Kamchatka eco tours, bear viewing, fishing,
skiing, hiking and more
Visas and Documents
 © Jerry Kobalenko |
You need a passport good for at least 6 months after your planned return home from Russia. We will send you an invitation and voucher for applying to get your visa. Fill out and send the Explore Kamchatka Tour Reservation Form, which gives us, needed information to complete your invitation and voucher for visa application. Once we receive this and your deposit, we will send you by fax or email attachment your voucher and invitation. For up-to-date visa information, look at the Russian Federation consulate web site.
As of this time, the costs of obtaining a visa from your nearest Russian Federation Consulate is listed below:
| Processing Period | Single Entry | Double Entry |
| Not less than 6 business days |
$100
|
$100
|
| Not less than 3 business days |
$150
|
$200
|
| Next business day or 2 business days |
$200
|
$250
|
| Same day processing |
$300
|
$350
|
Do not count the day they receive your application
for a visa. These fees don't include your required
return postage for getting your visa. When you arrive
on Kamchatka, Explore Kamchatka with your Russian
host company must take your passport and visa to be
registered at the local Passport and Visa Office.
Sometimes, particularly in busy tourism season, this
means you will have to leave on your trip into Kamchatka
without your documents but we'll be sure to send you
with a copy.
Getting here
 ©Charles Russell |
Contact Aeroflot Airlines www.aeroflot.com, Transaero Airlines, and Pulkova Airlines for flights to Kamchatka.
It is possible to reach Kamchatka from the US via Seoul, South Korea to Vladivostok and to Kamchatka. Contact www.discoveryclub.info
During the summer season there are daily flights between Kamchatka and Moscow.
You don't need any special vaccinations or inoculations.
Clothing
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. For trips to Kurilskoye Lake or river trips,
bring waders. Walking along the lake and getting in
and out of the boats with waders will keep you dry.
Bring lightweight hiking boots and some around-camp
shoes. Wearing multiple layers of good quality pile
synthetic and wool clothes is the best way to stay
warm in Kamchatka's weather. Bring pile gloves, a
warm hat, and lightweight long underwear. These extra
layers will keep you comfortable when weather is cold.
Bring a bathing suit too since Kamchatka is famous
for hot springs and we'll undoubtedly give you a chance
to try sitting in one. Also bring a field towel.
Gear
 © Jerry Kobalenko |
Bring plenty of film and camera batteries. Batteries don't last long in the chilly weather. In the field you won't be able to recharge your batteries so bring backups. Remember that we have 220-volt electricity if you bring a battery charger.
Binoculars are highly recommended. At least 7 or 8 power and the best would be 10 x 40's. For wildlife watching, a spotting scope would be handy too.
If you are taking one of the mountaineering or mountaineering/skiing trips, we'll send you a separate clothing and gear list approved by our guide.
For summer and fall itineraries we have necessary
tents and pads however some people want something
softer than our ensolite pads like a thermo-rest
air mattress. Bring your own sleeping bag.Weather
Kamchatka couldn't be better situated for stormy weather. Located between the Bering Sea and the Sea of Okhotsk, and the wild North Pacific Ocean, 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 rain and fog but some brilliantly sunny days. In Kamchatka's Central Valley, the climate is more of an interior climate with less precipitation, hotter summers and colder winters.
| Location | Mar 1-May 31 | June 1-Aug 31 | Sept 1-Nov 30 | Dec 1-Feb 28 |
| Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky | March -6°C 120 mm precip April -2°C 80 mm precip May +3°C 60 mm precip |
June +8°C 40 mm precip July +12°C 40 mm precip August +14°C 80 mm precip |
Sept +10°C 80 mm precip October +4°C 120 mm precip Nov -2°C 120 mm precip |
Dec -6°C 100 mm precip Jan -9°C 100 mm precip. Feb -10°C 80 mm precip |
| Kozirevsk near Klyuchevskoy group of Volcanoes | -4°C 40 mm precip |
+14°C 110 mm precip |
0°C 160 mm precip |
-18°C 100 mm precip |
| Esso | -4°C 110 mm precip |
+13°C 140 mm precip |
-2°C 100 mm precip |
-16°C 280 mm precip |
