3-in-one: Sakhalin, Iturup and Kunashir Islands

3-in-one: Sakhalin, Iturup and Kunashir Islands
  • Duration: 15 days
  • Tour date: June-September

Route program

Amazing and hardly comparable to all others' adventure to the Pacific Russian islands - Sakhalin, Iturup, and Kunashir. Spirited islands with a unique history, rich with a huge variety of animals, bays and capes, volcanoes, and hot springs will find a place at your heart for a long time.

 

Sakhalin Island

 

Sakhalin – a wonderful place with amazing capes, quiet bays, and mysterious lighthouses. Taste sea delicacies and conquer mountain peaks. Everybody would be able to accomplish a feat or make a discovery here.

 

The uniqueness of Sakhalin is, first of all, its remoteness from central regions of Russia, thus visiting Sakhalin is quite an achievement.

 

This is hard to find someone who was disappointed after meeting this enchanting piece of land. The island is famous for its huge variety of plants, rare animals, birds and fish. Not mentioning the especial charming atmosphere that is impossible to be captured even with the best and brightest photos and videos.

 

Sakhalin – mysterious and unpredictable world.

 

During the travel tourists will find about the Japanese period in the life of Sakhalin people and military events that took place on its territory. The guests will also see the main attractions of the island.

 

Tikhaya Bay, which shores are covered with rare herbs and flowers, was named Tikhaya by famous seaman Ivan Fyodorovich Kruzenshtern. This is a rocky inaccessible island, inhabited primarily by loud seagulls. Only their calls break a drowsy silence of this corner of paradise.

 

The legend says that the place, where Vestochka settlement and Lyagushka butte are located now, used to be a Temple of Wisdom of ancient Ainu. They came here to communicate with spirits and stay alone with nature. This place, even nowadays, attracts magicians and ufologists. Mysterious and unexplainable events, that tempt the minds of scientists and psychics, occur here.

 

Iturup Island

 

Iturup – is one of many islands of Kurils, the biggest one, and has the widest range of attractions. One of them is a Baranskiy volcano, which height is over 1000 meters. There are a lot of mud pools, hot lakes, and mineral stream at its bottom. There is a spectacular view of Kuril Bay, Volchok mountain, and White cliffs from volcano’s peak.

 

Excursions to White cliffs and Kasatka Bay on Iturup island will acquaint you with geographical and historical knowledge, linked with ancient period and war events of different years. The same interest as White cliffs and Kasatka Bay hold Velikan Cape and Lyagushka (Frog) butte, which is located on Sakhalin.

 

Yankito plateau is one of those places that are interesting in the way they appeared. Solidified black lava in combination with green grass and bright flowers looks very unusual. An there is the info that the evidence that people used to live here during neolithic age has been found.

 

Are you aware of the fact that there is a huge variety of hot springs at Iturup? If you choose to travel to Iturup Island with us, you will have an opportunity to visit 3 hot springs resorts. You can swim in acidulous springs near Baranskiy volcano, take a radon bath at "Vannochki" resort and enter sulfur springs at "Zharkiye Vody" ("Hot Waters" in Russian) resort. But you must be very careful before visiting hot springs and consult with a specialist before doing so.

 

Kunashir Island

 

In order to find more about Kunashir Island, you need to get acquainted with its main attractions.

 

Stolbchatiy Cape. It is impossible to leave the island without visiting this amazing place. Its name bears the meaning that it consists of columns ("stolby" in Russian), which stand close to each other and form vertical walls. The most wonderful thing is that these columns are formed with solidified basaltic lava as a result of the volcano eruption.

 

The caldera of the Golovnin volcano. The volcano was named after a brave Russian traveler, who was digesting the Kuril Islands at the beginning of the XIX century and made 2 trips around the world. His name was Vasiliy Golovnin. The Caldera looks like a cavity with a 4 km diameter, which has formed as a result of the volcano's collapse at the bottom of the ocean. Two lakes appeared inside the cavity and gas, wet steam and hot water erupt from them.

 

Fumarole field of Mendeleev volcano. Fumaroles are cracks, through which volcano gases get to the surface with loud pops. They consist of sulfur, which crystallizes and forms yellow lacelike patterns. Incredible and spectacular view, which is hard to stop looking at!

 

Day 1

Arrival at Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk. Meeting at the airport. Transfer to the hotel.

Free time. 

05:00 PM - Transfer to supper.

05:30 PM - 07:00 PM - Welcome supper with Sakhalin delicacies.

07:00 PM - 08:30 PM - Evening sightseeing tour at Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk.

 

Day 2

Breakfast at the hotel.

Transfer to the airport. Flight to Kurilsk. 

Arrival at Kurilsk. Transfer to the hotel. 

Sightseeing tour at Kurilsk and Kitovoye settlement. 

Visit to "Zharkiye Vody" hot springs resort. 

Supper at the hotel.

 

Day 3

08:00 AM - Breakfast at the hotel.

09:00 AM - 02:00 PM - Excursion to Kasatka Bay. 

02:00 PM - 03:00 PM - Dinner at the hotel. 

03:00 PM - 07:00 PM - Excursion to Baranskiy volcano.

07:00 PM - Supper at the hotel.

Free time.

 

Day 4

08:00 AM - Breakfast at the hotel. 

Sea excursion to White Cliffs. 

Excursion itinerary: Olya Bay, Black cliffs, White cliffs, Parusnaya Bay' waterfalls, visit to seal rookery (it is possible that they will be absent at rookery), Tornaya Bay, Sopochnoye lake.

Dinner during the excursion (tea, sandwiches, apple, water).

07:00 PM - Visit "Vannochki" hot springs resort. 

Supper at the hotel. 

Free time.

 

Day 5

08:00 AM - Breakfast at the hotel. 

09:00 AM - 11:00 AM - Excursion to Yankito lava plato. 

11:00 AM - Transfer to the hotel. Checking out.

12:00 PM - Transfer to the port. Departure to Kunashir Island. 

Nutrition at the ferry on your own.

 

Day 6

Arrival at Yuzhno-Kurilsk. 

Transfer to the hotel. Checking in. 

Your acquaintance with Kunashir island nature would start from the coastline of the Pacific Ocean, where you see the attraction of the island - a rock named Devil's finger. 

Supper at the hotel.

 

Day 7

08:00 AM - Breakfast at the hotel. 

09:00 AM - 06:00 PM - Excursion to the Caldera of Golovnin volcano, Kipyasheye (Boiling) lake.

Walking tour 7 km long one way (there and back - 14 km). 

Dinner at excursion: sandwiches, vegetables, fruits, tea. 

Supper at the hotel.

 

Day 8

08:00 AM - Breakfast at the hotel.

09:00 AM - 06:00 PM - Excursion to Stolbchatiy Cape through Stolbovskaya ecological path.

Bathing in hot springs.

Walking tour 8 km long (it is possible to shorten the walking part of the excursion at the individual request). 

Dinner at excursion: sandwiches, vegetables, fruits, tea. 

Supper at the hotel.

 

Day 9

08:00 AM - Breakfast at the hotel. 

09:00 AM - 04:00 PM - Excursion to Fumarole field of Mendeleev volcano. 

Walking tour 3 km long one way (there and back - 6 km) through 2-meter high bamboo. 

Dinner at excursion: sandwiches, seafood, vegetables, fruits, tea. 

Supper at the hotel.

 

Day 10

Breakfast at the hotel. 

Transfer to the port. Departure to Sakhalin.

 

Day 11

Day at sea.

 

Day 12

10:00 AM - 12:00 PM - Arrival to Sakhalin island at Korsakov port. 

Transfer to the hotel. Checking in.

 

Day 13

08:00 AM - Breakfast at the hotel. 

09:00 AM - 06:00 PM - Excursion to Tikhaya Bay. 

Dinner at the excursion (boxed lunch). 

Free time.

 

Day 14

09:00 AM - Breakfast at the hotel. 

10:00 AM - 02:00 PM - Excursion to Lyagushka (Frog) butte.

 

Day 15

09:00 AM - Breakfast at the hotel. 

10:00 AM - Visit to the fish market (at the agreement of the group) before transfer to the airport.

Flight back home.

 

 

The price includes:

- Accommodation at Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk hotel Santa Resort Hotel 4* (twin room), accommodation at Kurilsk hotel "Iturup" (twin room), accommodation at Yuzhno-Kurilsk hotel "Iceberg" (single, twin room).

- All transfers included in the tour itinerary.

- Excursions included in the tour itinerary.

- Entrance fee to "Vannochki" and "Zharkiye Vody" hot springs.

- Nutrition included in the tour itinerary.

- Insurance during the tour period.

 

Additionally paid:

- Flight to and from Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk.

- Flight to Kurilsk.

- Ferry ticket from Iturup Island to Kunashir Island.

- Ferry ticket from Kunashir Island to Sakhalin Island

- Single accommodation in a twin room in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk

 

IMPORTANT!

Please, clarify the dates and prices with the company’s representative before booking.