Helicopter trip to the Valley of Geysers, Uzon volcano caldera, Nalychevo valley

Excursion to the Valley of Geysers

The Valley of Geysers is the largest geyser field in Eurasia, the most famous attraction of Kamchatka and one of the ‘Seven Wonders of Russia’. It is located on the territory of the Kronotsky Reserve, in an area of high volcanic activity. This amazing place was discovered only in the 1950s, and 20 years later the famous Soviet film ‘Sannikov Land’ was shot here.

Our trip will start from the helipad near the town of Yelizovo - it is 40 km from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, near the airport. Upon request we will organise a transfer from a place convenient for you. We will go on a flight by Mi-8 - it is one of the safest helicopters in the world.

After about an hour of flight we will land in the Valley of Geysers, take a break, have a look around and start the excursion - it lasts about 1.5 hours. The route is not difficult and is suitable for tourists of any age and physical fitness.

The local rangers will first briefly explain the rules that apply to all visitors to the reserve. For example, you can only walk in the Valley on special paths. In this way, we will preserve nature in its pristine state and protect ourselves from non-obvious dangers - the earth here is alive and hot.

We will be guided along the main route and shown the most interesting corners of the natural park. From the wooden observation platform you will see the largest geyser complex Vitrazh - a colourful gorge slope covered with yellow, silver and brown spots and shrouded in fog from fumaroles and geysers. This is the main local panorama, and it is the first one you will see if you look for photos of the Valley of Geysers in Kamchatka.

Geysers here erupt at different frequencies. Some erupt every 10 minutes, others every few years. Throughout the Valley we will be accompanied by the murmur and roar of water. The largest geyser, the Big Geyser, wakes up every hour, like on a schedule. We will be brought to it a few minutes before it starts.

In 2007, a powerful mudflow occurred here, destroying some of the interesting places. For some time the territory was closed to tourists, and restoration works were carried out. Unfortunately, some sights could not be revived. But on the other hand, new ones have appeared: we will show you Geysernoye Lake - it was flooded just at the time of the mudflow.

Apart from hot fountains, there are other manifestations of earth activity in this area. For example, the Gemini mud pots - very similar in appearance, which is why they were given such a name.

The Valley of Geysers is warm and humid, so it has developed its own microclimate, rich flora and fauna. During the walk we may come across small and large wild animals, including bears.

After the excursion, we will return to the helicopter, but our journey doesn't end there.

Excursion to the Uzon Volcano Caldera

The caldera of Uzon volcano is a huge basin almost 10 km in diameter with a fairly flat surface and colourful, vibrant vegetation. It is one of the best places to get acquainted with several forms of modern volcanism at once. Here you will see lakes of boiling water, hot springs, mud pots and fumaroles from which columns of steam rise. Uzon is also famous for producing the youngest oil in the world.

As in the Valley of Geysers, it is better to walk only along the paths and listen to the guide. The temperature of water in some lakes can reach 80 degrees Celsius, and in some places it is not water at all, but acid. Hence its unusual turquoise colour, like in the cartoon about milk rivers and sour shores.

We will walk around the caldera for about an hour, exploring the land activity and photographing these alien landscapes. Along the way, we might meet some of these funny locals. They are not afraid of tourists at all, as the guards of the Kronotsky Reserve take care of them and protect them. Or not funny at all - the owners who go round their territory.

Bathing in the springs of Nalychevo

A 40-minute flight takes us to the Nalychevo Valley. This is a forested area surrounded by a chain of volcanoes, where a large number of hot mineral springs are concentrated. Besides, there are a lot of animals, rare flowers and Kamchatka berries here.

There are a few spots of civilisation with caretakers' houses and tourist bases in the vast wild valley. We will stop at one of these bases to relax in the hot springs. There are three natural pools with healing thermal water. After bathing, we will have a hearty lunch and discuss today's journey.

After having a rest, we return to the helicopter and in 20 minutes we will be at the airport of Yelizovo.