Charms of Hokkaido Tour: Hokkaido Winter Festivals

See the Sapporo Snow Festival, as well as three other main Winter Festivals in Hokkaido.

Immerse yourself in winter wonder with Japan's renowned Sapporo Snow Festival tour. Witness the stunning artistry of ice sculptures at various Hokkaido Festivals, attracting millions worldwide. Stay in traditional ryokans, savor onsen baths and kaiseki dinners. Explore snowy landscapes, walk on frozen lakes, and be awed by lit-up ice castles. Learn about the Ainu people's heritage at Upopoy National Ainu Museum and stroll through Otaru's heritage district. Visit Otokoyama Sake Brewery, taste sake, and admire brewing tools.

Discover Hokkaido's red fox at Kitakitsune Farm. Enjoy an icebreaker cruise in the Sea of Okhotsk, view the Shiretoko Peninsula, and meet Siberian migratory swans at Lake Tofutsu. Try local Wakasagi smelt fishing at Lake Akan and buy Ainu crafts at Ainu Kotan. Finally, visit Akan International Crane Center and the Kushiro Marshlands, a Ramsar site, housing the tancho or Red-crowned crane.

Itinerary

Day 1

Sapporo New Chitose Airport

Welcome to Sapporo, Japan! You will be met at the arrival gate by our representative holding a name sign.

🅗ANA Crowne Plaza Hotel Chitose or similar class

NOTE 1: The meet and greet and airport transfer to the first hotel is ONLY available on the first day of the tour after 11 AM. If you plan to stay extra nights before the start of the tour, we will provide full instructions in advance for you to transfer to your hotel on your own.

Day 2

Shiraoi (Upopoy National Ainu Museum), Lake Shikotsu (Lake Shikotsu Ice Festival)

In the morning we will go to Shiraoi, and the Upopoy National Ainu Museum, a newer museum facility that celebrates the cultural heritage of the native Ainu people, including exhibits on Ainu language, culture, history, crafts, music, and dance. Then, we venture out to Lake Shikotsu to walk among the incredible ice sculptures and multi-story snow buildings during the Lake Shikoku Ice Festival.

In the afternoon, we will depart for Sapporo by a private coach and enjoy a dinner. Finally, we check- in to our hotel for a relaxing evening in Sapporo.

🍴Breakfast / Dinner

🅗ANA Crowne Plaza Sapporo or similar class

Day 3

Sapporo (Sapporo Snow Festival)

This morning we will visit the Sapporo Snow Festival (the Odori Site), the biggest snow festival in Hokkaido, by train. The festival's famous large snow sculptures are crafted by citizens who compete against each other's work of arts. It is normal for these snow figures to measure more than 25 meters wide and 15 meters high. Most are exhibited in the Odori site.

Even so, many more snow sculptures of varied sizes and shapes are exhibited in events and concerts at other locations apart from the main stage in Odori's park. For those who want a view to remember, they can consider taking a view from the Sapporo TV Tower at the eastern end of Odori Park.

The afternoon is free for you to enjoy, along with lunch on your own. Our tour guide will be there to help you make arrangements or take you to places depending on the group's need.

🍴Breakfast

🅗ANA Crowne Plaza Sapporo or similar class

Day 4

Sapporo (Okurayama Ski Jump Observatory / Historic Village of Hokkaido), Otaru (Sakaimachi Street - Kitaichi Garasukan & Music Box Museum / Otaru Canal / Otaru Sushi District)

This morning we continue to enjoy a tour of Sapporo. Visit Okurayama Ski Jump Observatory for an incredible view of Sapporo. From there, we go into the Historic Village of Hokkaido where horse-drawn carriages and trolleys are still seen and used. The village offers insight into its history as well as an open-air museum through their buildings, which exemplify architectural evolution from the Meiji and Taisho eras into the modern age.

From there, we travel into the romantic and nostalgic town of Otaru for a leisurely stroll through the port city's heritage district. As you walk up Sakaimichi Street, you can see Otaru's history in old Western-style fisheries, shops and houses. On the way, we'll explore Otaru's reputation for excellent glass craftsmanship at the Kitaichi Garasukan, where glassmakers transitioned from making simple glass fishing buoys to crafting fine glassware and artwork.

At one end of Sakaimichi Street we'll discover the Music Box Museum, a cozy museum and shop selling a large collection of charming music boxes. After, we will take a walk along the Otaru Canal, which had once fallen into disrepair at the introduction of modern docking facilities, and has since been converted into a charming vintage promenade. Finally, we will make our way to the Otaru Sushi District, where you will be free to find your own sushi dinner from among the shops selling various kinds of sushi.

🍴Breakfast / Lunch

🅗Grand Park Otaru Hotel or similar class

Day 5

Asahikawa (Asahikawa Winter Festival / Otokoyama Sake Brewery), Sounkyo (Sounkyo Ice Fall Festival)

Today, we will take a 2-hour ride by private coach from Sapporo to Asahikawa for the Asahikawa Winter Festival. The biggest snow castle is found in the winter festival, entertaining all who come to visit it. The building may be cold, but you would always warm up with a nice cup of sake. Next, we visit the Otokoyama Sake Brewery where historical sake brewery tools are displayed and the history of Otokoyama sake was born. Enjoy a sake tasting experience to add to your experience.

Then, we will proceed to Sounkyo Gorge in Daisetsuzan National Park. Lets enjoy the views of the Sounkyo Ice Fall Festival's snow creations that take shape in forms of creatures, cultural sites, and pop culture characters. After your evening stroll around the ice festival, you will check-in to your hotel and relax in the hot spring baths.

🍴Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner

🅗Sounkyo Choyotei Hotel or similar class

Day 6

Sounkyo (Ginga & Ryusei Waterfalls), Kitami (Kitakitsune Farm), Abashiri (Okhotsk Ryuhyo Museum)

After breakfast, we will explore the Sounkyo Gorge area, including Ginga and Ryusei waterfalls, a popular ice climbing spot. The Ginga, or "Galaxy" waterfall drapes over the rock like a white curtain, while the Ryusei "Shooting Star" waterfall rushes out from behind the rocks in the cliff face like a natural jetstream.

From there, we will drive to Kitami, a small town in the countryside. We will stop for a visit to the Kitakitsune Farm, which cares for the well being of one of Hokkaido's native treasures - the Ezo red fox. These adorable creatures, noted for their gorgeous, fluffy coats, are considered heavenly messengers in traditional Shinto mythology, with statues of foxes decorating the grounds of many shrines. Next, we drive to the town of Abashiri for a tour of the Okhotsk Ryu-hyo Museum, which features interactive exhibits about the native environment around the Bay of Okhotsk, where you can see ryu-hyo, or drift ice. We will have a rare opportunity to observe the mysterious sea life known as clione "sea angels".

🍴Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner

🅗Abashiri Kanko Hotel or similar class

Day 7

Abashiri (Ice Breaker Cruise / Abashiri Prison Museum), Lake Tofutsu (Whooper Swans Viewing), Lake Akan (Wakasagi Smelt Fishing)

This morning, we will experience an Ice Breaker cruise among the floating drifts of ice. Once there, you will notice the different species that come to migrate or live in the area year- round. We will also visit Abashiri Prison Museum. The original Abashiri Prison was constructed in the 1890s, it was set to hold over a thousand dangerous criminals, but soon was overcapacitated and created unliveable conditions for its inmates. Ishii Teruo's films, however, created a Yakuza image in the 1960's that was more interesting for the public.

Eventually, the prison's original buildings were moved and remodeled, then finished in 1985. It is now an open air museum, for the public. In the afternoon we will take a tour of Lake Tofutsu and Lake Akan. Once at Lake Akan, we will experience a local practice and delicacy, Wakasagi smelt fishing.

🍴Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner

🅗New Akan Hotel or similar class

Day 8

Lake Akan (Ainu Kotan), Kushiro (Akan International Crane Center / Kushiro Marsh Observatory / Washo Market)

After breakfast, visit Ainu Kotan, a street that specializes in hand-crafts, cultural items, and other souvenirs from the native Ainu culture. Then we will drive to Kushiro for a visit to Akan International Crane Center. Kushiro is the home of the rare and beautiful Tancho "red-crowned" crane. The crane is an animal closely tied to Japanese folklore, and you can see many of these delicate birds here year round, and view exhibits about the breeding and ecology of cranes. Then we will explore the Kushiro Marshlands, a region protected by the Japanese as the roosting grounds of the red-crowned crane. The marsh turns a pale brown in the fall as the land prepares for the coming winter snow.

Stop by at the Kushiro Marsh Observatory to enjoy a panoramic view of the marshland, the city of Kushiro, and the mountains of Akan. The Washo Market in Kushiro, Hokkaido is a market specializing in selling fish produce to the public. It is located close to the Kushiro Station within walking distance of the market. It is considered one of the top three markets to go to in Hokkaido.

🍴Breakfast / Lunch

🅗ANA Crowne Plaza Hotel Kushiro or similar class

Day 9

Tour End

After breakfast, our tour officially ends. Checkout time is 11 am.
Transfer to Kushiro Airport by Airport Limousine Bus.  

🍴Breakfast

NOTE 2: The departure airport transfer is ONLY available on the last day of the tour. If you plan to stay extra nights after the tour, we will provide full instructions in advance for you to transfer to the airport on your own.

NOTE 3: If you would like to stay longer in Japan, please contact us to book hotel accommodations.

Note:

All prices are per person, based on twin (double on request) or triple occupancy.
International flights are not included on our tours - this allows you the flexibility to choose your own departure and get the best value for your money!
We can arrange international flights for US customers if needed, please ask for details.

Deposit

• We require a NON-Refundable US$500 deposit per person to hold the space at the time of booking and the final payment is due 2 months prior to departure.

Additional Information

Transport

• Travel by private coach between destinations, hassle free baggage handling.

Arrival Departure Airports

• For arrivals at New Chitose Airport (CTS), this tour starts in Sapporo and ends in Kushiro, with departures at Kushiro Airport (KUH).

Meal Requests

• Vegetarian or special meals can be arranged.

Meet and Greet

• Please note that the meet and greet and airport transfer to the first hotel is ONLY available on the first day of the tour after 11 AM. If you plan to stay extra nights before the start of the tour, we will provide full instructions in advance for you to transfer to your hotel on your own.

Accommodation Information 　

*subject to availability

Chitose (Day 1) ANA Crowne Plaza Hotel Chitose

Sapporo (Day 2 & Day3)　ANA Crowne Plaza Sapporo

Otaru (Day 4) Grand Park Otaru Hotel

Sounkyo Onsen (Day 5 ) Sounkyo Choyotei Hotel

Abashiri (Day 6) Abashiri Kanko Hotel

Akan Lake (Day 7) New Akan Hotel

Kushiro (Day 8) ANA Crowne Plaza Hotel Kushiro

*Tour schedule and prices subject to change without notice