This is the best course to experience and fully enjoy the harsh winter of Hokkaido and enjoy ice fishing from January to February.
Shinshinotsu Village, about an hour from Sapporo, sits in the heart of the Ishikari Plain. With strong winds and heavy snowfall, this area lets visitors experience Hokkaido’s true winter.
The main event, smelt fishing, takes place at Shinotsu Lake, a dam lake on the Ishikari River. Inside a tent set up on the ice, get ready for a full-on battle with the smelt.
It is extremely cold outside (freezing), but inside the tent is a different world. There is a kerosene heater, and plywood boards are laid underfoot so fishers don’t have to kept their feet in the snow. No matter how cold it is outside, the tent stays toasty warm and comfortable.
The fishing site is a one-minute walk from Shinshinotsu Hot Spring. After fishing, please enjoy a nice soak in the springs or relax in the rest area.
What’s more, if you wish, the smelt you catch can be cooked at the restaurant for your to enjoy (¥500 per cook).
・The tour bus will come back to Sapporo at 17:00 (around 17:30 on Saturdays, Sundays, and public holidays), and this is a perfect deal for those who want to spend a satisfying day-trip in Hokkaido.
Category Archives: 2021冬
Lake Shikotsu Illumination and Ice Festival Tour (Excluding Multilingual Audio System)
This course coincides with the “Lake Shikotsu Hyoto Festival,” a festival of ice held on the shores of Lake Shikotsu each winter. The objects of ice are made from Lake Shikotsu’s clear water, and illuminated with a myriad of colored lights creating a fantastic and mystical atmosphere!
*Admission to the Lake Shikotsu Ice Festival is not included in this course. Each passenger must pay for the entry fee. (Adults: 1,000 yen; 11 years old and younger: free)
Lake Shikotsu and Lake Toya Winter Tour (Multilingual Audio Tour)
As you drive through the endless old growth forests, the road opens up to the beautiful blue “”Lake Shikotsu”" surrounded by lush nature. The ice-free (does not freeze during the winter) Lake Shikotsu is Japan’s northernmost lake of its kind. It has also been recognized by the Ministry of Environment as one of the most cleanest and clearest lakes in the nation. Nearby is Lake Toya, a large caldera lake created during a violent eruption over 100 thousand years ago. It is also surrounded by rich flora and is the habitat for a wide variety of fauna.
We will have lunch at Toya Kohantei that sits on the shores of Lake Toya.
After we leave Lake Toya the bus will head to Mt Usu, the first in Japan to be inducted as a Global Geopark in August, 2009. A Global Geopark is a natural park where visitors can explore and enjoy the Earth through nature trails, interpretive signs, and guided tours. The Toya-Usu UNESCO Global Geopark, recognized alongside Itoigawa and the Shimabara Peninsula, is part of the Global Geoparks Network supported by UNESCO, and was among the 59th to 61st sites in the world to receive this designation. At Mt. Usu, visitors can take the ropeway to enjoy breathtaking panoramic views of the surrounding landscape.
This course takes visitors to two of Hokkaido’s most popular lakes in just one day.
During the Lake Shikotsu Ice Festival (February 1st to February 23th), you can take an optional tour of the Ice Festival. (The tour fee is at your own expense.)
*Meals are not included on some dates. You will have free reign to eat. (There will be a 50-minute meal time at Mushroom Kingdom.)
Asahiyama Zoo Winter One-Day Tour (Excluding Multilingual Audio System)
This tour invites you to Asahiyama Zoo where many tourists visit. There is the‘Seal Aquarium’ and ‘Polar Bear Aquatic Park, where you can observe the animals’ natural behavior. The‘Orangutan Trapeze’, ‘Spider Monkey & Capybara’, “Chimpanzee’s Forest” are also highlights of the zoo. Get a feel for the animals up close at the ‘Lesser Panda Suspension Bridge’ and ‘Tancho-sha’. Many repeat tourists visit Asahiyama Zoo.
We will go to Asahiyama Zoo in Asahikawa directly from Sapporo. It will take much time to Asahikawa, but we do not lose your interest because of tour bus. Our tour guides will entertain you with their talk depending on each view or destination. Your destination is only Asahiyama, so you have much time to look around there. This is not a busy tour with many destinations, but relaxed so you can look around at the animals to your heart’s content.
On the way back to Sapporo, we will stop for a rest at the Sunagawa Highway Oasis, where you can enjoy shopping for special products of Hokkaido and taste good food in the cafeteria managed by the famous confectionery maker in Hokkaido. You can alight at ‘Sapporo Clock Tower,’the symbol of Sapporo, near Odori. Let’s go to Asahiyama Zoo to look for vigorous animals in comfortable tour bus.
