Traveling to Iturup

Roundtrip tickets from Moscow to Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk (an approximately 9-hour flight) start at $300, but can vary highly depending on the season. Roundtrip Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk to Iturup (about an hour flying time) will set you back about $160. An economy room for two people at the swanky Yankito Hotel costs $120/night, but significantly cheaper options are available in town. There are no car rental agencies on the island, so a guided tour is highly recommended. A standard four-day package comes in at over $800 and does not include meals. Communicating in English may be a problem on Iturup. There’s also a ferry offering connections between Sakhalin and the Southern Kurils. Prior to the pandemic, connections with Japan and other countries in the region were considerably more extensive than now.