Kamchatka eco tours, bear viewing, fishing, skiing, hiking and more

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Documents | Weather | Money | Equipment & Gear | How to Get Here | Booking Policies | Booking Form
Frequently Asked Questions

Documents

• Generally, tourist visas are required and are issued for up to 30 days, however check with your nearest Russian Federation Embassy or Consulate for possible changes. They can be extended only in case of emergency for a few days. To apply for a visa you will need to get an invitation and voucher from our partner company. To make these documents, send a scanned copy of your passport (valid for 6 months after you depart Russia), and your dates of travel and itinerary in Russia. When you get the voucher and invitation you must download the visa application from the Internet site of your nearest Russian consulate where you will apply for a visa. Fill it out and follow their instructions.
  
  
• Other visas include business visas. These take 6-8 weeks to receive the invitation provided by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs here in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. If you need a business visa we need the following information:
  • Scanned copy of your passport.
  • Full home address, telephone.
  • Profession, name of employer or business, work address, telephone.
  • Goal of your trip to Kamchatka.
  • List of all cities and locations you will visit during your trip.
  • Dates you will be in Russia (from entry to exit).
    
    
• Other permits for visitors to some areas of Kamchatka include permissions from the FSB and Border Guards. This is because Kamchatka is still an important military zone. When we arrange your itinerary and agree on a tour we will apply for this permit prior to your arrival. We also can arrange for any needed protected area entry permits.

Weather

Kamchatka couldn't be better situated for stormy weather. Located between the Bering Sea and the Sea of Okhotsk, Kamchatka gets almost a meter of precipitation annually. Kamchatka has many different climatic zones sometimes separated by just a few miles or minutes. Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky is a maritime climate while Yelizovo only 25 kilometers inland receives much less precipitation and often has sunny days to PK's fog, rain, or snow. Areas in southern Kamchatka like Kurilskoye Lake have more snow, rain, and fog. In Kamchatka's Central Valley, the climate is more a continental climate with less precipitation, hotter summers and colder winters.

Yelizovo Weather link:  www.gismeteo.ru/towns/32548.htm
English http://www.meteo.infospace.ru/cities/htm/index.ssi

Money

• Rubles are the preferred currency in all shops, markets, restaurants, and bars. However there are ATMs available in Yelizovo and Petropavlovsk in many locations and at the Sberbank or federal bank affiliates in most villages in Kamchatka. You cannot buy meals in restaurants or make purchases in Kamchatka with credit cards.
• Note: since 2011, non-Russian credit and debit cards are often refused by the Sberbank ATMs and in-store terminals. The message "call the bank at the number provided" is for the cashier at the store terminal you are trying to make a purchase from. Insist politely that they make this toll free call. Sberbank wants to verify this is truly your card and not a fraudulent use of it. Once you do this one time in Russia, you will be able to use your card where ever they accept cards.
• You may exchange dollars and euros in banks. It isn't recommended to exchange money on the street. Bring clean, new looking, un-torn or marked bills.
• There is no airport tax in Kamchatka when departing.

Equipment and gear

• Having the right clothing for the season can make a difference between a comfortable and safe trip or disaster. After you book a trip with us we'll send you our recommendations for clothing and equipment you must have with you.
• Clothing is important. It often rains on Kamchatka so for summer to fall trips, be sure you have good quality rain pants and a hooded jacket that will cover your warmer underlayers. We suggest subdued colors over bright yellows or oranges especially if you're going on a wildlife-watching trip.

How to get here

• From Moscow there are flights 6-7 days a week, year round on Aeroflot. As well, Transaero and Domodedova airlines companies have frequent departures from Moscow direct to Kamchatka. It's a long flight, try to get some rest! If you connect to Kamchatka through Sheremetevo Airport, and don't want to sightsee in Moscow, there is an in-terminal "capsule" hotel, "Vozdushniy Express" www.v-exp.ru, email: info@v-exp.ru, tel. +7 495 777-02-42.
• From Vladivostok there are flights several times a week, depending on the time of year on Vladivostok Airlines.
  
  
• From Khabarovsk there are flights several times a week depending on the time of year. One may also connect to Vladivostok via Khabarovsk by train or air.
  
  
• Vladivostok Aviahttp://www.vladivostokair.us/kamchatka.html
  Aeroflot http://www.aeroflot.ru/cms/en
  Transaero http://www.transaero.ru
  Domodedova Airlines http://www.domodedova.ru/en

Trip Conditions

Your trip is considered reserved when we receive your reservation form and a color copy scanned of your passport. After we receive this, you will be sent an invoice. We must receive a deposit for your trip within 14 days or the booking is cancelled..

Please click on “Booking” to supply us with the information we need to book your journey.

Some trips are based on a minimum group size. If the group is less than the minimum required, we may cancel the trip or offer it to you at the adjusted price reflecting the smaller group size.

Deposit at the time of Booking is 50% of the full price per person.

Final payment is required no later than 6 weeks prior to trip date.

Prices have been calculated in rubles. Upon booking a tour, we will give a quote that depends on the current currency exchange rate. Payment for tours are either in US dollars through our account.

Explore Kamchatka accepts liability for the negligent acts of its employees, agents, insofar as they relate to the trip while you are in Kamchatka. Explore Kamchatka is not liable for customer losses, damage, or injury during travel to/from Kamchatka or which result from third parties with whom the customer makes individual contact.

Explore Kamchatka reserves the right to cancel a pre-booked trip because of circumstances, which make it impossible to accomplish the travel due to reasons we aren’t responsible for and if we cannot offer a reasonable alternative. Explore Kamchatka is not responsible for bad weather conditions and all the consequences.

Cancellations received under the name of the person who reserved the trip are subject to the following charges: prior to 8 weeks-no charge; 5-8 weeks -loss of the deposit; 4 weeks and more 60% of the trip cost; 3 weeks and more 80% of the trip cost; less than 3 weeks 100% of trip cost.

Explore Kamchatka cannot accept liability for costs associated with your late arrival, sickness, accidents, or other unforeseen reasons for you not joining the group or staying with the itinerary as planned.

Trip insurance isn’t included in the cost of your itinerary. We highly recommend a personal trip insurance to cover you and your property while traveling. Explore Kamchatka offers adventures of a lifetime and you are responsible for making sure your health is up to the demands of the itinerary.

Included in your price: accommodations in the city as noted, all meals unless stipulated in your itinerary, all ground transportation, licenses, fees, helicopter transportation, guides, interpreters.

Not included: alcohol, tips, and trip insurance.

Frequently Asked Questions

Fun & Useful Links

About Kamchatka

Kamchatka Ecotourism Society www.kamchatkatourism.com
Kamchatka Association of Protected Areas www.wildkamchatka.ru

Interesting organizations, people, sites, places

Wild Salmon Center www.wildsalmoncenter.org
Pacific Environment Resource Center www.perc.org
World Wildlife Fund Russia  www.wwf.ru
The International Ecotourism Society www.ecotourism.org
Sustainable Tourism International www.sustainabletourism.org
Igor Shpilenok Photography www.shpilenok.com
Nalychevo Nature Park http://www.park.kamchatka.ru
Vladivostok Avia http://www.vladivostokavia.ru/en/passengers     http://www.vladivostokairlines.us
Aeroflot http://www.aeroflot.ru/cms/en
Transaero http://www.transaero.ru
Domodedova Airlines http://www.domodedova.ru/en

Links to our colleagues

Flory Kern www.flory-kern.de
Fishing North www.fishingnorth.com
Adventure and fine art photography www.summit-photography.com
Far Horizons www.farhorizons.com.au
World Wise Ecotours www.traveleastrussia.com
Red Star Travel www.travel2russia.com
Polar Sea Adventures www.polarseaadventures.com
Alaska Marine Expeditions www.pukuk.com
Inlet Charters Across Alaska Adventures http://halibutcharters.com/