Japan Sapporo Snow Festival
Experience Overview
This exciting journey takes us to the far north of Japan where we make the most of the winter temperatures, taking an ice-breaker cruise in the Sea of Okhotsk before spending time admiring the incredible snow sculptures at the annual Sapporo Snow Festival. We also explore ultra-modern Tokyo and discover tranquil Zen gardens in ancient Kyoto.
Sapporo Snow Festival - Discover huge snow sculptures and impressive ice carvings
Kyoto - See the traditional side of Japan, stunning temples and immaculate Zen gardens
Hokkaido - Visit Japan's northernmost island in the heart of winter
Highlights
Discover Japan in the heart of winter and visit the Sapporo Snow Festival|Visit Japan's northernmost island of Hokkaido|Enjoy the highlights of modern Tokyo and iconic Kyoto in low season without the crowds
Trip Details
Product Code: 20484
Tour Type: Small Group
Accommodation: Moderate
Transport: BusBoatFlightTrain
Guide Language: English
Tour Operator:
Explore Worldwide
Supplier Code: JIF
Starts: Japan
Finishes: Japan
Duration: 11 days
Departures: Guaranteed
Physical Rating:
Easy
Includes
Explore Tour LeaderAccommodation
- The Kanzashi Tokyo Asakusa Hotel
- Nonky Land Higashimokoto
- Granbell Hotel Susukino
- Hotel Resol Hakodate
- Via Inn Prime Kyotoeki Hachijoguchi
Price
Price per person: (Double Occupancy) CAD $8,030 ($730 /day)
Itinerary
Arrive in Tokyo, the ultra-modern capital of Japan. For those arriving on time our Leader plans to meet you in the hotel reception at 6.30pm for the welcome meeting and for those that wish, there is the chance to go out for dinner. If some of the group are arriving on later flights then the main introductory briefing will be conducted on the morning of day 2 with everybody present. There are no activities planned today, so you are free to arrive in Tokyo at any time. Should you miss the welcome meeting, your Leader will inform you of any essential information as soon as you catch up. If you would like to receive a complimentary airport transfer today, you'll need to arrive into Haneda Airport (HND) or Narita Airport (NRT). The city centre is around an hour away from Haneda Airport and an hour and a half from Narita. You will be met in the Arrivals Hall, and transferred to the start hotel by public shuttle bus or private vehicle. The shuttle bus may stop at other hotels, before dropping you at the joining hotel.
It is said that over one quarter of Japanese live within a 50 km radius of the centre of Tokyo. The result is a bustling and exciting city, an economic powerhouse of Asia. Our first introduction to this unique culture is when we take a walking tour of the city highlights, using public transport to travel between neighbourhoods. Starting in Asakusa district we discover Senso-ji Temple which deserves to be high on any explorer's list. The oldest temple in the city, it is entered through the imposing Thunder Gate, flanked on either side by massive fierce statues of the gods of wind and rain. We then board a boat for a short journey along the Sumida-gawa river to the traditionally styled Hamarikyu gardens. The gardens are located in central Toyko and feature several seawater ponds which change levels as the tides rise and fall. This journey offers a totally different perspective of Tokyo, as we sail past high rise apartments, secluded gardens and busy warehouses. Next we visit Meiji Jingu - an important Shinto shrine dedicated to the deified spirits of the first Emperor and Empress of modern Japan at the end of Japan's feudal era. Its forested grounds offer a peaceful haven in this densely built-up city. Our final stop is Shibuya, known for one of the busiest crossings in the world Shibuya is a hub of up and coming fashion, technology and design in Tokyo with a variety of shops, museum and galleries to explore. The rest of the afternoon is left free and it is easy to return to Asakusa by metro or continue to the skyscraper district of Shinjuku.
This morning we leave the capital and after a transfer to Haneda Airport we take a flight to Abashiri, located on the Okhotsk Coast of the island of Hokkaido. The Ainu are a people indigenous to the lands of northern Japan, with a cultural background that differs from the prevailing Yamato Japanese. After landing in Abashiri we plan to visit the Museum of Northern Peoples to learn more about culture and traditional everyday life of the Ainu and other people that inhabit the northern, subarctic regions of the world. We drive from here the short distance to our hotel for the night. We include the luggage forwarding service today to ship our main bags to Sapporo which will arrive on day 5, so you will need to pack your day bag for two nights. Please refer to the Trip Information; Budgeting and packing; Luggage on tour section for more information.
Abashiri is Japan's northernmost major city located at 44 degrees north latitude. From mid-January to late March the waters here are covered in drift ice and we will be taking a short cruise through the Sea of Okhotsk to get to the main drift ice areas. With luck, a variety of wild animals can be seen including seals and sea eagles resting on the ice. From the ship you can also sometimes spot fox and deer on the coast. The boat ride takes about one hour in total depending on ice conditions. We catch a local bus to the train station where we spend the afternoon travelling by train to Sapporo, a scenic route with views across the snow covered landscape, with one change of trains along the way and arriving in the early evening.
We spend the full day exploring the annual Snow and Ice festival. The festival first began in 1950 but gained worldwide recognition in 1972 when Sapporo hosted the winter Olympic Games. We will see all of the main venues that have snow statues and ice sculptures including Odori Park, Tsudome dome and the main street in Susukino, Sapporo's entertainment quarter. We will also take time to stop at one of the many ice bars that pop up during the festival. In the evening there is an option to visit the Sapporo Beer Museum.
This morning we have some free time to further enjoy Sapporo and its surroundings. A great option is to take a bus to the Hill of the Buddha, a striking shrine which features a 13.5 metre high Buddha statue surrounded by an artificial hill covered with Lavender plants. In the afternoon we take the train to Otaru, a small town set along the Otaru Canal. The town is best known for the Snow Light Path festival when the snow-covered streets are decorated with small snow statues adorned with lights, particularly alongside the canal. We arrive slightly too early for the festival in 2024 but a walk around the town is delightful at any time. The town is also famous for fish and seafood and local dish you may like to try is kaisendon - seafood rice bowl. For those interested we can visit one of Otaru's famous beer halls, returning to Sapporo by train in the late evening.
Leaving Sapporo we take the train (4 hours) to Hakodate, located on the south-west corner of Hokkaido Island. Hakodate was one of the first ports to open to foreign trade in 1854 and as such has a distinct blend of Japanese and Western architecture. This afternoon we wander through Motomachi district, a neighbourhood favoured by the new foreign residents located at the base of Mount Hakodate, which gives an insight in to how the traders lived and how the cultures merged. In the evening we take a trip to Mount Hakodate for spectacular views down across the city. We include the luggage forwarding service today to ship our main bags to Kyoto which will arrive on day 9, so you will need to pack your day bag for two nights. Please refer to the Trip Information; Budgeting and packing; Luggage on tour section for more information.
Today is a day of travel as we make our way across Japan by train to Kyoto, the old Imperial capital. We will either depart at around 09.00 or 06.00 and the journey takes around 8 to 9 hours with a change of trains in Tokyo. It is a great opportunity to relax and take in the scenery and the high tech efficiency of Japan's wonderful rail system, complete with an undersea rail tunnel between Hokkaido and the main island. If time allows, you may choose to get up early to see traders in Hakodate's morning market selling fresh seafood that the island is famous for, such as crabs (kani) and sea urchins (uni). Kyoto is the cradle of all things uniquely Japanese and the only large city to escape bombing in WWII. It was the Imperial capital for more than 1000 years and was at the heart of the events that shaped Japan's destiny. Signs of the past are visible throughout the city in its grand temples and palaces and also the many traditional shops selling wares that have been produced for centuries.
Kyoto is regarded as the place to see everything you expect to experience in Japan, with more than 2000 temples and shrines, many set in manicured landscaped gardens. But it is also a modern city. We spend a full day, making use of public transport, to explore the city including a visit to the temple of the Golden Pavillion and Ryonji temple with its beautiful zen gardens. To take a break from the sites, and the cold outdoors, we have planned a private tea ceremony today to learn all about the culture around this practice.
Today is a free day to explore Kyoto at your leisure. You may wish to take a trip to nearby Nara, home to the Todaiji Temple, Big Buddha and the Kasuga Shrine. Your Tour Leader will be on hand to give you tips on where to visit and make the best of your time in this beautiful city.
The trip ends after breakfast at our hotel in Kyoto. There are no activities planned today, so you are free to depart from Kyoto at any time. If your flight is departing later in the day luggage storage facilities are available at our hotel, while you head out for some last minute shopping or sightseeing. If you would like to receive a complimentary airport transfer today, you need to depart from Kansai International Airport (KIX), which is around one and a half to two hours away, or Osaka International Airport (ITM) which takes around an hour.
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Tour Operator
Explore Worldwide
A prominent adventure travel company with over four decades of experience, this business that offers a comprehensive array of unique and thrilling experiences worldwide. Catering to various interests, they provide small group journeys, walking and cycling trips, solo holidays, and family adventures.
In Business Since 1981
Reviews
Anonymous - Traveled, February 2025
I wish to highly commend out tour leader. She made out trip and experience a joy. Always on call to assist. A very caring and loving person who went above and beyond for all.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 03/01/2025
Kathleen - Traveled, February 2025
This is a winter wonderland kind of trip. The beginning and end days are filled with beautiful scenery and cultural wonders as you tour Japan’s two great cities. The days spent on the northern island of Hokkaido are magical as you travel by plane, train, bus, subway and foot in snow covered landscapes. Sapporo’s snow and ice sculptures are an amazement, complete with nightly light shows. This trip is a do not miss for any traveler, dress warm and have the time of your life.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 03/03/2025
Anonymous - Traveled, February 2025
Very good trip exploring Hokkaido as part of Sapporo Snow festival. Guide Hendrik very personable and happy to assist where required, flex the itinerary and add in additional things where time permitted. The snow and ice statues and carvings were very impressive, make sure you have warm clothing as it gets cold!
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 03/05/2025
Anonymous - Traveled, February 2025
Zilola our leader was always helpful and quickly gave us alternative and extra options when the weather meant that the itinerary had to be changed. Personally we could not praise her enough for her boundless enthusiasm and skill with the language.There was an issue when one member of the group failed to board a train ,overhearing the phone conversation I think she could have handled it better initially. Keeping the group together at busy stations the old fashioned hand held flag may have helped or in this day and age a digital communication device. We enjoyed the Snow Festival very much and all the wonderful food experiences. Japan is a fantastic country to travel around by train, we were so lucky to get a perfectly clear view of Mt Fuji from the Shinkasen. There was enough time on the trip to do some solo exploring and we really enjoyed Higashi Honganji temple and Shosei-en garden in Kyoto. They were both amazingly tourist free and we would recommend them to others on the trip as a great walking route from the hotel we stayed in. As first time visitors to Japan we loved every moment and cant wait to go back.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 03/03/2025
Diane - Traveled, February 2025
A great tour of Japan in the Winter covering lots of amazing places and insights into Japanese culture. Good to visit ahead of the cherry blossom crowds. The Sapporo Snow Festival was a real highlight.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 03/06/2025
Thomas Prior - Traveled, February 2025
Magical itinerary made possible by the warmth, patience and skills of Zilola. Her love for Japan comes through in her enthusiasm for the visits and experiences. Thank you ??.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 03/06/2025
Anonymous - Traveled, February 2025
I enjoyed every minute of this trip. The Explore leader even volunteered to take us on extra walks in down time so we saw even more.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 03/07/2025
Ian - Traveled, April 2024
The experience of travelling in snowy Hokkaido in the winter with the magical Sapporo Ice Festival, icebreaker cruise in the far north, travel by train through the snowy landscapes and towns of the north, learning about the cultures of Hokkaido and the bullet train north to south were all high points for me.. Also a revisit to dynamic unique and intriguing Tokyo and beautiful historic and serene Kyoto covered places and experiences I’d previously not encountered. Our guide David Lam was very knowledgeable, well organised, personable and able to tweak the schedule to meet the groups needs and wants.. This allowed us being able to visit different places to eat, drink and sightsee and maximise the time we had in each area as well as really experiencing, understanding and living Japanese culture in each area.. A highly recommended and very special trip!
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 05/15/2024
Niall - Traveled, May 2024
This was an excellent trip that explored the top of Japan down to the cultural centre in Kyoto. Snow, ice, lights, food, local traditions and cultures at the start followed by a trip across Japan to spend time in Kyoto and the surrounding towns and cities. It all started in Tokyo with a tour of the key sights, temples and eateries. A short flight north to see the frozen north, spend time on an ice breaker, gain insight into the cultural aspect of the northern people of the globe as well visit to the local jail...tough living in the frozen north. A train ride down via snow-covered hills and valleys to end up in an equally snow-laden Sapporo complete with snow structures and ice carvings. The Snow Festival is a huge attraction and well worth it. As we departed the northerly climes, we got a taste of the sea and chance to visit important settlements. Bullet train back down the length of Japan to Kyoto where we spent time visiting the cultural side of Japan with early cherry blossom. More to the area than just Kyoto including the must-see Uji and Nara towns and an evening in the throng of Osaka. The trip would not have been possible without the knowledge, guidance and food-a-holic skills of the guide David Lam. We were a small group which allowed for access to smaller eateries off the tourist routes with fantastic choices. David was fantastic and a real credit to the Explore team. The wide range of vistas on this trip made it for us...truly fantastic trip and a big thanks goes to Explore and the brains behind the itinerary.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 05/28/2024
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