Hokkaido and northern Japan

Arrival at Kansai International Airport (KIX).
Welcome to Japan! 日本へようこそ！

Pocket Wi-Fi collection at the airport.

Reception at the exit from Customs in English by our airport assistant, who will give you all your travel documents.
Included, but unaccompanied transfer from the airport to your Japan Experience Traditional House (see details). 

Check in before 8pm at your accommodation. A House Angel will welcome you, show you around the house and help you to have an unforgettable stay in Kyoto. 

You will be able to "live the Japanese way" for a few days, with a space much bigger than a hotel room and a kitchen to prepare good Japanese food!

What is there to do in Kyoto in 3 days ?

We advise you to start your visit to Kyoto slowly by visiting the city centre and the Gion district :
- Kiyomizu-dera, the impressive water temple 
- The historic lanes of Sannen-zaka & Ninnen-zaka 
- Kodai-ji, Kyoto's temple of maple trees and bamboo

Finish your day with a stroll through the Gion district and enjoy the sunset.
Meet your guide at 7pm to start your evening walk around Gion, Kyoto's historic district.
More details on the exact day and meeting point can be found in your travel guide.

At the end of this 1h30 walk, your guide will be able to recommend the best places to eat dinner.
Please note that it is strictly forbidden to take pictures in the historic district of Gion.

For your second day in Kyoto, we recommend the following itinerary:
- The Zen garden of Ryoan-ji 
- Kinkaku-ji (Golden Pavilion) 
- Ginkaku-ji (Silver Pavilion)
- The enchanting Philosopher's Path 
- Nanzen-ji temple

One of our many experienced English-speaking guides can accompany you on a tour of these iconic sites (available as an option, from 9am to 5pm).

For the last day in Kyoto and its surroundings, we recommend taking the 50 minute journey to Nara, included in your package.

Visit Nara, Japan's first fixed capital in the 8th century and discover:
- Kasuga-taisha Shinto shrine and its thousands of lanterns 
- Todai-ji, with its great bronze Buddha and the imposing Nan-Daimon gate 
- Kofuku-ji temple and its delightful pagoda

Return to Kyoto and stop to see the sunset at the Fushimi Inari-taisha, Kyoto's immense shrine of 10,000 torii gates.

If you wish to be accompanied on this day, one of our English-speaking guides will reveal all the secrets of Japan's first capital (optional).

Final night in your traditional Kyoto house.

From Kyoto Station, get to Tokyo in 2 hours and 40 minutes on the shinkansen high-speed train (included in your package).

We recommend that you start your visit to Tokyo slowly by visiting the following districts:
- Harajuku, the trendy youth fashion district 
- Meiji Jingu, the imperial shrine 
- Takeshita-Dori, a must-see street in the capital 
- Omotesando, Tokyo's wide, tree-lined Champs-Élysées 
- Shibuya and its iconic crossroads

One of our many experienced English-speaking guides can also accompany you to visit the classic sights of Tokyo (optional, from 9am to 5pm).

End your day in style with an evening stroll through Shinjuku, one of Tokyo's most important districts.
Meet your guide at 7pm for an unique walk lasting around 2 hours, during which you will pass through Kabukicho and the Golden Gai, among other areas. 
More details on the exact day and meeting place in your travel diary.

Check-in at Hotel OMO3 Tokyo Akasaka by Hoshino Resorts or same category hotel 3*.

For this second day of sightseeing in Tokyo, we recommend the following "loop".

Start at Tokyo Central Station, with its original architecture, then head off to visit:
- Ginza, Tokyo's chic district
- Tsukiji, the small outdoor food market
- Hama-rikyu, the Japanese garden between Tokyo's buildings
- Asakusa, a traditional district and place of pilgrimage, accessible by cruise on the Sumida river
- Senso-ji, the oldest Buddhist temple in the Japanese capital
- Tokyo Sky Tree, 643 metres high, with its panoramic view of Tokyo at sunset

Between Hama-rikyu Garden and Asakusa, why not enjoy a cruise on the Sumida River?

This is your last full day in Tokyo, why not taking advantage of our optional activities?
- Are you looking for fun? Ghibli Museum, Disneyland or Hello Kitty Park await!
- If you're more into themed activities, book a tour of architecture, gardens, home cooking, or Noh theatre.
- Chasing thrills? Try a helicopter ride or watch a sumo tournament (in season)!

If you wish to explore at your own pace, Kamakura will seduce you. This small coastal town just 45 minutes by train (no reservations required) from Tokyo was once a shogun capital. The great Buddha of Kamakura is the symbol of the city. Our English-speaking guides can help you discover this city full of history.

There are still plenty of places to discover, depending on what you want to do : Ueno Park, Yanaka, Odaiba, etc.
Don't hesitate to book an English-speaking guide for the day (optional) to visit Tokyo's less well-known areas!

In the afternoon, travel to the port of Niigata on the Sea of Japan (2 hours direct by Shinkansen, departing every 30 minutes until late at night, included in your package). Spend the afternoon and evening in this lively city with its many bars and restaurants. 

This is a far cry from the tourist circuit, in a Japan off the beaten path. Don't hesitate to try Niigata's rice and sake, the most famous in the country. You'll reach the port of Niigata in the middle of the evening, 3km from the centre, to board a comfortable cruise ship (see details below). 

After a night on the waves along the Japanese coast of Tohoku, you will get to Hokkaido in the early morning. After passing through the Tsuruga Strait, a crossing about 20km wide between the two largest islands of Japan, Honshu and Hokkaido, you will arrive at the port of Tomakomai.

Possibility of breakfast and/or lunch on board the cruise ship (payment on site).

Arrive in the middle of the afternoon at Tomakomai port. A shuttle bus (about €8, to be paid on the spot) or a taxi will take you to Minami-Chitose station, from which a direct train will take you to the heart of Sapporo in 35 minutes (trains every 10 minutes, included with your Japan Rail Pass). Upon arrival, head to your hotel for check-in.

Spend your first evening strolling through the 4,500 restaurants and bars of the lively Susukino district!

Settle into your 3* hotel in the heart of the city.

In the morning, we advise you to go to the Sea of Japan, with Russia in the distance:
- Otaru, a charming port city (45 min by JR train)
- And 20 minutes further by JR train, Nikka whisky distillery, the oldest in Japan: selected for its climatic similarity with Scotland

You can also head south:
- In Shiraoi, the new Ainu National Museum (opening April 2020), 1 hour by JR train
- Noboribetsu, the village with the most famous onsen in Japan. Most of them are integrated into hotel complexes but are open to non-residents. Not to miss in this village: Hell Valley, whose volcanic fumaroles give off a strong smell of sulphur (1h15 by JR train, direct, then 10 minutes by bus to pay on site). 

Overnight stay in your hotel in Sapporo.

Huddled under a blanket of snow for most of the year, the city of Sapporo still bears the traces of its colonial past.
Don't miss:
- Odori Park, a huge green border that stretches between the buildings and divides the city in two
- The Sapporo Beer Museum, created in Japan's first brewery (dinner available)
- The Clock Tower, Television Tower and Three-Eight Tower
- Nijo Seafood Market
- The former seat of government and its botanical garden

Last night in your hotel in Sapporo.

Over the next week, you can only explore the island of Hokkaido by car from Sapporo, as the rail network is not developed enough to reach the various points of interest on the island.

Don't be put off by the idea of driving a car in Japan - if you're used to driving on the right in your own country, after a few minutes driving on the other side you'll be impressed by the ease of driving on Japan's roads.

In fact, the Japanese/English bilingualism of most of the signs and GPS, very good road conditions, automatic cars, low traffic jams and the courtesy of Japanese people behind the wheel makes driving in Japan very pleasant! Remember that petrol in Japan is slightly cheaper than in the UK and many other countries.

Pick up your rental car next to your hotel in the morning. Leave for Hokkaido's most famous national park, and the largest in Japan. You will reach Sounkyo Onsen, a spa in the heart of the national park at an altitude of 670m, in 3 hours by car. 200 kilometres, 3/4 on motorway, 1/4 at the end on national road easily passable through dense forests. No mountain roads.

Arrive at noon and check into your ryokan. In the afternoon, take the cable car up to the top of Kuro-dake Mountain. A magnificent view of the national park awaits you. At the end of the day, enjoy relaxing in the onsen of your ryokan, or in a different one in the village.

At night at the ryokan, you will be treated to a tasty traditional Japanese dinner before retiring to your tatami room.

Traditional Japanese breakfast at the ryokan.

After an essential stop at the 2 most famous waterfalls of Hokkaido, at the exit of Sounkyo village, you will head to Akan lake, sacred land of the Ainu people, the island's indigenous nation. 3 hours 30 of national road, with a bit of sufficiently wide mountain road and no major difficulties.

You will gradually leave the Sounkyo Gorge and the thick forests of the park to reach small farm valleys. Restaurants and farmers' shops along the roadside will welcome you with pleasure.

Arrive in the middle of the afternoon at the edge of Lake Akan, in the heart of the eponymous national park, which is even wilder and more volcanic than Daisetsuzan.

Settle into your 3* hotel in the small village of Akanko onsen, on the shores of the lake. Later in the afternoon, you will have the opportunity to discover the lake on a small cruise.

Breakfast at the hotel.

Here is an overview of a day's exploration of this wilderness area (by car, within a 50 km radius of your hotel):
- Deep caldera lake
- Easy to see volcanic gas
- Ainu village
- Onsen in the middle of nature
- Free onsen inside reputable hotels

Breakfast at the hotel.

Drive to an active volcano (about 20 minutes by car) via a picturesque lake with clear waters. A 5-hour hike, topped off with the possibility of a swim in the volcanic waters when you arrive. 

You can also discover the fabulous Shiretoko National Park, the last natural enclave inhabited by bears, classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The park can be reached in 2 hours by car, and an additional 1 hour by car is necessary to reach the heart of the park. It's a wild paradise that has to be earned...

Final night in your hotel in Akan-ko.

Breakfast at the hotel.

Departure for Furano (225 km, 3 hour 30 drive). Highway and national road. Some mountain road towards the end, not particularly difficult). On the way, passing by the "Church on the Water", the most secret building of architect Tadao Ando.

Arrival in the Furano Valley, a bucolic winter sports resort famous for... its Camembert and red wine!

Settle into your 3* hotel.

Breakfast at the hotel.

Breathe the air of Japanese nature in Furano, a small village famous for its lavender fields in summer and its beautiful ski area in winter.

Our recommendations:
- Admire the lavender fields, and enjoy a sublime panorama of Mount Tokachi to the west and Mount Yubari to the south. Taste the many lavender specialities!
- Sample the local wine in the Furano vineyard, as well as its cheese, which is famous throughout Japan (try the squid ink cheese!)
- Lake Biei, a picturesque lagoon blue lake (a 40 minute drive from your hotel)

Second night in your hotel in Furano.

Breakfast at the hotel.

In the morning, drive to Sapporo (2 hours 15, national road and highway, some mountain road to be expected at the start). Before arriving in Sapporo, we recommend one of the following 2 stops:
- Moerenuma Park, designed by the famous designer Isamu Noguchi
- With a short, 30-minute diversion, the impressive Takino Cemetery:  where the architect Tadao Ando has installed monumental statues and a 13m high Buddha Hill

Arrive in Sapporo in the middle of the afternoon (car to be returned before 6pm) and settle in the same hotel as in the middle of your stay in this city. Final evening in the lively streets of the city

Transfer to Sapporo International Airport (5th Japanese airport, 20 km to the south) in 40 minutes by train from Sapporo central station, see details below.

Return flight to Europe, North America, Australia with a change in Tokyo, Helsinki or one of the major Asian cities.

Don't hesitate to extend your trip by one or more days, to Hokkaido... We will be happy to advise you.