Hokkaido Winter Wildlife 8 Day Photography Tour

We meet at 6:00 pm at our hotel near JR Abashiri Station. After introductions and a programme briefing, we head into downtown Abashiri for dinner. If you're new to winter conditions, we'll teach you how to walk safely on icy surfaces with our penguin-walking technique! After dinner, there's time to prepare your photography equipment for tomorrow's adventures.

After breakfast at our hotel, we travel to Lake Tofutsu, a Ramsar Site just outside Abashiri. This wetland attracts migrating Whooper Swans travelling south from Siberia, offering our first chance to photograph wildlife in Hokkaido's winter conditions.

We collect a picnic lunch before heading south to Lake Kussharo for closer encounters with the swans. Weather permitting, we stop at Bihoro Pass for stunning aerial views of the lake and landscape photography opportunities.

Lake Kussharo is Japan's largest caldera lake. In winter, the surface freezes except where hot spring water warms the shoreline sand. The swans gather at these thermal spots for a warming soak, creating excellent photography conditions.

We finish the day at our accommodation in Kawayu Onsen, where you can relax and enjoy the natural hot springs.

After breakfast at our inn in Kawayu Onsen, we travel east towards Lake Furen. Weather permitting, we detour to Lake Mashu for eagle photography and stunning lake views. We may also visit Suigo Park in Teshikaga town, a winter gathering spot for Whooper Swans and smaller bird species.

After lunch, we arrive at Lake Furen, a brackish coastal lake where migratory swans rest. The frozen surface hosts traditional ice fishing—practised here for over a century. Birds of prey gather to feed on fish remnants, whilst Red Foxes and Japanese Deer often appear nearby.

We reach Yoroushi Onsen before dark, where you can relax, edit photos or enjoy the hot springs before dinner.

After dinner, we have the chance to photograph Blakiston's Fish Owls. The world's largest owl species, revered by the Ainu as guardian of the village, occasionally visits the river behind our lodging to feed. Whilst sightings aren't guaranteed, the hotel's comfortable viewing lounge offers large windows for indoor photography. Bring a CPL filter to reduce window reflections.

Our accommodation features bird feeders and food platforms, so keep your camera ready during breakfast for bonus wildlife photography opportunities!

After breakfast, we head to the Notsuke Peninsula, a Ramsar site and sand spit extending into the Nemuro Strait. This unique ecosystem hosts Japanese Deer herds crossing the frozen surface, Red Foxes, Steller's Sea Eagles and White-tailed Eagles. We spend the afternoon photographing here with a lunch break at Notsuke. As light fades, we photograph deer silhouetted against the orange sky. At dusk, we may spot Short-eared Owls and Ural Owls before departing for our accommodation in Rausu Shiretoko, a prosperous fishing town close to the breeding sites for a number of special birds.

We depart before dawn for a nature cruise among the ice floes to photograph White-tailed Eagles and the majestic Steller's Sea Eagle. Our small charter boat brings us eye-level with these incredible birds and close to the drift ice. The 90-minute cruise is exposed with no shelter, so warm layers are essential. The cruise may be cancelled due to weather or ice conditions—we'll try again tomorrow if needed.

After breakfast at our accommodation, there's time to explore Rausu or rest. We can optionally revisit the Notsuke Peninsula (one hour drive) for different wildlife photography opportunities—conditions and time of day create new chances compared to our previous visit. We return for dinner at our accommodation.

This evening offers an optional visit to a nearby Blakiston's Fish Owl observatory (¥4,000 entry fee, paid independently). Owl appearances aren't guaranteed and entry times are strictly regulated. The observatory opens just before sunset, meaning you'll miss tonight's included dinner and need to arrange your own meal later.

We have a second early morning opportunity to photograph Steller's Sea Eagles on the ice floes. This cruise serves as a backup if yesterday's was cancelled. You may opt out if you're satisfied with your photos (no refund available).

After the cruise and breakfast, we check out and travel to Tsurui, our final destination. This area is famous for its successful Red-crowned Crane recovery, with over 1,200 birds now thriving in the region.

We visit the Ito Tancho Sanctuary in the afternoon to photograph the cranes and observe their magnificent courtship dances. The sanctuary provides winter feeding to support conservation efforts, and we time our visit to coincide with afternoon feeding when the cranes are most active. After spending a good few hours at the crane sanctuary, we head to our lodging for dinner and rest before tomorrow's early start.

We begin early at a local bridge where photographers gather to capture Red-crowned Cranes as they wake and take flight from their riverside roost. In the first light, we may also spot owls, eagles, and deer. Dress warmly—conditions are similar to the eagle cruise.

Depending on the day’s weather conditions, we may follow the cranes to Ito Tancho Sanctuary. On sunny mornings, their red crests flare brilliantly, offering spectacular photo opportunities. On cloudy days, we return to the hotel for breakfast before heading back to the sanctuary to photograph at leisure.

After lunch, we remain alert for final photography chances—Ural Owls and cranes flying to roost. If you're satisfied with your shots, you can return to your accommodation early. Tonight, we celebrate our tour with a final dinner together.

We start our final morning with one last photography session at Otowa Bridge to capture the Red-crowned Cranes.

After breakfast at our lodging, we make the journey to Kushiro City where our tour concludes. Drop-offs are available at either Kushiro JR Station or Kushiro Airport between 10 am and 11 am.