Chukotka

Chukotka is Russia’s most extreme, exotic, exhilarating destination for serious adventure travellers. It is by far the best place in the country to spot polar bears, walrus and whales, as well as a host of other species of animals and birds. In terms of well-preserved traditional nomadic culture, it is second only to the Yamal Peninsula.

Nine time zones east of Moscow, Chukotka is the northeastern-most crag of Eurasia and is within sight of Alaska. It has two coastlines: an eastern one on the Bering Sea (part of the Pacific Ocean) and a northern one on the Chukchi Sea (part of the Arctic Ocean). The indigenous people living on these coastlines are mainly Chukchi and Eskimo. They make a living by hunting sea mammals, including whales. This is done with harpoons in small boats. After the kill, the whale is dragged back to the village and shared with everyone for free.

The northern coast is the best one to visit if you want to see polar bears and walrus. Both coasts have large numbers of whales and bird colonies. The eastern coast is better to visit if you want to experience the culture of the whale hunters, both ancient and modern. Whale hunting has been much better preserved here than on the northern coast. There are also a large number of sites on the eastern coast with the remains of thousand-year old villages and sacred sites built of whale bones.

The Chukchi who inhabits the interior of Chukotka are nomadic reindeer herders. In winter, they dress in hand-sewn reindeer fur clothing and migrate on reindeer sledges. They live in fur tents called yarangas, which from the 

outside look like a cross between a yurt and the chums you will see among the Nenets of the Yamal Peninsula.

We run trips to to experience the culture of the reindeer herders and the whale hunters. We also run wildlife-focused trips, where guests will get to visit a colony of 35,000 walrus, watch polar bears preying on them, see up to 100 whales at once, visit colonies of over a million birds and more. On all our trips, we try to combine both wildlife and indigenous culture into one itinerary.

The level of tourist or transport infrastructure here is much lower even than the other Arctic Russian regions we operate in. Coming here, you, therefore, need to be prepared for delays, physical discomfort and terrible weather. These trips are not for people who want to be shepherded from one tourist attraction and comfy hotel to the next, meeting every transport connection on the dot. Guests need to be flexible and be ready to accept itinerary changes based on weather conditions. This will allow us to provide the best possible experience of Chukotka and will ensure that you go home with incredible memories of a once in a lifetime experience. If guests can be flexible, they will be rewarded by pristine nature, stunning wildlife, spectacularly colourful traditional culture, and by dozens of experiences that few other outsiders have ever had.

Feel free to browse our two main Chukotka itineraries below. We are also always happy to create a completely new itinerary based on your own personal requirements and goals. Please get in contact with us to find out more.

Chukotka is Russia’s most extreme, exotic, exhilarating destination for serious adventure travellers. It is by far the best place in the country to spot polar bears, walrus and whales, as well as a host of other species of animals and birds. In terms of well-preserved traditional nomadic culture, it is second only to the Yamal Peninsula.

Nine time zones east of Moscow, Chukotka is the northeastern-most crag of Eurasia and is within sight of Alaska. It has two coastlines: an eastern one on the Bering Sea (part of the Pacific Ocean) and a northern one on the Chukchi Sea (part of the Arctic Ocean). The indigenous people living on these coastlines are mainly Chukchi and Eskimo. They make a living by hunting sea mammals, including whales. This is done with harpoons in small boats. After the kill, the whale is dragged back to the village and shared with everyone for free.

The northern coast is the best one to visit if you want to see polar bears and walrus. Both coasts have large numbers of whales and bird colonies. The eastern coast is better to visit if you want to experience the culture of the whale hunters, both ancient and modern. Whale hunting has been much better preserved here than on the northern coast. There are also a large number of sites on the eastern coast with the remains of thousand-year old villages and sacred sites built of whale bones.

The Chukchi who inhabits the interior of Chukotka are nomadic reindeer herders. In winter, they dress in hand-sewn reindeer fur clothing and migrate on reindeer sledges. They live in fur tents called yarangas, which from the outside look like a cross between a yurt and the chums you will see among the Nenets of the Yamal Peninsula.

We run trips to to experience the culture of the reindeer herders and the whale hunters. We also run wildlife-focused trips, where guests will get to visit a colony of 35,000 walrus, watch polar bears preying on them, see up to 100 whales at once, visit colonies of over a million birds and more. On all our trips, we try to combine both wildlife and indigenous culture into one itinerary.

The level of tourist or transport infrastructure here is much lower even than the other Arctic Russian regions we operate in. Coming here, you, therefore, need to be prepared for delays, physical discomfort and terrible weather. These trips are not for people who want to be shepherded from one tourist attraction and comfy hotel to the next, meeting every transport connection on the dot. Guests need to be flexible and be ready to accept itinerary changes based on weather conditions. This will allow us to provide the best possible experience of Chukotka and will ensure that you go home with incredible memories of a once in a lifetime experience. If guests can be flexible, they will be rewarded by pristine nature, stunning wildlife, spectacularly colourful traditional culture, and by dozens of experiences that few other outsiders have ever had.

Feel free to browse our two main Chukotka itineraries below. We are also always happy to create a completely new itinerary based on your own personal requirements and goals. Please get in contact with us to find out more.

Chukotka tours