Accommodation

4* Sapporo Nikko Hotel x 2 nights 4* Kushiro Crowne Plaza Hotel x 1 night 4* New Akan Hotel at Lake Akan x 2 nights [Japanese Style] 4* Shiretoko Dai Ichi Hotel x 1 night 3* Abashiri Dormy Inn x 1 night

Others

Entrance fees: Included for all stops listed on the itinerary Comprehensive Travel Pack Local Emergency Contact All Taxes & Accommodation Surcharges Fixed Price Policy No hidden Costs!!

Transport

Arrival Airport Transfer using local bus & taxi’s (met by local person) Sapporo City Sightseeing using local taxi’s, hired vehicle or small coach (depending on group size) Express Train Reserved Seats from Sapporo to Kushiro Kushiro - Lake Akan using local taxi’s, hired vehicle or small coach (depending on group size) Lake Akan - Shiretoko using local taxi’s, hired vehicle or small coach (depending on group size) Shiretoko - Abashiri using local taxi’s, hired vehicle or small coach (depending on group size) Departing Airport Transfer using local bus & taxi’s (met by local person)

Insurance

All clients of Unique Japan Tours / OomiTravel must have adequate health and travel insurance in case of any emergency (medical or other). This is especially important in the event you have to cancel your tour due to unforeseen circumstances. Please arrange this locally in your home country.

Meals

Breakfast daily, 2 lunches & 3 evening meals are included.

Guide

Tour Leaders & Local Assistants/Guide: Tour has 1-6 people: Semi-Escorted style using local English/Japanese speaking assistants at all lcoations Tour has 6+ people: Fully Escorted by a Japanese/English speaking tour leader You will be notified of the travel style 2-4 weeks prior to the departure date when you recieve your travel pack. Be assured that both travel styles ensure you get the most out of your time in Japan.

Flights

Flights to Sapporo are not included. If you would like us to assist you booking your internal flights, enquire with our team after you book your tour.

Not included:

Others

Flights [Arrange own flights into Sapporo Airport. Departing Airport will be Abashiri. If you need assistance with internal flights, we can arrange this for you] Meals other than those specified in the itinerary. Generally, you can expect to pay 1,000yen for lunches and anything from 2,500yen for your evening meals. Beverages consumed at any meal (Water served freely) Baggage Handling (You are requested to carry your own bags so be careful when packing)!

Start planning your experience

Day 1 Day 1: Met On Arrival To Sapporo Shin-Chitose Airport
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 1: Met On Arrival To Sapporo Shin-Chitose Airport

Journey to the East begins in Sapporo’s Shin-Chitose Airport. You will be met on arrival for flights arriving after 10am. Transfer to your Sapporo hotel. Experience one of the the largest snow festivals in the world where giant snow sculptures line the streets of Sapporo day and night, waiting to wow you with their enormity and street festival feeling.

Hightlight: Enjoy the sparkling splendour that is the Sapporo Snow Festival at night: the giant snow and ice sculptures illuminated. Your tour leader will be ready to take you out on the town!

Accommodation: ANA Crowne Plaza Hotel Sapporo (4*) or similar
Day 2 Day 2: Experience Sapporo Snow Festival/ Day Trip To Otaru
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 2: Experience Sapporo Snow Festival/ Day Trip To Otaru

Breakfast at your hotel.

Enjoy a full day’s exploration in Sapporo during the much-loved Snow Festival. Over 60 international teams compete to build the most impressive snow and ice sculptures, some of which reach over 15m in height. The city’s atmosphere is festive, with hot food stalls and pop-up ice-bars lining the streets to cater to the 2 million visitors (double the city population!) that flock to see this spectacular winter festival.

Make the most of the many options to keep you entertained in Sapporo city (and some of the best seafood & beer in the world) with one more night at your city hotel before leaving the next morning to visit the winter wilderness of Japan’s northernmost island.

You may also use this time to take a day trip to Otaru, a unique city famous for its glass industry and artisan trades people.

Accommodation: ANA Crowne Plaza Hotel Sapporo (4*)
Day 3 Day 3: Scenic Train Journey Eastbound To Kushiro
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 3: Scenic Train Journey Eastbound To Kushiro

Breakfast at your hotel.

After two nights in Sapporo, we take an express train for four hours east to Kushiro. Kushiro is well known as the ’town of mist’, facing the Pacific Ocean. The marine products industry of Kushiro has flourished since the early 20th century. The long and narrow city centred on Kushiro Port still retains many features of the century.

is known as the site of the first successful arificial breeding of Tancho cranes (Red Crowned Cranes), designated as special natural monuments. It is one of the largest east Asian cranes and one of the rarest in the world.

Highlight: Visit “Tsurui village Tancho Crane Sanctuary” for your first experience of the wonderful red-crowned cranes. This sanctuary has large fenced in areas with pairs of birds to encourage breeding and provides a perfect chance to photograph the birds up close.

Accommodation: ANA Crowne Plaza Hotel Kushiro
Day 4 Day 4: Lake Akan: Sunrise To Sunset, Stunning Winter Scenery
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 4: Lake Akan: Sunrise To Sunset, Stunning Winter Scenery

Hightlight: Early Morning Sunrise at Setsuri River

Set out early to witness a magical sunrise with hundreds of red-crowned cranes gathered together in the river. Temperatures will be as low as minus twenty degrees celsius on this morning. So wrap up well. A suitable down jacket wuth thermal under garments, hat, gloves etc are essential.

After visiting the cranes in their natural habitat, you will have breakfast break (packed meal) and continue on to your next destination, Lake Akan.

After check-in at your lake side ryokan, you can either enjoy visiting indegenous Ainu community next to your hotel, or join one of ice activities on frozen Lake Akan such as snow mobile, four wheel buggy or Ice skiing if you feel active (pay separately).

Enjoy an all-you-can-eat buffet for dinner dinner with all manner of Japanese and western dishes (drinks separate) before experiencing one of the best onsen hot springs baths in all of Japan.

EVENING HIGHLIGHT: Fireworks on frozen Lake Akan

Accommodation: Lake Akan Tsuruga Wings including dinner (Japanese Style)
Day 5 Day 5: Drive To Lake Mashu, Lake Kussharo
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 5: Drive To Lake Mashu, Lake Kussharo

Breakfast at your hotel.

Enjoy the fresh air and natural splendour of this beautiful crater lake.

(Lake Akan is a beautiful crater lake in Akan National Park. It is home to marimo, a rare algae species that forms itself into beautiful green balls. Left alone for a few centuries, Lake Akan’s marimo can reach the size of soccar balls. The algae have been designated a National Special Natural Monument.

The presence of this rare algae species that forms itself into beautiful green balls makes Lake Akan a National Special Natural Monument. Bubbling mud pools and a small Ainu village museum also await.)

HIGHLIGHT: Drive to Lake Mashu and Lake Kussharo area

Today you will drive to Lake Mashu and Lake Kussharo area - you will stop off at an elevated viewing spot on Lake Mashu (tea break, pay locally) , which vies for the position of "clearest lake in the world". Then drive to Lake Kussharo to witness whooper swans in a natural onsen hot spring alongside the frozen lake.

EVENING HIGHLIGHT: Traditional ’Ainu’ Performance

After onsen, make your way to the local Ainu hall where you can visualise this indigenous culture in an authentic performance featuring traditional dress, language and dance.

Accommodation: Lake Akan Tsuruga Wings including dinner (Japanese Style)

Enjoy buffet dinner & hot spring at your hotel.
Day 6 Day 6: Discover The Breathtaking Shiretoko National Park
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 6: Discover The Breathtaking Shiretoko National Park

Breakfast at your hotel.

Today you will explore one of the most remote regions in all of Japan; eastern Hokkaido’s Shiretoko Peninsula. Shiretoko National Park is a Unesco World Heritage Site and home to a variety of wildlife, including brown bears, deer, winter red foxed and eagles. 　You can join either Drift-Ice Walking or Forest Snow Shoeing to really feel winter nature of Shiretoko.

HIGHLIGHT: Drift-Ice Walking / Snow-Shoeing (Optional / Subject to availbility)

Enjoy Dinner & Hot Spring at Hotel (included)

Accommodation: Shiretoko Dai-Ichi Hotel including dinner
Day 7 Day 7: Abashiri
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 7: Abashiri

Our last stop on our tour will be Abashiri which is home to the Okhotsk Abashiri Drift Ice Festival.

HIGHLIGHT: Abashiri Area Sightseeing

Lunch at Local Restaurant (pay locally)

Abashiri Prison Museum

Abashiri Drift Ice Cruise

Accommodation: Hokuten no Hoshi Abashiri Tsuruga
Day 8 Day 8: Tour Ends At Abashiri
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 8: Tour Ends At Abashiri

Breakfast at your hotel.

Your tour ends at Memambetsu Airport (transfer included). From here you can fly back to Tokyo or Osaka so depending on your onward journey plans, we can help you make some post-tour arrangements. Just ask one of our Japan travel experts. We can arrange internal flights (priced separately).

8 days tour

Journey To The East, Featuring Sapporo Snow Festival

This tour includes:

Not included:

Start planning your experience

Itinerary of your trip Journey To The East, Featuring Sapporo Snow Festival

Day 1: Met On Arrival To Sapporo Shin-Chitose Airport

Day 2: Experience Sapporo Snow Festival/ Day Trip To Otaru

Day 3: Scenic Train Journey Eastbound To Kushiro

Day 4: Lake Akan: Sunrise To Sunset, Stunning Winter Scenery

Day 5: Drive To Lake Mashu, Lake Kussharo

Day 6: Discover The Breathtaking Shiretoko National Park

Day 7: Abashiri

Day 8: Tour Ends At Abashiri

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