Original
Northern Japan & Hokkaido Adventure
12 days • 4
4
Very Good
7 reviews
12 days
Start
Tokyo, Japan
Finish
Sapporo, Japan
Trip Code
CJSD
Min Age
15
Trip Size
1 - 12
Physical Rating
Meals
7 breakfasts, 1 lunch, 3 dinners
Transport
Bullet Train, Train, Public Bus, Cable Car, Metro, Canoe
Accommodation
Hotel (9 nights), Ryokan Hotel ( 2 nights)
From £3,572(12 days)
Trip Informations
Why you’ll love this trip
Discover Hokkaido’s rich Indigenous Ainu culture at the region’s first Ainu Museum, where you can learn about their traditions and make Ainu dumplings.
Explore northern Japan’s natural wonders, like Hell Valley’s volcanic steam to Mt. Asahi’s peaks and the serene waters of Lake Shikotsu.
Walk around Hirosaki Castle on a guided tour, where you’ll learn about its role in the Neputa festival, known for its giant, vibrant floats.
Stay in two local ryokan hotels and immerse yourself in the Japanese onsen experience – relaxation in a natural hot spring – and savour a signature Kaiseki dinner.
Witness Japan’s seasonal transformations from cherry blossoms in spring and lavender fields in summer to vibrant autumn foliage and white winter snow – every season offers its own unique colour palette.
Is this trip right for you?
Japan is best explored on foot and by public transport. You’ll need to be fit enough to spend most of each day on your feet and able to handle your luggage as you navigate busy train stations. We recommend comfortable shoes and packing light.
Japanese train connections are typically centred around major cities, so travelling to smaller towns and cities often requires passing through these larger hubs.
This trip includes a canoeing activity which isn’t too demanding, but requires a good level of fitness to fully enjoy the experience.
This trip is a great way to see a lot in a short period of time and it can be part of a longer itinerary if you have more time to explore. You might like to check out Japan Adventure.
Double rooms in Japanese hotels can be smaller than you may be used to (e.g. 20 sqm). Every effort will be made to accommodate double room requests. However, during busy periods, there may be occasions when we are unable to offer a double room, so a twin room will be provided.
Itinerary
Wander through colourful and calm Northern Japan and Hokkaido
From the neon-lit streets of Tokyo to the tranquil hot springs of Noboribetsu, this 12-day journey across Northern Japan immerses you in the country’s rich tapestry of culture, history and natural beauty. Zip North on a bullet train to Aomori, where you can visit prehistoric sites and fresh seafood markets. Soak in volcanic hot springs, paddle across lakes and discover the vibrant spirit of Hokkaido. After wandering the lavender fields of Furano, end your adventure in Sapporo, where modern energy meets great mountainous views. Japan’s colourful wonders await – are you ready?
Inclusions
Meals
7 breakfasts, 1 lunch, 3 dinners
Transport
Bullet Train, Train, Public Bus, Cable Car, Metro, Canoe
Accommodation
Hotel (9 nights), Ryokan Hotel ( 2 nights)
Included activities
Aomori - Leader-led orientation walk
Hirosaki - Tsugaru Neputa Village
Hirosaki - Hirosaki Castle
Hakodate - City walking tour
Hakodate - Fort Goryokaku
Noboribetsu - Hell valley
Lake Shikotsu - Lake Canoe
Lake Shikotsu - Kaiseki dinner
Asahikawa - Leader-led orientation walk
Asakihawa - Kawamura Kaneto Ainu Museum
Asahikawa - Ainu dumpling making demonstration
Asahikawa - Mt. Asahi Ropeway
Asahikawa - Blue Pond (Aoike)
Furano - Tomita Farm
Sapporo - Leader-led orientation walk
Otaru - City walking tour
Sapporo - Genghis Khan lamb dinner
Dates and availability
Starting
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Important notes
1. We are currently unable to offer a single supplement, airport transfers or additional accommodation in Japan due to limited availability.
2. It is essential that you pack light and compact for rail travel in Japan. Luggage size restrictions apply. Please review the Packing section of the Essential Trip Information for more details.
3. Itinerary change for departures on 09&13 April, 2025: You’ll stay in a hotel in Chitose city rather than a ryokan hotel near lake Shikotsu, and the Kaiseki dinner will be included on Day 5 rather than Day 6. Chitose city is on the way between Lake Shikotsu and Asahikawa, so your overall travel time won’t be impacted.
Reviews (7)
5 stars
4
4 stars
1
2 stars
2
John
Mar 31, 2025
I definitely recommend this trip to anyone that are interested in going to Hokkaido and Sapporo
Marti
Mar 30, 2025
Hokkaido is a hidden gem – loved exploring it with the assistance of our wonderful guide Yuki. As the pioneer trip, Yuki did an amazing job in tailoring our adventure to suit the conditions and group interests to give us all a very memorable experience. The day at Lake Shikotsu (canoeing, onsen & Kaiseki dinner) was a highlight, as was the visit to the Ainu museum, the trip up Mount Asahi on a blue bird day, and there were so many others – an amazing trip!
Sylvia
Mar 28, 2025
I had a great time here in Japan This is my first trip with intrepid I will definitely be looking at doing another trip with intrepid hopefully same guide thank you we had a fantastic experience
Marti
Mar 28, 2025
May I do this tomorrow or send it separately?
John
Apr 25, 2025
Send me an email. This Questiniarre is difficult to write on. It is even more difficult at Narita Airport where I am writing this response
Sheila
Apr 27, 2025
I found this tour quite disappointing; all five of us on the tour felt that way about it (some more strongly than I did). There were a few good things, but too many dull bits. I wonder if perhaps there just aren’t enough interesting places in Hokkaido to make up a tour; perhaps you should cancel visits to some of those and spend those days in northern Honshu instead. Japan is a great place to visit, but I wouldn't recommend Intrepid's tour of Hokkaido and northern Honshu, and I’m unlikely to travel with you again. I’m afraid I found this tour quite disappointing; all five of us on the tour felt that way about it (some more strongly than I did). There were a few good things, but too many dull bits. I wonder if perhaps there just aren’t enough interesting places in Hokkaido to make up a tour; perhaps you should cancel visits to some of those and spend those days in northern Honshu instead. The Sannai-Maruyama archaeological site was a real let-down. The museum wasn’t bad, but it contained very little that those of us who’ve visted many prehistoric sites haven’t seen many times. There was nothing genuine on the site itself: it was entirely made up of reconstructions. Also, the local guide was only mildly interesting, and was allowed to go on for far too long. Our tour leader did not have bus times, so we ended up hanging around for 45 minutes afterwards with nothing to do. I was very disappointed not to get to Lake Shikotsu. The hotel was changed because the Marukoma Onsen Ryokan hotel was closed temporarily for renovations, but why did that happen at short notice? Surely you should have tried to book it well in advance; you would then have known you had to find an acceptable alternative. Instead of staying in a ryokan hotel on “a caldera lake formed by volcanic activity” and “known for its natural beauty and tranquil atmosphere”, we ended up in an ordinary hotel in a boring airport town where there was almost nothing to do. You said that was because of “limited accommodation choices near Lake Shikotsu”, but I find that hard to believe: one of the others checked a hotel at the lake in a similar price bracket, and found there was accommodation available there. It’s impossible to avoid the suspicion that you moved us to the hotel in Chitose because it was a lot cheaper. Given how expensive this tour was, that would simply not be acceptable. The Kawamura Kaneto Ainu Museum was mildly interesting, but the “cooking demonstration showcasing Ainu dumplings” was a complete waste of time: no dumplings were involved; instead, we helped to chop ingredients for the kind of soup that any of us could have made without any guidance, and which was nothing special. Again, far too much time was spent there. You say that, from late June to early August at Tomita Farm, people see “the expansive lavender fields that have made the farm famous in Japan and beyond”. We were there in April, and there are not plenty of other colourful crops to admire then; an alternative attraction should have been found, if one exists. Otaru must once have been an attractive little town, but, sadly, it isn’t really that any longer. I quite enjoyed the Music Book Museum, even though it’s mainly a shop, but all of the other places that call themselves museums are actually just shops. There were a few things I enjoyed. I liked Hirosaki Castle and seeing the large lantern floats of mythological warriors from the Nebuta Matsuri; Jigokundani and the onsen-style bath in the hotel in Noboribetsu; the cable car ride up Mount Asahi and the snow at the top of the mountain, even though there were no “elevated views” that day, because it was so cloudy – I think that trip was my favourite thing of the tour. Incidentally, that isn’t a ropeway: it’s a cable car. A genuine ropeway moves on a track, rather than suspended in the air. I don’t think there are many of them left, but there are some. I have been on one in Budapest. The Blue Pond was quite pretty, although not as blue as described. Our tour leader was friendly and worked hard to be helpful, but didn’t know the area and didn’t always plan as well as he might. He should improve with experience. All the hotels were good, with the obvious exception of the one in Chitose, although I didn’t like having to share a room, and there were a few days when breakfast wasn’t included, which I found unhelpful. Japan is a great place to visit, but I wouldn't recommend Intrepid's tour of Hokkaido and northern Honshu, and I’m unlikely to travel with you again. I had a much better time when I went on my own 11 years ago, partly because I spent some time with friends in Kyoto (a much more interesting place than anywhere this year's trip went to). I went on an organised tour this time because it's not an easy country to travel around if you can't read or speak the language.
Tracey
Apr 19, 2025
Very boring trip, don't bother
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