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Kamchatka - Land of Colors

volcano expedition to Kamchatka

..."I had a great time" (Jay R., UK after his tour in Sep 2018)

Karymsky volcano

Klyuchevskoy volcano in eruption (photo: Martin Rietze)

Kamchatka - Land of Colors

volcano expedition to Kamchatka

Tour type

Expedition: adventure - active volcanoes - photography

Difficulty

Easy to Moderate

Group size: 6-10

Duration

16-19 days

no scheduled dates at present

Price per person

Kamchatka, with its dramatic landscapes, wild, unspoiled nature and many active volcanoes is a great adventure destination. Our tour is aimed towards people with an interest in volcanoes enjoying photography and adventure in a small group.

Note:
For the time being, for obvious political reasons, we cannot offer tours to Russia. We hope very much to resume expeditions once the war and Russia's aggression has ended.

The tour consists of 4 parts:
First, we plan to spend 3 full days at remote Karymsky volcano, which often has spectacular explosive eruptions of strombolian-vulcanian type. Getting there by helicopter and staying at its feet is certainly going to be a highlight of the trip and something that no other tour operator offers.
During this time, normally, one or several of the local volcanologists also join us and offer interesting insights into actual volcano monitoring, interesting lectures about Kamchatka's volcanoes and volcanic history, ongoing research and more.
The second part is 2-3 days in the southern plateau and includes the relatively easy climbs to spectacular Gorely and Mutnowsky volcanoes. After this first week, we spend 8 days around the northern volcano group around Klyuchevskoy, Sheveluch, Tolbachik volcanoes, where very often at least one volcano is in eruption, typically even two or three... This is usually the most adventurous part that also depends strongest on actual conditions. It involves camping and/or simple huts, easy hikes, and hopefully prolonged observation / photography during day and night in the best viewpoints of the volcanoes.
The tour ends with a few extra days which not only add a safety margin (in case changes are needed on location, or if there is an unexpected eruption that merits going), but normally offer the chance to take part in the classic, but truly rewarding excursions to famous Valley of Geysers/Uzon caldera and the Kurile Lake (for bear observations), both available as day-trips by helicopter. And like a cherry on a pie: a boat trip to Avacha Bay: a great Pacific ocean lies before you, sea animals such as sea lions, orcas and sea birds greets you, and delicious food is served.

During the largest part of the tour, we will have our own cook who provides us with excellent and plentiful Russian and local cuisine. Volcanological explanations during wait times, tea or dinner etc and in the field round out the tour.

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Scenic helicopter flights to/from Karymsky
3 days / nights at remote Karymsky volcano for extended observations in an idyllic setting
The most active volcanoes of Kamchatka: Avachinsky, Koryaksky, Klyuchevskoi, Shiveluch, Tolbachik, Bezymianny
Scenic Mutnovsky and Gorely volcano with spectacular craters, fumaroles
Unspoiled nature and beautiful landscapes
Autumn colors of forests and tundra
Possibility to see bears
Options for helicopter excursions to Valley of Geysers/Uzon caldera and Kuril Lake
Boat trip in Avachinsky Bay
Small group
Adventure and fun guaranteed
Delicious local and Russian food (incl. sea food)
Accompanying volcanologist from our team
On Karymsky: accompanying volcanologist from the Institute of Volcanology and Seismology in Petropavlovsk

19 days program (2022)

Note:
The following is a rough schedule of the program, based on our successful trips during 2017-19 which turned out to be very good. Due to weather, volcanic and other conditions out of our hand, it is possible that the actual program on location will be adapted.
If you are not interested in the additional excursions (Valley of Geysers, Kuril Lake) at the end of the main part of the tour, you can also of course shorten the tour (without no refund in days calculations)

Day 1: Arrival in Kamchatka
Arrival at Elizovo airport (Kamchatka), pickup and transfer to our guesthouse.
Time to relax, enjoy great views. Dinner and briefing in the evening.

Day 2: Flight to Karymsky volcano
Helicopter flight (45 mins) to Karymsky volcano.

Day 3-4: Karymski volcano
2 full days at Karymsky volcano. Observation of volcanic activity, option for short hikes in the area (e.g. to the Akademia Nauk (or Karimskoe) caldera lake, base of the active cone).
Presentation (lectures) about Kamchatka's volcanic activity and volcanic processes, typically given by an accompanying volcanologist from the Institute of Sciences in Petropawlowsk.

Day 5: Half day at Karymsky, scenic helicopter flight back to Elizovo
Half day at Karymsky. Afternoon helicopter flight back to Elizovo.

Day 6-7: Vilyuchinsky, Gorely and Mutnovsky volcanoes
In the morning, we leave in our comfortable 4x4 truck to the southern plateau (4-5 hours total transfer time). Scenic views of Vilyuchinsky volcano, set up camp at Gorely or Mutnovsky volcano (weather etc dependent).
If good weather, we can use the afternoon to climb Gorely volcano with its impressive crater lakes.

Day 8: Half day for Gorely and return to Elizovo
Half of the day can be used to visit other features in the area (e.g. a large lava cave in the vast lava flow fields of Gorely) before we return to our base in Elizovo in the afternoon / evening.

Day 9-16: Central Kamchatka volcanoes: Shiveluch, Klyuchevskoy, Bezymianny, Tolbachik
D9: Transfer to Kozyrevsk village - overnight
D10-11: Transfer to the plateau between Tolbachik to the south and the Klyuchevskoy group to the north. Beautiful forest and tundra, possibility to see bears. Camp.
D12-13: Transfer to Klyutchi village - 2 nights camp in view of Klyuchevskoy volcano, option for hikes to best viewpoints of Klyuchevskoy.
D14: Transfer to Shiveluch volcano and camp.
D15: Return to Kozyrevsk village - overnight
D16: Transfer to Elizovo / Petropavovsk

Day 17: Spare day - optional excursions to Valley of Geysers or Kuril Lake
Spare days with optional excursions (by helicopter, approx 42.000 RUB as of 2019) to Valley of Geysers or Kuril Lake. Please let us know towards the beginning of the trip if you are interested! Both excursions highly depend on weather and are only available if conditions are good, but they are well worth doing!

Day 18: Boat tour in Avachinskay Bay
Boat tour to Avachinskaya bay: scenic views of dramatic coastline and volcanoes, sea animals and birds, fishing and seafood lunch on board.
Afternoon free to visit Petropavlovsk (souvenir shopping, volcano museum etc).
Farewell group dinner with local specialties.

Day 19: Departure
Transfer to airport and departure, end of service, or own extension.

Dates and details

Booking inquiry

Arrival info:

The tour starts and ends at the airport of Petropavlovsk (PKC), usually reached during an overnight domestic flight (7-8 hours) from Moscow.

Important note

Due to limited availability of flights on the legs to and from Kamchatka and in order for us to reconfirm a tour early on, you should sign up 9-12 months in advance!

Tour guide

The tour will be guided by Andrej Nikiforov, mountain and expedition leader from Kamchatka. Andrew has spent many years organizing expeditions in his country for local and foreign groups and companies, and also has excellent connections with the scientists from Petropavlovsk's Institute of Volcanology and Seismology.
A volcanologist from our team will also accompany the expedition.

Our expedition leader Andrew Nikiforov

Additional info

Physical requirements

This tour is mostly easy in difficulty and has no extreme or particularly difficult hikes: we focus on getting to best locations for photography accessible by vehicle and during short to medium hikes (3-4 hours max), considering that many people will like to carry their photographic gear (no porters available!).
However, you should be in excellent health (we'll be far from medical facilities much of the time) and possess a reasonably fit condition. You should have no problems to hike over rough, rocky, sandy etc trail-less and uneven terrain with frequent ups and downs for several hours and withstand possibly adverse weather conditions (wind and rain).
The longest hikes are the excursions to the crater of Mutnovsky with an elevation gain of 500 m and the hike up to Gorely (8 km, about 800 m climbing), but both are relatively easy compared to other volcano excursions. Treks on the plateau near the Kyluchevskoy group of volcanoes and Shiveluch are comparably easy and aim to reach the best viewpoints for volcano photography.

19 days program (2022)

Day 1

Arrival in Kamchatka

View of Koryaksky and Avachinsky volcanoes from the field next to our datcha.

Arrival at Elizovo airport (Kamchatka).
Usually, most people will be coming on one of the flights from Moscow and arrive at around 10 am or noon. We pick you up and transfer you to our base in a nearby guesthouse, where we have lunch, and time to relax from the flight.
The guesthouse itself is a typical Russian datcha, a small complex of wooden houses in a tranquil forested colony, located next to fields and a small river. It offers superb views to the volcanoes of Koryaksky and Avachinsky and invites to walk around to the nearby river.
In the evening, we meet for briefing and group dinner to dicuss our plans for the time ahead.

Day 2

Flight to Karymsky volcano

If weather conditions allow, we fly to Karymsky volcano where we will spend the next 3 nights in the old volcanologists'hut and/or in tents, depending on personal preference.
Note:
- If the weather does not allow flying to Karymsky this day, we will spend a second night in the guesthouse, organize some alternative excursion for the day in the area and hopefully fly the next day.

Day 3-4

Karymski volcano

We have another 2 full days at Karymsky volcano.
Depending on weather and activity, options for activities include the direct observation of the volcano from the best viewpoints (which are often directly near the hut, or some of the foothills at the base of the cone, at about 1-2 hours walking distance), or a hike (2 hrs one way) to the Akademia Nauk (or Karimskoe) caldera lake.
Normally, we are also accompanied by one or two scientists from the Volcanological Institute, who offer interesting lectures and presentations about Kamchatka's volcanoes and recent volcanic activity, ongoing research etc.
During our stay in this charming and remote place, our cook will provide us with plentiful and tasty food based on Russian and Kamchatkan specialties.

Day 5

Half day at Karymsky, scenic helicopter flight back to Elizovo

View of Karymskoe caldera lake on the flight back

Passing Zhupanovsky volcano on the flight back from Karymsky

We have another half day at Karymsky for activities and observations, before our helicopter picks us up in the afternoon.

Day 6-7

Vilyuchinsky, Gorely and Mutnovsky volcanoes

Vilyuchik volcano seen from the road to the southern plateau

Gorely's active NW crater

Hiking into the crater of Mutnowsky volcano

In the morning, we leave in our comfortable 4x4 truck to the southern plateau (4-5 hours total transfer time). Scenic views of Vilyuchik volcano are often possible on the way.
At lunchtime, we set up camp near either Gorely or Mutnovsky volcano (weather etc dependent) and have a rest.
If good weather, we can use the afternoon to climb Gorely volcano with its impressive crater lakes.
The next full day is dedicated to Mutnovsky, one of the most impressive volcanoes on Kamchatka, as it includes lots of really powerful fumarolic activity amidst a huge crevassed glacier inside its summit caldera. On the return, we visit the impressive canyon of the Mutnaya river with its waterfall.

Day 8

Half day for Gorely and return to Elizovo

Visiting a lava cave of Gorely volcano

Half of the day can be used to visit other features in the area (e.g. a large lava cave in the vast lava flow fields of Gorely) before we return to our base in Elizovo in the afternoon / evening.

Day 9-16

Central Kamchatka volcanoes: Shiveluch, Klyuchevskoy, Bezymianny, Tolbachik

Mighty Klyuchevskoy volcano

Pyroclastic flow field of Sheveluch

Autumn colored tundra near Tolbachik

D8: Transfer to Kozyrevsk village
Long (exhausting) transfer day with a truck as far as Kozyrevsk village (8-9 hours, 500 km), with a lunch at Milkovo.
Accommodation in a little hostel (rooms for 2 and 3), good views of the nearby volcanoes. Relax in a typical Russian banya.

The following 6 nights / days could be spent differently, as a function of weather conditions and which volcano(es) are active at the time of our visit. Very often, Sheveluch, Klyuchevskoy and Bezymianny are active at the same time!

D9-10: Transfer by truck to the volcanic plateau north of Tolbachik (3-3,5 hours). Set up camp at a cozy. Beautiful autumn forest and tundra, spectacular mountain views of 6 volcanoes including Klyutchevskoy, Tolbachik and Bezymianny. Camp for 2 nights.
Hike to the deepest valley of Kamchatka, very high possibility (!!) to observe bears eating berries on the vast tundra. 3 hours for the whole tour. Return to the same camp.

D11-12: Transfer to Klyutchi village - 2 nights for Klyuchevskoy volcano
Transfer by truck northwards as far as Klyutchi village, crossing Klyutchi (visit the volcanologist station) and approach Klyuchevskoy volcano from north (on an average 4 hours for the whole transfer). 2 nights camp with good night-time photo opportunities. Options for scenic hikes in the area.

D13: Sheveluch
After breaking down camp, we return back to Klyutchi, crossing Kamchatka river and approach Shiveluch volcano from south-west (4 hours). Camp.
Hike to the best point to observe the activity of Shiveluch (pyroclastic flows often descending to the SE). Night-time photography.

D14: return to Kozyrevsk village
Return with truck to the main road, crossing Klyutchi, back to Kozyrevsk village (night in the same hostel as on D7). Banya and rest.

D15: Return to base
Transfer day (whole day) to return back to Elizovo. Overnight in guesthouse as at beginning.

Day 17

Spare day - optional excursions to Valley of Geysers or Kuril Lake

The hydrothermally active Uzon caldera

Geysers in the Valley of Geysers

Spare days with optional excursions (by helicopter, approx 42.000 RUB as of 2019) to Valley of Geysers or Kuril Lake. Please let us know towards the beginning of the trip if you are interested! Both excursions highly depend on weather and are only available if conditions are good, but they are well worth doing!

Day 18

Boat tour in Avachinskay Bay

Sea lions resting on old lava rocks.

Motor-ship excursion, 6 hours on water, to the Avachinskaya bay in the Pacific
(south). Explore dramatic basaltic rocky shorelines, caves and sharp islands. There are often excellent views of the surrounding volcanoes and close views of sea animals and birds. Fishing and eafood lunch on board round out this relaxed excursion well worth doing!
The afternoon offers some free time to visit downtown Petropavlovsk (souvenir shopping, volcano museum etc).
In the evening, we return to our datcha for a farewell group dinner with local specialties.
Comfortable ship with lots of place inside. Lunch on board. Return to the hotel.
Alternatively, you can end the tour on this day.

Day 19

Departure

Transfer to airport and departure, end of service, or own extension.

"VD team and our engaging group made everything perfect" (Kamchatka expedition in Aug 2019)

Hi Tom,
We just wanted to thank you and your team again for making our recent volcano adventure in Kamchatka such a fantastic experience. The VD team of Irena, Andre, and Yasmin made sure we were well looked after at all times. Irena kept us well fed and happy no matter what the conditions; Yasmin's vast knowledge and seemingly infinite enthusiasm were always inspiring; and Andre was the best adventure guide we've ever had! All in all it was just amazing. We were lucky with the weather and the volcanoes, but the VD team and our engaging group made everything perfect. So thanks again! Perhaps we will meet again on a volcano in the future.
Cheers,
(Mike & Leslie, AU about the Kamchatka expedition in Aug 2019)

"a great trip to the far east of Sibiria, Kamtchatka, with loads of volcanoes, bears (and a few mosquitoes)" (Kamchatka expedition in Aug 2019)

‎I recently returned from a great trip to the far east of Sibiria, Kamtchatka, with loads of volcanoes, bears (and a few mosquitoes). Thanks so much to our guides, Irina, Andrey and Yashmin who made this great experience possible!
(Markus Heuer‎, DE about the Kamchatka expedition in Aug 2019)

"thank you for a wonderful trip in Kamchatka..." (Kamchatka expedition in Aug 2019)

Dear Irina,
We want to say thank you for a wonderful trip in Kamchatka, we have enjoyed very much to see such a huge nature, active volcanoes and eruptions and every time you have take care or us . Our food was excellent. Our group was perfect. Next time when we have a chance to visit Kamchatka again, we would like to see more from the country, its history and residents.
Many greetings and all the best wishes to you!
(Christine Reuter and Peter Schöderlein, DE about the Kamchatka expedition in Aug 2019)

"Kamchatka is a spectacular place with the most impressive volcanoes I have seen" (Kamchatka expedition in Aug 2019)

I toured the volcanoes of Kamchatka with Volcano Discovery in August of 2019. Kamchatka is a spectacular place with the most impressive volcanoes I have seen. The area is a true wilderness with little infrastructure and few towns yet we were very comfortable on the tour. Our campsites were well chosen, the meal tent was spacious and comfortable and the food was amazing given the remoteness. Hiking and camping makes for a good appetite but we were always well fed with lots of good food. The Volcano Discovery staff were very friendly, cheerful and committed to ensuring we had a good time and got the most out of our trip. The guides were knowledgeable and the hikes well chosen and explained. I would repeat the trip with Volcano Discovery, it was that good, but there are so many other volcanoes still to see. I have already booked on the Volcano Discovery trekking tour to the Molucca Sea, Sulawesi, Karangetang and Halmahera in May next year.
(Gordon Graham about the Kamchatka expedition in Aug 2019)

"until next time" (Kamchatka expedition in Sep 2019)

"Tom
Thank you for the photos. Some great memories.
Enjoyed all the volcanology tutorials, you were very patient with my endless questions.
Also enjoyed our more wide ranging evening time conversations fuelled by Abkhazian vino and vodka!
Until the next time.
Guy"
(Guy L., UK about the Kamchatka expedition in Sep 2019

"I had a great time" (Jay R., about the Kamchatka tour in Sep 2018)

Valley of Geysers video screenshot (see link)

"Hello folks,

My second trip of 2018 was again a return visit to a place I had been before. This time it was to the Kamchatka peninsula in the far east of Russia.
...
September is normally a good time to visit Kamchatka....the weather is generally more stable with less rain and less mosquitoes. However, unfortunately this year like everywhere else in the world, the region was experiencing unusual weather patterns. The tail ends of the cyclones bombarding Japan were at times outreaching the peninsula. So on some days, particularly in central Kamchatka, mainly cloud and fog but sometimes rain obscured the views and prevented a proper exploration of the area.
However, there were times when the clouds/fog did clear and we did manage to see the volcanoes. This area is one of the most volcanically active region of the world but when eruptions occur they don't make national news headlines as they don't cause the devastation as in other areas due to the fact they are in remote uninhabited areas. Unfortunately the volcanoes at the times of our visit were relatively quiet apart from some degassing (Klyuchevskaya, Bezymianny, Shiveluch and Karymsky volcanoes) and some small ash eruptions from Karymsky volcano.
However, overall, I had a great time. In the end we did see all the volcanoes on the plan. We had good weather at Karymsky volcano and we were able to do some hikes in the surrounding area.
We visited the geothermal areas on Mutnovsky volcano (crater), Valley of the Geysers and the Uzon caldera which were absolutely fascinating. In particular, the geothermal area in the Uzon caldera against the backdrop of the autumn colours was just spectacular (one of the best I've seen in the world, on par or even better than those in New Zealand and Iceland....can't compare with Yellowstone as I haven't been there as yet).
We also saw 3 brown bears in the wild, one relatively close which was more interested in gorging on autumn berries than in us even though being aware of our presence.
We had a really good group on the trip and the food was excellent. I'm not normally a fan of salmon, but wild caught red salmon was in abundance in the region (caviar, smoked or cooked in different ways) and delicious. Another highlight of the trip was that we had a very interesting lecture from Prof. Ozerov at the institute of Volcanology and Seismology in Petropavlovsk on some of the research being conducted on how eruptions occur.
So the obvious question is 'would I go there a third time?'. The answer of course has to be 'yes'. Although Kamchatka is more developed and has better infrastructure now than in 2000, the area, in particular the central part with a large concentration of active volcanoes, still appears to be very remote and access still difficult (no proper roads .....requiring large wheeled 'army'type trucks or helicopters to get there) providing a real sense of adventure which is a great lure for me.
In addition, I would still like to see at least one of the volcanoes in this rather remote setting in full eruption. I can definitely see myself going there again, probably not in the immediate future but perhaps in a few years time.....but not 18 years later (lol!).
..."
(Jay R., UK, about the Sep 2018 Kamchatka volcano expedition)
See: Jay's videos from the trip on Flickr!