Southern Hokkaido Tour

IN HAKODATE

HOTEL EMI HAKODATE

This gorgeous boutique hotel has been beautifully renovated to include a lovely common lounge area and sashimi bar. It’s famous for its onsen and the rooms are well-appointed and spacious.

IN OTARU

OMO5

OMO5 opened in January 2022 and is the perfect spot to base yourself for your stay in Otaru. Located in an area with many historical structures and buildings, this city-tourism hotel consists of two buildings: the south wing, a renovation of the former Otaru Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and the north wing, designed for functionality and design. OMO5 Otaru offers two types of guest rooms, standard and superior.

The “Standard” rooms are new and functional with modern furnishings and are located in the new wing. The “Superior” rooms are slightly larger with higher ceilings and are located in the renovated Chamber of Commerce building. Walk out the hotel’s front door and you are right in the heart of the historical district of Otaru with the canals and warehouse district close by as well artisan’s studios, cafés, a sake brewery, and a variety of restaurants and bars.

IN NISEKO

ALWAYS NISEKO

This stylish 104 room hotel is designed for the intrepid traveler who seeks the ultimate experience balanced with always the best in value. From the fresh-faced hipster to the seasoned powder hound, this property delivers on the Niseko adventure without compromising on comfort.

Boasting a great in-house bar and lounge area, high speed WiFi throughout, easy access to Hirafu Village and clean and comfortable twin/king bed rooms. It’s only a 10-minute walk to Hirafu Village, and provides a free guest shuttle to the lifts.

SINGLE UPGRADE OPTION AVAILABLE – Price & availability on request

You can reach Hakodate from Tokyo by Shinkansen train or domestic flight – we recommend taking the Shinkansen train to Hakodate for a true Japanese experience. Your guide will transfer you from Shin-Hakodate Station to your hotel when you arrive.

Departing Otaru is easy – our guides will transfer you to Otaru station to catch the airport train to Sapporo’s Chitose Airport. There is also the option to be transferred privately by private transfer.

There is also the option of travelling back to Niseko with the guide for some more skiing at your favourite resorts or transfers to Furano or Sapporo Chitose Airport.

Once you’ve booked onto the tour you will receive our Trip Info Brochure packed with loads of useful information to help you plan your trip to Japan.

Day 1 (arrival and check-in day): Upon landing in Tokyo at Haneda or Narita airport, we recommend taking the Shinkansen train to Hakodate for a true Japanese experience. Your guide will transfer you from Shin-Hakodate Station to your hotel when you arrive. You’ll will enjoy group welcome dinner and drinks that night where we will see local Sushi Masters preparing the freshest fish right before our eyes. Your guides will run you through the tour, weather and answer any questions you have. (NOTE: If you wish to organise rental ski/SB equipment it is please seek advice from your consultant)

Day 2 (first snow day): After your first night in Emi Onsen Hotel you will be ready to hit the slopes and Hakodate Nanae Snow park won’t disappoint. Overlooking Lake Onuma and the Pacific, Nanae has plenty to offer with uncrowded slopes and quick laps straight off the gondola.

Day 3 (travel day): Hakodate is famed for being the first port in Japan opened to foreign trade, and before we head toward the bright lights of Niseko we may wander the streets amongst renovated old red brick fishing warehouses taking in some local fare. If conditions are good we may hit the slopes while driving north to experience the deep powder the region is famous for. Once in Niseko we’ll spend our first night at Always Niseko.

Day 4: Get ready to explore Niseko United. With four perfect resorts all on one volcano, you will be spoilt for choice. The guides will hike you up the peak to the back bowls and down the north face to Hanazono as well as hunting out powder stashes within the resort. With the ability to start at one side of the mountain (away from the morning crowds of Hirafu) and move across never skiing or riding the same slope twice.

Day 5: From Niseko, we will venture out for a day to Rusutsu Resort. In less than an hour, your guides will transport you to one of the tree skiing meccas of Japan. With endless Japanese birch forests and plenty of natural hits, Rusutsu is a snowy playground that anyone can enjoy! This is one of our favourites. In the afternoon we’ll check out the singing tree and other bizarre Japanese things in the Rusutsu mall.

Day 6: Grab your onsen gear as we will be heading to Niseko lesser-known sister of Moiwa. This smaller powder gem is a local favourite for ski racing leaving some of the best backcountry terrain in the region untouched for us. After multiple days of smashing fresh lines, it will definitely be time to soak our weary legs. Multiple onsens are all within a short distance of the slopes where we can fully recharge.

Day 7: After a relaxed post onsen sleep our guides will take you to some of the more hidden places in Niseko. Hike the peak again with us and head into the back bowls if conditions are good. Tonight may be a good night to hit the town for a bit of aprè ski fun before we depart Niseko the following day.

Day 8 (travel/rest/ski day): Pack your bags and get ready to hit the road. If we haven’t taken a rest day already, today we may enjoy the sights of Otaru and it’s famed canal district. Otherwise we’ll look to stop at Kiroro Snow World on the drive north, well known for receiving over 20 metres of snow annually. Your guides will navigate through Kiroro’s backcountry access gates so you can get out further into the backcountry.

Day 9: Today we get suited up to head to the home of the 1972 Olympics. Teine provides some steep open bowls where your guides will be able to find you long powder chutes not often seen in Hokkaido. On the edge of Sapporo the views from Teine highland mix mountain with city. After working up an appreciate it will be time to one of Otaru’s famous exports – Snow Crab! – and an ice-cold Sapporo Classic.

Day 10: It’s time to explore Kokusai. Your guides will show you around this hidden gem so you can enjoy untracked powder coming straight of the Sea of Japan from Siberia. We’ll cap off the day with the farewell dinner in one of Otaru’s amazing Izakaya restaurants.

Day 11 (check-out and departure day): Time to check out and say goodbye to your new friends, our guides will transfer you to Otaru station so you can catch the train to New Chitose Airport.