Vladivostok (Russia, Primorsky Krai)

Vladivostok is a port city located in Russia (northeastern Asia), and on Golden Horn Bay (Sea of Japan). The city covers a total area of approx 331 km2 (128 mi2) and has population around 0,6 million.

The port city is the terminus of Russia's largest Pacific railway system (Trans-Siberian Railroad) and also the main naval base of Russia's Pacific fleet. The harbor is being kept open by icebreakers during winter months and serves as base for whaling and fishing vessels. Far Eastern State University is also here. The city is a major center of scientific research.

After the port city is named the 2015-built icebreaker Vladivostok.

The town was founded in 1860 as a military outpost and grew rapidly after 1903 when the Trans-Siberian railway was completed. During 1918-1922, Vladivostok was occupied by Japanese and Allied forces.

Port Vladivostok is ice-free the whole year-round. In 2002, the port had a foreign shipping trade turnover worth USD 275 million. In 2015, a special economic zone was established within the free port.

The city's main industries/employers are the Russian naval base, cargo shipping, commercial fishing. Fishing accounts for about 4/5 of the commercial production. A major source of revenue is the Japanese cars import.

In 2012, the city hosted the 24th Summit of APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation) forum on Russky Island. In preparation for the event, the city's infrastructure was improved and two giant cable-stayed bridges were built - Zolotoy Rog Bridge (over Golden Horn Bay, city center) and Russky Bridge (connecting with Russky Island).

The 4-lane Russky Bridge (across Eastern Bosphorus strait) is the world's longest cable-stayed bridge ever constructed -(length 3,1 km / 10,200 ft). Its longest span is 1,1 km (3622 ft). The bridge's clearance above is 70 m (230 ft). The construction cost around USD 1,1 billion.

In August 2016, the Chinese ship Chinese Taishan (former Costa Voyager) made a maiden port call. Liner's operator (Bohai Cruises) soon announced the company's decision to include Vladivostok in its regularly scheduled roundtrip itineraries.

On July 31, 2017, the Peace Boat-chartered cruise ship Ocean Dream made a maiden port call in Vladivostok, with around 1200 tourists from Japan and South Korea. The voyage departed Port Kobe (Japan) on July 27th and visited Yeosu (Korea), Vladivostok, Hakodate (Japan), Sakaiminato-Matsue (Japan) and Busan (Korea).

In 2017, cruise ships managed by Costa Asia (Carnival Corporation's subsidiary) visited Port Vladivostok 6 times. The first vessel (Costa Victoria - max capacity 2314 passengers) docked here in May 2016. In 2017, the cruise port handled 13 ship calls. In 2016, their number was 6.

In 2018, the area near the cruise berth was dredged to allow docking of bigger vessels. On February 26 was opened port's season 2018 with Amadea (Phoenix Reisen) carrying over 500 passengers. Among 2018's highlights were the maiden calls by the large liners MSC Splendida (3900 pax), Costa Serena (3600 pax) and Costa Fortuna (3250 pax). On May 12, 2018, Costa Serena became the ever-largest cruise ship docking in Vladivostok. The liner carried over 3000 passengers and crew. It arrived from South Korea (roundtrip Busan itinerary) being chartered by Lotte Tours. Tourists were greeted with a live performance by Far Eastern State Technical Fisheries University students (drummers, singers, dancers). The seaport and Vladivostok tour operators arranged a total of 79 buses each with a Korean-speaking tour guide.

In 2019 (March through October) were booked for berthing a total of 16 ships, among which the RCI-Royal Caribbean's Quantum and Spectrum. Other large-sized liners were Costa Serena (5 times), Costa neoRomantica (3 times), Diamond Princess, Holland America's Maasdam and Westerdam, Ocean Dream.

Season 2019 started on March 20 with MS Albatros (Phoenix Reisen), with estimated nearly 30,000 cruise passengers (plus ~70,000 ferry passengers) to be handled at Vladivostok Sea Terminal. In 2019, Vladivostok also restarted its homeport operations with locals and tourists able to book cruises leaving from Vladivostok (mainly to ports in Korea and Japan) and fly-cruise deals (via air/sea programs). There are plans for establishing a local (Russian) cruise line to operate itineraries to other Russian Far East destinations.

On Sept 9, 2019, Spectrum OTS became the ever-largest passenger ship to visit a Russian Federation port. The vessel docked in Vladivostok and was boarded by 200+ Russian VIP guests. Next is listed the 8-day "Russia and Japan Cruise" itinerary roundtrip from China.

Via Vladivostok, the Russian cargo shipping company FESCO serves three express routes connecting Russia with South Korea, China and Japan - Busan to Moscow (15-days transit launched June 2018), Shanghai to Moscow (20-days transit launched January 2017) and Toyama to Moscow (15-days transit launched April 2018). The new services allow delivery time reduction achieved by implementing new pass-through technology (port-railway). Busan to Vladivostok transit time is 2 days.

In January 2021, FESCO for the first time exported containerized grain delivered from Khabarovsk. The TEU-containers were shipped to China's Qingdao and Chiwan ports. FESCO's Russia-China service is 2-week (transit time 14 days). FESCO started bulk shipping of gran (from Krasnoyarsk) to China in 2018 with the new Siberia-to-Far East (Kamchatka and Magadan) service via FESCO-owned trains.

In December 2021, FESCO acquired JSC Port Gaydamak (FEMSTA containership terminal) which was planned for modernization and expansion in 2024. The facility is used mainly for transshipment (400,000+ tons of grain annually) and general cargoes. Also in December was inaugurated the "FESCO West Gate Bridge" (2-4-times a month intermodal containership service on the route Vladivostok-Kaliningrad/Baltiysk) linking the Asia-Pacific countries with Europe. With an estimated transit time of 36 days, the Vladivostok-Kaliningrad service is nearly 1,5 times faster than the Suez Canal alternative.

Vladivostok cruise terminal

Vladivostok tours, shore excursions, hotels

City Tours and Shore Excursions

• In Olga Bay is located the port town Olga (population around 4,000) - the administrative center of Olginsky District (Primorsky Krai, Russia). The St Olga military post was established in 1860.
• Lazovsky Nature Reserve is accessed through the port town Preobrazhina (aka Preobrazhenie).