An intrepid journey covering the three National Parks in Eastern Hokkaido. Experience the best of our outdoors, wildlife & culture on this multi-day guided hiking, canoeing & wildlife tour.
Hokkaido’s far east region is often described as the last unexplored frontier of Japan. The area is an ideal place to get in touch with mother nature and observe the flora and fauna unique to Hokkaido.
On this tour, we travel through all three National Parks found in eastern Hokkaido; the marshy Kushiro Shitsugen Wetland national park, Akan–Mashu - home to caldera lakes - and the wild Shiretoko Peninsula. The latter is also designated as a UNESCO Natural World Heritage Site.
During the journey, we will also introduce you to local treasures, including the cuisine enjoyed by local fishermen and the culture of Hokkaido's indigenous Ainu people, who have lived here in harmony with nature, surviving as hunter-gatherers, long before Japanese colonists arrived.
Visit Kushiro-Shitsugen National Park - home to the Red-crowned Crane, Akan–Mashu National Park - a land of lakes and volcanos, and Shiretoko National Park - a wild peninsula with a unique ecosystem.
Taking to the sea is the best way to search for wildlife that calls the Shiretoko National Park home.
The calm caldera lakes of Lake Akan and Lake Kussharo stand in stark contrast to their violent formation. We can still see volcanic activity in the area now.
Meet local Ainu and learn first hand how they use their knowledge of Hokkaido's flora passed down over generations.
Welcome to Hokkaido! Meeting in Kushiro city, we set off to Cape Kiritappu on Hokkaido's wild eastern coastline.
At the cape, we look for adorable sea otters playing in the waves below. During summer months (June-July), we might be lucky enough to spot baby otters resting on their mothers' tummies.
Our day ends in the coastal city of Nemuro where we enjoy a group dinner and learn more about our upcoming adventure.
We start our day gently with a peaceful canoe trip on Bettoga River, which flows into Lake Furen. As we paddle through wetlands and forest, we watch for local wildlife in this diverse ecosystem.
After lunch, we visit the Shunkunitai Sand Dunes and Lake Furen - both protected under the Ramsar Convention. This unique area is a haven for wild birds and features an unusual coastal spruce forest.
We return to Nemuro for a seafood dinner together in town.
After breakfast, we journey to Rausu on the Shiretoko Peninsula's eastern side, making a stop at Pogawa Historical Grassland for a scenic walk.
The highlight of our day is a thrilling whale-watching cruise from Rausu port. Thanks to the deep ocean trench offshore, we have excellent chances of encountering marine life including sperm whales, Dall's porpoises, and various seabirds.
We round off our day with a visit to Rausu's visitor centre to learn about the local ecosystem, before checking into our accommodation for a special dinner showcasing local ingredients.
We take a small fishing boat along the coastline, looking for Brown Bears foraging at the water's edge or up on the cliffs during our 2.5-hour cruise. After lunch in Rausu, we enjoy a short 1 km forest walk to Kumagoe Waterfall, or alternatively, relax in the locally maintained Kumanoyu Hot Springs overlooking Rausu River.
We drive through the scenic Shiretoko Pass to reach the other side of the peninsula. From here, we walk a gentle 2 km course through Shiretoko grasslands to view Furepe Waterfall from above, possibly spotting Japanese Deer and wild birds along the way. Our day ends with dinner at our accommodation in Utoro.
The Shiretoko Peninsula, surrounded by the Sea of Okhotsk, is a pristine National Park and UNESCO World Heritage Site. The peninsula's untouched wilderness is home to just 7,000 people in two towns, Utoro and Rausu, while the rest of the area provides a haven for diverse wildlife including Brown Bears, Japanese Deer, and Red Foxes.
Today, we explore this remarkable landscape on foot as we walk among the Shiretoko Five Lakes. The area is known for its brown bear population, and we aim to visit all five lakes, though bear activity may affect our route.
In the afternoon, we have free time to explore Utoro town or visit the Shiretoko World Heritage Centre before regrouping for dinner.
We travel to Kawayu Onsen, where a hot water river runs through the village centre. From here, we hike an easy 2.5 km trail to Mt. Io, an active volcano constantly releasing steam from its fumaroles. The mountain, called Atosanupuri ("naked mountain") by local Ainu people due to its bare slopes, offers spectacular views.
After visiting the Visitor Centre, we head to Lake Kussharo for a peaceful canoe journey down the Kushiro River to Biruwa Bridge. Keep an eye out for Grey Herons and Crested Kingfishers as we paddle through this pristine environment.
Our day ends at our woodland accommodation near Lake Kussharo, where we enjoy a meal and relaxing hot spring bath.
After enjoying breakfast and watching wildlife from our porch, we make our way to Lake Akan. We explore a protected forest trail leading to lake views and fascinating volcanic mud pools called bokke.
For lunch, we savour traditional Ainu cuisine at a local café.
In the afternoon, we join a local Ainu guide for a forest walk, learning about their folklore, culture, and deep connection with nature.
After dinner, we attend two performances at Lake Akan Ainu Kotan: a traditional show featuring ancient songs and dances, followed by a contemporary performance that blends traditional Ainu arts with modern elements to tell the story of Hokkaido's wolves.
We spend our final full day exploring the magnificent Kushiro-Shitsugen National Park. Starting at Cape Kirakotan, we enjoy special access to this protected sanctuary for a 5 km walk to the cape's tip. This pristine marshland, latticed with rivers and springs, offers chances to spot deer and the iconic Red-crowned Crane - first rediscovered here after being thought extinct.
After lunch in Tsurui village, we visit Onnenai's visitor centre to learn about the park before choosing a walking course ranging from 0.5 km to 3 km. The marsh trails showcase seasonal wildflowers and stunning autumn colours. We end our tour at our hotel in Tsurui, celebrating with a special farewell dinner in the hotel restaurant.
On our final morning, we meet for breakfast before heading to our tour end point at Kushiro City. Depending on your onward travel plans, we can drop you at either Kushiro Airport (from 9:00 am) or Kushiro Station (from 9:30 am).
“One of our favourite ever travel experiences.”
We can highly recommend the 9 Day Wildlife & Adventure tour for people with an interest in seeing the natural environment of Hokkaido. We were delighted to see bears, sea otters and sperm whales and an abundance of cranes flying overhead at both sunset and early morning. As well as a range of birds, chipmunks, deer and squirrels. Our guides Richard and Yuka were excellent, and we appreciated their local knowledge, enthusiasm and genuine interest in ensuring that all members of the tour had an enjoyable time. The tour logistics were faultless and allowed plenty of time at each stop for wildlife spotting and leisurely walking. We enjoyed the local hotels and varied fresh local food and were grateful that the guides were able to adapt our itinerary and reschedule our cruise when bad weather occurred. One of our favourite ever travel experiences.
This tour includes a series of active experiences that while easygoing will still allow you to experience the great outdoors and work up a bit of a sweat! Although not as active as some of our other tours, you will still need to make sure you have the right clothes and footwear to deal with possible changes in the elements and several hours on your feet. Your luggage will stay in our van, freeing you up to enjoy the day’s adventure with only a light day pack. There is also a focus on the region’s wildlife and you will have multiple chances to catch a glimpse at some of Hokkaido’s incredible creatures.