Local Experiences, Food, and Summer Scenery in Eastern Hokkaido for Families

ITINERARY HIGHLIGHTS

1. DAY

   01

   New Chitose Airport - Tomamu

   Welcome to Hokkaido, Japan’s northernmost island!

   Start your family adventure by enjoying some seasonal local activities such as strawberry picking, loved by both children and adults. On the way to your first destination together with your personal driver, you can rest your eyes watching the brilliant green scenery of Hokkaido’s early summer. There is a pleasant surprise just around the corner, just wait and see!

2. DAY

   02

   Tomamu - Tomamu

   Heavenly Sea of Clouds

   
   Good morning Hokkaido! On the second day of your private summer tour, we hope to show you and your family something very special: a unique natural phenomenon called “sea of clouds”. The probability to witness this breathtaking early morning scenery is not very high, so it is recommended to stay for two nights to be sure you don’t miss out.
   During the day you can explore the local lifestyle. Extremely fresh local goods are so essential to the Hokkaido way of life, that the locals take them seriously. To get an insider’s look at the Hokkaido food scene, how about a visit to a dairy farm? You can try out milking a real cow and making butter out of fresh milk with your own hands!

   Local gourmet: dairy products of Hokkaido

   – Hokkaido is famed across Japan for its high-quality dairy products. The prefecture is responsible for approximately half of the country’s milk production!
   – Hokkaido is an excellent location for dairy industry because of its cool weather, relatively sparse population and vast farm areas especially in the Tokachi area of the island.
   – Famous dairy products include milk, ice-cream, cheese, butter and various baked goods making use of fresh Hokkaido milk.

3. DAY

   03

   Tomamu - Akan

   Countryside Landscapes of "the Breadbasket of Japan"

   
   Couldn’t get enough of the mouth-watering Hokkaido goods yesterday? Fret not: as the journey continues towards the east, you will be driving through an area known as “the breadbasket of Japan”. For today’s lunch you will enjoy a delightful farm picnic. You can walk among wheat fields while listening to the wind blowing in the tall grass, and enjoy tasting some freshly made local bread. Now we are talking! This day will be full of local delicacies and countryside sceneries such as Tokachi fields and Naitai Plateau Ranch.

   Hokkaido culture: Naitai Plateau Ranch

   

   – Naitai Plateau Ranch (since 1972) is the largest farm in all of Japan.
   – This flourishing 1700-hectare farming area, that is open for the public, is owned by Kamishihoro town.
   – In the Naitai Plateau Ranch area you can appreciate the freely wandering cows and enjoy some delicious Hokkaido dairy products, such as fresh ice-cream made of local milk.

4. DAY

   04

   Akan - Abashiri

   Family friendly river canoeing in a national park

   
   Following the vast countryside sceneries, let’s explore some of Hokkaido’s wonderful outdoor activities. You can take part in a family friendly upstream canoeing activity with a local nature guide. The relaxing adventure starts from beautiful Lake Kussharo in Akan Mashu National Park. This slow but steady clear stream allows you to just sit and enjoy the ride, watching the sceneries and enjoying good company without much work having to paddle.
   After this soothing nature adventure and a car transfer, the youngest travelers will still have some energy left. Later in the day you can pay a visit to Okhotsk Chipmunk Park close to Abashiri. The kids will love giving treats to these charming little fellows that run free around the area.

5. DAY

   05

   Abashiri - Engaru

   Veggie harvesting and a lunch at a local vegetable farm

   By now you already know the drill: in Hokkaido you’ll never be far away from fresh local produce. Today’s highlight will be a visit to a local vegetable farm. The warm and friendly locals will let you and the family help them with some early summer harvesting. The fresh vegetables picked by your own hands will be part of today’s healthy and tasty lunch. The main dish is decorated sushi, a fun and tasty activity that allows children and adults alike to set their artistic imagination free.
   And while you are here in East Hokkaido, be sure to visit the sea. At Cape Notoro you can enjoy a breathtaking view of the Sea of Okhotsk here at the farthest end of East Asia and the children are allowed to run and play around all they want!

   Accommodation: Maure Villa

   

   – A European-style resort hotel surrounded by nature.
   – Newly renovated interior with cozy atmosphere and fascinating details.
   – Excellent natural hot springs full of minerals. There is an outdoor “rotenburo” where you can enjoy gazing under clear skies from the bath.
   – Traditional Japanese “kaiseki” dinner with high quality local ingredients will be served.

6. DAY

   06

   Engaru - Engaru

   Walking with cows and making delicious parfaits

   Today you will have a chance to peek behind the scenes of a local family-run dairy farm. Your adventure starts with riding to the top of a hill in an open truck. Here you’ll find a grassy pasture surrounded by beautiful mountain scenery. At the summit, one of the brothers owning the farm will show you how to call the cows.
   When the cows understand it’s milking time, they will start strolling back home and you can join them for a leisurely parade down the hill. If anyone of you is not that comfortable with walking, don’t worry: it is also possible to return back down with the truck. Afterwards, you will also be making some sweet and delicious parfaits out of the fresh local milk!

7. DAY

   07

   Engaru - Asahikawa

   Making traditional “mochi” rice cakes with a local rice farmer

   
   Before returning to the city, let’s have a good look at the serene Hokkaido landscapes among the light green early summer rice fields. Rice is an inseparable part of the Japanese diet There are many different rice varieties, some of which are used exclusively for rice cakes. Today you will try a fun and traditional method of making “mochi” rice cakes by pounding steamed rice with a giant wooden hammer.
   This local rice farmer has also noticed that left-over rice straws can be turned into imaginative handicrafts. You will be spending some quality time with this charming personality, making a real Made in Japan souvenir. The kids may even make new friends as they play with the household’s youngest members.

8. DAY

   08

   Asahikawa - Sapporo

   Fun day at Asahiyama Zoo

   While in Asahikawa, Hokkaido’s second largest city, you must visit the famous Asahiyama Zoo! There are polar bears, penguins, tigers, wolves and hippos among many other fascinating animals. This zoo is famous all over Japan for the innovative ways in how the animals can be observed and appreciated from different angles in areas that are as close to their natural environment as possible. And before heading to Sapporo, you should also have some local ramen noodle soup at Ramen Village, a charming collection of ramen restaurants found in Asahikawa.

9. DAY

   09

   Sapporo - New Chitose Airport

   Enjoy local festivals in Sapporo

   Today marks the last day of your private East Hokkaido family tour. Before your private airport transfer, you can enjoy some free time, shopping and sightseeing in Hokkaido’s largest city Sapporo.
   And hey: June is also the season of various local festivals, such as Yosakoi Dance Festival, Sapporo Flower Festival and Hokkaido Shrine Festival, so if your timing is right, you can fun immersing in the atmosphere of Sapporo’s early summer festivities!