Excursion to Golovnin Volcano

Duration: 1 full day
Departure: 9:30 AM by off-road vehicles to the 43rd km of the Yuzhno-Kurilsk–Golovnino road. Photo stop at the viewpoint overlooking Golovnin Cliff.
Transport: Off-road jeep or 4x4 minibus
Hiking route: Approximately 14 km round trip. Moderate difficulty: dirt trail with ascents and descents, partly muddy. One-way hiking time: 2–2.5 hours.
On-site activities:

• At Kipyashcheye (Boiling) Lake — fumarolic field with boiling mud pots (95–100 °C).
• Swimming in the warm Goryachee (Hot) Lake.
• Packed lunch provided.
• Time spent in the caldera: 2–3 hours
• Group size: No limit (age and physical condition assessed individually upon request)

About Golovnin Volcano
Located on Kunashir Island, the volcano was named in 1946 after Vice Admiral Vasily Mikhailovich Golovnin, who was captured nearby by the Japanese in 1811 in Izmeny Bay.
Post-volcanic activity in the caldera is highly pronounced: hot springs, bubbling mud pools, and vigorous fumaroles. Gases include carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, hydrogen sulfide, and hydrogen chloride. Lake and spring waters are chloride-sulfate in composition.

Excursion to Stolbchaty Cape

Duration: 1 full day.
Departure: At 9:30 AM by off-road vehicles to the parking area at the 17th km mark. Then a downhill hike along the trail to the thermal springs and out to the coast of the Sea of Okhotsk.
Transport: Jeep or off-road minibus.
Hiking route: Approximately 6.5 km round trip. Moderate difficulty: sandy coastline with crossings over rocks and boulder fields.
On-site: Stunning views of unique basalt columns, swimming in Sea of Okhotsk lagoons, packed lunch with hot tea.
Time at the cape: 2–3 hours.
Group: No limit on group size (age and physical condition subject to individual consultation).

About Stolbchaty Cape
Stolbchaty Cape on Kunashir Island is one of the most famous natural wonders of the Kurils, located in the buffer zone of the Kurilsky Nature Reserve. It formed approximately 5–6 million years ago during an eruption of Mendeleev Volcano: molten lava flowing into the sea cooled rapidly, forming regular pentagonal and hexagonal basalt columns.

Excursion to Mendeleev Volcano

Duration: 1 full day.
Departure: At 9:30 AM by off-road vehicles to the parking area at the 17th km mark. Then a hike uphill to the volcano.
Transport: Jeep or off-road minibus.
Hiking route: Approximately 7 km round trip. Moderate difficulty: the trail passes through dense bamboo (in places 1.5–2 m tall). Ascent time: 2–2.5 hours.
On-site: Otherworldly landscape of a fumarolic field with bright yellow sulfur deposits and solfataric gas vents. Soaking in hot springs (temperature up to 40 °C) and a packed lunch.
Time at the fumarolic field: 2–2.5 hours.
Group: No limit on group size (age and physical condition subject to individual consultation).

About Mendeleev Volcano
An active stratovolcano in the southern part of Kunashir Island, 886 m high. Named in 1946 after the great Russian chemist Dmitri Ivanovich Mendeleev. A complex volcano featuring a central extrusive dome, formed by andesitic and andesite-basaltic lavas (predominantly quartz-bearing olivine dacite).

Duration: 1 full day.
Departure: At 9:30 AM by off-road vehicles to the parking area at the 17th km mark. Then a hike along the trail.
Transport: Jeep or off-road minibus.
Hiking route: Approximately 7 km round trip. Moderate difficulty: forest trail through dense bamboo thickets (up to 1.5–2 m tall). One-way hiking time: 2–2.5 hours.
Along the route: Walk through unique Kuril forest with ancient trees, endemic plants, and dense bamboo groves. Possible wildlife sightings include hares, foxes, bears, woodpeckers, thrushes, and other birds; on clear days, you may hear the loud buzzing of giant cicadas.
At the fumarolic field: Otherworldly landscape with bright yellow sulfur deposits and solfataric gases. Soaking in hot springs (up to 40 °C), as well as thermal and mud springs. Packed lunch provided.
Time on site: 2–2.5 hours.
Group: No limit on group size (age and physical condition subject to individual consultation).

About the “Stolbovskaya” Ecotrail
The trail is closely linked to Mendeleev Volcano: it follows the route of an early 20th-century Japanese horse and footpath used to transport sulfur from the fumarolic fields to the coast.

Excursion to Tyatya Volcano

Duration: 1 full day.
Physical fitness required: Moderate (no strenuous trekking or summit ascent).
Transport: High-clearance 4x4 vehicle (4–7 hours with rest and photo stops) or small motorboat (2–3 hours, nonstop).
Route: Departure from Yuzhno-Kurilsk in the morning (around 09:00). The road passes through scenic but challenging terrain with potholes, streams, and forests. Arrival at the Roshchinsky Ranger Station area or scenic viewpoints at the volcano’s base.
On-site: Observation of one of the most beautiful volcanoes in the Kurils from safe viewpoints. Photos with the majestic Tyatya peak (1,819 m) in the background, followed by a light meal (field ration or packed lunch).
Return: Back to Yuzhno-Kurilsk in the afternoon. A stop at “Chayka” thermal spring for bathing may be made on the way.
Group: No strict limit on group size (age and physical condition subject to individual consultation).
Important: Route and transport may vary depending on weather conditions.

Tyatya Volcano is a symbol of the Kuril Islands and one of Kunashir’s main attractions. For the Ainu, the indigenous people, it was sacred and known as “Father Mountain” or “father of all volcanoes.”

Excursion to Golovnin Cliff

Duration: 1 full day.
Departure: Around 10:00 AM by off-road vehicles toward the village of Golovnino (Veslovsky Peninsula). The drive, including a stop at the viewpoint, takes 2–2.5 hours.
Transport: High-clearance off-road vehicle.
On-site: Viewing and photography at Golovnin Cliff — 1–2 hours.
Included: Light snack (tea and cookies).
Optional: Upon request — a gastronomic experience: open-fire fish soup by the ocean and tasting of fresh Kuril seafood. Price calculated individually — please submit a request, and a manager will contact you.
Group: No limit on group size (age and physical condition subject to consultation).
Important: Departure time and duration of the stop may be adjusted according to the tide schedule.

Golovnin Cliff stretches from Cape Puzanov to the mouth of the Belozerka River and serves as a true open-air geological museum. Exposed rock layers here document the history of Golovnin Volcano and climate changes over the past two million years: volcanic ash alternates with marine sediments and ancient peat deposits.

Excursion to the “Chayka” (Dobry Klyuch) Thermal Spring

Duration: 1 full day.
Departure: Around 10:00 AM by off-road vehicles heading north. The drive, with rest and photo stops, takes 2–2.5 hours.
Transport: High-clearance off-road vehicle.
On-site: 4 hours for exploration, bathing in thermal pools and the ocean.
Included: Light snack (tea and cookies).
Optional: Upon request — gastronomic program: freshly prepared open-fire fish soup by the ocean and tasting of Kuril seafood (price calculated individually).
Group: No limit on group size (age and physical condition subject to consultation).

A classic Japanese-style onsen — an open-air bath built during the Japanese period — located on the eastern coast of Kunashir, 20 km northeast of Otada village. The spring emerges along a tectonic fault line between Golovnin and Tyatya volcanoes.
Bathing takes place outdoors with stunning views of the ocean coastline — an ideal spot for relaxation and immersion in the natural beauty of the Kurils.

Discover the magic of the Kuril Islands

Kunashir is a land of active volcanoes, thermal springs, unique nature, and ocean expanses. A journey here is a chance to see one of the wildest and most beautiful corners of Russia, where every day is full of discovery

01

02

03

Fill out the application form
(provide your phone number)

Specify your wishes
(travel dates, route preferences)

Get a personalized
offer