Hokkaido: Winter Festival 2024 | 10 Days | Sapporo Snow Festival

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Hokkaido: Winter Festival

10 days 8 nights
from
RESERVE ONLINE RESERVE
2024
Sapporo Snow Festival
Sapporo, Otaru, Asahikawa, Sounkyo, Abashiri, Shiretoko, Kawayu, Kushiro, Tokachigawa

The Festival of Winter is here

Once a year, the ice sculptures of Sapporo come alive
Larger than life, our adventure marks the peak of winter
Snowshoe hiking in quiet winter wilds
Powerful ice breaker ships carving their way
The graceful dance of cranes with red crowns
Traveling together to taste delicious comfort foods,
Soak in relaxing hot springs, share amazing memories
Warms the body and soul

tour-map

Highlights

A once-in-a-lifetime trip designed to share and celebrate the beauty of winter in Hokkaido with you. Watch the city of Sapporo transform into a winter wonderland at the Sapporo Snow Festival. Admire snow and ice sculptures lining Odori Park. Be amazed at the Sounkyo Ice Waterfall Festival.

  • Sapporo | Join one of the world's most famous winter festivals.*
    • See the city transform into a winter wonderland during the annual Snow Festival.
    • A variety of amazing ice sculptures are on display. Larger than life and lit with colorful lights, sculptures here are tremendously impressive.
  • Asahikawa | Meet adorable penguins, polar bears, and other animals at the Asahiyama Zoo.
  • Sounkyo | Visit the Ice Waterfall Festival.
    • This festival takes place at the foot of Sounkyo Onsen.
    • Ice Waterfall Festival features buildings and structures made with snow and ice. Visitors enter and enjoy the delicate sculptures.  
  • Abashiri | Journey to the remote depths of Japan's far north.
    • Feel the chill in a -15c° room at the Okhotsk Ryu-hyo Museum and learn about local drift ice.
    • Icebreaker Cruise: Board an icebreaker ship to see and hear a vast expanse of drift ice crumble right before your eyes. Be in awe of the fantastic drift ice view and learn how icebreakers break through with their weight.
    • Abashiri Prison Museum: Japan's most famous prison. Dating back from the Meiji era, learn about daily life in the only prison museum in the country.
  • Shiretoko Peninsula | Travel to one of Japan's most remote and breathtaking national parks.
    • Join an optional Ice Walk on the drift ice. Put on a wetsuit for a once-in-a-lifetime intimate experience. Not only can you savor the wonderful view by walking on the ice, you can also jump into it to feel the chill!
    • Stroll and admire the natural lakeside beauty of the Shiretoko Five Lakes. 
    • Get up close to pristine nature with a short snowshoe hike in Furepe.
  • Kushiro | Enjoy fresh seafood and encounter red-crowned crane.
    • Washo Market: Enjoy a variety of local seafood from Kushiro and create your own Katte Don (DIY Seafood bowl)
    • Red-crowned Crane: Watch Japan's iconic bird dance elegantly on Kushiro Marsh, the only place in the world where they reside year round.

Itinerary

Open All Days
USA/Canada aircraft-icon
Japan
 

 

 
New Chitose Airport 2
32 mi
, 1 hr

Sapporo
Sapporo Odori Park Snow Festival
Sapporo Odori Park Snow Festival
Street Food Stands Dinner at Snow Festival
Street Food Stands Dinner at Snow Festival
Welcome to ! For guests within our pickup timeframe, a Supera representative will greet you at the arrival airport. Have a wonderful journey with us!
  • Sapporo Snow Festival:
    Join the most popular festival in Sapporo and feel the energy of this fascinating snow world. Choose your dinner by preference from a variety of food stands here.
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Refund - Explore with our helpful maps & suggestions
Sapporo bus.png
24 mi
, 1.5 hrs

Otaru bus.png
24 mi
, 1.5 hrs

Sapporo
Odori Park Site
Odori Park Site
Otaru Canal
Otaru Canal
Sapporo
  • See the city transform into a winter wonderland during the annual Snow Festival.
  • Visit Odori Park and Susukino district and marvel at sculptures made of ice and snow. 

Otaru

  • Otaru Canal:
    Stroll along the river, walk past century-old red brick warehouses and European-style buildings. 
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Hotel Buffet
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Lamb Hot Pot (Shabu Shabu)
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Crab Feast
Sapporo bus.png
84 mi
, 2 hrs

Asahikawa 2
74 mi
, 2 hrs

Sounkyo
Asahiyama Zoo Penguin Parade
Asahiyama Zoo Penguin Parade
Sounkyo Ice Fall Festival
Sounkyo Ice Fall Festival
Asahikawa
  • Asahiyama Zoo:
    Enjoy a close-up view of adorable penguins and polar bears at Japan's northernmost zoo. 

Sounkyo

  • Sounkyo Ice Fall Festival:
    Wander through frozen icefalls and caves at Sounkyo Gorge. See the festival lit up by colorful lights at night. 
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Hotel Buffet
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Refund - Explore with our helpful maps & suggestions
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Kaiseki Banquet
Sounkyo bus.png
104 mi
, 3 hrs

Abashiri
Meet the Sea Angel at Okhotsk Ryu-hyo Museum
Meet the Sea Angel at Okhotsk Ryu-hyo Museum
Abashiri Icebreaker Cruise
Abashiri Icebreaker Cruise
Abashiri
  • Okhotsk Ryu-hyo Museum:
    Touch drift ice in a -15c° simulated room. Also learn about the science behind drift ice and fascinating sea creatures such as Clione, known as the sea angel. 
  • Abashiri Icebreaker Cruise:
    Feel the cruiser beak through drift ice on the Sea of Okhotsk. (Weather may affect departure availability, itinerary is subject to change. Refund will be provided if we are unable to sail). 
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Hotel Buffet
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Hokkaido Wagyu & Shiretoko Chicken BBQ
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Hotel Buffet
Abashiri bus.png
52 mi
, 1.5 hrs

Shiretoko
Abashiri Prison
Abashiri Prison
Shiretoko Drift Ice Walking
Shiretoko Drift Ice Walking
Abashiri
  • Abashiri Prison Museum:
    Walk through the prison gates of "Japan's Alcatraz." This Meiji-era prison is Japan's most famous. Today, the prison is a museum, and a great place for us to learn about the daily lives of its exiled residents.

Shiretoko

  • Shiretoko World Heritage Conservation Center:
    Tour the center with a professional conservationist guide to learn about the unique nature of Shiretoko.
  • Shiretoko Drift Ice Walk (fee not included): 
    Change into a wetsuit and have a once-in-a-lifetime intimate experience on drift ice.
    • 60USD/person (Height: between 4ft 3in-6ft 3in., Weight: less than 242.5lb., Age: under 75)
    • Total activity time including changing and traveling: 90-120mins; actual experience time: 40-50mins depending on weather conditions. 
 
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Hotel Buffet
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Seafood Specialties
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Hotel Buffet
Shiretoko bus.png
79 mi
, 2 hrs

Teshikaga bus.png
36 mi
, 1.5 hrs

Lake Akan
Shiretoko Active Snowshoeing Walk Trip
Shiretoko Active Snowshoeing Walk Trip
Swans Bath in Hot Springs in Lake Kussharo
Swans Bath in Hot Springs in Lake Kussharo
Shiretoko
  • Snowshoeing Walk Trip:
    Today's new experience, try hiking with snowshoes while searching for animal tracks.
Teshikaga
  • Lake Mashu: 
    Visit the observation deck at Lake Mashu and see one of the clearest lakes in the world.
  • Lake Kussharo:
    Whooper Swan watching at the lake.
  • Mt. Io: 
    An active volcano whose name means "nude mountain" in Ainu language. Observe yellow sulfur crystals and dynamic volcanic fumes up close.
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Hotel Buffet
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Beef Stew Lunch Set
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Kaiseki Banquet
Lake Akan bus.png
44 mi
, 1 hr
20 mins

Kushiro bus.png
46 mi
, 1.5 hrs

Lake Akan
Activities on Lake Akan
Activities on Lake Akan
Snowmobile Guide
Snowmobile Guide
Kushiro
  • Red-Crowned Crane:
    Encounter Japan's national bird and watch the red-crowned crane dance elegantly between prairie wetlands (Weather and other factors may affect the number of cranes that can be seen).
    Depending on weather conditions, we will visit the Tsurui-Ito Tancho Sanctuary or visit the Akan International Crane Center to learn more about conservation and research efforts of these national treasures. 

Lake Akan

  • Outdoor activities on frozen Lake Akan:
    Choose from ice fishing, snowmobiling, or banana boating.
  • Akan Ainu Village:
    Explore the culture and handicrafts of Hokkaido's Ainu indigenous community at Akan Ainu Village, a short walk away from our hotel.
 
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Hotel Buffet
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Tokachi Pork Rice Bowl
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Hotel Buffet
Lake Akan bus.png
80 mi
, 1.5 hrs

Kushiro bus.png
88 mi
, 2.5 hrs

Tokachigawa Onsen
Washo Ichiba Market
Washo Ichiba Market
Kushiro
  • Washo Market:
    Taste fresh local ingredients from Kushiro. Hand-pick and savor your own bowl of seafood delights. 

Tokachigawa Onsen

  • Tokachigawa Onsen:
    The only place to try Moor hot springs, also known as "hot springs for beauty." Moor hot springs contain rich organic plant-derived matter, which are said to have excellent skin moisturizing and smoothing effects. 
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Hotel Buffet
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Create Your Own Chirashi Seafood Rice Bowl
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Kaiseki Banquet
Tokachigawa Onsen bus.png
104 mi
, 3 hrs

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Your Next Destination
A great journey always feels short, let’s look forward to seeing each other again!
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Hotel Buffet

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*Refunds made with a credit card will be subject to a 2% credit card service fee.
  • Deposit:A deposit of per person is due within 7 days of reservation confirmation to secure your space on tour.
  • Balance:Due days before tour departure.
  • Flights:We are happy to arrange air tickets with the best balance between price and flight quality. If you are purchasing your own flights, please book according to our schedule below. If you are arriving/departing on the same day as our tour but outside timeframes, we may still be able to arrange service based on other flights - please contact us for transfer options. Please be aware missed portions of the itinerary will not be refunded. Prior to issuing tickets, please reconfirm with us to avoid unexpected expenses.
        • Pre/post hotels: We can help arrange hotels matching our tour schedule. For prices and availability, please contact our team.
        • Please review the Terms & Conditions before you book.
        • Is This Trip Right for Me?
          • Please see the Itinerary for activity levels and details.
          • Wheelchairs Accessible: Guests in wheelchairs welcome, but please understand some sites are not accessible. A companion to help with the wheelchair must accompany the guest.
          • Age Limit: For quality concerns, guests should be 2 years or older to join this tour
          • Dietary Restrictions: Following our tradition of encouraging our guests to “savor the world,” we arrange delicious local menus, but many restaurants cannot meet custom preferences. If you have a serious meal restriction (i.e., fatal allergy, vegetarian, etc.), please let us know before booking and we can check if it can be accommodated.
        • Accommodations:
          • Our rooms for this tour are reserved with twin rooms (2 beds/room), but hotels may have different configurations. Please refer to the Hotels section for details.
          • If you have special requirements, please inform us at time of booking so we may make arrangements as soon as possible.
          • For guest privacy and security considerations, we do not have single sharing arrangements.
        • Visas:
          • A Visa is temporarily being required for US or Canada passport holders to Japan. 
          • Please be aware once a visa is processed by Supera, we will not be able to provide a refund under any circumstances.
        • Passports:
          • Please provide a copy of your passport at sign up; we recommend having a copy of your passport with you in case of emergencies.
          • Your passport must have at least 6 months of validity remaining and two blank “Visa” pages.
        • Flights and Luggage:
          • Some airlines charge a fee for pre-assigned seats. If so, we will let you know the details at time of booking.
          • If you are booking your own tickets, we recommend reserving at least 3 hours connecting time between international airports.
          • Luggage allowances will vary based on the rules for each airline. Excess baggage fees are the responsibility of the traveler.

        Stays of a Lifetime

        Don't be too tired to remember your trip!
        A hotel is not merely a place to rest your head. We hand-pick each one to give you comfort, great views, unique experiences, and above all, memorability. We carefully consider locations to let your mind, body, and spirit wander freely while feeling at home.


        Judy F.
        (03/06/2018) Judy F.

        AWESOME FUN!!!  We just returned from the 2018 Sapporo Winter Festival and all the many activities around Hokkaido Island.  It was the most fun trip we've ever taken!  The weather was around zero-degrees Fahrenheit and sometimes it snowed heavily.  But if you layer up in  snow gear, you won't be cold.  Thanks to our wonderful guide, Junko, for a truly great trip !!!

        William C.
        (08/24/2017) William C.

        I have been on their tours to Hokkaido Snow festival, as well as a custom-designed group tour to Szechuan and Yunnan recently. Their itenaries are well thought out, expertly balancing times, travel, sumptuous meals and great lodging. Tour guides are experienced and accommodating to travelers' needs. I highly recommend them and hope to attend their tour again.

        Linda T.
        (02/17/2020) Linda T.

        I had no idea of the things that could be done in Hokkaido in winter, so thanks to Supera Tours for an excellent itinerary. There were many firsts for me on this trip, and thank you to our guide Colin for the fun time, along with our driver Kiyoshi for our safe journey through winter conditions.