• 23 days camping-/hostel-tours to the most beautiful National Parks in Kamchatka
• through the expanse of the Sibirian Taiga and to moon-like landscapes
• exciting ascents of three active volcanoes: Avacha, Gorelyi, Mutnovski
• Swimming, relaxing in thermal springs
• To the indigenous people of East-Siberia
• Bears, king-salmons and most of all: untouched wilderness
• And above: The Tsar-Metropolis
  1 1/2 unforgettable days in St. Petersburg

The peninsula of Kamchatka extends far into the Pacific Ocean and nearly reaches the chain of the Aleut Islands. It is a very mountainous and geologically very turbulent region, with 160 volcanoes. 30 volcanos are active and spectacularily erupting once in a while. The glowing, smoking wilderness of fire and ice on the volcano-cones stands in sharp contrast to the colorful vegetation in Kamchatka's fertil valleys, it's clear lakes and vivid streams, which are abundant of fish.
At the start of the adventure tour, we'll spend two and a half days in St. Petersburg and shall have sufficient time to visit this marble of the Baltic Sea.


Flight from Munich to St. Petersburg, We'll arrive in the afternoon and shall leisurely stroll over the crowded Newskiy Prospect in the evening. Dinner in the city, overnight in pension.

Sightseeing of this marvelous city with it's plentiful monuments of architectural art: Isaac's cathedral, Admirality, Russian Museum, Winter Palace etc..
We'll take the famous Metro and may well undertake a boat's tour through St. Petersburg's network of channels. Visit of the "Eremitage", one of the world's most outstanding art-museums. Or: transfer to the "Peterhof" Visits of the opera or the splendid St. Petersburg Ballet in the evening will be optional.
Overnight/breakfast.

In the forenoon, we continue the sightseeing. Transfer to the airport in the afternoon. Flight from St. Petersburg to Petropavlovsk - Kamchatka.

Arrival in Petropavlovsk Kamchatka around noon. During the afternoon we'll set out to supplement our equipment and the food-supplies for the tour.
Dinner will be served in a restaurant. Overnight in the hotel/breakfast.

We get on a Four-Wheel-Drive-Vehicle for the first ride to the Nalychevo National Park .
The Park is dominated by two volcanoes: Avachinsky (2710 m) and Koryaksky (3456 m). We'll follow a rough river-bed and finally walk the last few hundred meters to a mountain cabin. If we are lucky, we might step on snow-scooters as well.
During the afternoon, we'll explore the sourroundings and while easy walking across lava fields, will reach a bizarre rock-needle. Above us the ice-scowling slopes of the majestic volcanoes and the constant trail of smoke, gushing out of the crater. Overnight in the hut.

If you like to climb the active Avachinsky, this is your chance! You'll have to manage an ascent of seven hours. However, if you decide to dispense with the crater on a less fatigueing walk, you may well hike to another viewpoint during the day. And you'll be fascinated of the spectacular panoramic view: towards the Pacific, the mighty Koryaksky-volcano, across other small volcanoes in the area and the vastness of the Siberian taiga.
Overnight in the hut

We'll start early and continue to the Central Regions of Kamchatka. That's a long ride of approx. 700 km. But not only once we'll stop during this day to enjoy the diversity of changing landscapes, to take photographs, to watch passing elchs or, if we are lucky: bears!
We'll have a short lunch in the settlement of Malki an shall take a bath in the thermal spring. At the end of the day we'll reach the Kluchevskoy National Park, shall build up our tents along the shore of a small river, lighting up a campfire and enjoy the romantic atmosphere in the midth of bush.
Overnight in tents.

If you didn't know a birch-tree-jungle yet, you'll experience it that day. The vehicle has a hard time to pass through the thicket and we, now and then, will have to bend the trees, to chop branches or even the trunks to get through. Slowly we get higher until we reach the remains of an incredible catastrophy:
It was in the mid-Seventies, when 120 'Hiroshima-bombs' blew off without warning here, in the form of an eruption with equivalent power. The heat destroyed all forests nearby, just leaving dead trunks everywhere, and the black ashes covered most what was living before. Finally the magma dug out huge gorges and hell showed its true face.
We are driving across a moon-like landscape, and we'll walk. We'll ascend the fuming "two ladies", two smaller craters, which were the most nasty during eruption. We probably also visit the site, where the Russians tested their moon-vehicles. And finally we'll get close to the "Master", the icy Tolbachic , which is also the highest (3.085 m).

Like always during the tour, you may well decide yourself on the spot, whatever challenge you like to take. If you're satisfied with just an easy walk, or rather would choose the thrilling ascent. If the latter is the case, you need ice-experience however, and will have to bring appropriate equipment for the climb to the summit.
Overnights in tents

We'll leave this strange area, our vehicle takes us down to the river and finally to Kozyrevsk . This is a village like a fairytale from our dreams about Old Russia: With small decorated block-houses, surrounded by affectionately fostered gardens, friendly, industrious people, who live their modest lives under the hardships and in the seclusion of Siberia's wilderness.











During the afternoon you'll have sufficient time to collect your own impressions while walking around. Optionally you might like to go on a boat's-trip on the Kamchatka-river. You'll be served Smoked King-Salmon on the way and once you return, the seetheing cuttle with Russian Fish-Soup will be ready over the fire. Not to forget the Vodka, running in streams......
To make this day a true Russian experience, we might order a Russian Sauna for the evening. Overnight in a simple pension.

This day is reserved for a short visit of the Asia's highest volcano Kluchevskoy (4750 m) and one of the most active and dangerous: Shiveluch. We'll stay overnight in the Volcanological Institute.

Passing over a bad road, we'll manage to reach Bystrinksy National Park. This area is known as the home of Ewenkian reindeer-hunters and the Koryaks. We'll visit the anthropological museum in the village of Esso and shall undertake a walk to the surroundings. In the evening you may take a bath in the Thermal Springs of Anavgai, even a steam-bath.

If we're lucky, the natives are celebrating a festival during the period of our stay. We try to be there on time to witness their colorful dances (we might change/reorganize the whole program for that reason)

Optional we might also hire some horses for a ride into the National Park or a chopper and fly to more isolated regions (ca. 200 $US/person).
Overnights in very modest pension or tent.










Following the Bystraia-river (by car) down to the South of Kamchatka, we reach Milkovo, shall visit the market and have our lunch. Late in the afternoon, we'll build our camp somewhere in the birch-forest. Overnight in tents.

We'll continue our way to the South and reach the Thermal Springs of Paratunka, the recreation area for the crews of the nearby Nuclear Submarine Base. We follow a valley, climb a very steep road, finally drive cross-country to reach the volcanoes Gorelyi (1.829m) and Mutnovsky (2.322m). Both volcanoes are highly active.
We shall build up the camp at the foot of the Gorelyi. Overnight in tents.


















We'll start the ascent of the Gorelyi. This is an easy climb of approx. 3 hours. The main crater is formed by several smaller craters. It is recommendable to add some 2-3 hours for a hike around. We thus descend 150 meters in altitude to a poisonous lake at the bottom of the most active crater. Fumaroles of sulfur-vapor emerge, the green water consists of hot hydrochloric acid and (even more appetizing), a mixture of sulfuric-acid and nitric-acid. Whatever you wish to be dissolved, your mother-in-law or parts of your equipment, just drop it here in this delicious soup.
We climb the summit of the main crater and descend along levelled slopes.

During the following day we'll try the Mutnovsky. Its crater is really steamy. Russian cosmonauts described the activity of this crater as being the most spectacular impression, they ever had in their lives. Check yourself!
If the conditions will allow, we can get very close to the crater by car, so that we just will have to walk three hours. Else we'll have to hike a bit longer of course.
Overnights in tents.










We'll return to Paratunka. At the swimming pool of a thermal bath we'll rest and recover from our climbs.
Overnight in tents.

We return to Petropavlovsk. Opportunity for souvenir-shopping: don't forget to buy sufficient Smoked King Salmon or Caviar for your beloved ones at home. We further visit the ethnological museum and shall stroll through the city.
Overnight in the hotel/breakfast.

Reserve day
Optional you may book a chopper flight to the Valley of Geysirs or to the Southern vulcanoes , to see your ascents from the air. (ca. 400,- $US, 5-6 hours). Another option: you might hire a car for a visit of the Pacific Coast
Overnight in the hotel/breakfast.

Flight from Petropavlovsk to St. Petersburg.


Flight from St. Petersburg to Munich.



You need a visum for travels to Kamchatka. Application forms will be sent to you after your booking. Entry to Russia for EU-citizens requires a valid passport, valid at least three month longer than the date of your return.

You should have an average hiking condition.
There are no maintained trails in Kamchatka. You'll have to walk cross-country. The climbs of the vulcanoes Avachinsky and Gorelyi are strenuous. However, if you think you can't make it, you may return to the base-camp anytime.
The climb of the Tolbachic requires glacier-experience and -equipment

Due to unforseeable local circumstances, weather-conditions or the like, a change of the routing might be necessary. You are willing to accept this condition and ready to adapt to whatever might occur on the way.
You are also willing to actively help your co-participants and our Russian partners to build up the camp and to cooperate with them, whenever your assistance is necessary. The sanitary standards and the hotel-standards in Kamchatka are very basic.

Economy-class flights from Munich via St. Petersburg to Petropavlovsk and retur,
Overnights as being described above in double- or triple-rooms with breakfast,
tent-overnights (2 persons/tent), crew-tent and kitchen-equipment,
full meals from/to Petropavlovsk, fees for the National Parks, visum-fee,
Four-Wheel-Drive-vehicle,
English-speaking guide,
airport taxes.

Lunch and dinner in St. Petersburg and Petropavlovsk, other meals in restaurants, drinks, tips, personal expenses, fees for theatres or museums, optional helicopter flights, obligatory health-insurance, other insurances.


Minimum 6, maximum 10 persons

03.08.- 25.08.2008
31.08.- 22.09.2008


from Munich: 3.840,- €

Single-room/-tent: 295,- €

Rail & Fly Ticket incl. ICE p.P./2.Kl.: 70,- €