How to get to Kamchatka

The Kamchatka Peninsula and the Russian mainland are not connected by land or sea passenger services. Therefore, those who are planning a trip do not have many options on how to get to Kamchatka. You can only get here by air. Direct flights are operated from Moscow, St. Petersburg, Khabarovsk, Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, Vladivostok, Yekaterinburg, Magadan, Irkutsk, Novosibirsk. Connecting flights are available from most airports in the country.

Yelizovo Airport

*** The main air gate of Kamchatka is Yelizovo International Airport. It is located 29 km from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. The airport accepts aircraft of any carrying capacity.

Yelizovo Airport provides communication with Russian cities, as well as internal communication on the territory of Kamchatka.

There is only one terminal, it is conveniently located. A public transport stop is located across the street from the main entrance. There are city and intercity buses to the airport from Yelizovo, Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Vilyuchinsk.

Guests of the Sputnik complex can get from the airport by car (travel time is about half an hour), book a transfer or take public transport.

Route from Moscow

There are regular flights and charters from Moscow to Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. The fastest way to fly to Kamchatka is by direct flights (mainly by Aeroflot from Sheremetyevo). The journey time is about eight and a half hours.

Connecting flights are not as convenient, but they may be more cost-effective. Depending on the number of transfers (there are options with one and two transfers), you can spend from twelve hours to a day or more on the road.

Route from Saint Petersburg

Ural Airlines operates direct flights from St. Petersburg to Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. The flight duration is just over fifteen hours.

On connecting flights, the travel time may be shorter — S7 Airlines has transfer options in Novosibirsk with a total duration of twelve hours and fifteen minutes.

All flights are operated from Pulkovo.

Route from Yekaterinburg

Direct and connecting flights are operated between Yekaterinburg and Kamchatka, with travel time ranging from eleven and a half hours (on a direct flight) to a day or more if there are transfers. Depending on the carrier, transfers are made in Novosibirsk, Khabarovsk, Vladivostok.

Air ticket prices

Prices for tickets to Kamchatka may vary several times for the same dates and the same class. If you purchase tickets in advance, you can find round-trip flight options that cost from 27,000 rubles per person. Buying tickets on the eve of departure can be significantly more expensive.

Is it possible to get to Kamchatka without an airplane?

There are no roads or railways between the mainland and the peninsula, so it is impossible to reach Kamchatka by train or motor transport.

Cargo transportation is carried out from the port of Vladivostok to the port of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. If necessary, you can send a car if it is critical to travel around the peninsula by private transport. But cargo ships don't take passengers. The delivery time of goods by sea is 4-5 days.

Tips: how to save money

1. Monitor low-cost tickets on airline websites and aggregators. If you start tracking tickets for six months and earlier, you can find available options for the desired dates. This is more difficult to do during the holiday season.
2. Check if you are eligible for the subsidized transportation program. This program offers discounts on tickets for young people, seniors, and certain categories of travelers.
3. It is also better to book accommodation in advance.
4. Plan a list of excursions that you would like to visit. Read about them and choose the most interesting ones for you. This will help you avoid spending too much on trips that won't be a priority for you. Please note that group tours are cheaper than individual tours.
5. In May-June and in the second half of September, the cost of excursions is lowered due to a decrease in the tourist flow during these periods.
6. Some attractions can be reached by rented car: Khalaktyrsky beach, Avacha Bay, Malki can be visited on your own. The cost of renting a car is lower than buying an excursion, provided that you are traveling with a group of several people.