Kamchatka (Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky)

A land of volcanoes: use the regional capital as a base to climb Avachinsky, walk into the Mutnovsky crater, and fly by helicopter to the Valley of Geysers and Kurile Lake to watch brown bears catching salmon.

The Kamchatka Peninsula lies in the Russian Far East, bordered by the Pacific Ocean to the east and the Sea of Okhotsk to the west. It has around 300 volcanoes (nearly 30 of them active), and the Volcanoes of Kamchatka are a UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site. Visitors usually base themselves in the regional capital, Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky (often simply called "the capital"), and nearby Yelizovo Airport. It is the peninsula's only large city, backed by the Koryaksky and Avachinsky volcanoes and facing Avacha Bay. Activities fall into three types: first, off-road and hiking trips to climb Avachinsky, walk into the Mutnovsky crater, and visit Vilyuchinsky Waterfall and Khalaktyrsky black-sand beach; second, boat trips on Avacha Bay to see the Three Brothers rocks and to Starichkov Island for puffins and sea otters; third, helicopter day trips to the Valley of Geysers and Uzon Caldera, to Kurile Lake to watch brown bears catching salmon, and to the wild Khodutka hot springs. In the evening you can return to Paratunka for a hot-spring soak. Seasons: July–Sep is best, when volcano routes are open, and August is peak bear-watching time; Dec–Apr brings heli-skiing, snowmobiling and sled-dog races; in May–June most mountain roads are still blocked by snow. The weather changes quickly and both helicopter flights and climbs can be delayed by cloud and fog, so build in at least 1–2 spare days. Getting there: direct flights from Moscow take about 8–9 hours, and there are also flights from Vladivostok and Khabarovsk. No roads connect the peninsula to the rest of the country, and most sights require joining a local tour by six-wheel-drive truck or helicopter. Allow 6–10 days. Note: brown bears are common in the wild, so hikes must be guided; volcanic craters emit toxic gases; helicopter tours are expensive and must be booked in advance. Also check the current visa, flight and payment situation before you travel.

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