Private Summer Cycling Tour: The Best of Hokkaido’s Outdoors

DAY

Chitose Airport - Minami Furano

Welcome to Hokkaido! Meet your driver and start your outdoor adventure at Lake Shikotsu, shining brightly as the clearest lake in Japan for 8 years consecutively. Climb into a boat to enjoy the clarity further. Enjoy a buffet lunch by the lake and dip your feet into a footbath for further relaxation. With good food, calming sights and the foot bath, you are sure to feel refreshed after your flight. In the afternoon, make your way to Minami Furano, check in to your hotel and unwind with a Western Course Dinner at a Log Hotel surrounded by rich green.

DAY

Minami Furano - Furano

Check out and get ready for a thrilling ride! Ride through the forests of Minami Furano on a mountain bike with a nature guide to teach you about Hokkaido’s unique charms. Enjoy lunch at a local restaurant, and drive to Sahoro, where you get the chance to meet real Hokkaido bears, very up close and personal! You’ll be surprised to see how massive these powerful animals are. Continue your drive to Furano, and check in to your hotel. Feel free to explore the popular Ningle Terrace wooden shops that offer local handcrafted souvenirs. Eat dinner and rest at your hotel.

DAY

Furano

Check out of the hotel and drive to Miyama Pass for a great view of Hokkaido landscape. Start your downhill bike ride here, and wind through Furano’s hills, up and down through the colorful plains with an instructor at ease. You might be tempted to stop pedaling to take postcard-perfect photos along the way! Park your bike at a local restaurant for lunch, and continue your ride to visit the popular Farm Tomita for sweets at Furano Delice café. Drop off your rental bikes and head back to the hotel for dinner.

DAY

Furano - Sounkyo

From Furano, your next stop is Biei, to visit the mysterious Blue Pond. If the weather is favorable, you can see the bright glow of blue shining from the lake clearly. The contrast of the white birch against the blue is stunning. From Biei, we take you to Asahikawa for some lunch, and to Asahiyama Zoo for some fun with the animals! The zoo is famous nationwide and worldwide, as the local guide will be happy to share with you why. After meeting animals from Hokkaido and around the world, rest on your way to Sounkyo, an area famous for Onsen! Take a dip in the natural hot springs and enjoy dinner at your hotel. Rest well, as tomorrow is another big biking day!

DAY

Sounkyo - Saroma

Drive to Saroma through mountains and forests, stopping at two small waterfalls along the way for some fresh air. After lunch, get ready for a long biking adventure along the Okhotsk Sea! Enjoy 40.3km of lake and Oceanside scenery by road bike with an instructor to lead the way. This is definitely one of the highlights of this trip. Check in to your hotel for a great relaxing dinner, and enjoy a public Onsen inside to relax after your rest, you’re sure to sleep well tonight!

DAY

Saroma - Shiretoko

Today, we are excited to take you to the National Heritage Site, Shiretoko! Step in to wild nature, and learn about the beauty of Hokkaido’s untouched sights. A guide will take you to the Shiretoko Five Lakes, and area you need special permission to walk through. After a day of beautiful sights, definitely another major highlight of the trip. This is the true nature of Hokkaido! Rest at another relaxing Onsen hotel for the night.

DAY

Shiretoko - Nakashibetsu Airport

It’s your last day, but we made sure to keep it exciting in Shiretoko! Hop on to a Wild Bear Watching Cruise to see Hokkaido bears in their real outdoor habitats. This is truly a rare sight, you can feel the power of wildlife and be moved by the untouched greens of the north. The cruise will take you to Rausu for lunch. But that’s not all: one more stop in nature before you go, through the Notsuke Peninsula. Next stop is our last, the Nakashibetsu airport where you can fly to your next destination. We hope you could feel closer to the true nature of the north!