Hokkaido and Honshu highlights
See Tokyo and the natural highlights of Japan before heading on an in-depth discovery of beautiful Hokkaido.
See the best of Japan, including bustling, contemporary Tokyo and the stunning national parks of the beautiful Hakone area, where you can travel on funiculars, mountain buses and pirate ships. Then head to Hokkaido, the island lying just above Japan’s main island, Honshu. Discover a wealth of beauty in Hokkaido; see the stunning natural landscapes and the national tancho cranes at Kushiro marsh, an area worth visiting in all seasons. Relax for a couple of days in the hot-springs on the shores of Lake Akan, then head to Sounkyo Onsen in a national park filled with dramatic gorges and tumbling waterfalls. Cycle through gentle hills past fields of wild flowers, visiting art galleries and cafes in Biei, then finish in Sapporo; Hokkaido’s unique European-style capital.
Days 1-3: Tokyo
Depart from the UK and arrive in Tokyo, where you will be transferred to your hotel. The rest of the day is for you to explore at your own leisure. Tokyo is big and crowded and moves at hurtling speed. Blink and you’ll miss something, be it the latest fashion, hi-tech inventions or hip craze. But even though it might seem manic at times, Tokyo is one of the most efficient cities on the planet and has a public transport system unrivalled anywhere in the world for timeliness, cleanliness and coverage of the city. The next day, enjoy a full-day private tour with a local guide. You can discuss with them what you would particularly like to go and see (entrance fees to attractions are not included).
Day 4: Nikko
Take the early morning express train from Shinjuku Station to Tobu Nikko, set within a stunning national park. Visit the World Heritage Tosho-gu Shrine, with its vibrant colours and beautiful carvings. Nikko has been a place of pilgrimage for centuries, with many temples and shrines in the area. Travel higher up into the mountains to see Chuzenji-ko Lake and Kegon Waterfalls, where you can take gentle hikes to see stunning views and wildlife including monkeys. Return to Tokyo in the late afternoon.
Days 5-6: Hakone
Take the ’Romance Car’ train to Hakone Yumoto Station in the heart of the Hakone National Park, just south of famous Mt Fuji. The area is most famous for its multitude of hot-springs and consists of a handful of small villages and hamlets all connected by a variety of local transport. Travel around the area using your 2-Day Hakone Free Pass, which entitles you to use funiculars, cable cars, boats and mountain buses. There is plenty to see and do, from watching sputtering geysers, to taking a boat trip across beautiful Lake Ashi. Visit the outdoor sculpture park and Picasso Gallery and be sure to take the time to soak in one of the many therapeutic hot-spring baths here. From Hakone you have one of the best chances of getting a view of Mt. Fuji. Board your train to Tokyo, and from there transfer to Haneda Airport, for your onward flight to Kushiro on Hokkaido.
Day 7: Kushiro
Kushiro, which is well known as ’The Town of Mist’, is situated in the south-eastern part of Hokkaido on the coast. The town is famous for its marine products; sample these at the Kushiro Fisherman’s Wharf. To the north of the city lies Kushiro Tancho Nature Park, the site of the first successful artificial breeding of tancho cranes (Japanese cranes), which are sometimes used as a symbol for Japan. Pick up your hire car from the office at Kushiro Airport and drive onto Tsurui.
Days 8-9: Tsurui
Tsurui is a small town in the heart of rural Hokkaido. It doesn’t matter what time of year you visit, as the area has something for all seasons. In the spring the town blooms with delicate pink cherry blossoms and the nearby Kushiro Marsh, stretching a massive 183km square kilometres, is lush and green. This is the time of the year when the tancho, the rare Japanese red-crowned crane, fly back to the marsh in pairs to raise their new chicks. When summer arrives, the marsh is awash with colour, rich green foliage, deep blue rivers and subtle yellow flowers. In the autumn, the trees covering the surrounding mountains display an array of colours turning the mountainside orange, yellow and red, the farmers begin harvesting their golden crops and the cows produce the famous Hokkaido milk. In the winter, the cranes stand majestically against the sparkling snow. Explore this amazing natural place in the company of a local park ranger, birding expert and nature photographer.
Days 10-11: Lake Akan
Drive on to Yuku-no-Sato Tsuruga Hotel, which translates loosely as ’Village of Eternally Playing Graceful Cranes’. Situated right on the edge of Lake Akan, the hotel is famous for its hot-spring baths and is designed like a village, spread on several levels and including a cave-like room and an outdoor bath overlooking the lake. It also includes a whirlpool, hot and dry saunas and a rooftop hot-spring bath with 360-degree panoramic views. Enjoy two days here, relaxing and wandering around the beautiful Akan National Park.
Days 12-13: Sounkyo Onsen
Continue to Sounkyo Onsen, which lies at the foot of Mt. Daisetsuza, set in a national park containing a 12-mile long gorge decorated with spectacular cliffs and stunning waterfalls. Sounkyo is a great base for taking hikes around the area. Take the Sounkyo Ropeway, which will bring you within a one-two hour hike of the summit of Mt. Kurodake. There is also a large bathing complex here, containing hot-springs.
Days 14-15: Biei
Continue to Biei in Hokkaido’s heartland and be greeted by expansive fields of bright poppies and soft lavender. This tiny, cosy, quaint town is filled with artists’ galleries, workshops and coffee houses. Spend the day cycling around the gently undulating hills, past fields of crops and wild flowers, or stop to pick fruit at designated fruit picking farms. If you’re here in winter, try your hand at snowshoeing or cross-country skiing. We also recommend that you drive to Mt Asahidake and take the cable car to the top for some startling views across Daisetsuzan National Park.
Days 16-17: Sapporo
Drive to Sapporo, the capital of Hokkaido and Japan’s fifth largest city, with a population of around two million. Unlike other cities in Japan, Sapporo has a distinctly European feel with its spacious boulevards and wide open park space. The cosmopolitan city also has a big cafe culture, perhaps more reminiscent of Paris or Milan than Japan. You will have a full day to discover the highlights of this unique city.
Days 18-19: Tokyo
Drop your car back in Sapporo, before taking the train back to the airport for your onward flight to Tokyo. Spend your final night in Tokyo, before being driven to the airport for your onward/return flight.
Hokkaido & Honshu highlights itinerary map
To book, call 0845 643 6561
To book this travel offer, call one of our tailor-made travel experts now, quoting reference WEX102301.
Back to the top
