8 days
Fixed dates
48 people
from 10 years
Average
Cabin
Russian
Climbing, Gastronomy, Cruises, Fishing, Trekking, Expeditions
Lost islands, secluded bays, hiking volcanoes, noisy bird colonies, the freshest seafood delicacies and culinary master classes on their preparation, thermal springs and fishing, sea lion rookeries and spine-chilling encounters with whales and killer whales... This is an incredibly eventful expedition that will forever remain in your memory and in hundreds of fantastic photos and videos!
You will see the Kuril Islands with their exotic landscapes reminiscent of Japanese prints, and land on four of them: the volcano island Alaid, Paramushir, Simushir and Onekotan. In some locations we will take boat trips along the coast. For example, we will visit the bay of Yankich Island, which was formed in the caldera of an ancient volcano. You will get acquainted not only with the landscape and rich flora of the region, but also with marine inhabitants - killer whales and whales, which will swim very close with pleasure boats during your stay in Krashennikov Bay (and possibly at other stops). You will also find the noise and hubbub of bird colonies, rookeries of majestic sea lion seals - here, in the wild, animals and birds are the rightful owners of numerous rocky ledges and green shores. You will also try your luck in sea fishing, you will be able to catch flounder or halibut and take part in their preparation, and then enjoy dinner from your own catch.
Although the expedition program is focused mainly on the Kuril Islands, you will also enjoy the views of Kamchatka: appreciate how fantastic the famous Avachinsky and Koryaksky volcanoes look from the water, and take a walk along Russkaya Bay.
The tour includes tracking activities: we will climb the Zavaritsky volcano, reach the “volcano within a volcano” on the island of Onekotan and explore the surroundings of the Ebeko volcano on the island of Paramushir. The most difficult trek in both directions is 15 km with elevation changes of up to 600 m. The views that will open to you at the end of each ascent will fully reward all your efforts!
Cabins on the ship "Professor Khromov"*
* The cost of the tour is indicated when staying in a “Standard” cabin. To clarify the cost of accommodation in higher class cabins, write to the manager.
Throughout the expedition, your home will be a cozy cabin on a ship that is used for exploration missions and expedition cruises.
The compact size of the ship allows it to go where bulky cruise ships cannot, which means that you will see the most picturesque and inaccessible locations. The year of the last renovation of “Professor Khromov” is 2019, capacity is 48 passengers and 22 crew members. Guests can choose a cabin to suit their comfort level, from a luxurious suite to an ergonomic standard cabin. All accommodation options have comfortable beds, storage cabinets, a window, a desk, and a bathroom. There are also two restaurants on the ship, which offer three buffet meals a day, a bar, a cinema room, and a library with books on marine topics. The captain's bridge is open to everyone at any time, so you can learn more about the operation of the ship and even feel like a member of the crew.
The expedition starts in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. At the city port, located in Avacha Bay (the largest natural harbor on the planet!), you will board the Professor Khromov and take your cabins. Welcome to the ship, which will become your comfortable and reliable home for the next 9 days! Leaving the bay, we go out into the Pacific Ocean. Here you will have a breathtaking view of the Kamchatka volcanoes: Avachinsky, Koryaksky, Vilyuchinsky, Kozelsky. Their panorama is especially beautiful from the water! We are heading south.
Today you will see the highest volcano of the Kuril Islands - Alaid (more than 2300 m above sea level). It is active, the last activity was recorded in 2022. Alaid is incredibly beautiful: it is an almost ideally shaped cone rising above the surface of the water on the northernmost of the Kuril Islands - Atlasov Island. From a geological point of view, the volcano and the island are identical. We will not make the difficult climb to the top of Alaid, but will disembark on the safe and comfortable Zodiac boats to walk at its foot and at the side craters - Olympic and Taketomi.
On the third day we will reach Paramushir Island and land in Krashennikov Bay. The island is famous for its mountainous terrain and a large number of active volcanoes, and the bay is famous for the fact that killer whales and whales often swim here in the summer. Seeing the majestic inhabitants of the depths up close is an incredibly emotional experience that takes some travelers’ breath away and brings tears to their eyes. We will take a boat trip on Zodiacs along the coast, see huge bird colonies and volcanoes, the most beautiful of which is rightfully considered the Fussa volcano. The panorama of the coastline and volcanoes is reminiscent of the exquisite and serene Japanese prints. By evening we will find ourselves at Antsiferov Island, where there is a large sea lion rookery.
We continue our journey and make a stop at Yankich Island. Its incredible landscapes are like a lost world where you will feel like pioneers: piercing green slopes, rich azure water, thermal springs off the coast, coral reefs. This miniature island is actually an ancient volcano, one of the walls of which collapsed, forming a caldera (circus-shaped basin). As a result of the flooding of the caldera, a cozy bay with two miniature islands in the center appeared. Paradise views, the sound of thousands of seabirds and a feeling of absolute harmony with nature await you.
Today you will trek to the Zavaritsky volcano. We will land on the uninhabited island of Simushir - this is another hard-to-reach but infinitely beautiful island of the Great Kuril Islands. Here we will trek to the Zavaritsky volcano (624 m), where from above we will see a caldera flooded with water, which has turned into a lake. In clear weather, you can also look around the entire middle part of the ridge. Then we will try our luck and go fishing, during which we can hook cod, flounder and halibut, which we will, of course, cook on board the ship. We are heading back to Kamchatka.
It is impossible not to include in the expedition the amazing island of Onekotan, the views of which are rightfully considered one of the most breathtaking among all the Kuril Islands. The most difficult trek of the entire trip awaits you: we go to the Krenitsyn volcano. The path in both directions is 15 km, the elevation gain will be about 600 m. But at the end of the path you will be fully rewarded with a unique landscape: a volcano of impeccable conical shape rises above the calm surface of the lake formed in the caldera. This is the so-called two-tier “volcano within a volcano”, which is currently active.
We have already visited this island, but today we will land at a completely different part of it. We go to the active, active Ebeko volcano, where columns of steam rise into the sky on the fumarole fields and hot springs gush out. We will also explore the secluded corners of the island of Paramushir, which is not only volcanoes (there are only five active ones here, and taking into account the extinct ones - more than ten!), but also picturesque rivers with flowering banks, waterfalls, quiet lakes, and impenetrable alder thickets. There is only one settlement on the island, Severo-Kurilsk, but otherwise it is an untouched, mysterious nature.
Hello, Kamchatka! We drop anchor in the famous Russkaya Bay, which is surrounded by dense forests and rocky slopes. This bay is also interesting for its rich fauna: brown bears often come to its shores, large colonies of various birds nest here and sea lion seals rest here. Going for a walk to the resting place of sea lions, along the way we will see the rusting skeletons of old ships, which, combined with the triumph of the wild nature surrounding them, create a very special atmosphere. In the evening you will find a festive dinner, where you will definitely remember the most incredible and vivid impressions of the trip.
We say goodbye to “Professor Khromov” and return to Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. We can take you to the city center or, if you decide to stay in the region, to your booked hotel.
The program includes not only excursions to natural sites. You won't be bored on board the ship: there is a library and a cinema hall where film screenings and fascinating lectures will be held. You will also take part in master classes on preparing seafood delicacies.
There are two restaurants on board the ship, where you will receive three meals a day on all days of the expedition. Tea and snacks are also available 24 hours a day. All this is included in the cost of the expedition.
No, we've already taken care of everything.
Medical insurance is not included in the tour price. Its registration is mandatory for all participants.
“Professor Khromov” is equipped with a satellite communication system, so you can make a call or access the Internet from it. Please note: the service is paid additionally. If there is no urgent need for communication, this is a great reason to give yourself an information detox!
Ask questions to the tour coordinator
Tour from an official tour operator from the Rostourism register
