Hokkaido and Northern Japan guided walking tour

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Northern Horizons
20 days Hokkaido and northern Japan

Highlights:

Hiking in the Shirakami mountains, an area with the largest area of natural beech forest remaining in the world · Walking the upland marshes of Hakk o da · Brilliant summer Hirosaki Neputa & Hakodate Seaport festivals · ‘Hidden' natural hot spring onsen · Delicious Hokkaido regional food · Cosmopolitan Sapporo and the Nikka Whisky Yoichi distillery · Climbing Asahidake, the highest peak on Hokkaido · Natural flower fields along the Sea of Okhotsk · Museum of Northern Peoples in Abashiri · Hiking on the remote Shiretoko Peninsula

Day 1 Tokyo
Group meets in Tokyo.
Overnight hotel in Tokyo.

Day 2 - 3 Shirakami Mountains
Travel from Tokyo to Akita by Shinkansen. By road to Shirakami Mountains.
We will stay in a family-run minshuku and climb the Shirakami Mountains.

Day 4 Hirosaki
Travel by road to Hirosaki via Iwaki-san. Hirosaki Neputa Festival.

Day 5 Hakkoda
Travel to Hakkoda by road. Walk Hakkoda upland marsh area.

Day 6 Hakodate
Crossing over to the northern island of Hokkaido, we stay in Hakodate. Waterfront night view from Hakodate-yama.

Day 7 - 9 Sapporo
We will travel to Sapporo via Niseko and Mount Yotei. Day trip to Yoichi.

Day 10 – 11 Daisetsuzan National Park
Travel to Daisetsuzan through farmlands of Furano and Biei, we then climb Mount Asahidake (2,290m), staying at a mountain lodge.

Day 12 Abashiri
Travel to Abashiri. Visit Museum of Northern peoples.

Day 13 - 14 Shari
Cycling Wakka natural flower fields along Sea of Okhotsk coast, climb Mount Shari.

Day 15 - 17 Shiretoko
We spend three days on the wild peninsula of Shiretoko, at Iwaobetsu and then Rausu. Activities include a fishing boat trip, hiking the Shiretoko Five Lakes, and a trip to Kamuiwakka, the hot waterfall, as well as climbing Mount Rausu-dake.

Day 17 - 19 Tokyo
Travel to Tokyo by plane. Sightseeing, and farewell dinner.

When we receive your booking we send you a dossier, which contains a suggested gear and clothing list. If you do have queries at this initial stage please contact us and we will be pleased to offer advice.

TOKYO, SAPPORO : Comfortable, modern, downtown hotels.

You will also stay in traditional ryokan and youth hostels.. Most have bathrooms with modern toilets and basins and, in most cases, large Japanese style bathrooms with communal single sex baths.

Please note that single rooms are normally only available in hotels – where a single room supplement may apply.

All meals are provided.

Every effort will be made to keep to the above itinerary, but we cannot make absolute guarantees! Changes to the itinerary will normally be to introduce an improvement . Weather conditions, road and transport conditions, and the health of walkers can all contribute to changes. The guide will ensure that the trip runs according to plan, but an easy-going nature is an asset!