KAV1. Bears and Volcanoes

Type: Adventure
Tour duration: 11 days
Season: June – September
Recommended group size: 4 – 16
Transportation: car/minibus, ATV, on foot, helicopter, boat

During the tour you will visit unique Dvukhyurtochnoye Lake where you can watch bears' fishing, Steller's sea eagle, traffic and spawning of salmons. You will have a chance to fish by your self and to taste dishes of salmon.

You will cross Kamchatka from the South to the North. Driving from one climatic zone to another you will get to the central part of Kamchatka, where the largest volcanoes of Eurasia are located. You will visit one of the most interesting places for tourists in Kamchatka – Klyuchevskaja group of volcanoes, which is an area of the biggest display of volcanic activity in Russia and includes the highest and the most famous volcano – Klyuchevskaja Sopka. You will have a chance to climb the southern volcano in the group: Plosky Tolbachik (3085) and also the new volcanic cones (299m and 278m) of the Northern break-eruption of 1975. You will walk across “The dead wood”, which was destroyed during the eruption. The route lies across the plateau of about 1000 m high, via high mountainous Alpine meadows and volcanic fields looking like lunar landscape. These fields witnessed the first Soviet vehicles Lunokhod 1 (moon vehicle 1) and Marsokhod 1 (mars vehicle 1) being tested.

You will accomplish motor boat tour by Avacha Bay and see the largest in Kamchatka “rookery” (nesting place of sea birds).

You will see famous Geiser Valley and you will be able to bathe in natural hot springs and in thermal water pools.

 

Itinerary:

Day 1. Arrival in Elizovo airport. Transfer to Petropavlovsk (25km). Accommodation in 3* hotel. Acclimatization. At 20:00 - dinner with your guide and discussing the trip. (D)

Day 2. Free time. Optionaly full day helicopter excursion to Valley of Geysers and Uzon Caldera (to pay on spot). (B)

Day 3. Transfer to Kozyrevsk settlement (500 km). Stop at Milkovo village for lunch and hot springs bathing (to pay on spot). Kamchatka River crossing by ferry (the largest river in Kamchatka). Accommodation at private tourist centre at tents on specialy equipt grounds with toilet and shower. (BD)

Day 4. Transfer by helicopter to the Dvukhyurtochnoye Lake (40 minutes). If weather is fine you have a chance to see the Alney and Chashakondzha volcanoes. Accommodation at wooden lodges (twin and triple rooms) at tourist base located just near hot springs. There are also out-door located facilities: big dining house, kitchen, pool with thermal water, toilet. Rest. Bathing at the pool with thermal water. Bears watching from special viewing platforms. (BLD)

Day 5. Free day. Radial trips. Chance to see salmon traffic, bears' fishing, bears grazing at berry tundra. (BLD)

Day 6. Bears watching. After lunch transfer by helicopter to Kozyrevsk settlement. Transfer to the foot of two picturesque volcanoes – Ostry (Sharp) Tolbachik and Plosky (Flat) Tolbachik (90 km, 3 hours). If weather is fine you can see also the highest volcanoes of Kamchatka: Krestovsky (4057 m), Ushkovsky (3903 m), Klyuchevskoy (4750 m), Kamen (4579 m). Accommodation at tents at the so called Lunakhod Base area. (BLD)

Day 7. Ascending Plosky Tolbachik volcano (3080 m). Trekking across slag fields and old lava flows (7-8 hours). The ascending is not difficult. At the top of the volcano there is a huge crater (1,8 km wide, over 500 m deep). Returning to the base camp. (BLD)

Day 8. Driving to the Northern break-eruption (18 km). Ascending the new Tolbachik cones (tiny volcanic formations 100-200 m high). Driving to the Southern break (15 km). Visiting cones of the Southern break. You will visit the Dead Wood (the forest area covered with volcanic ashes as the result of the powerful eruption of Tolbachik Volcano in 1975) and see the tops of dry trees above the 7-meter layer of volcanic debris. Returning to the camp. Overnight stay in tents. (BLD)

Day 9. Transfer to Paratunka resort area (580 km, 8-9 hours) with stop for lunch at Milkovo village (payment on spot). Accommodation. Rest. Bathing in the pool with thermal water. (B)

Day 10. Sea-trip on Avacha Bay. Seeing the sea birds colonies on Babushkin Kamen (Granny’s Stone) and Tri Brata (Three Brothers) Islands. Short trip to the Pacific Ocean up to Starichkov island. Sea fishing, seeing the seal rookery. There is a chance to see whales, dolphins. Ukha (Russian traditional fresh fish soup) for lunch. After the boat trip driving to Mutnovsky volcano by off-road vehicle (100km). Walking to the waterfall (90m high). Camping for the night. (BL)

Day 11. Visiting fish market. Shopping. Souvenirs. Transfer to the airport. (B)

Legend: B-breakfast, L-lunch, D-dinner

Tour Highlights:

• Avacha Bay
• Tolbachik volcano area
• Paratunka hot springs resort
  
• Kamchatka brown bear
• Valley of Geysers
  

 Fixed departures 2012:

25/07-04/08/2012

Costs  for individual tourists for joining in a fixed departure 2012:

3206 EUR per person

Custom departures for separate groups:

Group, pax	4	5	6-7	8-9	10-11	12-13	14-15	16
Cost per person, EUR	5507	4731	4234	3644	3302	2992	2743	2557

Included:

• TWN accommodation in hotels and tents
• meals as per programme
• all necessary transfers including arrival and departure
• all necessary  equipments
• all excursions per program with entrance fees
• local English speaking guides/interpreters
• subsidiary crew when needed

    
Not included:

• air flights
• optional activities and excursions to be paid on spot
• insurance
• visa
• tour leader
• lunch/dinner at cafe in Milkovo village

Supplements:

• SGL in hotels: +226 EUR per person
• Helicopter excursion to Valley of Geysers and Uzon Caldera (to pay on spot): around 755 EUR per person
• Airflight Moscow-Petropavlovsk-Moscow around 800 EUR per person
• Lunch/dinner at a cafe in Milkovo village (to be paid on spot) +150-300 RUR per person
• If necessary it's possible to use porters' services and sattelite phone for an extra charge

Every participant of the tour is requested to have:

1) a rucksack (60 – 100 liter)

2) a sleeping bag and a tourist mat,

3) trekking boots or rubber boots,

4) extra shoes to change,

5) things for personal hygiene, bathing accessories,

6) warm clothes (including waterproof and windblock jacket),

7) sunglasses,

8) a hat,

9) a torch,

10) gloves,

11) trekking poles

12) the first-aid kit

13) anti-mosquito spray.

All the costs are valid at the date of publication and are subject to reconfirmation at the time of booking