Japan's Far East
8 Day Wildlife & Adventure Tour
Multi-day Guided Hiking, Canoeing & Wildlife Tour in Eastern Hokkaidofrom
An intrepid journey covering the three National Parks in Eastern Hokkaido. Experience the best of our outdoors, wildlife & culture on this multi-day guided hiking, canoeing & wildlife tour.
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Tour Duration
8 Days -
Minimum Travellers
4 People -
Accommodation
7 Nights -
Tour Starts
Kushiro, Hokkaido -
Included Meals
7 Breakfasts
4 Lunches
7 Dinners -
Tour Finishes
Kushiro, Hokkaido
Tour Highlights
- Explore deep into Japan’s Far East region, home to three national parks: Kushiro-Shitsugen National Park, Akan–Mashu National Park, and Shiretoko National Park.
- Search for Brown Bear, seabirds & marine mammals off the Rausu coast on a wildlife cruise.
- Take in the contrast between serene caldera lakes, Lake Akan and Lake Mashu, and active volcanoes.
- Learn about the Ainu, Hokkaido’s indigenous people, directly from the source.
About Japan’s Far East
Hokkaido’s far east region is often described as the last unexplored frontier of Japan. The area is an ideal place to get in touch with mother nature and observe the flora and fauna unique to Hokkaido.
On this tour, we travel through all three of National Parks found in eastern Hokkaido: the wetland park of Kushiro Shitsugen Wetland, Akan–Mashu – home to caldera lakes, and the wild Shiretoko Peninsula. The latter is also designated as a Natural Heritage Site in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
During the journey, we will also introduce you to local treasures, including the cuisine enjoyed by local fishermen and the culture of Hokkaido’s indigenous Ainu people, who lived here in harmony with nature, surviving as hunter-gatherers, since long before Japanese colonists arrived.
Come join us on this tour and meet the wildlife and charming local people who live in harmony with nature.
Who is this tour for?
- Active travellers who enjoy walking for 3 to 5 hours a day.
- Curious travellers who enjoy a mixture of activities & sightseeing and learning about the regions they visit.
- Adventurous travellers who enjoy rural hospitality staying in Japanese style accommodations with natural hot springs on site.
Japan’s Far East Wildlife & Adventure Tour
Itinerary at a Glance
*B: Breakfast L: Lunch D: Dinner
Day 1 (D)
Meet your group in Kushiro City
Day 2 (B, L, D)
Guided walking at Lake Akan & Guided walking to Mount Iōzan
Day 3 (B, L, D)
Guided canoeing on Kushiro River & Transfer to Utoro, Shiretoko
Day 4 (B, L, D)
Guided walking at Shiretoko Five Lakes & Brown bear cruise in Rausu
Day 5 (B, D)
Marine wildlife watching cruise in Rausu
Day 6 (B, D)
Guided walking & wildlife watching on Notsuke Peninsula
Day 7 (B, L, D)
Guided canoeing on the Kiritappu Wetland
Day 8 (B)
Transfer to Kushiro & farewells
Tour Inclusions
Items that are included in the cost of tour price.- 7 nights accommodation on a twin share basis
- 7 breakfasts, 4 lunches and 7 dinners
- Guided walking & Ainu culture tour at Lake Akan
- Guided canoeing tour on Kushiro River
- Brown bear watching cruise in Rausu
- Marine wildlife watching cruise in Rausu
- Admission to Shiretoko Five Lakes
- Guided canoeing tour on the Kiritappu Wetland
- All transport as described in the itinerary
- English speaking local guide(s)
Not included
Items that are not included in the cost of tour price.- Airfare
- 2 Lunches
- Travel insurance
- Personal expenses
- Drinks with included meals
- Day 1 Meet your group in Kushiro City
- Day 2 Guided walking at Lake Akan & to Mount Iōzan
- Day 3 Guided canoeing on Kushiro River to Shiretoko
- Day 4 Walking at Shiretoko Five Lakes & Brown Bear cruise in Rausu
- Day 5 Marine wildlife watching cruise in Rausu
- Day 6 Guided walking & wildlife watching on Notsuke Peninsula
- Day 7 Guided canoeing on the Kiritappu Wetland
- Day 8 Transfer to Kushiro & farewells
Travel to the Meeting Point
We will meet at either Kushiro Station or Kushiro Airport (KUH) between 1:00 pm and 2:00 pm on the first day. If you wish to stay in Kushiro the night before, we are more than happy to assist you with booking your pre-tour accommodation.
If you are flying into Kushiro Airport (KUH) from Tokyo on the first day, please make sure you reserve an early morning flight that arrives at KUH before 12:30 pm, which allows us to pick you up from the airport on the day. If you are arriving earlier, there is an airport shuttle bus for downtown Kushiro scheduled to connect with all incoming flights, departing within 10 to 25 mins after arrival. The bus costs 950 yen per person, and it takes 45 mins to Kushiro Station.
A more environmentally friendly alternative to flying is to travel by train (Japan Railway, abbr. JR), which travels 6 times a day between Sapporo and Kushiro. The best connecting train to join this tour is the one which departs Sapporo at 8:51 am and arrives at Kushiro at 1:20 pm. The cost is 9,990 yen for a reserved seat. Upon booking, please let us know your travel plans to Kushiro, and we will confirm in detail where and what time we will meet on the first day.
You can see English train timetables on on Japan Transit Planner website.
Japan’s Far East Wildlife & Adventure Tour Accommodation
DAY 1 | Hotel in Tsurui | Ensuite | Onsen spa |
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DAY 2 | Lodge in Lake Kussharo | Ensuite | Onsen spa |
DAY 3 | Hotel in Utoro Shiretoko | Ensuite | Onsen spa |
DAY 4 | Lodge in Rausu Shiretoko | Ensuite | NA |
DAY 5 | Lodge in Rausu Shiretoko | Ensuite | NA |
DAY 6 | Ryokan in Odaito Onsen | Ensuite | Onsen spa |
DAY 7 | Ryokan in Kiritappu | Ensuite | Spa |
What to Bring on your Japan’s Far East Wildlife & Adventure Tour
Essentials
- Waterproof jacket and pants
- Adequate footwear for hiking
- Footwear that you don’t mind getting wet for canoeing
- Fleece or down jacket (even in the summer the temperature can drop below 10˚C/50˚F)
- Thermal layers top & bottom
- Base layers top & bottom
- Gloves, beanie, and items to keep you warm
- Sun hat, sunscreen, and sunglasses
- Water bottle or hydration system of more than 1L
- Quick-dry hand towel
- Toiletries
- Personal medications
- Rain cover for backpack
- Backpack between 20 and 30 litres
- Enough face masks for the number of travel days (available to purchase locally)
- Eco-friendly shopping bag and any other item to reduce single-use plastic waste
- Travel insurance
- Passport
- Cash in Japanese yen. Small restaurants and shops in rural parts of Japan do not accept credit cards. Lunch in general costs 1,000-1,500 yen and dinner 2,000-3,000 yen. You can withdraw cash from an ATM at a post office and 7-eleven convenience stores.
Recommended
- Walking poles
- Binoculars
- Dry bag
- Motion sickness pills for the boat ride (available to purchase locally)
- Cellphone power bank
- Travel SIM
- Familiar snacks to eat during activities
- Camera
We supply
- First aid kit
- Safety equipment
Please note that you will be asked to show your passport when checking in accomodation in Japan. It is a requirement for accommodation providers to take a photocopy of the passport of international visitors.
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Lunch at Kushiro Washo Market before joining the group on Day 1
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Kushiro Shitsugen Wetland Observatory
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Kushiro Shitsugen Onnenai Boardwalk
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Group photo before launching at Lake Kussharo
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Adventure Hokkaido guide Kazu and the group on the trail to Mt Iouzan
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Sulfur Mountain Iouzan
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Hot spring emerging from the ground
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Shiretoko Five Lakes
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Group picture with the Shiretoko Mountains on the backdrop
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Sporring a brown bear while cruising off the Rausu Coast
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Bear cruise captain Noda san and Shiretoko local guide Gen
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Observing the sperm whale floating on the surface
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Sperm whale sighted off Rausu coast
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Group picture with the whale watching cruise captain Hasegawa san
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Seafood dinner at a local izakaya in Rausu
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Red-crowned cranes spotted from the road
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Misty Cape Kiritappu
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Looking for sea otters at Cape Kiritappu
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Parents and a calf sea otters swimming joyfully at Cape Kiritappu
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Kiritappu Shitsugen canoe guide Ashida san
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Having a tea break at Kiritappu Shitsugen
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Curious Japanese deer watching us
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Canoeing in small river channels of Kiritappu Shitsugen
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Group photo after canoeing
See Galleries From Previous Tours
Dates | Trip Status | Twin Price (PP) | Single Price (PP) | ||
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May 28, 2023 - June 4, 2023
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Twin Price (PP):
¥388,000
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Single Price (PP):
¥415,000
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July 2, 2023 - July 9, 2023
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Twin Price (PP):
¥388,000
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Single Price (PP):
¥415,000
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July 31, 2023 - August 7, 2023
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Twin Price (PP):
¥388,000
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Single Price (PP):
¥415,000
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September 3, 2023 - September 10, 2023
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Twin Price (PP):
¥388,000
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Single Price (PP):
¥415,000
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September 24, 2023 - October 1, 2023
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Twin Price (PP):
¥388,000
|
Single Price (PP):
¥415,000
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