8 Days Eastern Hokkaido: A Winter Paradise Tour with Glamorous Cranes and Powerful Drift Ice - Visit the True Nature of Hokkaido Have you ever visited a paradise? Where nature is left in its original state, majestic but vulnerable at the same time? In Eastern Hokkaido, nature will be your host: Healing hot springs, dancing cranes, and a magical white carpet of ice and snow will make you feel welcome even in temperatures below -20ºC. You will also be welcomed by the highest level of hospitality and service at the hotels you stay in. The delicious Kaiseki Dinner is the freshest, best of the best catch from the surrounding oceans. Then you can have a relaxing time in the Onsen under a star filled sky; truly satisfying for your soul. This will surely be an unforgettable experience for you. Itinerary: Day 1: Chitose Airport - Tokachigawa Day 2 Tokachigawa - Kushiro - Akan Day 3 Akan Yoroushi Day 4 Yoroushi - Shiretoko Day 5 Shiretoko - Abashiri Day 6 Abashiri- Kitami-Sounkyo Day 7 Sounkyo-Sapporo Day 8 Sapporo-Chitose Airport Abashiri Shiretoko Asahikawa Sounkyo Sapporo Yoroushi Akan Tokachigawa Chitose Airport
Day 1 Chitose Airport - Tokachigawa Kangetsuen or similer --/--/d Welcome to Hokkaido! After your arrival, our driver will take you to Tokachigawa Onsen, in the centre of the Tokachi planes. Try the best SOBA noodle in Shintoku town. Once you are satisfied by first lunch in Hokkaido, you will try the most popular winter activity in Hokkaido Dog Sledding. You will be surprised how powerful the dogs are. After the Kaiseki Dinner at the hotel, a Moor Hot Spring Bath is waiting for you. You can also visit the light festival Sairinka and enjoy art of light and sound. Day 2 Tokachigawa-Lake Akan Tsuruga Wings or similar b/--/d Depart Tokachigawa in the morning and enter the heart of Eastern Hokkaido. Visit the crane observatories in the Kushiro Marshlands. In winter, the cranes dance a beautiful duet to find their best partner. At the Kushiro Washo Market, you get a bowl with rice and you walk around the market to buy the fish and ingredients of your choice. Put some Soy Sauce on top and it s ready! You can visit Lake Akan Winter Festival and will be attracted by Winter Fireworks. Day 3 Lake Akan-Yoroushi Yuyado Daiichi or similar b/--/d After visit Ainu (are an indigenous people of Hokkaido, Japan) Village, you will enjoy local specialty Teshikaga Ramen. Eastern Hokkaido has many lakes, but you will enjoy sceneries of each lakes. You may feed swans by the Lake Kussharo. Tonight you will stay at one of the special Onsen hotel. You may see wild Blakiston s fish owl from Hotel.
Day 4 Yoroushi-Shiretoko Grand Hotel Kitakobushi or similar b/--/d Shiretoko is probably one of the most beautiful places in Japan. It is registered as a World Nature Heritage, thanks to the unspoiled nature and the large number of animals that found their habitats there. Drift Ice covers the ocean in this area. Shiretoko 5 lakes can only be accessed by snow shoe. Feel the power of nature! Day 5 Shiretoko (Utoro)-Abashiri Kanihonjin or similar b/--/d Do not forget to try a train which is only available in winter Hokkaido, Norokko Train, a sightseeing train along the coast. Enjoy a relaxing ride with large windows and a great view over the frozen ocean and the Shiretoko mountain range in the distance. Enjoy a cruise on an Ice Breaker and snow activities such as snowmobiling, banana boat, horse sledding etc at Attaka Abashiri Day 6 Abashiri-Sounkyo Choyotei or similar b/--/d In the morning you will try smelt ice fishing at Lake Abashiri, and taste fish tempura which you caught. Also Free Flight Adventure a hot-air balloon over the drift ice is available as optional. The drive from Abashiri to Sounkyo is not really a touristy course, but surely you will get to know this island a little bit more. Vast planes, large forests, you may be lucky and see some wild animals on the way, like deer, squirrels or foxes. Even if you may not get the chance to see one of these in the wild, the Fox Farm will give you a chance to see one! You will visit Ice Waterfall
Festival which is an exhibit of ice sculptures, light-ups, fireworks etc at Sounkyo. Day 7 Sounkyo-Sapporo Sapporo Aspen Hotel or similar b/--/-- Asahikawa is famous for Asahikawa Ramen and of course, the Asahiyama Zoo. It is a very small Zoo, but very creative in the way of displaying the animals. One of the highlights is the Penguin Parade, where these cute birds stroll through the whole park to find their way to their pool. See the animals from the cold countries of this world in the temperatures they are used to! Transfer to Sapporo, you can t miss Sapporo city tour, TV tower, Sapporo Beer Breweries or enjoy the Snow festival. You may also visit Hokkaido shrine. Recommended dinner at authentic Japanese restaurant and ice bar will be the best last dinner in Hokkaido. Day 8 Sapporo-Chitose Airport Sapporo Aspen Hotel or similar b/--/-- Even the last day has to be enjoyed! Sapporo has many s hopping facilities! Go shopping downtown before heading to the airport or enjoy the shopping on the way, at one of the outlet malls.
Pricing: For a group of 6 people: Standard (3.5 stars) 240,000,- Deluxe (4 stars) 300,000,- Luxury (5 stars) 400,000,- or higher (Hotels in the itinerary above are of the standard range) Price includes: 7 Nights Accommodation 8 Days chartered car with Driver Admission fees Activity fees Car: Up to 2 travelers: Sedan with English speaking driver 3-6 travelers: Jumbo Taxi with English speaking driver 7 or more travelers: Minibus with driver, +English speaking tour guide (*Larger busses are available as well) For customers with the Luxury plan, an upgrade to Audi A6/A8 or to busses with first class equipment is available as well. *This itinerary is tentative. Please contact us for further information. We will adjust the itinerary to your interests and send you a detailed plan with the quotation. We are looking forward to hearing from you!