From exploring the Sapporo Snow Festival and watching penguins waddle by in Asahikawa to cruising through drift ice in Abashiri and catching winter fireworks over Lake Akan, this Hokkaido Snow Festival tour adventure was filled with epic sights, delicious food, and cozy onsen moments. With stops at charming Otaru, the Ainu Museum, and plenty of shopping (plus a sweet visit to Royce’ Chocolate Town), we wrapped up our journey with unforgettable memories and bags full of Hokkaido treats!
Tour #1 Tour Managers: Delbert & Gale Nakaoka
Tour #2 Tour Manager: Andy Lau
Tour #3 Tour Manager: Lisa McKee
Travel Photo Gallery
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Group #1 at the Sapporo Snow Festival with Tour Managers Delbert and Gale Nakaoka.
Group #3 with Tour Manager Lisa McKee.
Sapporo Snow Festival sculptures
Tour managers Delbert, Gale, and Andy meeting up at the Grand Sapporo Hotel.
Grand Sapporo Hotel buffet
Grilled scallops
Tour Manager Andy Lau, enjoying the Hokkaido snow with Cindy and Chris!
We visited the Sapporo Central Wholesale Market and picked out “LIVE” crabs* from the tanks!
Then enjoyed our catch with a special kaisen don lunch (fresh seafood over rice).
Kaisen don
And the star, king crab!
Huge entire king crab legs for everyone!
Group #3 at Okurayama Observatory Chair Lift in Sapporo.
Group #1 at Okurayama Observatory Chair Lift.
On the way to Sounkyo, we stopped at the Sunagawa Highway Oasis, a shopper’s paradise.
Warming up with some ramen at the Asahikawa Ramen Village.
You can choose the type of ramen lunch you’ll have from one of eight ramen shops.
Otokoyama Sake Brewery
Dayne, Deanne and Joan at Otokoyama Sake Brewery.
Ready for a tasting of sake and other products.
We visited Asahiyama Zoo to observe the “Penguin Walk.”
The zoo’s penguins walk along a 500 meter snow covered walkway, a way for the zoo to keep the birds fit during the winter months.
Asahiyama Zoo
Asahiyama Zoo
Ice sculptures at the Asahikawa Winter Festival.
Having fun on the slides at the Sounkyo Ice Festival.
Sounkyo Ice Festival
Our hotel, Sounkyo Choyotei, up on the hill above the festival.
Delbert and Tammy at Mount Io in the snow.
Tour Manager Lisa McKee at Lake Kussharo Sunayu (Swan Lake).
Group #3 at Lake Kussharo Sunayu (Swan Lake).
Akan Mashu National Park
Learning to make ice cream with fresh Hokkaido
milk!
The finished product!
Susukino Ice Sculpture at the Sapporo Ice Festival.
BBQ dinner at
Asahi Beer Garden Hamanasukan.
Arriving at Lake Akan.
Just a little chilly!
All bundled up!
Getting ready for ice pond smelt fishing on Lake Akan.
Fishing for wakasagi
(smelt fish).
We caught some!
Andy's group caught 48 smelt!
A deer followed us to the building where we ate our tempura smelt.
Our local deer friend.
Ready for some smelt tempura.
Having lunch at the Ikeda Wine Castle.
We took the free shuttle to the Tokachigawa Swan Festival, a small but colorful venue.
Close up of the lights.
Ginga Ryusei
Waterfall in Sounkyo.
Enjoying Salt Caramel Ice Cream at the Okhotsk Ryuhyo Museum.
Ending the day with a dinner buffet at Hokuten No Oka Abashiri Tsuruga Hotel.
Before we headed out to Lake Shikotsu, we stopped by Tonkatsu Tamafuji.
The tonkatsu was outstanding!
Sides and sauces.
We arrived at the Lake Shikotsu Ice Festival and had nothing but blue skies!
The blue in the ice was gorgeous!
Chandelier in one of the ice caves.
Group #1 at the Lake Shikotsu Ice Festival.
Noboribetsu Jigokudani, Hell Valley
Group #3 all dressed up and ready for their dinner at Noboribetsu Daiichi Takimotokan Hotel.
Delicious buffet dinner!
Group #3 in front of the Otaru Canal.
Group #3 exploring more of Otaru.
Group #1 taking a pic at Grand Park Otaru.
Everyone enjoyed shopping in Otaru; Tanaka Sake factory, lunch at Sizzle and Royce.
Find more tours like this one on our Japan Hokkaido Snow Festival Tours page.
