Hokkaido Independent Package 1 of 12 9/7/17, 1:03 PM
HOKKAIDO INDEPENDENT PACKAGE 12 Days 11 Nights Destinations Sapporo, Sounkyo Onsen, Abashiri, Shiretoko National Park, Akan-ko, Akan International Crane Center, Kushiro, Poroto Kotan Ainu Village and Museum, Noboribetsu Onsen, Toya-ko, Hakodate 2 of 12 9/7/17, 1:03 PM
Tour Overview The northernmost of the main islands, Hokkaido is Japan s last frontier, kept at bay by wild mountains, virgin forests, sapphire lakes and surf-beaten shores. The attitudes of the inhabitants are akin to those of the pioneers of the American West, but still unmistakably Japanese. Tour Pricing (All prices are per person.) $2,944 Double Occupancy $3,844 Single Occupancy Available March through November *Minimum of two people required for all Independent Tours There will be a 20% surcharge for all FIT tour packages taking place during these periods: March 15 to May 8 (Cherry Blossom season and Golden Week) August 6 to August 17 (Obon Holiday) October 1 to November 30 (Fall Foliage) December 23 to January 8 (New Years Holiday) $50 change fee for each destination added to FIT packages $50 change fee if a change is made after the deposit (the above change fee may apply as well) Although Hokkaido comprises about 20% of the total land area of Japan, it only accounts for 5% of the nation s population. Hokkaido is a natural wonderland of mountain ranges, deep caldera lakes, active volcanoes, numerous thermally-heated mineral springs and virgin forests. You ll enjoy Sapporo, Hokkaido s largest city and host to the 1972 Winter Olympics, with its many fine restaurants and the secluded beauty of the Shiretoko National Park. You can bike through Sounkyo Gorge in the middle of the beautiful Daisetsuzan National Park with its soaring mountain ranges, walk along the rim of an active volcano at Toya-ko and visit Noboribetsu Onsen, one of Japan s largest and most popular hot springs resorts. You can explore the morning market of Hakodate, where you can have the local specialties of crab, sea urchin or squid prepared for you for breakfast, and learn about Hokkaido s original inhabitants, the Ainu, whose culture almost disappeared until recent efforts of restoration. Tour Rating: Tour Highlights Sapporo Sounkyo Onsen Abashiri Shiretoko National Park Akan-ko Akan International Crane Center 3 of 12 9/7/17, 1:03 PM
Kushiro Poroto Kotan Ainu Village and Museum Noboribetsu Onsen Toya-ko Hakodate 4 of 12 9/7/17, 1:03 PM
Tour Itinerary D A Y 1 Arrive in Sapporo Arrive at New Chitose Airport. You will travel on your own by local train to Sapporo. Travel: 3/4 Hours; Walking: TBD DAY 2 Sapporo After breakfast, you will meet with the licensed, English-speaking guide who will escort you around Sapporo. There is no pre-defined itinerary. The guide will adjust the itinerary based on your preferences and interests. You can visit the JR Sapporo Tower where you will be able to get a bird s eye view of Sapporo, the largest city on Hokkaido and the host of the 1972 Winter Olympics, while getting your bearings at the same time. Tour the Hokkaido Historical Museum, where you can discover the rich history of Hokkaido, including Hokkaido s original inhabitants, the Ainu. Here you can discover how the taming of the wilds of Hokkaido was very similar to the settling of the American West. Explore the Hokkaido Historical Village open air museum where many buildings from around Hokkaido, both modern and traditional, have been relocated. Tour the original Sapporo Beer brewery, and sample the many freshly-brewed beers. Take the short train ride to Otaru where there are many trendy shops and restaurants. Visit the Sapporo Botanical Garden, established in 1886 by Hokkaido University, and a wonderful place for a picnic lunch. In the garden, you will find a small, preserved virgin forest which shows how Sapporo once looked, as well as a small alpine garden and greenhouse. In the evening, you can have dinner at the Sapporo Beer Garden, located next to the original Sapporo Beer brewery where you can try the local specialty of grilled lamb, cooked yourself at the table. Travel: TBD; Walking: TBD D A Y 3 Sapporo, Travel to Sounkyo Onsen The morning in Sapporo is free to explore on your own. In the afternoon, you will travel by express train and bus to Sounkyo Onsen. Before leaving Sapporo, you will transfer your main luggage to Shiretoko, and you will travel to Sounkyo Onsen and Abashiri with an overnight bag only. Travel: 2 Hours; Walking: TBD D A Y 4 Sounkyo Onsen The entire day is free to enjoy the natural beauty of Sounkyo. Rent a bicycle and ride to the nearby waterfalls cascading down the cliffs. Ride the nearby gondola and chairlift to the top where you will get an excellent view of Kurodake, an old volcano, and the surrounding mountain peaks and ranges. If you have the energy, you can climb Kurodake and other nearby mountain peaks. In the treeless areas between the peaks, you will find many alpine flowers. Enjoy the village that feels like a Swiss village and enjoy the Ashi-yu (foot bath) with naturally-heated mineral water located in the center of the village. Or just walk along the river and enjoy the solitude and beauty of the area. 5 of 12 9/7/17, 1:03 PM
Travel: TBD; Walking: TBD D A Y 5 Sounkyo Onsen, Abashiri, Shiretoko In the morning, you will travel by bus and express train to the city of Abashiri on the northeastern coast of Hokkaido. After arriving in Abashiri, you will pick up your rental car which will be your means of transportation until Kushiro. In the afternoon you can visit the Abashiri Prison Museum. This prison was known as the Alcatraz of Japan. Only the most hardened criminals were sent here, including many Yakuza, the organized crime families of Japan. Here you can discover the harsh conditions they were forced to endure, and how the inmates were used to help tame the wilds of Hokkaido. Travel: 4 Hours; Walking: TBD D A Y 6 Shiretoko National Park You will drive to Shiretoko National Park. Shiretoko is an ancient Ainu word meaning edge of the world. Here you can board a sightseeing boat for a scenic cruise along the coast of the Shiretoko peninsula, where you will see the 300 foot rocky cliffs bordering the ocean, with waterfalls cascading over the cliffs and a snowy mountain range as a backdrop. You can drive into the Shiretoko National Park for some excellent short hikes with it scenic beauty and abundant wildlife including deer, bear and foxes. Travel: TBD; Walking: TBD D A Y 7 Travel to Akan-ko Today you will drive to Akan-ko (Lake Akan). Along the way you will stop at the Gottoro Overlook where you can get a bird s eye view of a large caldera lake (weather permitting, of course). You will also stop at Lake Kussharo, where you can dig down into the sandy beach to find thermally-heated sand, or just relax in one of the hot, mineral water foot baths. After that, you can visit Iozan, with its many sulfur vents coated yellow from the many years of exposure to the steam. You can also stop at Lake Masshu, considered by many to be one of Japan s most beautiful lakes because of its clear, deep-blue water. After arriving at Akan-ko and checking-in, you can attend an authentic Ainu Dance Demonstration at the Ainu Village. Travel: 5 Hours; Walking: TBD D A Y 8 Akan-ko, Akan International Crane Center, Kushiro The morning is free to enjoy scenic Akan-ko. You can take a sightseeing boat cruise around Akan-ko where you will stop to see Marimo, the unique globe-shaped algae that only grows in Akan-ko. We also suggest visiting the Ainu Village with its many souvenir shops and restaurant selling authentic Ainu cuisine. In the afternoon, you will drive to the nearby Akan International Crane Center. Cranes are thought to live a thousand years, so they hold a special place in Japanese culture. It was once thought that the cranes were extinct. However, a handful were found about 60 years ago, and locals have made great efforts to bring them back from the brink of extinction. Late in the afternoon, 6 of 12 9/7/17, 1:03 PM
you will drive to Kushiro where you will drop off your rental car. Travel: 2 Hours; Walking: TBD D A Y 9 Kushiro, Shiraoi, Noboribetsu Onsen You will travel by train to the city of Shiraoi, where the Poroto Kotan Ainu Village and Museum is located. Here you can see a traditional Ainu dance demonstration, as well as a demonstration of traditional Ainu musical instruments. In the museum, you can learn about the history of the original inhabitants of Hokkaido, as well as their every-day life and how they lived. Later in the day, you will travel by bus to Noboribetsu Onsen, one of the most popular and famous hot spring resorts in Japan. After checking in, you are free to enjoy the many hot springs or walk around the Jigokudani (Hell Valley) where you will find many steam vents, thermally heated pools and small geysers. Before departing in the morning you will transfer your main luggage to Hakodate. You will travel to Shiraoi, Noboribetsu Onsen, Toya-ko, and Hakodate with an overnight bag only. Travel: 4-1/4 Hours; Walking: TBD DAY 10 Toya-ko You will travel by express train and bus to Toya-ko, one of the largest and deepest volcanic caldera lakes in Japan. After checking in, you can visit Usu-zan and Showa-shin-zan, both active volcanoes located at Toya-ko. You can take a cable car to the top of Usu-zan, which last erupted in 2000. Here you can walk around the rim of the volcano through the barren, moon-like landscape. Afterwards, you can visit Showa-shin-zan. In 1944, a surprised wheat farmer found Showa-shin-zan growing out of his field instead of wheat, and it has been growing larger ever since then. You can also visit the nearby Toya-ko Volcanic Museum. Amazingly, when Usu-zan last erupted in 2000, no one was killed. But there was a lot of damage from the eruption, and much of it is preserved at the museum, and illustrates the sheer power of geo-thermal activity and documents the volcano s turbulent history. Travel: 1 Hours; Walking: TBD D A Y 1 1 Hakodate You will travel to Hakodate by bus and express train. Hakodate was one of the first cities in Japan open to foreigners after the Meiji Restoration. After arriving in Hakodate, you can visit the Goryo-Kaku, Japan s first western-style fort. Built in 1864 by the Tokugawa Shogunate in the shape of a five-pointed star, it was designed to trap attackers in a deadly crossfire. You can go to top of the Goryo-kaku tower next door to the fort, providing a view of the fort and the surrounding city. You can then visit the Moto-machi historic area. Overlooking the western bay at the foot of Mount Hakodate, there are numerous sloping streets lined with 19th century churches, consulates, shops and homes of the foreigners who first opened this area of Japan to commerce. In the evening, you can take a cable car to the top of Mt. Hakodate, where you will enjoy a panoramic view of Hakodate s night lights. Travel: 2 Hours; Walking: TBD 7 of 12 9/7/17, 1:03 PM
DAY 12 Sayonara If you have time in the morning, you can visit the Hakodate Morning Market, where the sellers can prepare the specialties of Hakodate (crab, sea urchin and squid) fresh from their stalls for breakfast. Fly from Hakodate to Tokyo on your own. Travel: TBD; Walking: TBD 8 of 12 9/7/17, 1:03 PM
Inclusions Accommodations in Budget-class hotels including all taxes, fees and breakfast every morning (See the Upgrades Page for available upgrade options) Sapporo: Western-style hotel such as Dormy Inn Sapporo Sounkyo Onsen: Japanese style ryokan such as the Northern Lodge (Japanese style or western style rooms available) Abashiri: Japanese style ryokan such as the Abashiri Kanko Hotel (Japanese or western style rooms available) Akan-ko: Japanese style ryokan such as New Akan Hotel (Japanese or western style rooms available) Kushiro: Western style hotel such as the Lavista Kushirogawa Hotel (Japanese style or western style rooms available) Noboribetsu Onsen: Japanese style ryokan such as Daiichi Takimotokan (Japanese or western style rooms available) Toya-ko: Japanese-style ryokan such as Sansui Hotel Hakodate: Western-style hotel such as Hakodate Comfort Hotel JR Hokkaido 4-Day Flexible Pass Train ticket from Noboribetsu Onsen to Toya-ko 4-Day Car Rental, including CDW coverage Addresses, Phone Numbers and Maps of Accommodations in both Japanese and English 8 Hours with a licensed, English-speaking Japanese guide in Sapporo Emergency contact number in Japan Detailed, easy-to-follow directions from city to city to take the worry out of travel in Japan Suggested train schedules A copy of our Gaijin on Getas tour handbook (this is the same popular handbook our escorted tour members receive) which contains 150 pages of Japan travel tips, Japanese language tips, Japanese customs and etiquette and Japanese history to prepare you properly for your trip and allow you to enjoy Japan even more after you arrive. What s Not Included Airfare is NOT included. If you need assistance with airfare to/from Tokyo, please contact us Local transportation (subways, buses, taxis, etc.) All admission fees Lunches and dinners (except where noted) Desserts at any included meals Drinks other than water and tea at any included meals Baggage transfer fees (the fees are typically 1,250 to 1.750 yen per bag) 9 of 12 9/7/17, 1:03 PM
Upgrade Options Please contact us for more information and costs. Sapporo Sapporo Budget Ryokan Sapporo Luxury Hotel Similar to Nakamuraya Ryokan Similar to Cross Hotel Sapporo Hakodate Hakodate Luxury Ryokan w/ dinner Hakodate Luxury Hotel Similar to Yunokawa Prince Hotel Nagisatei Similar to Hakodate Danshaku Club Hotel and Resorts Green Car Rail Pass Upgrade JR Hokkaido 4-Day Flexible Green Car Rail Pass $99 14 Day Ordinary Car JR Rail Pass (Can be used to travel to Hokkaido) 14 Day Ordinary Car JR Rail Pass $329 14 Day Green Car JR Rail Pass (Can be used to travel to Hokkaido) 14 Day Green Car JR Rail Pass $534 10 of 12 9/7/17, 1:03 PM
Tour Map 11 of 12 9/7/17, 1:03 PM
Thank you for downloading this PDF version of our tour. Please visit our website at www.samuraitours.com/tours for the most current dates, prices and information. Contact Samurai Tours WEBSITE/EMAIL www.samuraitours.com info@samuraitours.com USA CONTACT INFO Toll-free: 1-866-316-SAMURAI or 1-866-316-7268 Fax number: 720-210-5423 Samurai Tours 7900 East Union Ave, Suite 1100 Denver CO 80237 JAPAN CONTACT INFO Call us: 075-361-7303 Samurai Tours 307 Yodokizu Fushimi Kyoto 613-0911 Japan Kyoto-fu Chijitoroku Ryokogyo 3-576/ Japanese Travel Agency License: Kyoto Prefecture #3-576 MEMBERSHIPS/ASSOCIATIONS Better Business Bureau American Society of Travel Agents National Tour Association Japan National Tourist Organization JNTO-approved Japan Travel Specialist 12 of 12 9/7/17, 1:03 PM