JAPANESE HERITAGE AND SOVIET FRONTIERS

October 2025 Update: in compliance with the latest amendment (23 October 2025) to EU Council Regulation 833/2014 / Decision 2014/512/CFSP, all tours and tourism related services to the Russian Federation are currently suspended until further notice. This page remains active for informational purposes only. Individual travellers can still legally travel to the Russian Federation without breaching international regulations, though. Russia remains open and welcoming to foreign visitors: don’t let nonsense regulations and bad press scare you away! Please contact us to learn more about your options to visit the Russian Federation, including all locations of the Kurils Tour described hereunder, without incurring any violation to the existing sanctions against the country.

DAY 1 — Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk

  • Meet-and-greet at Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk International Airport and transfer to our hotel of choice in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk.

  • Short Soviet-themed tour around town and free time to chill-out with the locals after the long journey you have just undertaken to reach this extremely remote island.

  • Overnight in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk.

DAY 2 — TO THE KURILS

  • Today we'll head to the gritty Soviet port town of Korsakov, where we'll board our vessel to the island of Kunashir in the Kuril Archipelago.

  • The ship will navigate along the coastline of the Aniva Peninsula, a narrow strip of land covered with green meadows and dense spruce-fir forests.

  • On our way to the open sea, we'll also pass by the eery remnants of the Aniva Lighthouse, a holy grail for urbex photographers: first built by the Japanese in 1939 and later used by the mighty Soviet Pacific Fleet, this highly photogenic armoured-concrete lighthouse lies now abandoned as a sad reminder from a bygone era.

  • Beyond Cape Aniva the Sea of Okhotsk will open in front of our eyes and flocks of seabirds and dolphins will accompany our ship all the way to Kunashir.

  • Lunch, dinner and overnight on the vessel.

DAY 3 TO DAY 6 — Kunashir Island

  • Early in the morning when approaching the island, you will enjoy the breathtaking view of the magnificent Tyatya Volcano: stand on the deck to marvel at its beauty and power.

  • We will be met at the seaport of Yuzhno-Kurilsk, the administrative centre of the Kurils, and transferred to our hotel.

  • We will then spend four full days on Kunashir Island exploring its untamed wilderness and melancholic Soviet legacy.

  • Highlights of your stay on Kunashir will include: bizarre rock formations, vast fumarole fields, idyllic freshwater lakes, scenic coastlines, intimidating volcanoes and, of course, a vast plethora of Soviet-era monuments, memorials, and architectural shapes.

  • During your time on the island you'll also have the chance to meet with the local inhabitants, especially sailors and fishermen, who will share with you their food, their home and the secrets of their remote every-day life on Kunashir.

  • Overnights in Yuzhno-Kurilsk.

DAY 7 — Soviet SEAS

  • Today we'll say goodbye to Kunashir and head back for Sakhalin, slowly navigating across the dark waters of the Soviet Pacific.

  • Lunch, dinner and overnight on the vessel.

DAY 8 to Day 11 — Wild Wild Sakhalin

  • After disembarking back Sakhalin, we will spend four more days on the island, focussing our visits on its fascinating history and superb nature.

  • During your time on Sakhalin you will:

    • Explore in depth the city of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, where Soviet shapes blend together with architectural leftovers of the Japanese Empire;

    • Meet the indigenous inhabitants of the island—the Nivkh people, a Tibetan-looking mysterious ethnic minority that still practices ancient shamanic rituals and whose elvish-sounding language has always been a conundrum for linguists and anthropologists alike;

    • Learn about the harsh living conditions that political inmates and banished intellectuals, such as Anton Chekhov, had to endure while staying at Sakhalin’s katorga (penal colony) during the harsh years of the Tsarist yoke;

    • Search for amber along the East Coast of the Sea of Okhotsk and admire Japanese tori gates and Shinto temples scattered all over the island;

    • Taste fresh caught crabs in the village of Vzmorye and visit some truly melancholically remote Soviet towns and semi-abandoned settlements;

    • Discover a diverse and breathtaking coastal landscape of lagoons, grottoes and ravines, trying fish your own lunch out of the sea;

    • And, of course, indulge in exclusive Russo-Japanese gastronomic pleasures such as giant royal crabs garnished with fresh caviar.

  • Dinners and overnights in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk.

DAY 12 — FAREWELL TO THE SOVIET PACIFIC  

  • After sharing a last Sakhalin-style meal together, we'll take care of your transfer to Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk airport.

  • For those wishing to take the ferry to reach further destinations: transfer to either Kholmsk or Korsakov ferry terminal.

  • End of the tour.

3990 €

INCLUSIONS
Double/twin-room accommodation (breakfast included), private transport in Russia (car/minivan), ferry tickets, all excursions and activities, all entrance fees, English-speaking guiding service, 24/7 on-site and remote assistance.

EXCLUSIONS
Single supplement, international flights, main meals (lunches and dinners), extra drinks, visa fees (if required), tips, travel insurance.