Hi,
I'm hoping to visit Russia sometime not too far away, particularly the Kamchatka peninsula. One plan would be to go by rail as far as Irkutsk and Lake Baikal, and then continue overland to Chita and Magadan and eventually Petropavlovsk. Does anyone know about the Visa situation for the East? Does one Russian Visa cover all of this (I have heard you need a separate Visa for Kamchatka). Are there transport links between the abovementioned cities?
Thanks!
Reply to this Hi
Real Russia, a british company are pretty good at organizing the visas and the travel invitations you need for russia. However, some areas of the Sakha ( Yakutsk, Oimyakon, Magadan) and the Kamchatka peninsula need special invites. they can be tiresome and expensive to obtain.
From Irkutsk, youd have to take the train to Chita, then to Skovorodino? I dont know if the train stops in skovorodino though. A nearby town would be OK though. Then you can catch a train as far north as Neryungri (towards Yakutsk). Thats when it becomes a little bit more of an adventure. during the summer (May-October) the road to yakutsk is mud and swamps and vitually impassable, then the 3000km haul further to Magadan is even worse as there are no bridges and it is also a washed out mud road. These areas are more accessible in the winter when the snow and ice provide road links easier. Kamchatka is better in the summer months. I have not been to russia but have studied it extensively, I am planning a three month trip there to similar areas as you, in jan-Mar 2010.
https://www.realrussia.co.uk/visa/tourist_visas2.asp
Reply to this what are you going to do in kamchatka?
just wondering as the snow report websites always flag it as having the best snow in any resort - i didnt know there was a resort there, or how to get there...
sure its a fantastic place.
Reply to this Magadan is as far as you can get overland, and even getting there is very hard! The road from Yakutsk to Magadan is awful and often impassable. From there its impossible to get to Kamchatka overland unless you organise some sort of huge military expedition! If you want to do it without flying, there are boats from Vladivostok to Kamchatka.
I don't remember hearing anything about needing a permit for Yakutsk, Magadan or Kamchatka but these things have tightened up in recent years so my info may be out of date. I'm sure that the very remote parts of the Kamchatka Peninsula do require a permit.
Reply to this found this on the offical website: Specific, limited towns and areas in Kamchatka may be visited without special permission: Ivashka, Voyampolka, the south slopes of the Klyuchevskaya Sopka Volcano, the cities of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy, Yelizovo, and the villages of Paratunka, and Termalnyy. To enter other territories on the Kamchatka Peninsula, please check with the local Border Guard office. The City of Vilyuchinsk is restricted.
I'm almost sure Yakutsk and Magadan don't require permits, although some nearby areas and national parks may do
Reply to this Thanks for the replies guys.
I would hope to do the trip in Summer. I now realise there's no viable way from Magadan into Kamchatka overland during this season, which is a pity. A group of gutsy Polish bikers have done the Road of Bones (Yakutsk - Magadan) successfully in the summer (great photodiary here - http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=239330&page=22), with one of them even continuing past Magadan as far as the road would go before having to turn back (http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=239330&page=32)
I've read that the Chukotsk region's local government has been granted funds to build a road East from Magadan linking it to the Kamchatka peninsula, but that could take years. There's a couple of gold mines along this route though, which always increases the possibility of roads been built fast.
Once we get to Kamchatka and Petropavlovsk, we'd hope to go mountain climbing and kayaking, and just touring this seemingly awesome area (great maps of the Kamchatka peninsula - http://www.kamchatkapeninsula.com/kam_maps.html). It looks as if we may have to fly here or take a boat from Magadan, but we'll see how things develop.
Of course the plan from there is to go to Alaska and continue on to reach California by Winter, but that's in the early stages yet!!
Reply to this Road of Bones is certainly doable, although you're unlikely to get a boat from Magadan to Kamchatka. If you're lucky you might get one from Magadan to Vladivostok, and from Vladivostok there are definitely boats to Kamchatka. Good luck getting to Alaska. I think there are very few options other than EXTREMELY expensive flights or cruises.
Reply to this Hi! I can help you with travelling to Irkutsk, Lake Baikal!
I live in Irkutsk. If you are interested you can write me.
Reply to this Hello, my name is Yulia and, like most of you, I am keen on traveling. In turn, I am also interested in attracting tourists and people who like traveling to one of the unique places of the world – the Kamchatka peninsula, the land of volcanoes, on the very Far East of Russia. I am not going to describe its beauty, because there is too much information about it in the Internet, but I just want to invite all fans of hiking, climbing, rafting, fishing, etc. and also campfire songs in a warm company of professionals to experience unforgettable holidays. I am the representative of “KamchatkaNewStream” travel agengy (our web-site http://www.kamstream.com) and can definitely say that people who work there know their trade. Every year a lot of tourists come to discover Kamchatka and get impressed.
If you find this information useful, you can contact me ulla-1@yandex.ru. I can always give you any advice, referring to traveling across Kamchatka or provide you with information about program-tours our team can offer you.
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