Around Daisetsuzan 7 Day Cycling Tour

Today’s ride starts with a pleasant downhill ride along a beautiful road lined with Hokkaido silver birch trees and head towards Biei town. Biei is well-known for its picturesque landscapes of rolling hills and vast crop fields, often regarded as the granary of Hokkaido. We will visit a few of these iconic destinations along the way, such as Shikisai no Oka Flower Park, as well as the famous Christmas Tree, standing alone on the top of hill. After lunch we will also visit one of the lavender farms before we continue riding to our accommodation in Furano City. (B, D)

Cycling Distance – 77 km / 48 miles
Elevation – 600m / 1970ft

Setting out from Furano, we will journey through a flat farming area and then gradually start climbing into the mountains on the river side of Sorachi River. The road eventually joins with Lake Kanayama, where we can enjoy cycling along the lakeshore. One of our favourite resting areas is located by this lake where you can hear the sound of songbirds. At the eastern end of the lake, we will stop at “Roadside Station” for lunch. The station is a rest area with parking, restaurants, and shops. We encourage you to get plenty of food and recharge yourself for the afternoon climb. We will climb to our first mountain pass of the trip “Karikachi Pass”, which is known for its magnificent views of the vast Tokachi Plains. (B, D)

Cycling Distance – 75 km / 47 miles
Elevation – 700m / 2,300ft

This morning we will cycle through the hills on the edge of Tokachi Plain, and have a short morning tea break at Roadside Station. Our journey will continue through the Tokachi farmlands which will lead us on to Shirakaba Pass. After conquering the pass, there awaits Lake Shikaribetsu at 810m / 2,657ft altitude, and soon after Lake Nukabira at 525m / 1,722ft. The both lakes form part of Daisetsuzan National Park. This evening we will be staying at a historical hotel that has been renovated into a modern Japanese-style inn and is run by a friendly, local family. Make sure to hit the outdoor onsen and enjoy a relaxing soak under the star-filled skies! (B, D)

Cycling Distance – 72 km / 45 miles
Elevation – 1,200m / 3,940ft

Today is a big day! Today we will challenge Mikuni Toge Pass, the highest National Road in Hokkaido with an elevation of 1,139m / 3,736ft. We will ride from Lake Nukabira to the Pass, one of the most scenic parts of the tour. We will then stop for a morning tea break at the lookout to admire the fantastic view of the Kumaneshiri mountain range and the dense woodland at its foothill.

Following this, we will then cycle down to Lake Taisetsu and start another climb to Sekihoku Pass. We will have a picnic lunch at the summit, then a rewarding 10km ride downhill all the way to the finishing point of the day in Sounkyo.

For the last 10km, we will travel in our van as there are a series of dark and narrow tunnels on the route. Our accommodation will be in Sounkyo Onsen, a hot spring resort village known for its scenic surroundings.  We highly recommend wandering over to Sounkyo Gorge and marvel at the cliffs formed by columnar joint rocks and waterfalls. Enjoy a night in the village and re-energise yourself with a soak in the healing waters of the hot springs. (B, D)

Cycling Distance – 53km / 33miles
Elevation – 800m / 2.625ft

This morning we will say goodbye to Daisetsuzan National Park and cycle towards Asahikawa City. Alongside the Ishikari River, Hokkaido’s longest river with 268km in length, there is Cycling Road, which is a purpose-built path for walkers and cyclists. Enjoy a leisurely ride on the flat Cycling Road and we will finish at one of the local sake (rice wine) breweries. The region is well-known for its rice production and high-quality spring water, making the area the perfect location to produce award winning sake. We will learn the process of the brewing process of sake, and have a sake tasting. (B, D)

Cycling Distance – 67 km / 42 miles
Elevation – 300m / 984ft

The tour will wrap up after breakfast. Our hotel is conveniently located near Asahikawa JR Station, where you can take a train to Sapporo, as well as the airport shuttle to Asahikawa Airport. (B)

No Cycling