9 Day Far East Hokkaido Itinerary – Adventure, Wildlife, and the Ainu

There’s an entire side to Japan that you haven’t seen and very few get to experience it. The far east region of Hokkaido shines brightly with its unspoilt nature. If swaths of wilderness, primeval forests, volcanic mountains, and caldera-filled lakes sound like your cup of tea, you need to come here.

In this 9 day Far East Hokkaido itinerary, you’ll get to truly appreciate the island’s treasures by seeing its vast range of ecosystems, feeling the healing power of its many hot springs, tasting its range of fresh and delectable seafood, getting close to awe-inspiring wildlife, and more.

9 Day Hokkaido Itinerary in the Far East

Hokkaido is globally known as a winter ski and snowboard destination but it’s so much more. Its allure also comes from how you get to visit places that most travellers don’t get to see and have cultural encounters that are at its utmost raw and authentic.

From land to sea, there’s an incredible diversity of scenery, wildlife, and culture that is truly deserving of the moniker of Japan’s wild frontier.

A question we’ve gotten a lot is, “isn’t this similar to Canada?”. To that, we say that we have a greater appreciation for this type of landscape because of some of its similarity but more importantly, everything you can experience here in 9 days just wouldn’t be possible in Canada (or New Zealand which we draw a lot of parallels to). The defining difference is how Far East Hokkaido’s outdoors perfectly dovetails with Japanese culture, meaning you get to have delicious seafood, soak in an onsen practically everyday, and feel that warmth and hospitality of locals which is unmatched in any other part of the world.

How to use this Hokkaido itinerary

We created this itinerary with you, our readers, in mind. How you use it is up to you.

For the independent traveller, you can use this is an exact blueprint of what you want to do in Far East Hokkaido or as a starting point that you tweak to your own.

If you would rather join a group, this itinerary also closely mirrors Adventure Hokkaido’s own 9 day itinerary so you can easily sign up with them. Make sure to scroll to the bottom on my thoughts about them.

In this guide, you’ll find day-by-day breakdowns, boxes labelled “What you need to know” which has the critical details you need for main activities with restaurant and accommodation recommendations.

Make sure to get to the end as well where we have the extremely useful trip map for those that are visual planners.

At Going Awesome Places, we are obsessed about building travel itineraries because that’s how we do our trip planning and its the kind of detail that is hard to find these days. You’ll see a lot of similarities with other ones we’ve created such as the 6 day Banff in the winter itinerary, 9 day Easter Island itinerary, 10 days in Patagonia, and 10 day Egypt itinerary.

Where is the Far East of Hokkaido?

While Hokkaido is Japan’s second largest island covering 20% of the country’s land area, it is only 5% of its population. This speaks to how much open space there is compared to other parts of Japan which are often tightly compacted.

The lack of urbanization and pollution combined with conservation efforts leads to a place that has been allowed to thrive in its commodity of natural treasures, a key draw to most visitors that decide to go to Hokkaido.

As you start moving to Eastern Hokkaido (Okhotsk, Tokachi, and Kushiro), the landscape becomes a mix of volcanic mountain ranges, hills, wide open plains, wetlands, and coastlands that stretch out to the sea.

While not officially a geographic term, Far East Hokkaido refers to cover furthest eastern reaches of the island where you’ll find a really magnificent cluster of pristine scenery and wildlife habitats. In addition, you’ll find 3 national parks here – Kushiro-Shitsugen National Park, Akan–Mashu National Park, and Shiretoko National Park.

This itinerary of the far east of Hokkaido is a prime example that this vast and secluded corner of Japan is the best place for those that want to experience the outdoors in a way that is uniquely Japanese.

Why Did We Visit Far East Hokkaido?

This trip was part of a much larger trip throughout Japan that started in September and just one part of what we managed to do in Hokkaido. For this particular segment, I was travelling on my own.

Within Hokkaido, I wanted to split our time time by doing your typical tourist route but I also wanted to go off-the-beaten-path that could fit my itch to do something a bit more adventurous and would allow me to delve into the incredible outdoors that the island is known for.

While the standard Hokkaido trip to Sapporo, Furano, Biei, Otaru, and Noboribetsu was easier to plan, I immediately felt out of my depths with Eastern Hokkaido when I realized that 1) there isn’t a lot of English-based information online, and 2) I needed serious local expertise if I wanted to book things.

That’s when I discovered companies like Hokkaido Treasure Island and Adventure Hokkaido. Both were extremely helpful but we ended up landing on the 9 Day Japan’s Far East Wildlife Adventure Tour that was already guaranteed to run and fit our timeline.

Logistically, I ended up starting our Hokkaido trip with the far east and then connected it with a week in Sapporo (coming soon), followed other popular parts of the island.

Day 1 – Kushiro to Kiritappu

Your first day in Far East Hokkaido is primarily a transit day. For some, this’ll mean coming directly from your home country and for others, you may be connecting from another part of Japan or Asia.

The largest city in this region is Kushiro so it makes sense to start your journey by flying into Tancho Kushiro Airport (airport code KUH).

TIP: If you’re coming straight from outside of Japan, your easiest connection will be from Haneda (HND) in Tokyo which is serviced by ANA, JAL, and Air Do, giving you plenty of non-stop options. This means that you don’t need to make an unnecessary hop in Sapporo if you don’t need to.

From here, join your tour group or pick up your car rental.

Alternatively, you can also take the train to Kushiro if you’re already in Sapporo or if you’ve decided to take the longer scenic way all the way from Tokyo.

Drive 1.5 hours from Kushiro to the Kiritappu Peninsula which juts out into the Pacific Ocean. The eastern side of the peninsula is a famous cape that’s officially named Cape Tofutsu but is more commonly called Cape Kiritappu (Cape Tokkari in the Ainu language)

This is a table-shaped point that sprawls out into the ocean and is highlighted by a lighthouse, campgrounds, and plenty of wildlife. A well-laid path allows you to walk all the way out to close to the edge of the cape, which has a great view of the bird colonies on the small islands in front.

Recently, sea otters have made this cape their home in 2018 and so this area has become a popular viewpoint to spot these adorable otters floating on their backs.

Your resting spot for the night is Kurimoto. Settle into this traditional Japanese ryokan and freshen up by having your first onsen experience of this trip.

For dinner, you’ll walk over to the local neighbourhood sushi restaurant, Sushi Hirano, where you’ll have a sampling of some of the freshest seafood in Japan.

Day 2 – Wetland Exploration

For your first day on this 9 day journey through Far East Hokkaido, you’ll be jumping, or rather paddling right into the heart of the marsh that is home to a vast variety of wildlife. Afterwards, as you follow the coast, you’ll also get to see another highly diverse are with seashores, tidal flats, grasslands, marshes, and forests.

But first…breakfast!

It’ll feel overwhelming at first but you’ll learn throughout the trip that this is how Japanese breakfasts at are done. Unlike Western breakfasts, its combination of textures, umami flavors, and nutrition that starts your mornings off right.

Kurimoto’s selection is packed with omega-rich proteins, grains, vegetables, and pickles.

Since marsh areas are by its nature difficult to traverse on foot, the best way to get an intimate view of the Kiritappu Wetland is by grabbing a canoe and paddling right in.

With the local paddle guides, you’ll float on your Canadian canoes through the narrow river channels of Biwase River which then opens up, giving you a real sense of how expansive the wetland is.

This classic out-and-back route is also awesome for birdwatching so make sure to keep your eyes peeled for eagles and red-crowned cranes. If you’re lucky, you might also see deer and bears in the distance.

For lunch, you’ll make a visit to the Kiritappu Wetland Center, an extensive interpretive center that does a great job at explaining and showing through models and diagrams the geology and wildlife. Set at a higher elevation, they also have a great view of the wetland area itself and is known to be a great spot to see red-crowned cranes.

On the upper floor is the Kiritappu Cafe which serves hearty dishes made with local ingredients. We recommend you get their Japanese curry which is absolutely fantastic.

In the afternoon, you’ll head drive up along the eastern coast of Hokkaido towards the Nemuro Peninsula. At the base of the peninsula is Shunkunitai, an 8km long and 1.3km wide sandbar that effectively divides the Nemuro Bay with Lake Furen.

On your visit, you’ll see a ecosystem that is a unique combination of forests, marshlands, grasslands, and tidal flats that is best seen from the elevated wooden boardwalk that you’ll walk through.

This a birdwatcher paradise, where you’ll have opportunities to see cranes, sea eagles, small birds of the forest and grassland, and a variety of migratory birds. There’s also a good chance that you’ll see deer here as well.

Settle into Hotel Nemuro Kaiyoutei for the night where you’ll have ample time to enjoy the onsen before your dinner at Osakana Shokudo.

Day 3 – Whale Watching Adventure

Whale watching is easily one of the top highlights of this itinerary so you’re in for a treat today as whales and porpoises await!

To get a head start to the day, you’ll have an early breakfast at the hotel and then hit the road, driving north towards the town of Rausu.

The perfect stop along the way to stretch your legs is the Pogawa Historic Grassland, an expansive outdoor museum where culture, history, and nature meet.

Not only is this a great walk but as you head deeper into the wetland woodland area, you’ll get to see numerous pit dwellings that were built by the people that inhabited this area before the Indigenous Ainu. You’ll need to use a bit of your imagination but they were built near this plateau to be right next to the seashore in ancient times.

By the visitor center, you’ll also see a fascinating reconstruction of what an ancient village used to look like.

Continue driving up to the fishing town of Rausu on the eastern coast of Shiretoko Peninsula. This is the perfect time to have lunch where it only makes sense to have generous portions of seafood for lunch at Shiretoko Shokudo.

You’ve made it all the way up here because of the special characteristics of Nemuro Strait. Sandwiched between the peninsula and Kunashiri Island is a deep trench that is filled with nutrients that make it an ideal home for marine wildlife.

Pushing back from the Rausu port, your whale watching cruise heads out into the strait where the captain and naturalists scan the waters for marine mammals.

Stay patient as there’s a bit of a gradual build-up to the experience. It usually starts with a few sightings of jumping tuna, followed by porpoises smoothly popping in and out of the water. Your elation crescendos when you see that sudden burst of mist from one whale, which then quickly dominoes into several more. The grand finale of course is always the raising of the tail fin before the whale goes for a long and deep dive.

While it isn’t a guarantee, there’s a good chance of sightings because there are typical several boats in the water and they use hydrophones to try to triangulate their location.

To get an even better sense of your bearings, after your cruise, you’ll make your way to the Shiretoko Rausu Visitor Center. Just like the Kiritappu Wetland Center, these are an underrated part of the experience in Hokkaido where these are built to be like mini natural history museums.

You’ll often find deer roaming around this area and if there’s time, you can also walk to the Rausu Geyser which is just behind. You’ll find the exact eruption times posted in the visitor center.

After an action-packed day, you’ll be checking into the sea-side hotel, Shiretoko Serai. Enjoy their proximity to the water, walking distance to town if you have time, and dinner at their fusion restaurant.

Day 4 – Bear Watching Surprise

From whales, we go to bears as our focus for your fourth day in the far east of Hokkaido before cutting across the peninsula to reach the western side of Shiretoko.

After breakfast, you’ll pack up, load the car or bus, and take the road north as far as you can from Rausu. It’s at this end of the road that you’ll find Aidomari Fishing Port.

For this bear watching cruise, you’ll take to the sea in a local fishing boat and make your way up to the tip of Cape Shiretoko.

This is a thrilling experience as the speedy craft allows you to see the grandeur of its cliffs, the flora and fauna, bird colonies, soaring eagles, deer, foxes, and of course, Ussuri brown bears. You might also taste a bit of salt water too from the splashes that come your way.

Like the whale watching cruise, every excursion is different and there’s no telling where the bears might be but since the fisherman is typically out on the water a few times a day, he or she has a pretty good idea of where to focus on.

In some cases, a bear will appear one moment, and in the next, run away. In other cases, you might get lucky and a bear will decide to plop down on a rock to take a nap.

Before departing Rausu, you’ll have lunch at Jun No Banya, a local eatery that looks like a fisherman’s shack outside, is decorated like one inside, and delivers on all of its seafood bowls and set meals.

Right before you cross over to the Western side of Shiretoko Peninsula, you’ll have an opportunity to do either a hike to Kumagoe Waterfall, the public Kumanoyu onsen, or both.

At roughly the midway point of the peninsula is Shiretoko Pass. On a clear day, you’ll have spectacular views of Mount Rausu and Nemuro Strait where you just came from.

Next up is the Shiretoko Nature Center, which has information and exhibits about Shiretoko National Park, a restaurant, and souvenir shop.

From just behind the nature center is the trailhead to a short 40 minute round trip hike to Furepe Waterfall.

The hike starts in the forest and then opens out to grassland that leads to a wooden observation deck. From this elevated viewpoint, you’ll be able to see the waterfall that’s fed by groundwater, a lighthouse in the distance, and the crashing of waves below.

Utoro is the major town on the western coast of Shiretoko, and you’ll be glad to hear that you’ll be spending 2 nights in one location.

Not only will you be able to stay in one place for longer, you’ll also experience one of the most well-rounded properties of the itinerary.

Hotel Kifu Club Shiretoko will easily be your favourite because of its both public and private onsens, modern and spacious rooms, and luxurious dining experience.

For one of your two nights here, you’ll have the most remarkable Kaiseki-style meal that has you dipping a variety of vegetables, cheese, and seafood in batter and cooking your own tempura. I just thought this was the coolest thing.

Day 5 – Shiretoko Five Lakes

You won’t be saying goodbye to the Ussuri brown bears or Shiretoko Peninsula just yet. For your 5th day, you’ll be spending time in the most famous park in the region, followed by a change of pace with free time in Utoro.

Brown bear watch is always on when you’re driving through the road that connects Utoro with Rausu. Everyone should be watching out for bears as you drive to your first destination of the day.

With a bit of luck on your side, you might encounter a bear along the way. The only thing is that if you do, you aren’t allowed out of the vehicle and technically, you can’t stop on the side of the road. There are park rangers that patrol this area and will enforce this in order to keep everyone safe.

In our case, we were incredibly lucky because we just happened to see this one bear by the river below while crossing a bridge. From the bus, I was able to snap an amazing sequence of photos as the bear moved along the lake and then stay perfectly still on a rock, seemingly posing for us.

The most accessible way to go deeper into Shiretoko Peninsula is at Shiretoko Goko Lakes (fully translates to Shiretoko Five Lakes) where there are 5 lakes nestled in the primeval forest and backed up against the the Shiretoko Mountain Range and the Okhotsk Sea.

It’s here that you’ll be able to traverse on foot and see the abundance of nature and wildlife with the rustling of deer skittishly jumping away, brown bear scratches, and holes in the trees from hardworking woodpeckers.

As this is a prime area for brown bears, Shiretoko National Park takes safety very seriously. In addition to filling out an application form, you’ll also need to attend a 10 minute lecture to learn about recent bear sightings and more importantly, what you need to do if you see a bear. During mating season, you’ll also need a mandatory guide.

To see all 5 lakes, take the full long loop of the ground pathway. There’s also a short loop if you don’t want to do as much walking.

For our trip here, we got to experience first-hand what happens when bears are spotted near the trail. Within the first 5 minutes of the walk on the long loop, we saw people turning back in what is supposed to be a one-way trail. We immediately knew that there were bears up ahead, unceremoniously cutting our hike short.

Luckily, there is the elevated wooden path that was built for the purposes of conservation but also to keep visitors safe from bears thanks to its electric barrier.

This wooden boardwalk uniquely undulates and swirls with the topography of the land, providing you numerous vantage points and perspectives of the wild nature that surrounds you.

After your morning at Shiretoko Five Lakes, you’ll take the road back down into town and you’ll get dropped off in the town of Utoro. As a nice change of pace halfway through your trip, you’ll have free time to do as you will.

For lunch, our recommendation is to head to Kumanoya which is right by the roadside station and has a nice selection of ramen, seafood bowls, grilled fish, and more.

For the rest of the afternoon, you can choose between heading over to the Shiretoko World Heritage Center to learn more about the UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site, hiking up Oronko Rock next to the harbor for superb views of the town and coast, strolling around the town and soak in the small fishing village vibes, or heading back to the hotel for more time in the onsen, sipping craft brews, nap, or catch up on your emails.

With your last night at Hotel Kifu Club Shiretoko, absolutely take advantage of the private onsen and their special dining experience.

Day 6 – From Volcanoes to Rivers

You don’t get all of the incredible onsens and untamed landscapes in Hokkaido without volcanoes. Start your day seeing it first hand from the steaming Mt. Io and cool off on the calm waterways of Kushiro River.

Departing Utoro, you’ll be exiting Shiretoko National Park and entering a new one, Akan-Mashu National Park – a land of forests, lakes, and volcanoes that span a massive 91,413 hectares in size.

The most dramatic evidence of this volcanic activity is at Mt. Io which is also named Atosanupuri in the Ainu language. In Japanese, this literally translates to sulphur mountain and was once extensively mined in the 19th century. In Ainu, it translates to “Naked Mountain”.

It is quite the dramatic scene when you arrive with its plumes of steam from afar and neon bright yellow fumaroles up-close. You’ll have time to walk around the otherworldly and barren landscape at the base of Mt. Io, allowing you to hear, smell, and see the active volcano.

From here, you’ll directly connect with the Tsutsujigahara Nature Trail. This is a 2.5km walk where you’ll see the environment change in front of your eyes.

At the beginning of the trail, you’ll only see burnt branches and the hardiest of plants that can survive in the acidity of the soil such as Japanese stone pine and Labrador tea tree. Gradually, this gives way to azaleas and larger conifers such as Sakhalin spruce. The path eventually winds into a mossy broad-leaf forest where the ground becomes magically bouncy.

The trail ends at the Kawayu Visitor Center (formerly Kawayu Eco Museum Center) which is worth a visit to see the scope and scale of where you are compared to the Akan Caldera.

What better way to relax those tired feet than to take a dip into the soothing waters of the Kawayu Onsen Foot Bath. This public and free natural hot springs is just a short distance away from the museum.

This onsen measures at pH 1.5, which makes sense since it is so close to Mt. Io. The benefits of acidic water is that it has natural sterilizing properties and is good for the skin.

Kushiro River is one of Japan’s famous rivers that starts from the Lake Kussharo in the north, winding its way through numerous towns and the Kushiro Wetland, before emptying into the Pacific Ocean.

With a negligible elevation difference across its length, the current is gentle, making it the perfect location for an easy canoe excursion.

Starting from Lake Kussharo, you’ll be able to paddle on your Canadian canoe downriver one-way to Biruwa Bridge. Along the way, you’ll see what the river is renowned for – pristine waters and an abundance of rare wildlife such as Blakiston’s fish owls, deer, red-crowned cranes, and mink.

For tonight, you’ll be staying at Gasthof Papilio, a cozy woodland retreat. It’s not your typical hotel or ryokan but you’ll quickly feel the charm from its quirky decor, friendly innkeepers, and delicious Western-inspired food.

The hotel is equipped with a natural onsen indoors and also a private outdoor onsen made from a giant wooden barrel.

Day 7 – The Ainu

Day 7 is dedicated to the Ainu, the Indigenous people of Hokkaido that inhabited this land long before the Japanese. By spending time in the Lake Akan area, you’ll have the opportunity to learn more about their history, culture, and way of life.

Before you go, with Gasthof Papilio being right across the road from Lake Kussharo, start your morning with a rejuvenating walk along its shores.

Within Akan Mashu National Park is the beautiful Lake Akan. It’s here that you’ll find Lake Akan Ainu Kotan, an Ainu settlement of 120 people in 36 residences, focused on preserving and promoting its culture through arts and crafts.

Better than walking through a museum, you’ll appreciate a nature walk with a local Ainu guide through the forest where you will learn about how the Ainu lived in harmony with the surrounding nature and wildlife.

The walk starts off by entering sacred grounds of the Ainu and participating in a ritual called kamuy-nomi before entering the forest. Along the way, you’ll see examples of how they made shelter, the plants they gathered for food and medicine, wood and bark used for carvings and clothing, and finally you’ll learn to play the mukkuri (Jew’s harp).

After your guided nature walk, you’ll have an opportunity to explore the various handicraft shops that line the main strip of Lake Akan Ainu Kotan.

On the same street is a restaurant called Poronno, where you’ll be able to try traditional Ainu dishes for lunch.

In the afternoon, you’ll be able to see more examples of volcanic activity in the region by taking a walk behind the Akankohan Eco-museum Center to something called a bokke.

This is the remains of a small crater near the lake where volcanic gases are gently released, creating bubbles in the mud. They’re not as active as what you’ll find in the north island of New Zealand but an interesting feature nonetheless.

You’ll settle in at Hotel Akankoso right along the lake, where you’ll have time to enjoy the sunset and the onsen.

After dinner at the hotel, you’ll head back to the Lake Akan Ainu Theater Ikor to watch a show transformative performance called Lost Kamuy that tells the story of the Ezo wolf, also revered as the Ainu god (kamuy) of hunting, that was driven to extinction. It’s a touching reminder of the importance of living in nature with harmony.

Day 8 – Kushiro-Shitsugen National Park

Today is a deep dive into the third national park that you’ll get to see on this 9 day Far East Hokkaido itinerary, Kushiro-Shitsugen National Park. As Japan’s largest marshland, it can be tricky to see on land but you’ll get to visit two locations that will show you what makes this area so special.

A common way to see the national park is to go to the Kushiro Marsh Observatory. It provides a great panoramic view but it is often quite packed with people.

We think that the better way is to enter the wetland’s inner sanctum by hiking to Cape Kirakotan. This a highly protected zone that very few get to see and requires special permission to enter (something Adventure Hokkaido has). By entering on foot, you’ll be able to connect with the natural rhythms of the landscape.

From here, you’ll be able to get a deep look at the meandering capillary wetland rivers that weave through the national park. You’ll also learn about the many remnants of human activity that have been found in this area and how this was the first place that the red-crowned crane was discovered again after they were thought to have gone extinct.

After your off-the-beaten-path hike, get picked up and head to your lunch spot, Heart’n Tree Farm Cottage. Using local ingredients, produce from their own farm and incorporating their freshly-baked goods and homemade cheeses, you’re in for a treat.

In the afternoon, you’ll find a different way to access the national park. This time, you’ll be entering in from Onnenai Visitor Center. This will give you an excellent overview of wetland and the wildlife that inhabit it.

From here, you’ll set walk the boardwalk loop that takes you into the wetland itself.

At first, a boardwalk doesn’t sound too impressive. After all, you’ve walked many wooden walkways so far. However, when you reach the point in the walk where you get to push a pole as far as you can below the boardwalk, you realize how deep the marsh goes and the work that was put into creating this path.

For your final night, you’ll be staying at Hotel Taito located in Tsurui in Far East Hokkaido. This is a popular hotel and often a home base for those wanting to see red-crowned cranes in the winter.

While Hotel Taito’s dinner and breakfast are both excellent, what you’ll really love is their onsen. The best part are the outdoor pools for men and women.

Day 9 – Farewell To The Far East

As you count all of the wildlife sightings, marvellous vistas, great hikes, new friends, and new connection with Ainu and Japanese culture, you’ll realize that you’ve had quite the epic 9 days in Far East Hokkaido.

Packing up your things, and having your last breakfast at Hotel Taito, before making your way to either the Kushiro train station or the Kushiro airport.

Say your goodbyes and you’ll be on to the next part of your trip through Japan, your next country, or making your way home.

Map of Far East Hokkaido Itinerary

The below is an interactive Google Map that’ll help you visualize exactly where you get to go to in this Far East Hokkaido itinerary. We always create these maps for our readers because it helps with trip planning and also when you’re actually there, you can use it to help navigate as well.

HOW TO USE THE MAP: You can use the map as is but if you’d like to do more with it, expand the map and create a copy in your logged-in Google account. With this copy, you’ll be able to access it in your Google Maps app under the Saved tab. Scroll to the bottom and look for the “Maps” circle.

Our Experience Traveling with Adventure Hokkaido

As much as I would’ve loved to have done this fully independently, in retrospect, I am so glad that I was able to travel through Far East Hokkaido with Adventure Hokkaido.

Overall, I had an amazing time with Adventure Hokkaido who were incredibly professional, knowledgeable, and just fun to be with. The 9 day Far East Hokkaido itinerary is an awesome blend of outdoor activity, wildlife viewing, and cultural experiences.

It’s worth mentioning that we had two guides on our trip – Kazu and Yuka. This is the case when the group is closer to the maximum of 8 people. For smaller groups, it’s usually just 1. That said, having seen both of them work, I was very happy with both of their guiding skills.

Here are the big reasons why I loved traveling with Adventure Hokkaido:

1. This region of Japan is challenging to book – While there are bits and pieces of it that can be booked online on your own, there are a significant number of accommodations, activities, and restaurants that can’t be booked unless you’re able to call and speak Japanese. As an example, many hotels aren’t on the major booking platforms such as Booking or Agoda. Many of the activities on this itinerary basically can’t be booked by someone that’s non-Japanese speaking and the same can be said for restaurants as well.
2. Handling the unexpected – We encountered a mix of surprise scenarios such as heavy rain, poor weather cancelling cruises, and bears blocking hiking paths. Adventure Hokkaido’s guides were able to handle all of them by adapting the schedule and finding alternatives that the group was happy with. Knowing how this required making phone calls on-the-fly, this would have been impossible if we did this trip independently.
3. Lost in translation – While there’s certainly something to be said for sometimes stumbling through Japan without speaking the language, it was also quite nice to have most of that taken off of our plate by being with a group tour.
4. Your very own naturalists – With an itinerary that is so wildlife focused, it makes a difference to guided by people that can tell you about the animals that you’re seeing, the plant life that you’re walking by, and the ecosystem that surrounds you. They are also really good at spotting animals.
5. Guides makes a difference – Beyond being English-speaking and knowledgable naturalists, the Adventure Hokkaido guides bring another layer to the experience as kind and friendly people, always willing to help and constantly seeking at ways to make the experience better. Plus, they can help take your photos too!
6. Daily briefings – Every evening before or after dinner, the guides would walk through the next day’s plans and this was always helpful to help us pack for the next day.
7. A comfortable pace – You’ll appreciate that this isn’t the kind of bus tour that has you rushing from one place to another. There’s a nice flow to the day, giving you time to move at comfortable pace, time to reflect and recharge (literally and figuratively), and most importantly, time to go to the onsen before dinner.
8. Bear safety – When in the Shiretoko Peninsula, bear safety is a serious thing. While most of it comes down to a few basics, there’s additional layer of comfort when you’re with guides that have been professionally trained and are also equipped with bear spray.

Now for those that are thinking about joining Adventure Hokkaido, here are a few tips that I think that would be helpful to know:

• The mini buses they use are quite comfortable and conveniently have a USB-A port on the seat in front of you which will allow you to charge your devices as you go. However, for smaller groups, we’ve been told that they use smaller 10-seater vans which are not equipped with USB chargers.
• As mentioned earlier, these are small group tours with a maximum of 8. For larger groups, they usually have two guides but for smaller groups, it’s just one.
• The onsens you will encounter in Far East Hokkaido are all traditional which means that they are separated by gender. In two cases, they have private onsens where you’ll be able to sign up for time slots (free) – Gasthof Papilio and Hotel Kifu Club Shiretoko.
• For most of this itinerary, you’ll be changing hotels every night. It will make your life easier if you have a good organization system in your suitcase so you can quickly find what you need and you can pack up without any effort. That’s why we recommend packing cubes such as the ones from Peak Design.
• On the topic of packing, you’ll also want a good system of how you shift things between your day pack that you’ll with you on the bus and what goes into your suitcase which will be in the back of the bus. Every night, you’ll want to think about the type of things you need for the next day (i.e. binoculars, waterproof layers, etc.). If you don’t want to carry everything in your backpack every time you head off of the bus, a hack we have is to bring a packable tote by your seat or carabinered to the handle in front.

I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Adventure Hokkaido for anyone looking for a tour operator in Hokkaido.

As a heads up, it’s worth noting that the Japan’s Far East 9 Day Wildlife & Adventure Tour itinerary from Adventure Hokkaido is subject to change due to seasonality, weather, and group preferences. If you watch our YouTube Far East Hokkaido video, you’ll notice some differences in what we covered and that’s because we were on a slightly different version of the tour.

If you’re looking for something more custom, Hokkaido Treasure Island is another company we recommend that you check out. They specialize in creating highly curated itineraries for private groups and are known to have access to areas, activities, and individuals that other companies don’t have in Hokkaido.

5 Travel Tips for Far East Hokkaido

While we’ve covered many of the specific tips and tricks for different parts of the 9 day itinerary, there are a number of additional insights that’ll help you be better prepared.

1 – Dietary restrictions

From our group trip with Adventure Hokkaido, we noticed that it wasn’t always the easiest to accommodate dietary restrictions for guests. Restaurants will try their best but the truth is that they’re not equipped to handle special requests, especially in rural areas.

The advantage of travelling with a local guide company is that they can help figure out alternatives for you ahead of time instead of stumbling through restaurants. We’ll admit, the alternatives aren’t always the greatest in Japan but they’ll try their best.

2 – How to onsen

Your guide will walk you through the proper steps for using the onsen but it’s worth reading this guide on how to take an onsen bath.

You’ll quickly fall into a comfortable rhythm with onsens as it’ll basically be part of your daily bathing routine where you can either go to the onsen right before dinner or in the morning before breakfast.

Most ryokans you’ll be staying at also provide a yukata (Japanese bathrobe) and it’s perfectly acceptable to wear this to the breakfast and dinner.

3 – Zoom lens and binoculars

Wildlife viewing is a large part of this itinerary so make sure you pack a zoom lens for the camera you’re bringing or a good pair of binoculars.

In most cases, the bears, whales, deer, and birds won’t be close to you so you’ll want the reach of a good lens or binoculars to see them.

If you’re travelling with Adventure Hokkaido, the guides will have a pair that you’ll be able to use but they won’t have one for everyone so we recommend bringing your own if you want to see.

What do we recommend? If you shoot with OM System like we do (make sure to read why micro four thirds is the perfect travel camera system), the 40-150mm or 150-400mm lenses are excellent. For other systems, the 70-200mm full-frame equivalent range is what you’re looking for. For binoculars, we’re a big fan of Celestron TrailSeeker 8×42 Binoculars because they’re a good balance of quality, magnification, and price point.

4 – Bring cash

As much as people will tell you that you can get by with simply credit cards in Japan, they’re lying. Whether it’s a big city like Tokyo or the small towns you’ll be visiting in Eastern Hokkaido with this itinerary, there are plenty of shops that are still cash-only.

Also, it’s worth noting that we discovered that many point of sales systems in Japan aren’t compatible with credit card contactless payment (both physical and digital wallet). Don’t expect to be able to tap with your credit card everywhere you go.

5 – Prepare for changes in weather

Hokkaido in the non-winter season can be quite fickle where you can encounter a wide range of weather. and you don’t want to be caught of guard.

• Spring (March to May) – Things start warming up but expect it to be chilly when out of the sun. Layering is key.
• Summer (June – August) – With lack of humidity, summers are quite pleasant and can be enjoyed with t-shirts and shorts. That said, once the sun goes down, it can get a bit chilly so a light jacket is always a good idea.
• Fall (September – November) – September is the wettest month of the year and earlier in the season, you’ll definitely want extra layers in case the cold sweeps in. From October onwards, you’ll definitely want to think about more winter-oriented clothing.

In addition to overall Hokkaido weather, remember a few distinct things from this itinerary:

• You’ll be out on the open water for the bear and whale watching cruises so it will be windy and can get cold.
• You’ll also be doing 2 separate paddling trips. While the chances of you getting wet will be low, if it’s mosquito season, you’ll want to stay covered up and you’ll want to use good repellent. You’ll also want to keep your things dry so a good 5L dry bag should be in your suitcase.
• Similarly, you’ll be walking through wetland areas that could get buggy.
• Even outside of September, rain could hit at anytime so we suggest having waterproof layers in case. For us, we always travel with an Arc’teryx shell and light waterproof pants.

How Much Did This Trip Cost

To give you an idea of how much you’ll spend on these 9 days, here’s a table of my expenses from the trip.

You’ll notice that most of the money was put into the tour itself which was inclusive of all meals, accommodations, activities, and transportation. The additional costs came from more discretionary spending for things like snacks and gifts.

Category	Amount (JPY)
Tour	¥531,000
Food	¥8,346
Laundry	¥500
Souvenirs	¥3,270
Tips	¥9,425
TOTAL	¥552,541

Using exchange rates from the date of publishing, this comes out to $3,879 USD and a daily spend of $431 USD/day.

Tips aren’t expected in Japan but since Kazu and Yuka were so great, our group decided to pitch in together for a gift.

As a point of comparison, per person, our 1 month in Chile averaged out to $308 USD/day, 3 weeks in New Zealand was $353 USD/day, and 10 days in Egypt was $204 USD/day. This means that this is certainly more expensive than other trips we’ve done.

Closing Thoughts On 9 Days In Far East Hokkaido

The one thought that kept repeating over and over on this trip was “Wow, I never expected Japan to look like this.” Japan isn’t all skyscrapers, 4-way pedestrian crossings, shrines, and Shinkansens. This quiet corner of Hokkaido is truly nature at its finest.

If you were to ask us what was the best part of seeing this region on Hokkaido, we’d pick out these 3 experiences.

Close wildlife encounters – Wildlife is rarely at the top of the list when planning a trip to Japan so you can imagine our surprise when you’d have brown bears one day, sperm whales another, and then the near-extinct red-crowned cranes serendipitously on the side of the road.

Understanding onsen culture – Nearly every single accommodation we stayed at had an onsen and since we had the guidance of our guides from Adventure Hokkaido, we quickly caught on that onsen culture is really engrained in Japanese culture, effectively replacing showering in your room before you have dinner.

Dynamic landscape – There was such a diversity in ecosystems that we got to explore. From the wetlands to dramatic coastline, sandspits, and barren moon-lake volcanoes, you realize that the Far East of Hokkaido has a little bit of everything – not at all what you expect when you think about Japan.

Through this adventure in the Far East of Hokkaido, we got to see how truly special this corner of Japan is. If you’re an outdoor and wildlife lover, you NEED to come here.

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