Hokkaido 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, Hokkaido 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 Hokkaido’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 Hokkaido’s wonderful regional cuisine, some of the freshest in Japan with local specialties found at every stage of our journey. Hokkaido 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 Hokkaido’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 Hokkaido, we view a traditional dance performance.
Our journey also brings us to Lake Mashu, 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.
Due to the schedule of the airport limousine bus, Oku Japan is only able to arrange airport transportation for guests with flights departing Memanbetsu Airport in the afternoon or later. Guests with early flights will need to arrange their own transportation.
Your tour highlights
- See the extraordinary nature and beauty of Western Hokkaido
- Walk through the lush Kaedasawa Moss Corridor
- Enjoy the healing properties of Lake Toya’s onsen hot springs
- Stroll through the trails of an uninhabited island in the centre of a lake
- Visit the Upopoy National Ainu Museum and Park
- Take the time to explore Sapporo City’s sights
Tour itinerary
Meet at the tour hotel in the centre of Kushiro. Enjoy a welcome dinner at a local robatayaki restaurant. Robatayaki is a style of cooking on an open hearth called an irori and said to originate in Kushiro. Our dinner is grilled seafood of the highest quality.
Accommodation: Western-style hotel
Meals: Welcome dinner
Travel this morning by private vehicle to Kushiro Marshland, Japan’s largest wetland area with a diverse ecosystem and Japan’s first Ramsar Site. The area is home abundant wildlife, including the red-crowned crane, a national treasure and loved by birdwatchers. Walk through the forest to the observatory overlooking the vast marshland and then continue on trails through the marsh, exploring the local flora and fauna.
After the walk, we head onwards in our vehicle to Lake Akan, a crater lake in Lake Akan National Park. The area is home to the largest community of indigenous Ainu people in Hokkaido. We stay here for two nights in a lovely onsen hotel in a lakeside setting.
Walking distance: 6.8 km / 4.2 mi
Elevation gain: Negligible ascent and descent
Time required: 3 hours
Accommodation: Onsen hotel (hot spring hotel)
Meals: Breakfast, dinner
Today, we walk around the picturesque Lake Onneto at the foot of Mount Meakandake. With colors ranging from green-blues to emerald, clear blue, and more, Lake Onneto is known as ‘The Lake of Five Colours’ due to its ability to seemingly change colour depending on the level of sunlight and time of day.
The trail is mostly flat, and in this peaceful and untouched wilderness, we will enjoy views of the iconic Mount Meakandake, an active volcano whose peak reaches 1,499 m that has formed the landscape around Lake Akan, including Lake Onneto itself.
In the afternoon, we explore Lake Akan Ainu Kotan Village to learn about the history and culture of Hokkaidō’s indigenous inhabitants, the Ainu, and watch a traditional dance performance, officially recognised as an important feature of Japan’s cultural heritage.
Walking distance: 6.6 km / 4 mi
Elevation gain: 110 m / 360 ft of ascent and 110 m / 360 ft of descent
Time required: about 2 hours
Accommodation: Onsen hotel (hot spring hotel)
Meals: Breakfast, dinner
Travel by private vehicle to Kawayu Onsen and enjoy a lovely walk to Mount Io, known as Atosa Nupuri or ‘Naked Mountain’ in the Ainu language. Today, Mount Iō is a very active volcano and we will watch as sulphur rises from the more than 1,500 fumaroles covering its slopes.
Our lodging tonight is a charming onsen ryokan or onsen hotel in the area near Lake Kussharo.
The area is famous for having some of the highest-quality thermal waters in the whole of Hokkaido. Both lakes are some of the most pristine and largest calderas in the world. Return to your hotel or, if you wish, join your guide on an optional walk to the Wakoto Peninsula.
Walking distance: 5.7 km / 3.5 mi ( Including optional walk)
Elevation gain: Negligible ascent and descent
Time required: 2 hours ( Including optional walk)
Accommodation: Onsen hotel (hot spring hotel) or onsen ryokan (hot spring inn)
Meals: Breakfast, dinner
After a short journey by private vehicle, we reach Bihoro Pass, part of the Kussharo Caldera Trail. This trail follows the outer rim of Lake Kussharo, Japan’s largest caldera lake. Weather permitting, you can see as far as Mount Io, Mount Shari and Mount Tokachi, enjoying a magnificent panorama sometimes referred to as ‘the best view in the world’.
We will then travel by private vehicle to Lake Mashu. Known as one of the most transparent lakes in the world and one of the most beautiful in Japan, Lake Mashu is shrouded in mist in the summer season, creating a mysterious atmosphere.
We continue on by private vehicle to Abashiri, a modern town which relies on its fishing industry. Our accommodation tonight is a lovely onsen ryokan.
Walking distance: 9.9 km / 6.1 mi
Elevation gain: 150 m / 490 ft of ascent and 595 m / 1,950 ft of descent
Time required: 3.5 hours
Accommodation: Onsen ryokan (hot spring inn)
Meals: Breakfast, dinner
Today we enjoy optional cycling or walking through one of the largest wildflower nature reserves in Japan. Located beside Lake Saroma, Japan’s third-largest lake with a length of 20 kilometres, in the Wakka Nature Centre we can spot hundreds of different types of flowering plants. Later, we visit the Museum of Northern Peoples and learn more about the indigenous peoples inhabiting the north. The Ainu have a history stretching back over 2,000 years to the time of their arrival in Hokkaidō from Siberia; the area also has mysterious traces of an even earlier culture called the Moyoro.
We make our way to Utoro Onsen, a pleasant hot-spring town and gateway to the vast Shiretoko Wilderness. This is a perfect base for our next three nights in a local hotel, enjoying the onsen baths and regional delicacies.
Optional Cycling/Walking distance: up to 20 km / 12.5 mi
Elevation gain: Negligible ascent and descent
Time required: 2 hours
If the weather is kind today, we enjoy a boat ride on the Sea of Okhotsk. From the sea, there are stunning views of the Shiretoko Peninsula’s dramatic coastline and perhaps even glimpses of Hokkaido brown bears and their cubs, as well as deer, foxes, and marine life such as dolphins and whales. If the weather is not calm enough for the boat ride, we’ll stay on land and hike a lovely waterfall path instead.
In the afternoon we travel by local bus to the famous Shiretoko Five Lakes, spending time on the picturesque nature trails there.
Walking distance: 3.0 km / 1.8 mi
Elevation gain: Negligible ascent and descent
Time required: About 2 hours
Accommodation: Onsen hotel (hot spring hotel)
Meals: Breakfast, dinner
Today begins with a private coach journey to the start of today’s walk past picturesque lakes and onwards to Lake Rausu, recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the largest lake on the Shiretoko Peninsula. Here, there are stunning views of Mount Rausu, highest peak of the peninsula. We provide boots for the uniquely enjoyable hike along the mud trail before returning to our lodgings in Utoro Onsen.
Walking distance: 6.3 km / 4 mi
Elevation gain: 187 m / 613 ft of ascent and 187 m / 613 ft of descent
Time required: 3 hours
Accommodation: Onsen hotel (hot spring hotel)
Meals: Breakfast, farewell dinner
After breakfast, your guide will help you to the airport limousine bus from Utoro Onsen to Memanbetsu Airport for your return flight to Tokyo or Osaka.
Due to the schedule of the airport limousine bus, Oku Japan is only able to arrange airport transportation for guests with flights departing Memanbetsu Airport in the afternoon or later. Guests with early flights will need to arrange their own transportation.
Meals: Breakfast
What you’ll see on the tour
Tour pricing:
from $8,479
To secure your place now:
Phone: 03 364 3400 or 0800 747 737
Email: [email protected]
Tour Inclusions:
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 limousine bus from Utoro Onsen to Memanbetsu Airport, afternoon flights only
Boat ride on the Sea of Okhotsk
Tickets to a traditional indigenous Ainu dance performance