HOKKAIDO, JAPAN, TOUR
A Self-Drive Adventure in Northern Japan
Breathtaking Landscapes, Ainu Culture & Wildflower-Filled Roads
Spring is Hokkaido at its absolute best. This 11-day Hokkaido tour is a self-drive adventure made for travellers who crave wide-open roads, untamed nature, and authentic cultural encounters. Slide behind the wheel and cruise long, empty highways framed by blue skies, snow-dusted peaks, and rolling countryside.
Explore dynamic landscapes on foot and by bike, trekking through meadows bursting with wildflowers and cycling Furano’s gentle hills. Stop at local farms for the sweetest tomatoes you’ve ever tasted, soak in soothing hot springs, and indulge in Hokkaido’s famously fresh seafood.
In Shiretoko National Park, head out on a nature cruise to spot dolphins and, if luck is on your side, killer whales. Along the way, connect with welcoming locals and gain insight into Ainu culture, adding depth and meaning to every mile.
This is Eastern Hokkaido at its most vivid. Wild, welcoming, and wonderfully free.
Dates: Best experienced in May and June or September and October
This is a sample itinerary and can be customized to suit your travel style. Contact us to start planning your Hokkaido road trip.
Highlights
STARTS AT
USD per Person
THIS IS A CUSTOMIZABLE ITINERARY FOR GROUPS OF ALL SIZES.
DATES ARE AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST. PRICING WILL VARY DEPENDING ON GROUP SIZE & SEASON.
DAY 1: ARRIVAL – SAPPORO, JAPAN
Welcome to Hokkaido! Get acquainted with your vehicle and start your journey bound for Sapporo, the capital of Hokkaido! Officially established during the start of the Meiji Period in 1868, Sapporo is a fairly young city when compared to other cities in Japan. In terms of population, it is now the fifth largest city in Japan with around two million people. Enjoy the scenery from the car window as we make our way to your hotel before some city exploration.
We recommend taking a walk through the Lilac Festival in Odori Park where you’ll find a variety of locally produced wines and over 400 lilac trees scattered around the park in full bloom! Sapporo Beer Factory, Sapporo Art Park, Hokkaido Museum and the Historical Hokkaido Village would also make for excellent destinations on your first day. Don’t forget to try some local favorites for dinner: Ramen, Yakitori Sushi, Soup Curry and Sapporo’s local Genghis Khan are highly recommended!
Overnight: Sapporo Hotel
Meals: -/-/-
DAY 2: SAPPORO & OTARU TOUR
Get ready for a fun day of sightseeing in Otaru and Sapporo! Our first stop is the Tanaka Sake Brewery, the most famous local sake brewery in Otaru! The building was built during the Meiji era in 1905 and is designated as a historical piece of architecture by Otaru City. This award-winning sake is traditionally brewed and made with 100% Hokkaido rice and Otaru spring water. There’s also a fun factory tour where you can taste as many as 10 types of sake! Enjoy!
As we make our way back to the heart of Sapporo, we’ll stop by the majestic Hokkaido Shrine, a massive sacred structure built in 1869. Our next stop is the Mt. Moiwa Ropeway for a magical view of Sapporo City. This breathtaking viewpoint was actually selected as one of Japan’s three most beautiful city night views alongside Nagasaki and Kobe. Enjoy a warm cup of coffee from the café located at the peak of the mountain.
After making our way down, take a quick tour of the city before dropping you off to explore the shopping areas, and night life in Susukino!
Overnight: Sapporo Hotel
Meals: B/-/-
DAY 3: SAPPORO TO ASAHIDAKE
Let’s visit the morning market in Sapporo for a fresh seafood breakfast! This is a wholesale market with restaurants opening from 7:00am providing some of the best seafood in all of Japan. We highly recommend the juicy Hokkaido King Crab! Next stop, Arte Piazza in Bibai, a sculpture park in the countryside mountains where forty sculptures of Kan Yasuda, an internationally renowned sculptor, are exhibited. Kan Yasuda is originally from Bibai and now lives and works in his studio in Pietrasanta, Northern Italy where he continues to work with marble and bronze. His works can be spotted in public spaces all throughout Hokkaido!
Before leaving the area, you’ll get to have a fun local experience learning how to make Udon or Soba noodles from scratch with friendly locals! Have fun meeting new people and enjoy your homemade noodles!
As we make our way towards Mt. Asahidake on the historic Route 12, stop by Sunagawa Town, which is known for its “Sweet Road.” Here you’ll find a cluster of cake and pastry shops! Finish your day relaxing in the hot springs (onsen) and get rested for trekking tomorrow morning!
Overnight: Asahidake Hotel
Meals: B/-/-
DAY 4: ASAHIDAKE TO DAISETSUZAN NATIONAL PARK
Get ready for and Epic day in Daisetsuzan National Park, the largest National Park in all of Japan! Today you’ll adventure out on a tailor made trekking tour around Mt. Asahi, the highest mountain in Hokkaido reaching 2,290 meters high! There are various trails available, so talk with your tour guide and find one that suits you best! Spring arrives quite late in this region so be on the look-out for the beautiful alpine flowers! You’ll even be able to see patches of snow scattered around the mountain. Whichever route you choose, you’ll definitely fall in love with the breathtaking beauty and mysteriously powerful landscapes.
It’s truly a life-changing adventure!
Finish your day with a well-deserved relaxing time in the onsen back at your resort hotel.
Overnight: Asahidake Hotel
Meals: B/-/-
DAY 5: BEIE & FUARANO
Start the day passing through Biei, a picturesque hilly area famous for its patchwork landscapes and an amazing region for panoramic photography. Stop by the famous mysterious Blue Pond in Biei and the spectacular Shikisaino Oka flower fields, a magnificent masterpiece of vibrant flowers covering 15 hectares of land.
Get ready for a fun cycling tour through the colourful, hilly and breathtaking landscapes of Furano! Enjoy your cruise to the fullest, through the scenic panorama, cool breeze and blue skies above! Make a stop at a local tomato farm and taste fresh, sweet Hokkaido tomatoes. You may even be able to have a taste of the local sweet corn and juicy Yubari melons.
Overnight: Furano Hotel
Meals: B/-/-
DAY 6: FARM LIFE – TOKACHIGAWA
Get ready for the ultimate local farm life experience! Today you’ll be visiting a farm in the small town of Shikaoi. Enjoy classic farm life in Hokkaido, as you harvest your own vegetables and collectively make a fresh, nutritious lunch with locals. It doesn’t get any fresher than this!
After lunch, we’ll make our way to the Tokachi region, an area famous for its agriculture and home to one of the rarest hot springs in the world. Tokachigawa Onsen is a “Moor” (plant derived) hot spring giving it a higher content of natural moisturizing ingredients compared with ordinary hot springs. Take your time letting the heat and minerals relax your body to the core and be amazed of the healing power it will have on your skin. You’ll also be surprised at how rejuvenated you’ll feel tomorrow morning!
Overnight: Tokachigawa Hotel
Meals: B/L/-
DAY 7: AKAN & AINU CULTURE
Today is going to be an epic day of trekking and imagining how the Ainu inhabited the land thousands of years ago! First stop, Mt. Meaken, an active volcano located 20 km southwest of Lake Akan. It’s about an hour-long hike to reach the crater rim where you’ll get a bird’s eye view of the sulfurous, hissing, hell-like crater directly below. The summit offers wonderful views down to Lake Akan and on a clear day, the peaks of the Hidaka Mountains can be seen off in the distance.
Make your way back to Akan and learn about the unique Ainu culture, the indigenous people of Hokkaido. Akan is a special place with museums, musical performances and workshops that share the history of Ainu culture. Enjoy taking an Ainu wood carving class where you’ll get to utilize the traditional Ainu techniques and technology!
Overnight: Akan Hotel
Meals: B/-/D
DAY 8: AKAN NATIONAL PARK
After breakfast at your hotel, make your way to Lake Kussharo located in Akan National Park! Enjoy the beautiful caldera lake with various outdoor activities available, such as kayaking, canoeing, cycling, fishing and trekking. You’ll also have a chance to stop by Mt Lo, an active volcano that spews clouds of sulphur into the air, providing a unique photo opportunity!
Your next stop is Lake Akan. Take a cruise or visit the local museum to learn about the unique Green Moss Balls called, “Marimo” that mysteriously grow in the lake. They are known as “moss balls” but are actually species of green algae and one of the cutest natural wonders! Colonies of these spherical green balls can be found rolling around shallow waters around the lake’s edge. Their constant motion is what gives them their unique spherical shape as every side gets exposed to sunlight regularly. Marimo in Akan can grow up to 30cm in diameter, which is far bigger than the few other locations around the world. Head back to your hotel and have fun exploring the Ainu village at night.
Overnight: Akan Hotel
Meals: B/-/-
DAY 9: LAKE MASHU TO SHIRETOKO
Today you’ll visit the mysterious Lake Mashu, known as the second clearest lake in the world, second to Lake Baikal in Russia. The name, “Mashuko” also derives from the Ainu Language meaning, “A mountain god’s lake” and is quite mysterious in the sense that even though there is no river connected to it, the water levels barely change after heavy rainfall. Follow your guide to an observation deck built on a cliff overlooking the lake at a height of 300 to 400 meters above the lake’s surface!
Your next stop is Shiretoko National Park! Enjoy a scenic trek around the five Shiretoko Goko Lakes. There’s a beautiful elevated handcrafted wooden path for easy walking, as well as ground pathways carefully designed to give you the best views and lookout points of the local area. Feel the serene power of mother nature and be prepared to take lots of photos if you like capturing wildlife!
Overnight: Shiretoko Hotel
Meals: B/-/-
DAY 10: SHIRETOKO WHALE WATCHING
Our first stop is Rausu, which is located on the northeast coast of Hokkaido. Let’s go on a fun tour exploring the local fishing village and experience a real fish auction! See how the local fisherman and buyers make their fast-paced deals at the market. Seafood is this region’s specialty. Enjoy making your own fresh seafood bowl for lunch with the region’s seasonal delicacies!
Next, you’ll hop on the “Evergreen,” a Nature Cruise to see some ocean wildlife. Dolphin and orca sightings are not a rare occasion here! Also, please take note that you may get lucky and see a bear as the Shiretoko Peninsula, a preserved area has one of the largest concentrations of brown bears in the world!
Overnight: Shiretoko Hotel
Meals: B/-/-
DAY 11: MEMANBETSU AIRPORT
After breakfast at your hotel, visit the “Hokkaido Museum of Northern People,” where you’ll learn all about the indigenous people of Hokkaido including the Ainu, the Inuit, the Sami and the Siberian Peoples. The established museum has beautiful exhibitions covering a variety of topics including, clothing, food, transportation, dwellings, and the spiritual world of the indigenous people and how they lived. We also highly recommend the Moyoro Shell Mound Museum! This small museum is located at the mouth of the Abashiri River, which flows into the Sea of Okhotsk and offers insight into the unique way of living that was developed in this community some 1,300 years ago. You’ll be amazed at the skillful sea mammal hunting techniques and creations from those days!
We hope you had a memorable experience here on Hokkaido Treasure Island and look forward to seeing you again soon!
OPTION TO CONTINUE YOUR ADVENTURE TO OTHER PARTS OF JAPAN! Let us know where else you would like to visit.
Meals: B/-/-
Tour Exclusions
Important Notes
PLEASE NOTE: This itinerary is subject to change. Although we always do our best to stick to the itinerary, due to the ever-changing nature of Mother Nature, activities, hotels, and visits are subject to change due to forces beyond our control.
FLIGHTS: Please do not purchase your flights until this tour is confirmed.
PASSPORTS: Must be valid for at least 6 months upon return date to your home country. Proper documentation is the responsibility of each traveller.
VISAS & VACCINATIONS: (responsibility of the traveller)
Date: Custom Departures
*Please note, the hotels and routing of this tour can be altered to best suit your needs. Prices may vary.
Travel Insurance
Cancellation, Travel, Flight, and Health insurance are required and are the responsibility of the participant to research and secure the appropriate coverage. Click HERE for a Travel Insurance Quote or please email nicola@finisterra.ca for a quote.
Check with your local travel agent /insurance provider/health plan for advice about traveling overseas.
Waiver Form
All participants will be required to sign a Waiver Form prior to departure.
Please contact us for sample hotels.
TRAVEL INSURANCE
Even though we wish you a flawless trip, things can happen, especially nowadays. Make sure you are prepared with a Travel Insurance policy that is right for you. Finisterra recommends Manulife Insurance or John Hancock Please feel free to ask us about Trip Cancellation & Interruption Insurance, Cancel for Any Reason Policies, Travel Medical Insurance, or any other questions you may have.
TRAVEL INSURANCE FOR CANADIANS
Travel with confidence knowing that you’re covered with Manulife Insurance.
TRAVEL INSURANCE FOR AMERICANS – JOHN HANCOCK
Explore the world, stress-free, when you book travel insurance with John Hancock International.
WHY TRAVEL WITH US?
At Finisterra Travel we help you discover, push personal boundaries, and explore the unknown.
We are super passionate about sustainable, transformational, and adventure travel. Definitely not “armchair travellers”, we have firsthand experience of where you’ll be heading. No one wants to feel like a tourist which is why when we plan a custom travel experience for you, we strive to make your adventure as authentic as possible. We offer an array of Small Group Adventures & Custom Trips, and have something for every type of traveller.
Our unique itineraries are designed to best showcase some of our favourite destinations around Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Middle East, North America, and Europe. All itineraries are fully-customizable. Not your typical online travel agency, nor are we quite a tour operator, we are international travel designers with a flair for unique experiences. We’d love to hear from you!
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