Visiting Kamchatka

Visiting Kamchatka

The internet, for all its strengths, can only give you a small taste of what it is like to actually visit Kamchatka. Once experienced, the stark beauty and isolation of the peninsula, together with the friendly and hardy people who inhabit it, will stick in your mind for the rest of your life.

It is possible to visit Kamchatka on your own, without a tour guide or agent, but this is quite difficult. If you are brave, fluent in Russian, and have a lot of time, you can make your own way around the peninsula. (Anyone who wishes advice on doing so can feel free to contact me with questions.) Kamchatka is an enormous place, however, and exceedingly difficult to get around in, from both a physical and political standpoint. Your trip will almost certainly be more enjoyable if you have a guide.

There are several companies that offer tours to Kamchatka, but not all are reliable. Because visitors to my site often ask me for recommendations on which tour company to use, I finally decided to do some research into the subject, and to post the information on my site.

Lost World Tours is run by a professional alpinist and explorer. It has been in operation since 1993 (an eternity for a Russian business) and has many satisfied customers. They offer a variety of tours, throughout the year, at reasonable prices. You will not pay anything extra by booking through me- I am not doing this to earn money, but instead to help Kamchatka develop its economy in a sustainable way.

The tour list and schedule for 2008 is now available. I have organized the trips into categories to allow you to choose one that best fits your interests:

Wildlife observation and photography

If you are really interested in bears, Kurilskoe Lake has one of the highest bear concentrations in the world. We offer two itineraries that take you to this spectacular wilderness area.

Looking for a unique early summer (late June/early July) trip to Kamchatka? This trip will take you to extremely remote and seldom-visited parts of the Kamchatka coast to view sea mammals, birds, bears and volcanoes.

Trekking

Want to hike your way around Kamchatka's wilderness? Try one of these trips. Trip 901 to Kronotsky is especially recommended, as this is perhaps the most spectacular place on Kamchatka: volcanoes, geysers, bubbling mud cauldrons, bears and eagles!

Volcanoes

Come see what Kamchatka is famous for- eruptions, stunning crater lakes and geysers! If you would prefer a more technical tour with a professional geologist, consider this tour.

Kronotsky National Park

Visit Kamchatka's famous national park, a United Nations World Heritage Site.

Visit the indigenous peoples of Kamchatka

Meet the Evens- one of the four indigenous peoples of Kamchatka- and travel with their reindeer herds, getting acquinted with their traditional lifestyle and culture.

Fishing

Visit virgin rivers for some of the best trout and salmon fishing in the world.

Rafting

See the wilds of Kamchatka from a guided raft.

HeliSkiing

Ski the virgin slopes of some of Kamchatka's active volcanoes.

Cross-country skiing

See winter in Kamchatka at a leisurely pace.

Dog sledding

See the beauty of Kamchatka in winter from a dogsled.

Visit Nalacheva Valley
Visit indigenous reindeer herders

Mountaineering

Climb the highest, most isolated peaks in Kamchatka with our expert guides.

Can't decide?

Consider a comprehensive tour combining trekking, volcanoes, and ethnic culture.

Want to learn more?