Wander through Shikisai-no-Oka’s flower-covered hills near Biei, where bands of seasonal colour stretch across Hokkaido’s rolling countryside. Follow the paths for wide views and photographs among blooms that may include lavender, sunflowers and tulips, depending on when you travel.

The gardens make a striking introduction to the island’s agricultural landscape. Their carefully planted fields change through the growing season, set against a backdrop of open farmland and distant mountains.

Step inside an Asahikawa soy sauce brewery to see how one of Japan’s essential seasonings is made. Learn about the production process and sample different varieties, noticing how their aromas and flavours can vary.

Founded in 1891 as a sake producer, the brewery later turned its expertise to soy sauce. This visit offers a close look at a local craft and at an ingredient that brings depth to dishes across Japanese cuisine.

Walk through Asahikawa with your Trip Manager to get your bearings in Hokkaido’s second-largest city. Discover the streets around your base and pick up practical local insight as you explore on foot.

Asahikawa is a gateway to the mountains of central Hokkaido, but its urban streets have a character of their own. This hosted introduction helps you feel at home in the city and spot places you might choose to revisit independently.

Ride the Mt Asahidake Ropeway up the slopes of Hokkaido’s highest peak, then spend around an hour exploring the alpine landscape on foot. Look out over rugged mountain terrain and steaming volcanic vents in Daisetsuzan National Park.

The park is one of Hokkaido’s great wilderness areas, shaped by volcanic activity and long, snowy winters. The ropeway brings high-altitude scenery within reach, while the walk gives you time to take in its textures, open views and fresh mountain air.

Stay in a traditional Japanese ryokan beside Lake Akan, settling into a tatami-mat room and experiencing classic futon-style sleeping arrangements. Sit down to an included dinner featuring regional flavours in the relaxed setting of your lakeside accommodation.

Ryokan hospitality centres on slowing down and attending to the details of a stay, from the room’s woven-mat flooring to the evening meal. It offers a distinctive way to experience Japanese accommodation in eastern Hokkaido.

Experience a traditional Ainu dance performance at Lake Akan and learn about the culture of Hokkaido’s Indigenous people. Watch movement, music and storytelling bring elements of Ainu heritage to life in a shared cultural setting.

The Lake Akan area is an important centre for Ainu cultural expression, with the nearby Ainu Kotan village home to artists and craftspeople. The performance offers an opportunity to engage with a living tradition rather than see it only in a display.

Take in panoramic views from Lake Mashu Observatory, looking across a steep-sided volcanic lake known for its exceptionally clear water. Watch for shifting mist over the lake and forested crater rim, or clear views across its deep-blue surface.

Lake Mashu lies within Akan-Mashu National Park, a landscape formed by powerful volcanic forces. The observatory gives you a sense of the lake’s scale and secluded setting, with conditions that can transform the view from one moment to the next.

Explore the steaming vents of Mt Io and see Hokkaido’s volcanic energy at close range. The active sulphur mountain releases plumes of steam from the ground, creating a stark landscape marked by mineral deposits.

At nearby Lake Kussharo, try the Sunayu lakeside foot bath, where naturally warmed water rises through the sand. Together, these stops show two sides of the region’s geothermal activity: the visible force of a volcano and the gentle warmth it brings to the lakeshore.

Gather for an included BBQ dinner at your lodge near Lake Mashu. Share a relaxed meal with your fellow travellers in a setting removed from Hokkaido’s larger cities.

The group cookout is a chance to savour the easy pace of a lodge evening and exchange stories from the island. If the weather and sky cooperate, look up at the stars away from bright urban lights; stargazing is a possibility rather than a guaranteed part of the evening.

Make your own ice cream at Watanabe Farm and enjoy a hands-on taste of Hokkaido’s dairy heritage. Learn how local milk becomes a creamy frozen treat, with the chance to enjoy what you’ve made.

Hokkaido is widely known for its dairy produce, supported by the island’s extensive pastureland and farming traditions. This farm visit puts that reputation into tangible form: rather than simply tasting a local speciality, you take part in making it.

Explore Shiretoko on two scenic walks. Visit the Shiretoko Nature Centre and follow the trail to Furepe Waterfall for coastal views, then walk the elevated boardwalk through the Shiretoko Five Lakes area, with forests, water and mountains in view.

Shiretoko is a UNESCO-listed wilderness peninsula where land and sea ecosystems meet. These accessible routes reveal different sides of its scenery, from an exposed coastline to quiet lakes beneath the rugged Shiretoko mountain range.

Visit the Kitami Mint Shop and small museum to discover the area’s connection to mint growing and production. Browse the displays and sample mint-flavoured ice cream for a refreshing taste of this local speciality.

Kitami was once a major centre of Japanese mint production, giving the herb a lasting place in the city’s identity. This stop connects a familiar flavour with the agricultural history behind it, adding a distinctive note to Hokkaido’s food story.

Join a white-water rafting adventure in Minami Furano for an active way to experience Hokkaido’s rivers and mountain scenery. Navigate the water as a group and feel the change of pace from the island’s quieter walking trails.

Minami Furano’s forested setting makes the river landscape part of the experience as well as the rapids. This is an optional activity at additional cost, bookable on tour; ask your Trip Manager for details and availability.

Hike through the Mt Tokachi Geopark area for a closer look at central Hokkaido’s volcanic terrain. Spend time on foot among mountain scenery shaped by geological forces, with opportunities to appreciate its open landscapes and natural textures.

Mt Tokachi is an active volcano, and the surrounding area tells a story of eruptions, changing landforms and resilient nature. This is an optional experience at additional cost, bookable on tour; route and availability can be confirmed locally.

Canoe on Lake Kussharo for a water-level perspective on one of Japan’s largest caldera lakes. Paddle amid eastern Hokkaido’s expansive scenery, taking in the surrounding shores and volcanic landscape at an unhurried pace.

The lake fills a vast volcanic depression within Akan-Mashu National Park. Being on the water offers a different sense of its scale from a roadside viewpoint. This is an optional experience at additional cost, bookable on tour, subject to local conditions and availability.

Join a whale-watching cruise from Rausu to search the waters beside the Shiretoko Peninsula for marine life. Keep watch for whales, dolphins and possibly orcas while enjoying views back towards Hokkaido’s wild northeastern coast.

The sea off Rausu supports rich marine ecosystems, making it a compelling place to observe wildlife in its natural habitat. Sightings cannot be guaranteed. This is an optional cruise at additional cost, bookable on tour, subject to weather and availability.

Cycle along the Shiretoko coast for an active perspective on this remote corner of Hokkaido. Enjoy the open air and coastal scenery while travelling at a pace that lets you notice the changing landscape.

Shiretoko’s meeting of mountains and sea gives its shoreline a character distinct from the island’s inland parks. This is an optional experience at additional cost, bookable on tour; your Trip Manager can provide the route, practical requirements and availability.

Contiki

• 8 Breakfast (B)
• 2 Dinner (D)

• Asahikawa: Stroll through rolling hills blanketed in seasonal blooms, from lavender and sunflowers to vibrant tulips. Think sweeping countryside views and plenty of photo ops of true Hokkaido icon.
• Asahikawa: Step inside a soy sauce brewery with roots dating back to 1891. Originally founded as a sake producer, it later perfected the art of soy sauce making. You’ll learn about the process, sample different varieties and discover a staple ingredient of Japanese cuisine.
• Taisetsuzan National Park: Take a ropeway into the heart of Daisetsuzan National Park before setting out on a scenic alpine hike. Expect volcanic landscapes, fresh mountain air and some of Hokkaido’s most dramatic natural scenery.
• Lake Akan: Check into a traditional Japanese ryokan and sit down to an included dinner showcasing regional flavours. After a day on the road, it’s the perfect chance to slow down, relax and soak up the atmosphere of this classic Japanese stay.
• Lake Akan: Experience a traditional Ainu dance performance and learn about the culture of Hokkaido’s Indigenous people. Combining storytelling, music and movement, this captivating show offers a rare insight into one of Japan’s oldest living cultural traditions.
• Lake Mashu: Check out Lake Mashu Observatory for views over one of Japan’s most remarkably clear lakes. It’s surrounded by forests and often framed by mist. No wonder it’s considered one of Hokkaido’s most beautiful natural landmarks.
• Lake Mashu: Witness the power of Hokkaido’s geothermal landscape at Mt Io, a dramatic sulphur volcano where steam rises from the earth and volcanic activity is on full display. You’ll also experience Sunayu, where naturally heated water bubbles up through the lakeside sand.
• Lake Mashu: Gather with the group for an included BBQ dinner at your lodge near Lake Mashu. Tuck into a relaxed feast, swap stories from the road and, if conditions are right, spend the evening stargazing beneath some of Hokkaido’s darkest skies.
• Lake Akan: Get hands-on at Watanabe Farm and learn how to make your own ice cream using Hokkaido’s world-famous dairy produce. A fun, tasty experience that celebrates one of the region’s most iconic local specialities.
• Shiretoko: Explore the wild beauty of Shiretoko on two scenic hikes. Walk from the Shiretoko Nature Centre to Furepe Waterfall for sweeping coastal views, then continue along the elevated boardwalk at the Shiretoko Five Lakes, surrounded by forests, lakes and rugged mountain scenery.
• Shiretoko: Visit the Kitami Mint Shop and small museum to uncover the story behind one of Japan’s most important mint-growing regions. Then sample a refreshing mint-flavoured ice cream while learning about this uniquely local piece of Hokkaido history.