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.
Wild Lands of Eastern Hokkaido
Wild Lands of Eastern Hokkaido
Number of travellers
Start date
UNAVAILABLE DATES
Tour details
Wild Lands of Eastern Hokkaido
x1 traveller
USD 0
Single room additional charge
USD 700
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.
TOTAL
USD 0
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.
- Duration: 9 days
- Trip level:Intermediate
- Availability: June to October
- Type:Guided tour with an expert bilingual guide
- Price: USD 4,045(Price per person, based on 2 travellers sharing a room)
Departures
Please choose your preferred month to see available departures.
Highlights
- Taste Hokkaidō's famed seafood and local produce, considered some of the best in Japan
- Visit crystal clear crater lakes unique to the region
- See incredible views of varied landscapes each day – from wetlands to forests to mountains
- Learn about the unique culture of Hokkaidō's indigenous people
- Enjoy natural wonders and the chance to see Hokkaidō brown bears from the sea on a wildlife-spotting boat ride
- Experience soothing hot spring baths after incredible hiking
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.
What is included
 | 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 |
What is not included
 | 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 |
Itinerary
Tour itineraries are subject to change. We will inform you of any amendments as soon as we become aware of them.
Day 1: Meet in Kushiro
Day 2: Walk Kushiro Marshland and travel to Lake Akan
Day 3: Walk around Lake Onnetō
Day 4: Explore Lake Akan Ainu Kotan Village and walk to Mount Iō
Day 5: Walk along Lake Mashū and traverse the Mashū Caldera
Day 6: Visit Wakka Nature Centre
Day 7: Sea of Okhotsk boat ride and Shiretoko Five Lake trails
Day 8: Visit remote Lake Rausu
Day 9: Complete the tour and head to Memanbetsu Airport