JAPAN 2020
Hokkaido Winter Festivals & Snow Monkeys Tour
This tour is fully booked
(the original & most comprehensive )
15 Days = 1 to 15 February, 2020
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Winter Festivals, Ice Sculptures, Snow Castles
This is the only escorted tour on the market that will take you to see Five Winter Festivals in Japan’s northern most island of Hokkaido …. Asahikawa Winter Festival; Sounkyo Ice Fall Festival; Lake Abashiri Ice Fishing, Monbetsu Winter Festival and the Sapporo Snow Festival. Additional ice sculptures will also be seen at Lake Akan Winter Festival.
Each destination has been chosen so that you will see the biggest variety of winter scenes including an international ice sculpture competition. You will see real igloos made of ice and ice castles illuminated from inside at night, beautiful scenes of nature, forests, mountains and marshlands covered in snow and you can even go walking on the frozen lakes.
Something for everyone
This is a small group escorted tour for those people who enjoy nature and want to do something completely different.
Take an Ice Breaker cruise through the drift ice from the port of Abashiri. Here resting on the floating bergs of pack ice in the Sea of Okhotsk, drifting down from the Arctic, you could see Northern Fur Seals andSteller`s Sea 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.
Unusual and just for fun events on this tour will be a steam train ride across the snow covered fields around Kushiro Marsh, try your hand at Ice Fishing on a frozen lake and go for a Snowmobile ride across a frozen lake. You will also visit the wood craft shops of the Ainu people of Hokkaido at Lake Akan, discover the historic relics of the ancient Ainu and see an amazing variety of fresh seafood on display at Kushiro Fish Market.
Bird watching , Nature & National Parks
February is an excellent month for bird observing of the Japanese Red-crowned Crane as well as Steller’s Sea Eagle, Whooper Swan and Bewick Swan .
We will be visiting Kushiro Marsh, a RAMSAR protected site, where local ornithology experts and members of the Japan Wild Bird Society will show us the best locations for birdwatching that day. Northern Pintails, Great Spotted and Japanese Pygmy Woodpeckers, White-tailed Eagle, Goldeneye and Harlequin Ducks could also be found as we look around various locations.
Mingle with the famous Snow Monkeys and take your own photos of these most photogenic primate families. We can even take your photo in the wild, with the Snow Monkeys.
We will also take you by Snowtrack personnel carrier on Mt Zao, to see the ‘Juhyo’ Snow Monsters – trees covered in snow, sculpted into form by moisture laden freezing wind.
Deluxe accommodation and private charter coach
Comfortable warm Hotels have been chosen for your enjoyment and Japanese Ryokans guarantee twin-share accommodation, traditional dining experiences, therapeutic spa baths and excellent locations. We have included a mixture of both Japanese style bedrooms with traditional futon beds as well as other nights in familiar western style hotels with regular beds. Whilst staying at our traditional Japanese style accommodation you can relax in the hot volcanic spring baths that are reputed to cure all ailments from muscle pain to insomnia. Take your camera to the open air baths, for a photo of yourself in the hot garden spa pool surrounded by snow.
Touring will be in a private charter bus even though we will only be accepting about 10 guests . Our private charter coach will take you beyond the reach of public transport. We will take you to wonderful picturesque and exciting places that other companies have never heard of.
Fine food, traditional Japanese cuisine, barbecues & buffet dinners
Breakfasts are included daily with a fine range of food from fresh cooked omelettes, sausage, bacon and fruit to cereal, toast and preserves. Try a selection of delightfully presented traditional Japanese dishes, miso soup, smoked fish, pickled vegetables and kelp with rice… just for a change.
Many dinners are included in this tour, with something different every night. In a private dining room with chandeliers reflecting on mirrored walls we enjoy an evening of Japanese French Cuisine. On other nights we enjoy a real charcoal barbecue, a Mongolian barbecue, traditional Japanese cuisine banquets and a buffet dinner with all the Spider Crab you can eat. Japan is a seafood lovers paradise.
Fully Escorted by the Japan travel experts who created this tour.
You will be accompanied throughout this tour by Mrs Mayumi Gray, your professional Japanese / English Translator and Tour Manager. Mayumi has led our last 13 successful Ice Festivals and Nature Tours, which attracted guests from UK, USA, NZ, Malaysia, Singapore and Australia.
For the past 25 years Mayumi has been researching new destinations, personally inspecting accommodation, designing, creating and operating this and other highly successful and popular tours to Japan.
All your transportation is pre arranged and Mayumi will be with you every day to make sure that you cannot get lost. Our private charter coach is the most efficient way for you to enjoy all these attractions in just nine days.
This tour is fully booked
Tour includes
- Escorted by an Australian / Japanese Tour Manager
- Touring in executive private charter coaches
- Traditional Spa Ryokans + Deluxe Hotels
- Meals listed as (B-Breakfast; D-Dinner)
- Daily breakfasts
- 11 Dinners
- Ice breaker cruise and steam train ride
- Five snow & ice festivals
- Three national parks
- Guaranteed Red-crowned Crane viewing
- Guaranteed Snow Monkey viewing
- Entry fees to all attractions listed
- Flight from Sendai to Sapporo on 5 Feb
- Flight from Kushiro to Tokyo on 13 February
- Compendium of maps and information
1 FEB 2020 – 15 FEB 2020
This tour is fully booked
Travel Insurance: It is a condition of travel on this tour that you possess appropriate comprehensive travel insurance.
Not Included: Additional sightseeing and entry fees, transfers, passport, excess baggage charges, laundry, tips, porterage, travel insurance, hotel service other than bed only, items of a personal nature, drinks and beverages.
Tour Changes: Modifications to the daily programme may occur due to weather, unforeseen circumstances, unexpected business commitments by our hosts or changes to accommodation, airline or other transportation schedules and equipment. Winter weather conditions in Japan are totally unpredictable with very heavy snowfall, blizzards, blue cloudless sky, bright sunny days, -17 to + 10 degrees C temperatures, blocked roads and closed airports.
This is NOT a common tourist bus tour, but a soft adventure of a lifetime. If you are not willing to accept whatever Japan presents to you, can not cope well with unexpected changes, have health problems or have dietary limitations, you might like to choose an alternative tour. By paying your money for this tour you are agreeing to accept these conditions.