geysers, climb up active volcanoes, raft through virgin taiga forest with great chances for spotting wildlife, and meet some of Kamchatka’s original inhabitants, the Even. Kamchatka is one of the last frontiers of travel. Explore it now.
Day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. Arrive in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky and transfer to your hotel. The rest of the day is free to relax after your long flight. Overnight Geyser Hotel or similar. |
| Day 2: | Avachinskaya Bay - Mutnovsky Volcano. We take boats into Avachinskaya Bay with excellent opportunities for spotting sea mammals including whales, dolphins and seals. Later we drive to Mutnovsky Volcano, considered the most impressive in the area and permanently active. We take a walk to nearby waterfalls. Overnight camping. (BLD) |
| Day 3: | Mutnovsky Volcano. We ascend the crater of Mutnovsky volcano (2322 m), entering its crater with its powerful gas and steam spurts and boiling mud cauldrons. Overnight in tents. (BLD) |
| Day 4: | Gorely Volcano. Ascend Gorely volcano (1829 m) with its acid and freshwater crater lakes, before heading to Paratunka to spend the night. Overnight Helios Lodge or similar. (BLD) |
| Day 5: | Paratunka – Optional Valley of the Geysers excursion. Free day to relax or take an optional helicopter excursion over the jaw-droppingly impressive Valley of the Geysers. In the evening we transfer to Malki Hot Springs. (BLD) |
| Day 6: | Great Tolbachik Fissure - Lunokhodchik. A long day’s drive by 6WD bus towards the Klyuchevskaya volcano group, stopping for a lunch in Milkovo settlement. We cross the Kamchatka river by ferry and continue off-road to the foothill of one of the most beautiful and majestic volcano ranges – Ploski Tolbachik and Ostry Tolbachik. In the evening, we visit the site of the Great Tolbachik Fissure Eruption, which took place in 1975-76 and gives an idea of the real scale of a volcano eruption. Its impressive after effects include immense ash fields, amazing multi-coloured volcanic cones with hot summits, hardened lava streams, and ash-burned forest. Overnight in tents at Lunokhodchik camp, so called because the first Soviet lunar vehicles were tested here. (BLD) |
| Day 7: | Ploski Tolbachik Volcano. Ascend Plosky Tolbachik volcano (3085 m). From Ploski Tolbachik crater (1.8 km diameter) is a great panoramic view of the Klyuchevskaya volcano group (volcanoes of 3900 m – 4750 m). Overnight in tents. (BLD) |
| Day 8: | Tolbachik region. Trip by off-road vehicle to the Northern cones and Southern cones. Walk up the new small cones of Tolbachik (100-200m high) that are like miniature fuming volcanoes boasting incredible colours. See the Dead Forest killed by the ash and stones in 1975. Overnight in tents. (BLD) |
| Day 9: | Anavgai - Esso. Drive to Esso. On the way, stop at Anavgai, a national settlement of native people – the Evens – to find out about their history, culture and traditions. (BLD) |
| Day 10: | Esso. A relaxing day in Esso to get acquainted with the past and present life of the locals. Visit the Esso Ethnography museum and the Handicrafts Studio. (BLD). |
| Day 11: | Paratunka. We return to Paratunka by 6WD bus. Overnight at Helios Lodge or similar. (BLD) |
| Day 12: | Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. Head back to Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky where we have time to check out the fish market before the tour ends. (B) |
Typically you will be sharing your experiences with between 4-20 like minded travellers (depending on the trip, operator and how many others are booked on the trip) and you'll have a group leader with you. Whether you are travelling alone or with friends its good value, and a great way to meet new people! While itineraries are pre-planned there is some flexibility and you'll have plenty of privacy. This trip will appeal to travellers of all ages who enjoy meeting new people as well as seeing new places.
How this holiday makes a difference
Environment
Kamchatka is one of the most pristine environments on earth. We spend time camping in this amazing landscape and make a point of ensuring that we do not leave any permanent traces of our stay behind, making sure that we take all litter with us.
We work with our local suppliers to highlight best practice in terms of environmental issues, an important effort in a country where the environment is often taken for granted and green thinking is only just emerging.
Community
During this trip we visit Anavgai, a remote community inhabited by the Even people. The Even are one of Siberia’s smallest ethnic groups and during Soviet times great efforts were made to assimilate them into mainstream Russian culture, with the result that many of their traditions and customs have been under attack for some time. By visiting the Even and learning about their culture we hope to encourage them not to lose touch with the practices of their ancestors, and enable them to gain income from tourism in a region where there are few opportunities for employment.
Our philosophy is to only use small and locally owned suppliers, meaning that the income remains within the country and creates a real economic contribution. We also feel that the passion inherent within such suppliers means that your experience will be enhanced. We also try to engage with our suppliers on an equal basis – getting the lowest possible price usually isn’t the best outcome for local communities and is ultimately unsustainable. We aim to always treat our suppliers fairly and with respect; they are after all part of the key to our success and to us working together is much more than just a business arrangement, but an ongoing relationship that we aim to ensure truly benefits everyone involved.
We believe that tourism is a double edged sword that needs to be wielded very carefully. Our philosophy is to have a limited amount of departures – usually between one and three a year - for each of our itineraries. By limiting our presence in areas where local culture can be quite fragile, we hope to avoid as much as possible the phenomenon whereby an area changes in character due to repeated and prolonged exposure to tourism. We want to visit an area as friends, not intruders and to ensure that what we see will also be there for others to enjoy for many years to come.
We only employ local staff and unlike many operators we believe that to send a foreign Tour Leader along to accompany your trip is an unnecessary burden on your wallet and our carbon footprint. We believe that locals know best. Our local operators only use locally owned accommodation. This means your money stays in the area to benefit the local community. When possible we use local transport, (i.e. rail or bus) and we always use local restaurants, markets and shops and encourage our clients to interact both financially and socially with the communities that they are passing through. In doing this your travels are supporting and encouraging the development of local services.
We only work with operators who are as committed as we are to putting something back into the communities we visit. This may include giving a percentage of the profits from each tour to a foundation to help street children or local conservation projects. Furthermore, in order to allow our clients to make an informed decision on where a greater proportion of their money should be spent, we avoid including pre-paid full board meals where possible. Local restaurants and cafes then benefit.
Our groups average only six clients, and many tours operate on a private basis with just two travellers. This has much less impact when travelling through rural areas, reducing our environmental and social affects. Finally to emphasise our commitment to Responsible Tourism all clients will receive a copy of our Travellers Code of Conduct with their travel documents.
