A small-group guided tour through eastern Hokkaidō that features hot spring bathing, incredible regional cuisine, rewarding hiking, and chances to spot wildlife unique to the island.
A small-group guided tour through eastern Hokkaidō that features hot spring bathing, incredible regional cuisine, rewarding hiking, and chances to spot wildlife unique to the island.
Solo supplements guarantee solo rooms at the hotels on your tour. At inns, you will share with another member of your departure of the same gender.
If you would like to do multiple tours in one trip or have a question about any of our tours, do not hesitate to contact us with the button below.
Please choose your preferred month to see available departures.
Hokkaidō is the second-largest of Japan’s islands, long regarded as a remote wilderness by other residents of the Japanese archipelago. Known in feudal times as Ezo, Hokkaidō was originally inhabited by the indigenous Ainu people. Today it attracts nature lovers and is a pristine paradise of mountain ranges, lush forests and indescribably beautiful crater lakes produced by volcanic activity.
Join Oku Japan’s small-group guided tour on a wonderful journey from Kushiro on Hokkaidō’s eastern Pacific coast, through to the Shiretoko Peninsula stretching out into the Sea of Okhotsk. See untouched nature, visit UNESCO wetland nature reserves, experience spectacular landscapes formed by volcanoes, and enjoy flora and fauna unique to Hokkaidō. You have the chance to spot abundant wildlife as we walk the trails – watch out for foxes, deer and numerous species of birds.
After each day's walk, we relax in onsen hot springs, a delightful by-product of the region’s geothermal activity. Another highlight of the tour is Hokkaidō’s wonderful regional cuisine, some of the freshest in Japan with local specialties found at every stage of our journey. Hokkaidō covers too large an area to explore on just one visit, but Oku Japan’s itinerary brings you to the very best locations on the island.
Our adventure begins in the fishing port of Kushiro, famous for some of the best seafood in Japan and home to a unique fishing culture which invented the robatayaki style of cooking on an open grill. From Kushiro, we visit Hokkaidō's largest marshland area and continue to Lake Akan, the only place where the famous spherical Marimo algae can be spotted. At Lake Akan Ainu Kotan, home to the largest remaining Ainu community in Hokkaidō, we view a traditional dance performance.
Our journey also brings us to Lake Mashū, one of the clearest lakes in the world, and finally onwards to the onsen town of Utoro on the Sea of Okhotsk. If the weather is kind, we take a boat ride from the Shiretoko Peninsula with the chance to glimpse waterfalls visible only from the sea and Hokkaidō brown bears searching for fish with their cubs. Shiretoko is the very end of Japan – a remote area of truly untouched nature.
Full-time services of an English-speaking tour guide | |
8 nights in hotels and Japanese-style inns | |
Daily breakfast and 8 dinners | |
All transportation between tour locations | |
Entrance to museums, national parks, and other sights on the group's itinerary | |
Daily luggage transfer on motorcoach | |
Airport transfer upon departure from Utoro Onsen to Memanbetsu Airport | |
Boat ride on the Sea of Okhotsk | |
Tickets to a traditional indigenous Ainu dance performance |
Flights | |
Airport transfer upon arrival from Kushiro Airport to Kushiro City | |
Drinks and meals not included in itinerary | |
Entrance fees to museums, temples, etc. not mentioned in the itinerary | |
Single room supplement for solo travellers at hotels |
Tour itineraries are subject to change. We will inform you of any amendments as soon as we become aware of them.