WINTER IN HOKKAIDO
February 5 - 14, 2012 (10 days and 8 nights)
$100 EARLY BOOKING DISCOUNT
(Deposit must be made by 7/01/2011)
Narita, Chitose, Lake Shikotsu, Hyoto Ice Festival, Sapporo, Susukino Ice Festival, Sapporo Yuki Matsuri, Otaru, Okurayama Ski Jump, Asahi Beer Factory, Asahikawa Winter Festival, Otokoyama Sake Brewery, Sounkyo, Hyobaku Ice Festival, Abashiri, Okhotsk Ryu Hyo Museum, Abashiri Ice Breaker Boat Cruise, Lake Akan, Tokachigawa Onsen, Shiraoi Porotokotan, Noboribetsu, Jigokudani, Mt. Showa Shinzan, Goryokaku Tower, Hakodate Morning Market, Haneda, Narita
| Twin Rate |
Single Supplement |
Land Only |
| $ 4295 per person |
$ 450 per person |
$ 3295 per person |
(All arrangements to meet the group are not included)
Sunday, February 5 (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 for our flight to Narita International Airport. Lunch and a snack will be served onboard the flight. After completing entry and customs formalities at Narita Airport, we will transfer to check-in for our domestic flight to New Chitose Airport in Chitose, Hokkaido.
Monday, February 6 (Day 02)
ARRIVE CHITOSE
On arrival at Chitose Airport in the evening, we will transfer by foot to our hotel located in the airport and check-in for the night.
Accommodations at HOTEL COM’S CHITOSE AIRPORT or similar
Tuesday, February 7 (Day 03)CHITOSE - SAPPORO (B)(D)
Our winter festival tour begins with a visit to the Hyoto Ice Festival - a fantastic world of ice and snow sculptures displayed at Lake Shikotsu, located in the central part of Hokkaido. Famed for the clarity of its water, this beautiful caldera lake forms a part of the Shikotsu-Toya National Park. We’ll continue on to Sapporo city - the capital of Hokkaido to spend the next two nights. At the Susukino Ice Festival in Sapporo’s lively entertainment and shopping district of Susukino, enjoy strolling to view hundreds of intricate ice carvings lined along the main street. For lunch, try some Sapporo ramen at the popular Ramen Yokocho, a narrow noodle alley in Susukino with many small shops serving a variety of delicious ramen. This afternoon, we’ll visit the Sapporo Yuki Matsuri, the largest winter festival centered on Odori Park, featuring spectacular snow statues and ice sculptures. Created by various artisans, each block has its own creations, turning Odori Park into a fabulous winter dreamland. In the evenings, the festival venue is a breathtaking sight to see, beautifully illuminated with colored lights. Enjoy a delicious Genghis Khan dinner at the Sapporo Beer Garden this evening.
Accommodations at SAPPORO CENTURY ROYAL HOTEL or similar
Wednesday, February 8 (Day 04)
SAPPORO (B)
We’ll travel to historical Otaru, a charming port town in western Hokkaido. The symbol of this city is Otaru Canal, lined with gaslights and stone warehouses, providing a nostalgic and romantic atmosphere. Otaru is also noted for its elegant glassware and we’ll have some time to browse through the Kitaichi Glass Shops offering a nice selection of their intricate products. We’ll visit the Okurayama Ski Jump, the main ski jump used in the 1972 Winter Olympic Games providing a spectacular view over Sapporo city. Okurayama is now used as a prime training facility for athletes at Nordic events. Hokkaido is the birthplace of beer in Japan and this afternoon, we’ll visit the Asahi Beer Factory to enjoy a guided tour of their facility explaining the process of beer production. At the conclusion of the tour, samples of some of their delicious products will be available in the tasting room for you to enjoy. This evening, dinner will be on your own to try some local cuisine at one of the restaurants in the underground shopping mall located near the hotel.
Accommodations at SAPPORO CENTURY ROYAL HOTEL or similar
Thursday, February 9 (Day 05)
SAPPORO - ASAHIKAWA - SOUNKYO VALLEY (B)(D)
We’ll continue our journey northeast to Asahikawa, the second largest city in Hokkaido located in the heart of the Daisetsu mountain range. Discover a fantasyland of snow and ice sculptures displayed on a beautiful white snowfield at the spectacular Asahikawa Winter Festival. The centerpiece of the festival is a magnificent giant snow sculpture made from pure snow with no framework or support of any kind. The main shopping street - Kaimono Koen - is lined on both sides with these extraordinary carvings created by teams from all over the world. Hokkaido has the ideal climate and water conditions needed to make superior sake. At the Otokoyama Sake Brewery, observe the step-by-step sake production process with displays, photos, and exhibits. After the tour, some of their delicious products will be available for you to sample and enjoy. Our travel continues on to Sounkyo, a mountain hot spring resort nestled in the middle of Sounkyo Valley in Daisetsuzan National Park, the largest of Japan’s national parks. Enjoy dinner and relax in our onsen hotel overlooking the breathtaking Hyobaku Ice Festival in Sounkyo Valley. In the evening, the festival site is beautifully illuminated with colored lights.
Accommodations at HOTEL DAISETSU or similar
Friday, February 10 (Day 06)
SOUNKYO VALLEY - ABASHIRI (B)(D)
This morning, we’ll visit the Hyobaku Ice Festival , a fantastic world of ice with spectacular man-made ice and snow sculptures and fascinating ice caves lined on the riverbed of the Ishikari River - the mother river of Hokkaido. We’ll continue on to Sounkyo Gorge, a spectacular gorge extending along the Ishikari River and renowned for its impressive waterfalls. We’ll make a photo stop to view two of the most picturesque ones - Ryusei-no-taki (Shooting Star Falls) and Ginga-no-taki (Milky Way Falls) - both selected as two of the top 100 waterfalls in Japan. We’ll continue on to Abashiri, a town located on the northern coast of Hokkaido - best known as the site of Japan’s first maximum security prison and for its drift ice in the winter season. We’ll visit the Okhotsk Ryu-hyo Museum located on Mount Tento, a hands-on science center providing interesting information about the history of sea drift ice (ryu-hyo) that floes into the Sea of Okhotsk from Russia. Time permitting, enjoy a fun and exciting outdoor snow activity at this site. This evening, enjoy dinner and relax in the soothing hot springs at our onsen hotel.
Accommodations at ABASHIRI KOSO or similar
Saturday, February 11 (Day 07)
ABASHIRI - LAKE AKAN - IKEDA - TOKACHIGAWA ONSEN (B)(D)
Weather permitting, enjoy an exciting adventure as we board an icebreaker boat - a special purpose boat designed to move and navigate through ice covered waters, crushing the drift ice that floes into the Sea of Okhotsk. The crushing sound as we cruise on the North Hokkaido Sea is an experience you’ll never forget. We’ll continue on to Lake Akan, a beautiful crater lake in Akan National Park known for its marimo, a rare green algae species designated as a National Special Natural Monument. Experience and enjoy some of the outdoor winter activities offered at the lake - ice fishing, ice skating, snowmobile rides and more (own expense). This evening, enjoy dinner and relax in the quaint surroundings of our fabulous onsen hotel.
Accommodations at HOTEL DAIHEIGEN or similar
Sunday, February 12 (Day 08)
TOKACHIGAWA - SHIRAOI - NOBORIBETSU ONSEN (B)(D)
Our journey continues on to the town of Shiraoi, visiting Porotokotan, a reconstructed Ainu Village and Museum. The museum displays interesting exhibits and artifacts relating to the history, culture and lifestyle of the Ainu people. Enjoy a traditional song and dance performance by some of the Ainu villagers, including a demonstration of how to play the mukkur, a kind of mouth harp made of a piece of thin-shaved bamboo with a thread attached to it - creating a strange, resonating sound. We’ll travel on to Noboribetsu, Hokkaido’s most famous hot spring resort beautifully surrounded by forested hills. One of the major attractions in the area is Jigokudani (Hell Valley), a spectacular ravine with sulfurous volcanic pits and hot steam geysers. Enjoy dinner and relax in the hot springs at our onsen hotel this evening.
Accommodations at NOBORIBETSU GRAND HOTEL or similar
Monday, February 13 (Day 09)NOBORIBETSU - MT. SHOWA SHINZAN - OSHAMAMBE - HAKODATE (B)(D)
Enjoy a scenic drive along Uchiura Bay to Mt. Showa-Shinzan, a dome located on the east flank of Mt. Usu - created as a result of hundreds of explosive eruptions. Hissing steam still escapes through some of the fissures of this new mountain. We’ll continue our drive around the bay to the seaport city of Hakodate, Hokkaido’s third largest city located at the island’s southern tip. The city is overlooked by Mt. Hakodate and famous for Fort Goryokaku, Japan’s first Western-style fortress built in the shape of a five-pointed star. Most of the fort was demolished and its ruins are now part of Goryokaku Park, a popular cherry-blossom viewing spot during the spring season. Enjoy a breathtaking view of the city and this star-shaped fort from the observation deck of Goryokaku Tower. Dinner will be provided for you at the hotel this evening.
Accommodations at HAKODATE KOKUSAI HOTEL or similar
Tuesday, February 14 (Day 10)
HAKODATE - HANEDA AIRPORT - NARITA TO HONOLULU (B)
This morning, enjoy shopping at the Hakodate Asaichi (morning) Market where you can bargain with indoor and outdoor vendors for the best prices of their dried seafood products such as dried scallops, cuttlefish, and more. One of the main attraction is to see a variety of Hokkaido’s famous crabs. We’ll proceed to the Hakodate Airport for our domestic flight to Haneda Airport. We’ll transfer by motorcoach to Narita International Airport for our evening flight to Honolulu, arriving on the same day due to the crossing of the International Date Line. A meal will be served on board the flight.
The tour price is based on double occupancy and a minimum group size of 20 passengers. Fare adjustment may apply for groups of 20 or under. The rate is based on tariffs and exchange rates effective 5/01/11. Tour fare is subject to change according to any airfare increase and fluctuation of the rate of exchange between U.S. and foreign currency. In the event of revaluation, the land portion of the tour price may be adjusted prior to your final statement.
Land portion based on 90 Yen = $1.00 U.S.