Tour "great journey through Kamchatka". Traveling around Kamchatka
Kamchatka is the outskirts of Russian land. I’ll tell you why you should come here, how to visit volcanoes for free, get paid for it, not be afraid of bears and be a good guy.
If you haven’t heard anything about the volcano peninsula, and the word Kamchatka evokes associations with the unattainable beauty of wild places, then you simply haven’t seen these photos and haven’t come across thoughtful notes from good travelers on the Internet.
In fact, everything is extremely simple (as in any business), and in the case of Kamchatka it can turn out to be pleasantly cheap and as accessible as possible.
A little bonus: tickets from Vladivostok and from Moscow to Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky are sold at the same price, despite the huge difference in distance, and if you buy at least two weeks in advance, you can find them for 12 thousand rubles one way. I don't think that's a lot.
What I saw while flying over Kamchatka cannot be compared with any Indonesia... whole complexes of volcanoes, colored lakes, rivers, hills, forests... I didn’t even think that this could happen, not just somewhere there, but V native Russia! If you're wondering whether it's worth it or not, then rest assured, it's a definite YES!
Where to stay
In Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky and the main tourist spots there are hotels, apartments for rent and recreation centers. You can find recreation centers through a search engine or on site, and a hotel in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky can be selected and booked in advance based on reviews and ratings:
You can also stay with local residents by booking an apartment through the website. Apartments for daily rent in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky through this site cost an average of $45 per day (from $20 to $80).
How to travel around Kamchatka
Season for traveling around Kamchatka- from July to September. But all year round you can take commercial tours and excursions, travel to the volcanoes on your own, or join a travel company and earn money by visiting volcanoes - you choose which side you end up on.
The cost of tours in Kamchatka is high, and visiting all territories is free, that is, permits have not yet been introduced here.
Tours and excursions in Kamchatka
If you have money and you came just to relax, then at your service huge amount tourism organizations, choose any hikes and excursions upon arrival on site or through websites that offer tours.
Hitchhiking and buses in Kamchatka
You can also take the position of a tramp who is not interested in money and company, open maps.me maps and feel free to travel along the indicated paths, as I do, for example.
Hitchhiking in Kamchatka very pleasant, the locals are kind, relaxed, they are always interested in who you are, where you are from, how things are on the mainland..
Bus Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky - Ust-Kamchatsk costs 3,000 rubles and this is the farthest distance, therefore all other routes are within this amount.
Around Kamchatka in a rented car
In Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky you can rent a car for independent travel. The cost, depending on the season and car brand, is 2-4 thousand rubles per day (on average). Gasoline in Kamchatka costs around 44 rubles/liter. You can go around a lot of steep places, with the exception of some where only a snowmobile or ZIL can go, or peaks and volcanoes where you can only climb with your feet.
Work in Kamchatka and travel for a salary
If you are ready to work, but it seems to you that you can’t do anything special, then know: you know more than enough.
Who is needed? Current needs include: a cook (preparing food for hikes, fishing, rafting), a porter (carrying backpacks for pampered tourists), an assistant guide, or a guide himself (we download routes, read literature and lead a group, if we have relevant experience, of course), or translator (very relevant).
Salary on average five thousand a day, hikes on average every week, the highest season is July, August, half of September. If you know languages other than English, they pay quite nicely.
About prices in Kamchatka
In general, prices in Kamchatka are not as exorbitant as is commonly thought, if you do not take into account fruits and dairy products.
Half a liter of kefir costs 70 rubles; in principle, you can live magically with this, especially if you earn money here. A loaf of bread costs 30 rubles, canned food is the same as in any town on the mainland.
Otherwise, everything here is the same as everywhere else: there are billiards, bathhouses, cafes and taxis.
Hiking and rafting costs vary, visiting the territories themselves is free, and prices for hikes and excursions are crazy, so be wiser, download maps to your phones and go on a trip yourself. You will definitely fall in love with the volcano peninsula, there is no other way here.
What to see in Kamchatka
There are only two cities in Kamchatka: Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky (PK) and Yelizovo, all junctions, road and public, are tied around them. First of all, we get into the PC and from there we move on in a rented car or hitchhiking - whoever is up to it.
Sopka Mishennaya
The first thing everyone should visit is the observation hill in the city of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky (Mishennaya Hill, stop “6 km”), from there there is a cool view of the city, bay, ocean and two main volcanoes on the horizon.
View of the city from Mishennaya Hill. Avachinsky and Koryaksky volcanoes are on the horizon. Volcanoes of Kamchatka
All volcanoes are located separate groups, and some of them can be reached by road, sometimes even paved. Some territories are protected areas (the Kronotskoye Lake area, the area) and can only be reached there by helicopter and for a lot of money.
Of course, you can walk on foot in good weather in a couple of days, but if you get caught, you will get into administrative trouble for not having permission. best case scenario(I personally raised an uprising to go on a hike, but snow and common sense stopped us).
You can get a job there as a volunteer - it’s no problem, just like that airstop No one has canceled it yet, it also works (if you agree with the pilot, you can fly for free).
The nearest group of volcanoes can be reached in two hours from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. Just open the maps.me map, find the Avachinskaya Sopka volcano, look where the path leading from it leads, and go to that point. If you hitchhike, then from the highway you will need to travel another 16 kilometers along the trail (if there are cars, of course, they will give you a lift), and you can safely set up a tent camp in the bushes at the foot.
The path to the Avachinskaya Sopka volcano Avachinskaya Sopka
This is the simplest volcano from where you can see incredible beauty at minimal effort. In summer, this is the level of a simple walk, and we walked in bad weather in the snow and in strong winds, this was my most difficult climb (and I did a lot). The volcano is active and periodically vibrates and makes humming sounds, sometimes stones fly out of the crater, but this does not bother anyone. The rock on the volcano is red, the fumaroles are doing their thing, the steam is coming out in two streams, the top is quite hot, by going down into the crater you can hide from the wind and drink tea and chocolate!
Koryak hill
Opposite Avachinsky there is the Koryakskaya Sopka volcano (3456 meters). All the locals say that only equipped professional climbers go to it and the routes to it are not registered at the base. We found route 1 B on the Internet and conquered it the day after Avachinsky. We were incredibly lucky with the weather, the sun was shining and there was absolutely no wind.
Descent from Koryaksky volcano The most beautiful landscapes of this group can be observed from the Kozelsky volcano; the path to it leads through Avachinsky.
Group of Gorely and Mutnovsky volcanoes
From Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky you can take a bus to the village of Termalny (95 rubles) and turn onto the Mutnovskaya GeoPP, this is the road to another group of volcanoes, which is famous for its cosmic landscapes.
I went to Gorely volcano in the evening and spent the night with a tent in the forest, not reaching 35 kilometers. I pitched my tent at the campsite and decided that I didn’t want to meet bears. Foxes came at night, but before I realized this, I remembered everything colorful that was in my life, and exhaled, realizing that they were not bears.
A few words about bears in Kamchatka
The kindest and shyest (or my karma is good).
These are not polar bears, they are not at all interested in destroying everything in their path, and people are not a delicacy for them. Especially in September, when the bear is already well-fed and picking berries.
The only thing you should beware of is the bear cubs, because somewhere next to them there is definitely a big mother who will definitely suspect you as a threat to her babies.
Undoubtedly, every year about a dozen people die from bears, and the remaining five thousand who were lucky enough to see them up close remained alive and happy, I think this is a good statistic. It turns out that it is much more logical to be afraid of car accidents than of bears, they are much more common. And of course, removing trash from nature, because feeding a bear is always not good.
Erupting volcanoes of Kamchatka
The craziest adventure was my trip to the village of Klyuchi, where the Klyuchevskaya Sopka volcano is now erupting. Before that, I thought that an eruption was some kind of process of throwing out lava, like a lightning-fast phenomenon... Here lava has been flowing along the slopes since April, and gathers huge crowds of tourists from all over the world.
You can’t see her during the day, she’s black and inconspicuous, but at night... This is the most unreal thing I’ve ever seen! Lava splashes out in a hundred-meter fountain and scatters along the slope of a tall mountain.
It seems that these are just coals flying at the speed of a feather, but you realize that these are huge blocks, and they fly very quickly, it’s just a huge height, what a force it is that pushes them out of there!! An incredibly sticky and cosmic spectacle, an indescribable delight.
They even try to climb it, but mostly everyone ends up with ash and the people descend. One got hit on the helmet with a piece of hot stone, one got lost and wandered along the bed of a dry river for four days, going down...
The other day another volcano from that group began to erupt. It simply threw kilometers of ash into the air and a layer of dirt of several centimeters fell on the cars, and continued to fall for some time; I won’t say that it was a harmless thing. In general, you won't get bored here.
Other places
I almost forgot, the city of Ust-Kamchatsk! Rows of Khrushchev-era apartment buildings, dilapidated wooden houses, landscapes of the consequences of the apocalypse, garbage dumps with rotting fish and bears, all this on the ocean shore with a cemetery of sunken ships and ultra-modern wind turbines.
However, getting here is already a whole adventure, hitchhiking is good, but the spaces between the cars are filled with a specific romance... There are forests in the area, there are a lot of bears, there are few cars, we collect chaga, drink teas, pick mushrooms, cook buckwheat, sleep on the edge, eat berries. .
We tell you when is the best time to organize independent trip to the Kamchatka Peninsula. How to get there and what you must see.
Kamchatka is a land of contrasts. When going to the peninsula, tourists read reviews from experienced travelers, watch educational films and videos, but when they arrive at their destination they realize that they know nothing about it. In the east of Russia there are many museums, historical and architectural monuments, but the main attraction is considered natural beauty. Fire-breathing volcanoes, snow caps on the peaks, steppes with lush greenery and flowers, an abundance of mushrooms and berries - all this is to be discovered by inquisitive tourists.
PLEASE NOTE:
- What to see
- What to try
When is the best time to go?
The peninsula is attractive in summer, autumn and winter. In spring it is usually wet and cloudy, and the only entertainment is visiting museums. From to , and sometimes prevail winter activities. At this time, you can ski in the mountains, through the steppes on dog sleds, and also swim in thermal springs. Clean frosty air, breathtaking landscapes, fun entertainment will not leave any traveler indifferent.
Another picture in Kamchatka opens up in the warm season. Summer here is short and cool, although sometimes the air warms up to +35° C. To experience warm weather, it is recommended to plan your trip for the second half - August. Comfortable autumn weather on the peninsula sets in from the end of August and lasts until. In summer and autumn, hiking tours are popular, including mushroom picking, berry picking, and fishing.
How to get to the peninsula
Although Kamchatka is a peninsula, there is no route connecting it with the mainland of the Russian Federation (with the exception of winter roads). You can get there by air or sea. Of course, for tourists who plan independent travel to Kamchatka, the first option is more comfortable, since air connections allow you to get here without transfers on a direct flight. Planes arrive at the airport in Yelizovo, located 30 km from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, the capital of the peninsula. On small aircraft from here you can go to settlements, most popular among tourists.
Planning a trip? Here you go!We have prepared some useful gifts for you. They will help you save money while preparing for your trip.
Sights to see
At any time of the year you can find interesting sights in this region. But nature is most beautiful in summer and autumn. During this period, miracles are found at every step. The proximity of snow and wildly blooming greenery here does not surprise anyone, as does hiking on snow cover under the scorching sun.
Since Kamchatka is called the land of volcanoes, the fire-breathing mountains are considered the main attraction. There are about three hundred of them on the peninsula, 30 of them are active. To hear the Earth's breath, you just need to climb to the top of the volcano. And at the foot you can stock up on blueberries, admire the flora and take pictures against the backdrop of a luxurious snow cap.
Thermal springs are the children of volcanoes. There are about two hundred of them in Kamchatka. Some springs flow calmly, others bubble, others gush out like a fountain, releasing steam. Near them you can usually find mud pots in which vacationers take mud baths. Mud and water are healing. Don't miss the opportunity to swim in the springs.
The path to Kamchatka, to the land of volcanoes and geysers, is not easy. And it lies for the main flow of tourists - by air. How to make the road to this amazing region more affordable - we will try to find the answer to this question.
Cheap tickets to Kamchatka. How and when to buy.
When organizing an independent flight to Kamchatka or contacting a travel agency - main task save on flights.
The main rule when buying inexpensive air tickets to Kamchatka is to buy in advance, long before the planned date of travel. Better in six months, fortunately the airlines provide such an opportunity.
Rule number two. Avoid holidays and high seasons when planning your trip. During these periods, not only tickets become more expensive, but also accommodation and excursions. And with its miracles it will delight you at any time of the year.
Rule number three. Monitor airlines for special prices. But at the same time, we do not forget about the main rule - we start this work in advance.
Rule number four. Consider non-direct flight options. Often a road with a transfer, for example in Khabarovsk or Novosibirsk, can be cheaper.
Rule number five. You can consider options combining rail and air transport. Below you will find information from which cities flights to Kamchatka depart from and the price, accordingly, is quite different.
Well, now about what time you can buy the cheapest tickets - November, February and April. You will have to pay the most for tickets in July, August and December. If we talk about what day of the week you should buy tickets, then it’s Friday. On Fridays, all air tickets are cheaper to buy. Why? .
Kamchatka Airport - Yelizovo, it is located 30 kilometers from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. Regular flights in the period from October 30, 2016 until March 25, 2017 fly from the following cities
- Moscow – Aeroflot, Russia and Aurora airlines
- Novosibirsk – Globus airline
- Vladivostok - airlines Siberia, Aurora, Yakutia
- Khabarovsk - Aurora and Yakutia airlines.
From other cities during this period you can only fly with transfers.
On the schedule you can see in what period the flights operate.
From the table above we understand which airlines need to track discounts on air tickets. And it happens quite often that in the period from November to December, airlines offer inexpensive tickets for March. To track prices, it is more convenient to use a metasearch engine - this will save time and provide more opportunities.
The cheapest tickets from Novosibirsk to Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky and back
| Departure date | Return date | Transplants | Airline | Find a ticket |
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1 transfer |
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2 transfers |
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I would also like to draw the attention of travelers to such a factor as time zones. If you fly from Moscow to Kamchatka on the 1st, you will most likely land the next day. But if you set off on the return journey at noon at 15, you will be in Moscow on the same day, despite the road at 9 o’clock.
Cheap flights to Kamchatka
| Where | Departure date | Return date | Find a ticket |
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Vladivostok | |||
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Moscow | |||
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Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk | |||
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Khabarovsk | |||
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Anadyr | |||
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Saint Petersburg | |||
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Novosibirsk | |||
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Krasnodar | |||
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Adler | |||
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Magadan | |||
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Samara | |||
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Kaliningrad | |||
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Simferopol | |||
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Irkutsk | |||
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Naberezhnye Chelny | |||
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Makhachkala | |||
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Minsk | |||
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Volgograd | |||
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Kazan | |||
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Saratov | |||
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Yekaterinburg | |||
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Rostov-on-Don | |||
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Krasnoyarsk | |||
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Syktyvkar | |||
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Omsk | |||
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Voronezh | |||
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Tyumen | |||
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Ufa | |||
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Stavropol | |||
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Chelyabinsk | |||
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Astrakhan | |||
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Permian | |||
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Tokyo | |||
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Ulyanovsk | |||
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Surgut | |||
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Beijing | |||
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Khanty-Mansiysk | |||
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Tashkent | |||
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Anapa | |||
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Nizhnevartovsk | |||
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Kursk | |||
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Tel Aviv | |||
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Blagoveshchensk | |||
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Tomsk | |||
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Kemerovo | |||
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Kyiv | |||
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Yakutsk | |||
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Ulan-Ude | |||
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Prague | |||
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Bishkek | |||
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Almaty | |||
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Vilnius | |||
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Shymkent | |||
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Namangan | |||
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Murmansk | |||
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Shenyang | |||
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Kuala Lumpur | |||
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Osaka |
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Where is the best place to stay in Kamchatka?
There are a lot of hotels in these parts, from cheap to expensive. Hostels for the less demanding, guest houses, hotels, sanatoriums and recreation centers - they all welcome travelers all year round. When hiking in protected areas, tourists usually stop in tent camps or special parking lots, as well as in shelters and cordons.
Hostels
Hostel Fiesta– A small and cozy mini-hotel where you can stay overnight. The total capacity is eight people. Hostel "FIESTA" is located on the red line of the city, next to two bus stops, which allows you to easily get to any point in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky.
Hostel Milano— Suitable for family vacation and holidays with children. Located in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. Conveniently located. Capacity 20 people.
Hostel 24— Located in the very center of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. It can accommodate up to 30 people.
Hostels are equipped with everything necessary for living. And employees can always provide information support to tourists.
Hotels
Hotel Avacha— Located in the very center of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky and everything you might need is in walking distance. This is a modern hotel with all the necessary infrastructure.
Hotel Geyser— The view from the windows is magnificent - the volcanoes of Kamchatka and Avacha Bay. There is everything necessary for tourists. Located in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky.
Hotel complex Bel-Kam-Tur— is located in the village of Paratunka, famous for its healing springs. All rooms are equipped to modern standards.
Hotel complex Apachinskie thermal springs– Located in the Ust-Bolsheretsky district, the village of Apache. IN weekdays You can get a discount of up to 30%. The windows offer amazing views of the mountains. There is a swimming pool with thermal water.
Guest houses
Guest house Antarius— Located in the Paratunka sanatorium-resort area. Residents have everything they need and the plus is crystal clear air, mountain landscape, and healing waters hot springs.
Guest House Grushanka— The house is located in the Bystrinsky district, 300 meters from the village of Esso, surrounded by a pine forest. Directly from the house towards the Bystraya River there is a forest path along which you can go to ecological routes Natural Park Bystrinsky (lakes Ikar and Galyamaki, Ulen-gende volcano, etc.).
Guest House Vulcanolo g - Located in the village of Klyuchi. almost in the center. It is 32 km to the Klyuchevskaya Sopka volcano and 46 km to the Shiveluch volcano. Capacity 14 people.
These are not all the possibilities for stopping in Kamchatka. For tourists on this land they do everything to make travelers feel comfortable. To save on accommodation, use couchsurfing, an international hospitality system. If you haven't tried it before, now is the time to start.
Look for inexpensive housing. Use booking systems and.
There are visitor centers in almost every district, where tourists will be provided with all necessary help and assistance in organizational matters. Contact the North Tourist Club with the slogan “tourists, unite!” The head of the tourist club is Alexander Meshchankin (tel. 8 914 784 5162). Here they will give valuable advice on how to independently get to the sights of Kamchatka, and the club has its own hotel fund in different areas of the peninsula and a car park. And if you’re lucky, you can go on a hike with club members, and you can save money on this too. 
Combine booked excursions with independent tourism. You are unlikely to get to the Valley of Geysers on your own - you will have to buy an organized excursion. And many attractions can be reached without special problems, which means you don’t have to spend money on intermediaries.
Use public transport - this will help you save money. You can fly to the foot of the Klyuchevsky volcano by helicopter, but you can also take a bus to the village of Klyuchi, and walk the rest of the way. It is quite possible to get around Avachinsky on foot, although trekking poles will be useful.
Another possibility is the village of Esso, an Evenki settlement settled in a very picturesque place, on the site of a volcano that was extinct a century ago. In the middle of the village there is a thermal pool. It is free, so there are many people who want to swim in it. Esso can also be reached by bus.
It is better to order a taxi through the dispatch service. If you catch a car on the street, you risk overpaying.
Getting ready for a trip to Kamchatka gather a group of like-minded people for sightseeing trips. In this case, food and guide services will be cheaper. It may make sense to take some products from home. Kamchatka is a land of imported products (and even local fish is not that cheap), the savings will be noticeable.
And one last piece of advice. The weather in these parts is changeable. In Kamchatka, you simply need good tourist clothing: warm, windproof and waterproof clothing, comfortable, non-slip and waterproof shoes. It is advisable to have a change of clothes and shoes. Additional gear and equipment can be rented on site.
Read about the Kamchatka Territory.
If fate, thirst for adventure or work necessity If you accidentally end up in Kamchatka, the easternmost outskirts of Russia, the locals strongly recommend:
1. Conquer the volcano
Without exaggeration, Kamchatka is famous throughout the world for its volcanoes. , or activity of the highest active volcano Eurasia - Klyuchevsky - was heard by millions of inhabitants of the planet. Hundreds of volcanoes “live” on the peninsula and, if you really want to, and have the appropriate preparation, you can visit any one you like.
The hit of this season can probably be called Plosky Tolbachik. Its famous eruption, which began in November 2012, attracts hundreds of tourists to the peninsula, who not only manage to fry kebabs on it.
The cost of visiting Kamchatka volcanoes varies. For example, you can climb Klyuchevskaya - they only take trained athletes there - for 30 thousand rubles. - and this is far from the limit. And you can visit Avacha for a few hundred rubles by getting to the outskirts of the volcano by commuter bus and continuing your journey on foot.
In any case, no matter which volcano you plan to visit, it is highly not recommended to go there without experienced guides. You need to take with you what your guide recommends - warm clothes, food, sunglasses, sunscreen, etc...
Moreover, when going to the volcano, register with the local search and rescue team - PSO. If any emergency situation, you can always count on the help of rescuers. The squad's phone number is 8 (415-2) 41-03-95.
By the way, among many Kamchatka residents it is customary to communicate with volcanoes - to ask permission from the giant to climb it and thank them for returning safely. No matter what they tell you, climbing any of the volcanoes will not be easy, but the conquered peak and the view from it will more than cover all the hardships of the journey.
2. Visit the Valley of Geysers
The Valley of Geysers, like many of the Kamchatka volcanoes, is known far beyond Russia. However, not everyone has been there...
The fact is that visiting one of the seven wonders of Russia hurts the pockets of the average resident of the country. A one-day helicopter excursion costs 25-39 thousand rubles. If you can afford such sums, fly without hesitation. The nature of the Valley of Geysers is unique. Its area, which is 6 square km, is densely populated with numerous geysers gushing directly from the ground, hot springs, bizarre mud pots, picturesque waterfalls and lakes...
3. Swim in the paratunka
The word “paratunka”, which is unusual for visitors to the peninsula, comes from a proper name (the name of the local village) and has long become a household word.
“Will you go to Paratunka?” - locals often ask visitors, and they only blink their eyes in surprise in response... But having been there, as a rule, they persuade them to take them there again...
Paratunka is a pool with hot water, which flows directly from the ground, located under open air. They bathe in such springs all year round. Last winter, during the Epiphany frosts, I had the opportunity to take a tourist from Krasnodar to one of these places.
What is this?! Climbing there at minus 20?! Are you crazy? Take me back,” the young man was indignant.
Having persuaded the guy to get into the water, we couldn’t get him out of there for a good half hour... It’s not cold to soak in the hot thermal water even at minus 40...
By the way, staying in such sources for a long time is harmful to health. Therapeutic “baths” are good in small quantities - 10-20 minutes each. Popular among tourists are both human-equipped thermal baths - with comfortable swimming pools, cafes, sun loungers and changing rooms - and completely wild natural puddles...
4. Go fishing in Kamchatka!
Perhaps every second man and even many women are interested in fishing in Kamchatka. In the region they catch sockeye salmon, chinook salmon, chum salmon, halibut, flounder, smelt, greenling and many, many other species of fish. Fishing here can be done in the seas, rivers and lakes. Some of the caught prey cook fish soup, while others take a photo with the trophy and immediately release it into the wild.
According to fishermen, sitting on the shore picturesque river surrounded by gray volcanoes and catching a 20-kilogram Chinook salmon is a pleasure that cannot be put into words...
5. Try local caviar!
A favorite delicacy of many, red caviar, is sold today throughout Russia. But it is mined mainly in the Far East. Kamchatka is no exception. Residents of the peninsula believe that ours, Kamchatka, is the most special and the most delicious caviar.
True, you shouldn’t count on the fact that you can eat it here with spoons. - golden. But we still recommend it - it’s too good! A fresh slice of white bread, buttered and topped with caviar is one of best breakfasts in the world! Where to buy caviar and where not, ask the locals.
6. Ride... dogs!
Dog sledding is a traditional Kamchatka winter activity. Laikas, husoks, and malamutes are harnessed to sleighs called sledges. They are driven by an experienced driver - a musher. To perceive this kind of entertainment as cruelty to animals is wrong. Sled dogs are unusually hardy and such walks are a joy for them.
Every year it takes place in Kamchatka. Its four-legged participants cover almost a thousand km on their way.
If you want to “ride” a dog, then an unusual one-day “excursion” will cost you 2-4 thousand rubles.
7. Master skiing and snowboarding
Even if you are not a sporty person at all, and the word “extreme” makes your knees shake and your head spin, we still recommend trying at least one of these sports. Many people ski in Kamchatka, and at any time of the year. The youngest athletes are barely three years old, and the oldest are well over 80. You can ski on boards or skis both on equipped bases and on wild slopes. At the first, for the convenience of beginners, there are always trainers who will teach you the basics of extreme sports for a reasonable fee. By the way, their role can be performed by experienced athletes - completely free of charge. All .
The so-called heli-skiing is also popular in Kamchatka - here athletes are thrown by helicopter onto the wild slopes. True, such a sport is available either to wealthy people or to those who know how to save money well. A day of skiing will cost you several tens of thousands of rubles.
8. Get acquainted with the culture of the indigenous people of the peninsula
The indigenous population of Kamchatka are by no means Russians. From time immemorial, Koryaks, Itelmens, Evens, Aleuts, Chukchis lived here... Now the number of these peoples, unfortunately, is rapidly falling, many traditions are being forgotten. But meeting representatives of these small nationalities is unlikely to leave you indifferent. Shamanic rituals, unusual outfits made of fur and animal skins, throat singing, playing tambourines, rituals and legends, ethnic dances - all this will allow you to travel back in time and plunge into a completely different Kamchatka - mystical and completely unknown.
Tourists are happy to come to the national Kamchatka holidays - Alkhalalai, and also visit ethnic villages and camps.
9. Swim in the Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean, sometimes roaring wildly, sometimes splashing playfully, sometimes mysteriously silent, is a mesmerizing sight in itself. Not everyone dares to swim in it - the water is not at all warm even in summer. Therefore, if you climb into cold water— a dubious pleasure for you, walk barefoot on the unusual black ocean sand, breathe in the fresh salty air and be sure to watch the sunrise or admire the sunset here. You definitely won't regret it!
10. Fall in love with the peninsula
They say that anyone who has visited Kamchatka at least once will never forget it: some adore the peninsula with all their hearts, others remember it like a bad dream.
But if you love wild, untouched nature, and yours, you will probably fall in love forever and madly with this strange, not understandable to everyone and, perhaps,...
Kamchatka - the land of bears, volcanoes and red caviar can be useful to everyone who loves wildlife, but for some reason I haven’t been to Kamchatka yet. We were lucky enough to visit here in the summer. The choice may seem unusual - as a rule, it is customary to go on vacation to the sea, abroad, to Europe; it is rare that young people prefer the harsh peninsula to them. But we took a risk and never regretted it.
Why Kamchatka? Since my husband did not have a passport at that time, there was little choice for his long-awaited vacation. We started planning it in advance, but lost our minds thinking about where to go. We wanted to have a truly unforgettable vacation. Chance itself helped here: my colleague, a former flight attendant, for several days in a row recalled with nostalgia her flights to Kamchatka, the beauty of this wild region. And I gave up, looked at the photo on the Internet and was stunned. In addition, the vacation fell in August, the most favorable month for visiting Kamchatka. How can such beauty leave one indifferent?
The choice has been made! At first I couldn’t believe that we would fly there! After all, Kamchatka is so far away, and I rarely see tours to Kamchatka on the Internet. It soon became clear why: traveling around Russia is not cheap, but to Kamchatka it’s not like that at all... I looked at the offers of travel agencies and was dissatisfied: a week-long tour without air travel cost 50 thousand, and the second day of the tour was “free” - a flight to the Valley of Geysers was supposed to cost 32 thousand for one (which, as you understand, was also not included in the price). Based on all this, I decided to do the tour myself.
Since we began preparing for our long-awaited trip back in March, we had to buy tickets right away, which were selling like hot cakes. The prices were impressive: a direct flight cost 40 thousand rubles per person, and with a multi-hour transfer - 33 thousand. The difference is small, so we took two direct ones. After reading reviews from experienced Kamchatka explorers, I realized that independent “wild” tourism is not an option. Still, bears, glaciers (despite summer)... somehow uneasy. I found a travel agency in Petropavlovsk itself that organized excursions around Kamchatka. What struck me was the attitude of the manager Olga, who purely humanly advised how to get there and where to stay with less loss on your wallet.
So, on August 5, our long-awaited trip finally arrived: we flew from Sheremetyevo to the airport in Yelizovo. We flew for 7 hours, the flight was quite difficult, we didn’t manage to sleep. Upon arrival, we found a bus near the exit from the airport that goes to the center of Petropavlovsk, as Olga advised. 40 rubles and you're in the city! (instead of 3 thousand that taxi drivers will ask you for and 7 thousand for an airport-hotel-airport transfer from a travel agency). Things are also not easy with hotels in the city: the prices are astronomical! Therefore, for the entire period of accommodation, we rented a 1-room apartment not far from the travel agency - the starting point of all excursions.
On the very first day we decided not to waste time and went to an individual sightseeing tour in Petropavlovsk, one of the oldest cities in the Far East. The city was named after two ships of the Second Kamchatka Expedition, “St. Apostle Peter” and “St. Apostle Paul.” (Since we really love history, especially Russia, historical facts will periodically appear in posts).
The city has many historical places and monuments (monument dead sailors, a monument to La Perouse, Clark, the founder of the city - Vitus Bering... you can’t count everything). Most of all, our attention was attracted by the Maksutov Battery, which defended the city during the Crimean War of 1853-56. About what Crimean War It was not only in Crimea, but also in Kamchatka, not many people know, and almost no one in continental Russia knows about the hero of Petropavlovsk, Prince Dmitry Maksutov. And for local residents, the name Maksutov personifies the glory and valor of Russian weapons. Maksutov led the battery on the slope of Nikolskaya Hill, which heroically resisted the artillery of the Anglo-French squadron. In memory of this, a memorial to Maksutov’s battery was erected on the slope of Nikolskaya Sopka and the shore of Avachinskaya Bay.
Having got an idea of the city, we went to Khalaktyrsky beach, almost to the shore of the Pacific Ocean. The beach is unique for its black sand, which received this color due to volcanic eruptions. On next morning we went to Paratunka - a resort village famous for its thermal waters, 70 km from Petropavlovsk. There are many recreation centers and sanatoriums in the village, we chose one and thoroughly enjoyed the hot thermal waters coming from the depths of the earth. This was especially true in cloudy, cool weather.
I would like to especially note the prices in Kamchatka. They are quite different from continental ones: quite high, especially for food. As for the population, in my opinion, the residents of Kamchata are quite responsive and friendly: they will tell you everything, show you everything, give you advice. They at least drive crossovers, since the harsh climate does not allow otherwise. Having bought local delicacies - red caviar and fish - after an exciting independent walk around the city we went to our temporary “home” to prepare for next day, which promises a lot of interesting things.
On the third day we planned to visit Kamchata waterfalls and natural thermal springs. The morning started early, my husband and I arrived at the collection point and saw our transport. It was a real SUV, “pumped up” to the harsh reality of Kamchata. Our guide for this day was a young, energetic Pasha, who truly loved his small homeland. Our companions were two mature women who took the time to look native land in between sitting with the grandchildren. So, having received huge bags of provisions from Olga, we took our places and hit the road. The weather was quite cool, and knowing that we would go to the mountains, we warmed up to the fullest. Having left the city and turning off the highway, Pasha stopped near a small mountain stream. While we were admiring the beauty of Kamchatka, he began to lower the wheels of the car. We understood: now we will see all the charm of the region with our own eyes! Volcanoes!!!
But due to the dense fog, the volcanoes were not visible. But Pasha immediately warned about the danger of the heather bushes, in which not only could there be bears, but also in which many people could get lost. After several hours of driving, the fog allowed us to see the volcano, at the foot of which we decided to take a break and have a snack.Amazingly, the ground below us was very warm: the heat came from the volcano, so there were a lot of blueberries and incredibly beautiful flowers growing on the slope (unfortunately, I don’t know their names). A stunning picture: below everything is blooming and fragrant, and above there is snow!
On the way to the waterfall we got stuck. It turns out that such cars also get stuck! A very fresh trace of a bear. I felt somehow uneasy. Fortunately, having dealt with the car very quickly, we moved further and saw the “Veronica’s Braids” waterfall. Indeed, it’s as if you are seeing the girl’s profile carved into the rock by water. Next, natural thermal springs awaited us. Yes, we have already been to Paratunka, but there everything is equipped by humans, special pools have been made, and here there is a natural “bath” with hot water. Unusual, of course. So many impressions.
But still, after reading various forums, one thing was missing: to see bears! Real live bears, about which everyone writes so much. Somewhere on the hill we met a group of tourists who simply rushed past us and reported an approaching bear. But he never showed up. And now the day was coming to an end, we were driving back, and the animal still did not appear. And now, we are finally lucky! On the way home, we finally saw a mother bear and a bear cub going to a watering hole.
Night was coming, we were already sleeping in the car, because tomorrow there were still a lot of interesting things waiting for us! Namely, rafting on the Avacha River! This was our first experience of this extreme recreation, but when, if not now? It took us about three hours to get to the base - a transit point, where we had to drink tea, have a snack, and listen to instructions. Everything was very serious, and our instructors didn’t smile much. Eh, it was there, it wasn’t, there’s nowhere to retreat.
We were provided with high rubber boots, life jackets, rubber suits and we swam. There were 8 of us, the men rowed, and we - women and children - admired the beauty of the "Aquarium" - natural area along Avachi. The descent was not difficult, but from time to time it was breathtaking, we were jumping on the waves, but I still managed to take pictures.
It seemed that the rafting flew by in an instant: now we are already cooking fish soup and setting the table. It's strange, the company is completely strangers, living in different parts of Russia, and some in another country (among us there was a Pole who worked at Castorama, who brought his son to our country to show the beauty), but we sat and talked so heartily. It is unlikely that life will bring us together again, but at that moment we were like one friendly family.
How can you imagine Kamchatka without the Pacific Ocean? That's right, no way. So, our next route ran exactly to Pacific Ocean, Starichkov Island and the Three Brothers. And again we caught fish, fried it immediately on the yacht and admired the beauty of the ocean. The most famous are the three rocks protruding from the water, called the “Three Brothers”. According to legend, three brothers defended the peninsula from huge wave and turned to stone. Since then, they have stood guard over the city for centuries. Three brothers are a kind of symbol of Petropavlovsk and Avacha Bay. We sat on the deck and enjoyed the sea air, while volcanoes and hills “floated” past us. At that moment we felt some kind of unity with the nature around us!
For the last two days we planned to climb the Mutnovsky and Gorely volcanoes. Also a new experience for us. It took us quite a long time to climb Mutnovsky large group. We met Pasha again and met his colleague Dima. The guys are experienced, you can see right away. While we were driving to the volcanoes, they demonstrated this more than once. Glaciers are very dangerous and should not be trifled with. On the way, we came across a bus that was half submerged under water. I hope no one was hurt. Therefore, we moved slowly, trail after trail.
When we arrived at the foot of Mutnovsky, we were again instructed. Despite their sense of humor and smiles, the guys spoke about necessary measures security. And for good reason. At one time, a group of researchers came here and one young guy came too close to the crater and was boiled alive in the fumaroles. It’s hard to believe this when you don’t see or hear the smell and seething of fumaroles, when you don’t realize that they are there, under you, and can break out to the surface at any moment. The fumaroles smell of sulfur, the smell is so strong that it hurts the eyes. To somehow alleviate our plight, we were given medical bandages.
Meanwhile, we split up: some stayed, while others went higher, to another crater. Despite the fatigue, we decided not to lag behind. It was not easy: the sneakers slid on the snow, the path went higher and higher, and at the last stage of the route we had to climb a rope ladder. But what we saw later was worth it! The long-awaited dinner was already waiting for us below, and the next day there was a volcano again! oh, it’s not easy to climb volcanoes for two days. Moreover, we were warned that today’s Mutnovsky is not as difficult as Gorely, which we are going to tomorrow!
Mentally, I dreamed that this excursion would not take place))) Unprepared and inexperienced, two volcanoes are not an easy test. The next morning a miracle happened: Olga called us and said that the group had not met. Apparently, these were those who climbed Mutnovsky and were unable to scrape themselves out of bed in the morning. So, it was our last day in Kamchatka. We went with Dima, whom we already knew, to the foot of the Avachinsky volcano, to feed the famous eurasians and finally admire the landscape from a bird's eye view! This is the tour we had around the marvelous Kamchatka region. Of course, we brought a lot of goodies: red caviar and fish, because there they are 2 times cheaper and five times tastier.
These were unforgettable days, full of impressions and emotions. Kamchatka is very different! In addition to the amazing nature, there are many historical places here. We know so little about this peninsula, yet it is our important strategic outpost. Travel around our country, it is magnificent and rich in attractions. I won’t hide that our tour was not economical, as a friend said, for this money you can have a good rest at an expensive resort. As they say, taste and color! Some people enjoy lying in the sun all day long, while others come back from such a trip with sparkling eyes!
