Japan's Far East 7 Day Wild Winter Tour - February Special

Meet at our hotel at 6:00 pm near JR Abashiri Station in Hokkaido's largest city on the Sea of Okhotsk coast. After introductions and a briefing about our upcoming adventure, we enjoy dinner in downtown Abashiri. Don't worry if you're not used to walking on icy roads - we'll teach you the penguin-walking technique!

After breakfast at the hotel, we journey south to Lake Kussharo, where flocks of Whooper Swans spend the winter. Found in Akan-Mashu National Park, this is Japan's largest caldera lake. In winter, most of the lake freezes except where hot springs bubble up, creating warm patches where the swans gather for a cosy soak!

We hike along the lakeshore to a volcanically active area where steam rises from the ground. We'll then search for flocks of swans gathered along the warm lake shore, observing these magnificent birds in their winter habitat.

After lunch at a local restaurant, we visit Mt. Io, an active volcano with impressive sulphur vents and an otherworldly landscape. We spend the night in Utoro, gateway town to the Shiretoko Peninsula - a UNESCO Natural World Heritage Site.

Today is all about the incredible drift ice experience! Wearing special drysuits over our warm winter clothing, we venture onto the frozen Sea of Okhotsk to walk and float amongst the ice floes. These huge sheets of sea ice make their way south from Sakhalin each winter between February and March, creating a unique natural spectacle along Shiretoko's coast.

After lunch in Utoro, we explore Shiretoko Peninsula on snowshoes, trekking through forests that are natural habitats for Japanese deer. If conditions permit, we'll view the frozen columns of Furepe Waterfall.

Tonight, we stay at Yoroushi Onsen, known for visits from the Blakiston's Fish Owl — the world's largest owl species and revered by the Ainu people as kotan-kor-kamuy (the protector of the village). The hotel features a comfortable viewing lounge where you can relax while waiting for these magnificent birds, with large windows allowing for excellent photography opportunities from the indoors.

We depart early from Yoroushi Onsen with breakfast on the go to join a morning bird watching cruise from Rausu Port. During our 2.5-hour adventure, we'll witness magnificent Steller's Sea Eagles and White-tailed Eagles dominating the landscape and feeding on fish. We'll also watch for Brunnich's Guillemots and Steller's Sea Lions while enjoying spectacular views of the Shiretoko mountain range.

After lunch in Rausu village, we explore Notsuke Peninsula, a Ramsar site and Japan's largest sand spit at 26km. In mid-winter, we can walk on the frozen bay while looking for red foxes and birds of prey. We return to Yoroushi Onsen for our second night, with another chance to spot the Blakiston's Fish Owl.

After leaving Yoroushi, we make our way to Lake Mashu for a peaceful snowshoe trek to Kaminoko Pond, following a tranquil unfrozen stream through pristine Sakhalin Fir forest while looking for animal tracks in the snow.

At Lake Mashu observatory, we marvel at one of Akan-Mashu National Park's three major lakes. This caldera lake's pristine waters are protected by steep cliffs, and if we're fortunate, we'll witness its famous "Mashu-blue" surface through the mist.

After lunch in Teshikaga, we head to Lake Akan. Following dinner at our lodging, we experience the rich cultural heritage of the Ainu people through their traditional songs and dances—an oral tradition preserved across generations.

We spend the morning exploring picturesque Lake Akan in Akan-Mashu National Park, where volcanoes and old-growth forests surround the caldera lake. Guided by a local Ainu community member, we discover their rich history and traditional way of life in harmony with nature. After enjoying Ainu cuisine for lunch at a family-run restaurant, we travel to Tsurui village.

At the Ito Tancho Sanctuary, we observe the remarkable Red-crowned Cranes - a conservation success story with over 1,900 birds now thriving in the area. We spend the night in central Tsurui, where we relax in the onsen before celebrating our final evening with a Western-style dinner featuring local Eastern Hokkaido ingredients.

For our final morning, early risers can join us before dawn to watch the magnificent Red-crowned Cranes take flight from their riverside nesting spot. These graceful birds spend the night together in a flock before taking to the skies en masse to feed.

After breakfast at our lodging, we travel to Kushiro City where we say our goodbyes. Drop-offs are available at Kushiro JR Station or Kushiro Airport between 10 am and 11 am.