Cornelius Amann
October 06, 2026
5/5
Hokkaido: Sapporo, Furano lavender and Shiretoko
9 days from Sapporo to Kushiro: Otaru, the lavender fields of Furano and Biei, Daisetsuzan, two nights in Shiretoko with a boat along the cliffs, and Lake Akan.
9 days · Sapporo to Kushiro · up to 12 guests
The elevated boardwalk at the Shiretoko Five Lakes Photo: 663highland, CC BY 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:140829_At_Shiretoko_Goko_Lakes_Hokkaido_Japan09s3.jpg)
The facts
At a glance
- Length
- 9 days, 8 nights
- Start and end
- Sapporo to Kushiro
- Group size
- 7 to 12 guests
- Activity level
Moderate
Mostly easy walking on paths and boardwalks, 2 to 6 km a day. The longest walks are the Asahidake pond loop at about 1,600 m (about 1.7 km on rough volcanic ground, 1 hour) and the guided Five Lakes short loop (about 1 hour 45 minutes on a forest path); both have a step-free or shorter option. Two road days of about 4 hours.
- Meals included
- 8 breakfasts, 5 lunches, 4 dinners
- Room of your own
- + CAD 945 (estimated price)
- Season
- Summer
Highlights
Why this trip
- The Otaru canal at half past nine, before the day coaches arrive
- Lavender rows at Farm Tomita and the patchwork hills of Biei
- The Shirogane Blue Pond at 7:30 am, while the water is still and the car park empty
- A ropeway ride onto the steaming flank of Asahidake, the highest mountain in Hokkaido
- Two nights in Shiretoko: a boat along the sea cliffs and the Five Lakes at the 8 am opening with a nature guide
- An onsen night at Lake Akan, an Ainu performance at the Ikor theatre and the first boat of the morning to the marimo centre
What makes this trip different
Free time is part of the plan
Free time and choices are marked on the days they fall.
Solo without the penalty
A room of your own is + CAD 945 (estimated price).
Day by day
Itinerary
Tap any stop on the map to open that dayClick any stop on the map to open that day
Arrive in Sapporo
New Chitose Airport to your hotel in central Sapporo
- Welcome dinner
- Stay in Sapporo
- Drive about 1 h
Fly into New Chitose Airport (CTS), about 50 km south-east of Sapporo, and plan to land by about 3 pm. A driver meets you in arrivals for the hour into the city, where we stay two nights near Odori Park. Sapporo was laid out on a grid in the 1870s as the capital of the new Hokkaido colony, so it is one of the easiest Japanese cities to find your way around.
Evening
In the early evening your See Sight Tours guide meets the group for a short walk: along Odori Park, past the wooden Clock Tower of 1878 and up to the TV Tower end of the park, while you hear how the week is paced. Then we sit down to a welcome dinner of Genghis Khan, the Hokkaido dish of lamb and vegetables grilled at the table on a domed iron pan, with a cold local beer if you like.
Included
- Pick-up at New Chitose Airport (CTS)
- Evening orientation walk: Odori Park and the Clock Tower
- Welcome Genghis Khan lamb dinner
Free time: Free until the evening walk
Activity: If you land later than about 3 pm, the driver still meets you and your guide catches you up at dinner.
Otaru by the sea, then the beer museum
Sapporo to Otaru by train and back, then the Sapporo Beer Museum
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Sapporo
- By train
We take an early JR train west along the coast to Otaru, about 40 minutes with the sea right beside the line.
Morning
By half past nine we are walking the Otaru Canal, finished in 1923 and lined with stone warehouses from the years when this was Hokkaido's main trading port, while it is still quiet; the day coaches and cruise passengers arrive later in the morning. Your guide then leads us along Sakaimachi Street, past the glass workshops and old merchant houses, to the Otaru Music Box Museum in its 1912 building.
Afternoon
Lunch is sushi in Otaru, where the fish comes straight off the boats. We are back in Sapporo by mid-afternoon for the Sapporo Beer Museum, in a red-brick factory of 1890, and a tasting set of three beers.
Evening
The evening is free: ride the ropeway up Mount Moiwa for the night view, or try a bowl of miso ramen, Sapporo's own.
Included
- Return JR train to Otaru
- Guided walk along the Otaru Canal and Sakaimachi Street
- Otaru Music Box Museum
- Sushi lunch in Otaru
- Sapporo Beer Museum with a tasting set
Optional experiences
- Mount Moiwa ropeway for the night view over Sapporo
Free time: Evening free in Sapporo
Activity: About 4 to 5 km on foot, all on pavement.
Into the Furano valley and the lavender
Sapporo to Farm Tomita in Nakafurano, then Furano
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Furano
- Drive about 2.5 h
Morning
After breakfast our own vehicle takes the group north-east out of Sapporo and over into the Furano valley, about 130 km and two and a quarter hours with a coffee stop. Our first stop is Farm Tomita, whose lavender helped make this valley famous; from about early to mid July the purple rows run up the slope beside bands of red poppies, white baby's breath and orange California poppies, and outside lavender season the other flower fields still carry the colour. Entry is free.
Afternoon
Lunch is in Furano, perhaps the local curry served with an omelette. In the afternoon we visit the Furano Cheese Factory and the hillside Furano Winery, then check in for two nights in Furano. The rest of the day is yours.
Evening
As the light goes, walk up to the Ningle Terrace, a lane of small craft cabins in the forest whose lamps come on at dusk.
Included
- Farm Tomita lavender and flower fields
- Lunch in Furano
- Furano Cheese Factory
- Furano Winery
Free time: Late afternoon and evening free in Furano
Activity: Lavender usually peaks from early to mid July. Earlier or later in summer you still see the other flower fields.
The Blue Pond and the hills of Biei
Furano to Shirogane and the Biei hills, then back to Furano
- Breakfast
- Stay in Furano
- Drive about 2 h
We set out at 6:45 to reach the Shirogane Blue Pond, about 45 minutes away, by half past seven.
Morning
The pond was made by a mud-flow barrier after the 1988 eruption of Tokachidake, and minerals from the volcano turn its water a milky blue around the drowned larch trunks; early in the morning the surface is often still and the car park nearly empty. Nearby, the Shirahige Falls pour out of the rock face into the Biei River gorge. Then we drive the rolling farmland of Biei, where wheat, potatoes and flowers are planted in stripes across the hills: the Shikisai-no-Oka flower garden, the viewpoints of the Patchwork Road and the single trees that became famous from advertisements in the 1970s.
Afternoon
We are back in Furano after an early lunch in Biei, which is on you, and the afternoon is free for a nap, a bath or a walk in town.
Included
- Shirogane Blue Pond in the early morning
- Shirahige Falls
- Shikisai-no-Oka flower garden
- The Patchwork Road viewpoints in Biei
Optional experiences
- Hire a bicycle in Biei for the Patchwork Road (e-bikes available)
Free time: Lunch on your own and the afternoon free
Activity: Short walks of a few hundred metres at each stop.
Up Asahidake, down to Sounkyo
Furano to the Asahidake ropeway, then Sounkyo Onsen
- Breakfast and dinner
- Stay in Sounkyo Onsen
- Drive about 3 h
Daisetsuzan is Japan's largest national park, and we drive about an hour and a half north to its western edge at Asahidake Onsen. The ropeway lifts us from about 1,100 m to 1,600 m on the flank of Asahidake, at 2,291 m the highest mountain in Hokkaido. From the top station a loop of about 1.7 km leads past small ponds, alpine flowers and, on a clear day, a view of the fumaroles steaming on the mountain, mirrored in Sugatami Pond. It is rough volcanic ground and takes about an hour.
Afternoon
Lunch is on you at Asahidake Onsen. In the afternoon we drive round the mountains to Sounkyo, about an hour and a half, a gorge of basalt columns with the Ginga and Ryusei waterfalls dropping side by side down its walls.
Evening
We stay one night at an onsen hotel there: a long soak, then a Japanese-style dinner with the group.
Included
- Asahidake ropeway, up and down
- Sugatami Pond loop with your guide
- Ginga and Ryusei waterfalls
- Onsen dinner in Sounkyo
Easier option: Stay at the top station viewpoint, or ride down early and sit in the free foot bath at Asahidake Onsen.
More active option: With your guide, carry on past Sugatami Pond up the summit trail towards the steaming vents for about another hour on loose volcanic scree.
Free time: Evening free for the onsen
Activity: It is cool at 1,600 m even in July, and snow can lie on the path until late June. Bring a warm layer and shoes with grip.
Across to the Okhotsk coast and Shiretoko
Sounkyo over the Sekihoku Pass to Kitami and Shari, then Utoro
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Utoro
- Drive about 4 h
Today is one of the two long road days, about 230 km and four hours of driving, because no shorter road links central Hokkaido to Shiretoko. We break it well.
Afternoon
We leave after breakfast over the Sekihoku Pass and across the onion and wheat farms around Kitami, then reach the Sea of Okhotsk for a sit-down lunch on the coast near Shari. The last stretch follows the shore to the Oshinkoshin Falls, which drop about 30 m beside the road, and on to Utoro, the small fishing town at the gate of the Shiretoko Peninsula, listed by UNESCO in 2005. In the late afternoon we walk from the Shiretoko Nature Center through the forest to the Furepe Falls, where groundwater pours straight out of a cliff into the sea, and look out for sika deer on the meadow.
Evening
Dinner is at our hotel; Utoro has few restaurants.
Included
- Sit-down lunch on the Okhotsk coast
- Oshinkoshin Falls
- Shiretoko Nature Center and the Furepe Falls walk
- Dinner at the hotel in Utoro
Free time: Evening free; watch the sun set into the sea from the Utoro waterfront
Activity: Furepe Falls walk: about 2 km return on a flat forest path, 40 minutes.
Five Lakes at opening and a boat under the cliffs
Utoro to the Shiretoko Five Lakes, then a boat along the peninsula
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Utoro
- Drive about 30 min
We are at the Shiretoko Five Lakes when the park opens at 8 am, while the light is low and before the tour buses. Everyone can walk the elevated boardwalk, about 800 m each way, flat and step-free, out across the bamboo-grass meadow to the first lake, with the Shiretoko range rising straight behind it. Shiretoko has one of the densest brown bear populations in the world, so from 10 May to 31 July the ground trails round the lakes may only be walked on a tour with a registered nature guide; we book one, and you choose the boardwalk or the guided short loop past two of the lakes, about an hour and three-quarters.
Afternoon
Lunch is in Utoro. At 2:45 pm we board a sightseeing boat out of Utoro harbour for about 90 minutes along cliffs that no road reaches, to the Kamuiwakka Falls and back, watching the shore for bears, eagles and seabirds.
Evening
We are back on land by about a quarter past four, and the evening is free before dinner at the hotel.
Included
- Shiretoko Five Lakes at the 8 am opening, with a registered nature guide
- Lunch in Utoro
- Shiretoko sightseeing cruise from Utoro to the Kamuiwakka Falls and back, about 90 minutes (2:45 pm sailing)
- Dinner at the hotel in Utoro
Easier option: Walk the elevated boardwalk only: about 1.6 km there and back, about 40 minutes, flat and step-free, with a view of the first lake and the mountains.
More active option: The guided short loop on the ground past two of the five lakes, about 1 hour 45 minutes on a forest path. Guided parties are capped at 10, so a full group splits between two nature guides.
Free time: Evening free after the cruise
Activity: The cruise runs only in calm seas; if it is cancelled, we try the 8:30 am sailing the next morning before we leave Utoro. From 1 August the ground trails need only a short park lecture, and our nature guide still walks with us.
Volcano lakes to Lake Akan
Utoro to Io-zan, Lake Kussharo and Lake Mashu, then Akanko Onsen and the Bokke
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Akanko Onsen
- Drive about 4 h
Our second long road day, about 190 km and three and three-quarter hours of driving, runs south through the volcanic heart of Akan-Mashu National Park, with a stop roughly every hour. First is Io-zan, a sulphur mountain where yellow-crusted vents hiss beside the path. At the Sunayu beach on Lake Kussharo, Japan's largest caldera lake, hot spring water rises through the sand: dig a hole and warm your hands.
Afternoon
After lunch in Teshikaga we climb to the rim of Lake Mashu, a caldera lake known for its deep blue water and for the fog that often hides it. We reach Akanko Onsen at about 3 pm. Your guide then walks the group through the lakeside forest to the Bokke, where grey mud bubbles and pops out of the ground at the water's edge, about 20 minutes each way, and the rest of the afternoon is free.
Evening
After an onsen dinner we watch an evening Ainu performance at the Ikor theatre in the Akan Ainu Kotan, one of the largest Ainu settlements in Hokkaido. The lake cruise waits for tomorrow's first sailing, when the water is calm.
Included
- Io-zan sulphur vents
- Sunayu hot sand beach on Lake Kussharo
- Lunch in Teshikaga
- Lake Mashu observatory
- Walk to the Bokke mud pots with your guide
- Onsen dinner at Lake Akan
- Ainu performance at the Ikor theatre
Easier option: Skip the Bokke walk and go straight to the onsen.
Free time: Late afternoon free in Akanko Onsen
Activity: Short walks at each stop. Io-zan smells strongly of sulphur. If the Shiretoko cruise moved to this morning, we leave Utoro at about 10 am and reach Akan by about 4:30 pm.
Lake Akan by boat, the cranes and Kushiro
Lake Akan cruise from Akanko Onsen, then the Akan International Crane Center and Kushiro Airport
- Breakfast
- Drive about 1.5 h
Morning
After an early breakfast we walk down to the pier for the first sailing of the day on Lake Akan at 8 am, about 85 minutes round the lake with the volcano Oakan-dake rising over the eastern shore. Halfway round, the boat stops for about 15 minutes at Churui Island, where the marimo centre shows the lake's marimo, rare balls of green algae. Back on shore by about half past nine, we drive south out of the hills towards Kushiro, about 70 km and an hour and a quarter. On the way we stop at the Akan International Crane Center, where red-crowned cranes, the tall white and black birds with a red crown that were once nearly lost in Japan, are kept and studied; in summer the wild birds are off nesting in the marshes, so the centre is the place to see them up close. From there it is about 20 minutes to Kushiro Airport (KUH), arriving at about half past eleven. Your guide sees you to check-in. Book a flight leaving after about 1 pm; Kushiro has direct flights to Tokyo Haneda and to New Chitose.
Included
- Lake Akan cruise at 8 am, with the stop at the marimo centre on Churui Island
- Akan International Crane Center
- Drop-off at Kushiro Airport (KUH)
Activity: Book a flight leaving Kushiro after about 1 pm. If the lake is too rough to sail, we leave earlier and take more time at the crane centre.
- Sapporo2 nights
- Furano2 nights
- Sounkyo Onsen1 night
- Utoro2 nights
- Akanko Onsen1 night
- Kushiroend
- Overnight stop
- Day trip
- By boat or train
Wildlife and weather: Hokkaido summers are mild, usually in the low to mid 20s C in the day, with no rainy season like Honshu's, but mountain and coastal weather turns quickly. Lavender peaks in July. Shiretoko has a large brown bear population: we follow the park rules, walk with a nature guide where they are required, and often see deer, foxes and, from the boat, bears on the shore.
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Before you book
Right for you?
Good for you if you want
- Travellers who have seen Tokyo and Kyoto and want Japan's open, wild north
- Nature and easy walking rather than temples and cities
- Summer travellers who want lavender, volcano lakes and a boat along the coast
- Anyone who likes an onsen at the end of the day
Not for you if you want
- Travellers who want long mountain hikes every day; this is easy to moderate walking
- Anyone who cannot sit about four hours in a vehicle on two of the days
- Those looking for nightlife or shopping beyond Sapporo
- A winter snow trip; that is a different itinerary
Book flights after we confirm your seat.
8 nights
Where you'll stay
Your hotels are named in your trip confirmation.
- Sapporo2 nights
- Furano2 nights
- Sounkyo Onsen1 night
- Utoro2 nights
- Akanko Onsen1 night
One price
What's in the price
Included
Accommodation
- 8 nights: 2 in central Sapporo, 2 in Furano, 1 at an onsen hotel in Sounkyo, 2 in Utoro (Shiretoko) and 1 at an onsen hotel at Lake Akan
- Rooms shared, or your own for a supplement
Transport
- Pick-up at New Chitose Airport (CTS) and drop-off at Kushiro Airport (KUH)
- Our own vehicle and driver from Sapporo to Kushiro, with your suitcase aboard
- Return JR train from Sapporo to Otaru
- Asahidake ropeway
- Shiretoko sightseeing cruise from Utoro
- Lake Akan cruise
Your guide
- A See Sight Tours guide with the group for the whole trip
- A registered nature guide for the Shiretoko Five Lakes
Activities
- Sapporo: Odori Park and Clock Tower walk, the Sapporo Beer Museum with a tasting set
- Otaru: canal and Sakaimachi Street walk, the Otaru Music Box Museum
- Furano: Farm Tomita, the Furano Cheese Factory and Furano Winery
- Biei: the Shirogane Blue Pond, Shirahige Falls, Shikisai-no-Oka and the Patchwork Road
- Daisetsuzan: the Asahidake ropeway and Sugatami Pond loop, the Sounkyo waterfalls
- Shiretoko: Oshinkoshin Falls, the Furepe Falls walk, the Five Lakes, the cruise to the Kamuiwakka Falls
- Akan: Io-zan, Lake Kussharo, Lake Mashu, the marimo centre, the Ainu performance at the Ikor theatre, the Bokke walk
- Kushiro: the Akan International Crane Center
Meals
- 8 breakfasts
- 5 lunches: Otaru, Furano, the Okhotsk coast, Utoro and Teshikaga
- 5 dinners: a welcome Genghis Khan dinner in Sapporo, an onsen dinner in Sounkyo, two dinners in Utoro and an onsen dinner at Lake Akan
Not included
- International flights to New Chitose and home from Kushiro, and any domestic connection (we can book Kushiro to Tokyo Haneda or New Chitose for you)
- Travel insurance
- Visa, if your passport needs one
- Lunches and dinners not listed
- Drinks
- Tips
- Optional activities, such as the Mount Moiwa ropeway and bicycle hire in Biei
- Personal spending in your free time
Extras
- Room of your own
- CAD 945 (estimated price)
When you can go
Dates and prices
Pick your start date when you request to book. We check that date and confirm it in your quote.
Prefer to travel without a group or guide? Ask us about arranging hotels, transport and city tours for you to travel independently.
Before you book
Booking terms
Nothing is charged now. Full terms and the cancellation schedule come with your quote, before you accept.
Business addresses
See Sight Tours Trips (USA): 3172 N Rainbow Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89108, United StatesSee Sight Tours Trips (Canada): 5305 50 Avenue, #1091, Red Deer, AB T4N 4B6, Canada+1-888-961-6584Guest reviews
What guests say
Reviews from guests on our day tours.
Jane
October 06, 2026
5/5
Susan
October 06, 2026
5/5
Tom L
October 05, 2026
5/5
MandL83
October 05, 2026
5/5
Darren O
October 05, 2026
5/5
Good to know
Questions
Prices in these answers apply from Jan 1, 2027. Black Friday offer: 15% off the small-group price for requests received by Dec 1, 2026. From CAD 4,715 per person. Dec 2 to Dec 31: from CAD 5,100. From Jan 1, 2027: from CAD 5,545.
What does the price include?
Eight nights in hotels and onsen hotels, 8 breakfasts, 5 lunches and 5 dinners, airport transfers at New Chitose and Kushiro, our own vehicle and driver, the Otaru train, your See Sight Tours guide throughout, a nature guide at the Five Lakes, and every visit in the day plan, including the Shiretoko boat, the Asahidake ropeway, the Lake Akan cruise and the Ainu performance.
How big is the group and who leads it?
The small group runs with 7 to 12 guests and one See Sight Tours guide for the whole trip, from the airport pick-up in Sapporo to check-in at Kushiro. In Shiretoko a registered local nature guide joins us for the Five Lakes, as the park requires in bear season.
How fit do I need to be?
Easy to moderate. Most days have 2 to 6 km of walking on paths and boardwalks. The hardest walk is the Asahidake loop at about 1,600 m, about an hour on rough volcanic ground, and there is an easy option there and at the Five Lakes, whose elevated boardwalk is flat and step-free.
When will the lavender be out in Furano?
Lavender at Farm Tomita usually peaks from early to mid July, so choose a July date if the lavender matters most. From late June and into August the farm's other flower fields are in colour, and in August and September the Biei hills turn gold with wheat and the weather is at its most settled.
Will we see bears in Shiretoko, and is it safe?
Shiretoko has many brown bears, and they are often seen from the boat on the shore below the cliffs. On land we follow the park's rules: from 10 May to 31 July the Five Lakes ground trails are walked only with a registered nature guide, and the elevated boardwalk is fenced against bears. We never feed or approach wildlife.
I am travelling solo. What does a single room cost?
A room of your own is from CAD 945 more for the trip, about 17 percent, and you get the same room standard as everyone else. If you would rather share, ask when you book: we confirm for each departure whether we can pair you with another solo guest, and you see the price before you commit.
How does booking work?
Choose your departure and send a request to book. We confirm your place within 24 hours and nothing is charged until then. The small group starts from CAD 5,545 per person sharing a room, taxes included.
Can we travel privately or on our own dates?
Yes. The trip also runs as a private trip for your party only, on a date you choose, with your own guide, vehicle and driver. If you would rather travel independently on your own dates, ask us from the dates section and we will quote the same hotels, cruises and local guides.
Do I need a visa for Japan?
Canadian, US, UK, Australian and most EU passport holders can enter Japan visa-free for short tourist stays. Check the current rules for your own passport before you book flights, and make sure it is valid for your whole stay.
Why does the trip end in Kushiro, not Sapporo?
Shiretoko and Lake Akan are at the far eastern end of Hokkaido, about seven hours' drive from Sapporo. Ending at Kushiro Airport saves a long day on the road. Kushiro has direct flights to Tokyo Haneda and New Chitose, and we can book that flight with your trip.
Is there a winter version for the Snow Festival or the drift ice?
Not on this itinerary. The Utoro boats run from late April to late October, the Five Lakes close in early November, and the Shiretoko Pass road is open only in the warmer months. A winter trip would pair the Sapporo Snow Festival in early February with drift ice on the Okhotsk coast and the cranes near Kushiro. Ask us if you want one.
What is the weather like in Hokkaido in summer?
Mild: usually in the low to mid 20s C in the day and cool at night, without the long rainy season and heavy humidity of Tokyo. Mountain and coastal weather changes fast, so pack a warm layer and a rain jacket for Asahidake and the Shiretoko boat.
See Sight Tours has been providing travel services across North America since 2006. Operating in 20 cities across Canada and the USA, the company specializes in small group tours that offer personalized, high-quality experiences for travelers.
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