10-day trip
Available July 15-September 30
Hikes are active but not difficult

In ten days, you'll visit one of the most active volcanoes in Kamchatka, see the newest Nature Park on the Peninsula and spend time there hiking and soaking in pristine hot springs. You'll have a chance to either fly to the Valley of the Geysers in the Kronotskiy Zapovednik (Preserve), or take a daylong marine cruise on scenic and historic Avacha Bay.

Day 1 Arrival in Yelizovo-overnight at either a homestay or hotel in Paratunka Valley, 25 km from Yelizovo. Homestays are in Yelizovo and have English-speaking people in their family. In Paratunka your hotel has a swimming pool fed with geothermal water. You may swim, relax after your flight. Have lunch at the restaurant and in the afternoon and early evening tour Yelizovo and Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. In the evening, a Russian folk music mini-concert will be held in your honor.

Day 2-5 Mutnovsky & Goryely Volcanoes. Mutnovsky Volcano (2324 meters) is one of Kamchatka's most active volcanoes one of the largest geothermal deposits in the world. Seventy kilometers south of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, the volcano is accessible by unpaved road, a 46-hour drive from Yelizovo. Mutnovsky erupted in June 2000, with its activity melting some of the glacial ice on the slope of the crater. This formed a large lake in the crater. The entire volcanic mass is composed of 4 cones. The mountain has vast areas covered with tundra wild flowers in summer and in other areas huge fields of volcanic rock, sand, and debris.

Goryely Volcano is 5 km from Mutnovsky Volcano and is 1829 meters high. It last erupted in 1984-85. Goryely consists of 11 superimposed craters at the summit. Inside the active crater is a turquoise-blue acidic lake.

Day 2 Drive 4-6 hours to Mutnovsky Volcano. The drive is over unpaved roads through a spectacular birch forest, rising up above treeline to the alpine tundra of the volcanic zone. Frequent stops along the way will give a chance for photography. Picnic upon arrival, make camp. Explore the camp area. Overnight in tents (2 per tent).

Day 3 Hike up to the active crater of Mutnovsky Volcano (10 km). The actual amount of hiking may depend both on weather and on the road conditions, which in early summer may not allow the vehicle to drive very close to the volcano. In August-September, road conditions often allow one to drive to within a 40-minute hike up to the crater.

Day 4 Drive or hike to Goryely Volcano. Hike with backpacks along the Goryely Volcano. Hiking 2-4 hours. Make new camp and take hikes around the old lava fields.

Day 5 Morning hikes in the area and after lunch, drive back to your hotel to overnight. Swim as desired or go to a real Russian banya.

Day 6-8 Nalichevskiy Nature Park. The Park was created only four years ago. It sits in an amphitheatre of active and extinct snow-capped volcanoes. The breath-taking scenery includes wild-flower filled tundra, stately stone birch forests and a number of hot springs that are famous for their comfortable and healthful bathing. You can hike or relax as you desire, absorbing the magic of this most remote, spectacular park. In August, brown bears might be seen foraging on ripe blue berries on the other side of the river from the hot-springs where we bathe (Yes we did see one last year). Don't be alarmed, they keep their distance, but do bring your long lens and binoculars. Our accommodation is two large cabins, which consist mainly of four-berthed rooms. Meals will be cooked for you and are varied and plentiful.

Day 6 Helicopter to the Park (20 minute flight). Hiking in the Park's center. Around the cabins are easy level trails and a Visitor Centre/Museum, which is highly visible and is useful for orienting oneself within the park. Only 2 km from the cabins is the mineral dome of a now extinct geyser, which ceased to erupt following a recent earthquake. Boardwalks take you over the fragile mineralised landscape, past deep hot springs, which bubbled up after the earthquake silenced the geyser, to see the red-orange formations left by the geyser's activities. This day is reserved for short hikes to the hot springs, bathing, and hikes to the geyser dome.

Day 7 Today's hike to the north-west will be more strenuous. An 8 to 9 hour round trip will take us up and over a small dormant volcano to an area of canyons and mineralised ponds. Picnic en route. Evening relaxing at the hot springs.

Day 8 Return to Yelizovo. Morning free before you return by helicopter to Yelizovo - the views looking down on this "primitive" landscape are absolutely amazing. Drive back to your accommodations for overnight. In the evening, visit a Russian dacha and family, touring the beautiful gardens and have dinner featuring fresh foods from the garden.

Day 9 Choice of Valley of Geysers or marine excursion on Avacha Bay visiting 3 Brothers Rock, Sea Bird Rookeries, Steller sea eagle nest. In the evening, your group will travel to Yelizovo's Fox Burrow Restaurant for a closing banquet featuring fresh Kamchatka seafood or traditional Russian cooking. Also the restaurant features some of Kamchatka's best folk musicians. Overnight at hotel.

Day 10 Departure day. Dependent on the time of your flight's registration for departure, visit the open market in Yelizovo or souvenir shops.

This tour is organized by Yelizovo Tour Service. Please contact them for more information.

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