February is the best month for bird observing of the Japanese Red crowned Crane as well as Steller`s Sea Eagle.
We will be visiting Kushiro Marsh and the Shiretoko Peninsula area where local ornithology experts and members of the Japan Wild Bird Society will show us the best locations for birdwatching that day. We will also be given a slide show and informative talk on bird conservation in Hokkaido.
Four Winter Festivals will be visited on this tour in Japan`s northern most island of Hokkaido ;Asahikawa International Ice Sculpture Festival , Sounkyo Ice Fall Festival , Abashiri Drift Ice Festival, Sapporo Snow Festival.
Take an Icebreaker cruise through the drift ice along the Shiretoko peninsula. Here resting on the floating bergs of pack ice in the Sea of Okhotsk, drifting down from the Arctic, you will see numerous Northern Fur Seals and eagles on the lookout for a feed.
For any of our warm climate friends, this is a perfect opportunity for some great photos that nobody else back home will have.
All your transportation is pre arranged and your guide is with you all the way, to make sure that you cannot get lost. Your private charter coach and guide is the most efficient way for you to enjoy all these attractions in just nine days.
Tour Itinerary:
Day 1 - Morning flight to Sapporo, meet our private charter coach to start our tour by heading for Asahikawa. Here we find the International Ice Sculpture Festival, where teams from around the world compete to build the biggest and most outstanding art works.
Tonight we enjoy a Welcome Dinner at our western style hotel. Includes: (D).
Day 2 - Tour by our charter coach to visit Toma Cave, the largest limestone cave in Hokkaido, which contains some magnificent crystalline stalactites.
Continue onto Sounkyo Gorge in Daisetsuzan National Park. The 120 metre high "Milky Way" Falls and "Shooting Star" Falls freeze during winter resulting in similar structures to those in the limestone caves.
Tonight we stay at Sounyko Spa, in traditional Japanese style rooms and in the evening visit the Ice Fall Festival buildings, whose walls resemble the face of a frozen waterfall illuminated with coloured lights.
After your evening stroll around the ice festival you can return to your hotel and soak in the hot spring baths either inside your hotel or in the outdoor pool. Your dinner tonight will be a traditional Japanese banquet served in a tatami mat private dining room by ladies dressed in kimonos. Includes: (B), (D).
Day 3 - This morning we tour to the coast for two nights in the port of Abashiri. Here the Sea of Okhotsk is frozen in winter, with an endless carpet of pack ice drifting down from the Arctic.
Experience a cruise amongst these floating rafts of ice where it is usually a good opportunity to observe Northern Fur Seals, Kurile Seals and numerous sea eagles resting on the icebergs.
Traditional Japanese style accommodation for the next two nights. Includes: (B), (D).
Day 4 - Today we take you into the world’s first undersea observation chamber where you can watch the drift ice from underneath, as it passes by. You might also be surprised by the amount of active sea life in these freezing waters.
A wide screen theatre presentation will also show you some impressive scenes of this winter phenomenon. The remainder of your day is free to see the displays for the Abashiri Drift Ice Festival. Steller’s Sea Eagles can be easily seen around the town especially along the harbourside. Includes: (B), (D).
Day 5 - Your first stop today is at Lake Kussharo in Akan National Park where you have the option to enjoy a hot-sand bath, where the lakeshore sand is heated by steam coming up through vents from a nearby volcano.
Then we visit Lake Mashu reputed to have the world’s clearest water and Lake Akan famous for its balls of green moss "marimo" that rise and fall in the lake.
Today also we will visit a location where Japanese Cranes congregate during winter. Here we meet up with a local member of the Japan Wild Bird Society who will answer any questions you might have and show us the best places for observing their dance.
Stay in a western style hotel for the next two nights in Kushiro and tonight we go out to a charcoal barbecue restaurant for dinner. Includes: (B), (D).
Day 6 - Ride a genuine old steam train across the Kushiro snowfields. A great opportunity for some steamy photos.
Visit another wild bird observation site to see Whooper Swans and yet another location to see a flock of Japanese Cranes. Here too we might find White-tailed Eagles and various woodpeckers. Includes: (B), (D).
Day 7 - Depart Kushiro by "Super Ozoro" train following the coast then inland to Sapporo.
This afternoon you can enjoy the photogenic ice castles and carvings at the Sapporo Snow Festival. Previous year’s displays have included replicas of the Taj Mahal, Great Wall of China, the Pyramids and St. Paul's Cathedral. Tonight is our Farewell Dinner. Includes: (B), (D).
Day 8 - Transfer by charter coach to Sapporo’s Chitose Airport for your afternoon flight. Includes: (B).
Notes:
Airfare is not included in the tour price.
Price will fluctuate with exchange rates
Also see tour packages in:
Asia
Japan
Festival Tours
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