Wednesday, May 19 (Day 01)
HONOLULU TO NARITA TO CHITOSE
Our tour commences this morning when we assemble at the Japan Airlines lobby at the airport for check-in procedures. We will depart Honolulu on Japan Airlines to Narita International Airport. A meal and a snack will be served on board the flight. After completing entry and customs formalities, we’ll proceed to the domestic terminal to check in for our flight to Chitose International Airport in Hokkaido, Japan’s northernmost and second largest island.
Thursday, May 20 (Day 02)
ARRIVE CHITOSE
On arrival at Chitose Airport in the evening, we’ll proceed to our hotel located within the airport to check in for the night.
Accommodations at HOTEL COM’S NEW CHITOSE AIRPORT or similar
Friday, May 21 (Day 03)
CHITOSE - OTARU - SAPPORO (B)(D)
This morning we’ll enjoy a tour of the Nopporo Hokkaido Historical Museum featuring interesting exhibits and displays relating to the lifestyle, history, and culture of Hokkaido. We’ll travel to Otaru, a charming port city facing Ishikari Bay - noted for its glassware and best known for its historic Otaru Canal. Sections of the canal are lined with photogenic Meiji and Taisho-era buildings, giving it the atmosphere of an old harbor town. Enjoy strolling through some of the glassware and sweet shops in this quaint little town. We’ll continue on to Sapporo - the capital of Hokkaido - visiting some of the highlights of this metropolitan city before checking in for the night. We’ll drive by to view a famous landmark - Tokei-dai (clock tower), the symbol of Sapporo mounted on the Russian-style Memorial Hall and Odori Park, a wide promenade dividing the northern and southern parts of the city. Bordered with beautiful flower beds, Odori Park is the site of the Winter Snow Festival held annually during the winter. This evening, enjoy a delicious Genghis Khan dinner at the Sapporo Beer Garden.
Accommodations at SAPPORO CENTURY ROYAL HOTEL or similar
Saturday, May 22 (Day 04)
SAPPORO - TAKIKAWA - KAMIKAWA - SOUNKYO GORGE (B)(D)
Weather permitting, we may see fields of beautiful yellow nanohana (rape seed flowers) as we pass through the town of Takikawa. Our drive continues on to visit Kitanomori-Garden, featuring ‘Ice Pavilion’, a fantastic magical ice covered world of ice. The highlight of this attraction is a freezing spot where you can experience the mind-blowing minus 41 degree temperature. Enjoy a scenic drive through Daisetsuzan National Park, the largest of Japan’s national park with fascinating rock formations en route to Sounkyo, a hot spring resort nestled in the middle of Sounkyo Valley. Weather permitting, we’ll enjoy a gondola ride from the Sounkyo-Kurodake Ropeway Station to the fifth stage of Mt. Kurodake, providing a breathtaking view of the magnificent Daisetsuzan National Park and its surrounding areas. Sounkyo Gorge is renowned for its picturesque waterfalls and we’ll make a photo stop to see two of the main ones - Ryusei-no-taki (Shooting Star Falls) and Ginga-no-taki (Milky Way Falls). Enjoy dinner and relax in the onsen at our hot spring resort this evening.
Accommodations at HOTEL DAISETSU or similar
Sunday, May 23 (Day 05)
SOUNKYO - KAMIYUBETSU - LAKE NOTORO - ABASHIRI (B)(D)
Our journey continues on to the town of Kamiyubetsu to view a beautiful display of colorful tulips blooming vividly in the Kamiyubetsu Tulip Park, site of the annual Tulip Fair. Many of the tulips are imported from Holland and some are named after characters of fairytales, such as Pinocchio and Aladdin. We’ll visit the Okhotsk Ryu-hyo (Ice Floe) Museum located on Mount Tento. Enjoy a video explaining the history of the sea drift ice (ryu-hyo) that flows into the Sea of Okhotsk from Russia. The Abashiri Prison Museum was the actual prison site until the year 1984 and only the most heinous criminals were banished to this forbidding northern outpost - the ’Alcatraz’ of Japan. The cells, watch towers, and prison farm buildings show how stark and monotonous life was for inmates - relieved only by restricted bathhouse visits. Anguished-looking mannequins bring it all to life and we’ll retrace the history of convict labor and the harsh life of a prisoner on a tour of this open-air site. Enjoy dinner and the hot springs at the hotel this evening.
Accommodations at ABASHIRI KANKO HOTEL or similar
Monday, May 24 (Day 06)
ABASHIRI - LAKE AKAN (B)(D)
We’ll travel to Ozora Town to enjoy a stroll through Nonky Land Higashimokoto located at the base of Mt. Mokoto. Shibazakura (pink and white moss phlox flowers) blooms vividly on the slopes of the hillside, providing a spectacular sight - like a pink carpet. (weather permitting) We’ll drive past Io-zan (Sulfur Mountain) - unmistakably noted for its distinctive smell and impressive hissing vents, billowing clouds of steam and bright yellow sulfur deposits. Smoking volcanoes, “Me-Akan-dake and O-Akan-dake” tower over Akan-ko - a beautiful crater lake. Lake Akan is best known for its marimo, a rare spherical green algae - designated as a Special Natural Monument of Japan. Marimo is formed when separate pieces of algae at the bottom of the lake roll around and eventually forms into a ball, gradually growing larger and larger. We’ll enjoy a boat cruise on Lake Akan, providing us with a close-up view of the mountains, islands, and into hamlets, including a brief stop at Churui Islet to visit the Marimo Exhibition and Observation Center to see some of these green fuzz balls in the tanks. Before checking into our hotel, we’ll visit Ainu Kotan - a small Ainu village lined with many souvenir shops specializing in traditional Ainu handicrafts. Dinner will be provided for you this evening at the hotel.
Accommodations at NEW AKAN HOTEL or similar
Tuesday, May 25 (Day 07)
LAKE AKAN - KUSHIRO - TOKACHIGAWA ONSEN (B)(D)
After breakfast we’ll continue our drive south to Kushiro and through the Kushiro Shitsugen National Park, the most recent of Japan’s national parks and the largest wetland in Japan. This marshland is famous as a habitat for many kinds of birds and the endangered tancho-zuru (red-crested white cranes) - traditional symbols of longevity and designated as a Special Natural Monument of Japan. We’ll visit the Japanese Crane Reserve to see a few of these cranes as they roam about freely throughout the enclosed reserve. Enjoy the beautiful landscape of Kushiro Marshland from the observation deck of the Kushiro City Marsh Observatory, designed in a modern style with the motif “tussock grass” - which is found in the marsh. We’ll continue on to Tokachigawa Onsen to relax and enjoy the hot springs this evening. Dinner will be provided for you tonight at the hotel.
Accommodations at DAIHEIGEN HOTEL or similar
Wednesday, May 26 (Day 08)
TOKACHIGAWA - FURANO - BIEI - ASAHIKAWA (B)(D)
This morning we’ll continue our journey north to Furano, a town located in the center of Hokkaido and best known for its fields of fragrant lavender flowers that bloom during the late summer season. Weather permitting, we’ll make a stop at Flower Land Furano to enjoy the beautiful scenery as myriads of seasonal flowers bloom in succession on the hillside against a backdrop of the Tokachidake Mountain Range. We’ll continue on to Biei, a small town surrounded by beautiful hilly landscapes. Enjoy a visit to Takushinkan, a photo art gallery dedicated to Shinzo Maeda, an internationally known photographer. His beautiful photos of the Tokachi area are famous for their vibrant and unusual color and composition. We will continue on to the city of Asahikawa to spend the night. Dinner will be provided for you this evening.
Accommodations at ASAHIKAWA GRAND HOTEL or similar
Thursday, May 27 (Day 09)
ASAHIKAWA - SAPPORO (B)
At the Yukara-Ori Folk Craft Museum, enjoy a display of the elegant textile works of famous dyed textile artist Aya Kiuchi. Yukara weaving is wool dyed with various colors, spun, and woven into textiles - the traditional fabric of Hokkaido. We may be able to see a demonstration of this weaving procedure by one of the staff. We’ll continue on to spend our last night in the city of Sapporo - known for its delicious ramen. For lunch, you may want to try some at Ramen Yokocho, a narrow alley lined with many small ramen shops located in Susukino, Sapporo’s main entertainment and shopping district. Before checking in at the hotel, we’ll make a stop at Nijo Market, a public market in central Sapporo where many locals shop for fresh and dried seafood products at discounted prices. Dinner will be on your own this evening.
Accommodations at SAPPORO CENTURY ROYAL HOTEL or similar
Friday, May 28 (Day 10)
SAPPORO - CHITOSE - NARITA TO HONOLULU (B)
This morning we’ll proceed to the Chitose Airport to check in for our domestic flight to Narita International Airport, then transfer for our evening flight home. We’ll arrive Honolulu on the same day due to the crossing of the International Dateline. A late meal will be served on board the flight.