Winter holidays in “Kamchatka Switzerland”

Duration5 days / 4 nights

Price93 500 RUB

Meals: full board: in cafes in settlements on the road, in the camp during the route

Difficulty: suitable for tourists of any physical training

Period: December – January

Esso is an administrative center of Bistrinsky district 600 km away from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. The settlement is situated in a high altitude area, in the caldera of ancient volcano in the place where two rivers interflow. Esso is also called “Kamchatka Switzerland” — nature took care of this place and hid it from cold and winds having surrounded it with mountains. Mild climate, snow-covered mountains, high larches, and hot springs really resemble resorts of Switzerland.

It is a double luck to be in Esso on New Year's Eve. The performance of an ethnic ensemble, national cuisine, an overnight stay in the Even village and relaxation at hot springs will turn winter vacation into a fabulous New Year's adventure!

In addition to the program described below you can order snowmobile excursions of interesting places around Esso.

Tour program

Day 1

Departure to Esso
Stop for excursion in Anavgay village

We meet at the appointed place and set off towards Esso on off-road cars. The way is rather long — about 10 hours, so we make several stops to rest and have fresh air. We stop by Sokhoch settlement to try Russian pies famous all over Kamchatka and have lunch in Milkovo village.

In the evening we stop for an excursion in Anavgay village, which is situated 20 km from Esso. There is an Even village “Manadek” where we’ll get acquainted with life and culture of the indigenous peoples of Kamchatka, dine with ukha fish soup, flatbread and traditional herbal tea, and take pictures in national clothes.

Having arrived in Esso we check into a hotel and swim in a thermal pool.

Day 2

Visit to the museums

After breakfast we go to the visit center of nature park Bistrinsky, its employees will tell you about local sights, show video presentations and answer tourists’ questions.

Next in the program is the visit to the “Toptygin and Toptyzhka” museum. The museum is decorated as a forest hut and is entirely dedicated to brown bears. There are unique photos of bears, museum exhibits and funny articles — giant cups, spoons and chairs to match the bears from the fairy tale.

Return to the hotel, have lunch and go to the Bistrinsky ethnological museum. It represents an architectural complex: a writ hut, a defense tower, barn for storing everyday items and harness, and an exhibition hall. The museum shows life and culture of the indigenous peoples of Kamchatka, the Koryaks and the Evens. There we’ll get acquainted with ceremonies, legends and traditional dwellings, try on national clothes and take pictures.

In the evening — dinner and rest at the hotel.

Day 3

Snowmobile excursion to Lake Ikar
Tour of the Even village with overnight stay

After breakfast we leave for the snowmobile parking lot, get safety instructions and leave for Lake Ikar, located 8 km from Esso. We drive through the forest, cross rivers, overcome steep climbs and descents. Lake Ikar is a regular-shaped glacial lake with a small island in the middle, surrounded by tall larch trees. This is the most popular tourist destination in the vicinity of Esso both in summer and in winter.

After a tour of the frozen lake, we return to the hotel, have lunch and go to the Even village, where we will spend the rest of the day and stay overnight. We’ll have the performance of the Even ensemble and a hearty dinner. After spending the night in a traditional home you will feel like a real native!

Day 4

Transfer to the Pushchinskiye Hot Springs

Now we leave the village, say goodbye to Esso and go to the Pushchinskiye hot springs. On the way we stop for an excursion of the museum in Milkovo village.

We reach the village of Pushchino, change to snowmobiles and move to the hot springs located 16 km from the village. We’ll be accommodated in tourist lodges, have dinner and bathe in hot baths among the snowdrifts overlooking the Ganalsky ridge and the extinct volcano Kashkan.

The waters of the Pushchinskiye hot springs are rich in carbon dioxide, silicic acid and boron, and are considered healing.

Day 5

Malkinskiye Hot Springs
Return to Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky

After breakfast we set off to Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. We have a bite in already familiar Sokhoch village and stop in Malki village 120 km from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. There is a thermal ground of the Malkinskiye hot springs, which assemble in natural baths of different temperatures and mineral composition. After bathing we return to Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky where we’ll be by 5 p.m.

Winter holidays in “Kamchatka Switzerland”