Destinations > Far East

Sakhalin — Iturup:
the Far Side
of the World

Be ready to experience unique and once-in-a-lifetime emotions while setting your foot on the last real strip of inhabited land

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Tour Details

Mysterious Islands

Only a few Russians manage to visit Sakhalin island, the biggest island of the country that up to the middle of the XIX century was considered a peninsula! You are really lucky! You have a chance to see not only Sakhalin island, but also one of the Kuril islands – Iturup. You will dig into the atmosphere of wild nature and appreciate its masterpieces: magnificent mountains and impressive sea cliffs, astonishing volcanoes and inviting hot springs, unique flora and fauna.

Types of tourism

Eco

CULINARY

Wellness

Wild Nature

ECO

Culinary

wellness

wild nature

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Your Travel Plan

Kamchatka crab, prawns, squid, shells, mussels and other seafood on the table

A museum in Russia in a building constructed in traditional Japanese style of "teican-dzukkuri" (imperial crown). A fountain and flowers in front of a building in Japanese style

A square with a church and a building with a colonnade and a glass cupola in the late evening

A cable road of an alpine ski resort, sunset

1^st day of the itinerary

Welcome to Sakhalin!

Your tour starts with the city of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, the main city of Sakhalin island. A local guide will be waiting for you upon arrival and will help you to check-in at the hotel. This day you’ll have the first impression of the city and the island in general. Due to its complicated history, the city represents a marvelous combination of Russian, Japanese and Korean cultures.

On the excursion you will see the Regional Museum of Local History in the Japanese style of Nihon Shumi & the City Park Gagarin with its unique charm that now displays a mix of two cultures – both remind you about the Japanese period of the city’s history; the Cathedral of the Nativity of Christ with the largest mosaic panel in the world (14 meters). Memorial complex – the Square of Glory, the Square of Victory, and the Museum-memorial complex founded in memory of the victory in the Second World War will help to plunge into the history of that time. During a visit to the observation deck at the ski resort «The Mountain Air» you will enjoy an amazing panoramic view of the city. At the end of the day, welcome dinner with Sakhalin delicacies won’t leave you indifferent!

A piece of an island in clouds in the ocean

An island partly covered with clouds in the ocean

© www.flickr.com/photos/e_kaspersky/

A bay of an island, beautiful sea and mountains

© www.flickr.com/photos/e_kaspersky/

© NASA

2^nd day of the itinerary

The Largest Island of Kuril Ridge

Today you will get a flight from Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk to the city of Kurilsk, the capital of Iturup Island. Iturup is one of the numerous islands of the Kuril chain, it’s considered the largest and one of the richest islands in terms of natural attractions. After check-in at the hotel and lunch, you will have a fascinating sightseeing tour of Kurilsk, one of the smallest cities in Russia, and Kitovoye village, a sea gate of the island, as exactly here a port and a passenger ship terminal are situated. Today you’ll also have a possibility to relax and recharge energies in the Zharkiye Vody hot springs resort. The healing waters of the resort contain silicic acid, nitrogen, hydrogen sulfide, free sulfur, and the water temperature at the outlet from the bowels of the earth reaches 82 ° C.

White hills of unusual shape along the seashore

© https://www.flickr.com/photos/e_kaspersky/

3^rd day of the itinerary

Iturup: White Cliffs

You will remember this day! Today you’re going on a sea excursion to the White Cliffs. These unique volcanic formations of very light and soft pumice are located in the northern part of the island. Almost “snow-white” rocks, covered with an emerald green carpet, stretch for 28 kilometers along the coast, just a kilometer from the sea. They represent fantastic undulating ridges jagged with canyons. There are a lot of exciting places along the route. You will visit Olya Bay; Black Cliffs, which are dark basalt volcanic formations on the seashore; Parusnaya Bay’ waterfalls, one of which is 25 meters high; Tornaya Bay, Sopochnoye lake which is known for its horseshoe shape, and a peninsula in the middle of the water. If you’re lucky, sea lions and seals will greet you during this cruise (even if it can’t be guaranteed)!

After this day full of emotions you’ll have an opportunity to take a dip in the springs of the water-health complex Vannochki hot springs resort.

Mountain river, waterfalls in a beautiful park, two backpackers hiking

4^th day of the itinerary

Kasatka Bay & Baranskiy Volcano

In the morning we will depart for Kasatka Bay. Perhaps it’s the only place on the island where you can easily and simply “touch” the Pacific Ocean! There is also something to see from the historical point of view. There was a naval base with an airfield which the Japanese troops were based on. During World War II, the Japanese carrier squadron and support ships departed from here to defeat Pearl Harbor. In the afternoon we’ll proceed with an excursion to the active Baranskiy volcano, more than 1000 meters in height. Today you will have an opportunity not only to visit this active volcano but also to bathe in the hot springs by the foot of it!

© www.flickr.com/photos/uharabtsou/

© www.flickr.com/photos/uharabtsou/

5^th day of the itinerary

Yankito Lava Plateau

We’ll spend this last morning on the Iturup Island on the Yankito Lava Plateau that represents fields of frozen lava of a bizarre shape that appeared as a result of the eruption of the volcano Bogdan Khmelnitsky. The stagnant black lava combined with green grass and bright colors looks unusual. The fact that traces of early Neolithic people have been found here gives even greater importance to the site. After this amazing excursion, you get back to the hotel, prepare your bags and return to Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk.

A northern beach in Russia, a man walking on the beach and his footprints

6^th day of the itinerary

Tikhaya Bay

Today immediately after breakfast, you will go to the Starodubskoye village coastline, located on the shores of the Sea of Okhotsk. It is famous for its amber coast. You will take a walk along the picturesque shore and rub amber. Then you will go to the Vzoriye village, where you will visit the Shinto shrine’ and Tohoruim gates – the ritual gates of an ancient Japanese synth temple.

After a visit to the crab market, you will go to Tikhaya bay, where a hot lunch of Sakhalin delicacies will be waiting for you. The bay amazes with an abundance of unusual and rare plants: Sea Rosehip, Mertensia, Aralia, Thermopsis watered the bottom of the bay. The rock island is occupied by the noisy gulls. Only their screams disturb the silence of this paradise.

Piece of wood on the seashore, a rock in the water of unusual shape, beach in Russia

A rock in the shape of an elephant, a rock with an arch inside of it on the seashore

7^th day of the itinerary

Cape Ptichiy & Cape Velikan

This day your goal is to get to the Cape Ptichiy and Velikan. It’s a nature ensemble. Stone arches and caves on Cape Ptichiy are inhabited by large colonies of seabirds. You will walk along the shores of the Sea of Okhotsk, and will see grottos and caves. Hot lunch in Sakhalin style on the shore of the sea (fish soup, seafood) will help you to feel better the atmosphere of this fairy-like nook. Moving further along the coast, you will reach Cape Velikan. Strong winds and sea waves have created unique stone compositions here. The shape of Cape Velikan brings to mind the figure of bogatyr. This afternoon you will return to Yuzhno- Sakhalinsk and spend your time as you want.

Departure

Last Minute Sightseeing and Shopping

Now you can explore the city by yourself and do some last-minute shopping. Then you will be transferred to the airport. Now it’s time to say goodbye to Russia. Hope to see you again!

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