Lake Toya To The Sea Of Japan 4 Day Cycling Tour Tour Information

Rural cycling around Lake Toya

What Is Included?#

Included in the Tour

  • 3 nights accommodation on twin share basis

  • 3 breakfasts & 3 dinners

  • Rental bike (hybrid with flat handlebar or road bike with drop bar handle)

  • Other bike accessories

  • All transport as described in the itinerary

  • Snacks and refreshments

  • English speaking local guide(s)

  • Spare parts and mechanic services

  • Support vehicle(s)

Not Included in the Tour

  • Airfare

  • Lunches

  • Travel insurance

  • Personal expenses

  • Drinks with included meals

Gear#

Essential Gear#

  • High visibility cycling clothing

  • Padded cycling shorts - Your bum will thank you

  • Waterproof cycling jacket

  • Fleece jacket or similar in case of cold weather

  • Sunscreen

  • Sunglasses or clear glasses - There are lots of bugs in Hokkaido

  • Cycling water bottle - We provide holders

  • Personal medication

  • Eco-friendly shopping bag and other reusable items to reduce single-use plastic waste

  • Travel insurance

  • Passport - It is a requirement for accommodation providers to photocopy the passport of international visitors.

  • Cash in Japanese yen - Small restaurants and shops in rural parts of Japan do not accept credit cards. Lunch in general costs 1,000-1,500 yen and dinner 2,000-3,000 yen. You can withdraw cash from ATMs at post offices and 7-eleven convenience stores.

Gear We Provide#

  • Rental bike, a road bike or a hybrid bike of your choice

    • E-bikes are available for an additional charge of ¥10,000

  • A helmet if needed. It is compulsory to wear one on our tour.

  • Gloves if requested

  • Front bag for hybrid bikes (8L volume), or seat post bag for road bikes (6L volume)

  • Spare tube, tyre levers, multi tool, pump, and flat patches

  • All the bikes are equipped with front and rear lights, and cycle computers

  • Support vehicle

  • Water and snacks

  • First aid kit

Tour Area & Access#

How do I get to the start of the tour?#

On the first day of the tour, we will meet at 9:30 am at JR Toya Station or 10:00 am at your hotel in the Lake Toya Onsen village. There is a direct train departing from Sapporo Station at 7:30 am and arriving at JR Toya Station at 9:22 am.

The closest airport to Sapporo City is New Chitose Airport (CTS), from which the Rapid Airport Express departs every 15-20 mins for Sapporo (takes just under 40 mins, costs JPY 1,150 per person). It is recommended that you arrive in Sapporo the day before the tour starts and in this case, we are more than happy to assist you with booking your pre-tour accommodation.

On booking, please let us know your travel plans to Lake Toya, and we will confirm in detail where and what time we will meet you on the first day.

You can search train timetables in English on Japan Transit Planner website .

On Tour#

Is there a support vehicle on this tour?#

Yes, there is. We will provide a vehicle to support cyclists and carry water, snacks and any other items needed for cycling. If you need to stop cycling at any point during the day, you are welcome to take a rest in the support vehicle. Please be aware that the number of seats may be limited depending on the size of the group and the vehicle we use. Please be aware that in mixed groups, the van cannot be used to transport non-cycling guests.

Do I need to carry my luggage when cycling?#

We load all of our overnight gear into the support vehicle that travels with us - so you don't need to ride loaded with all tour luggage. However, we provide small handle bar or seat bags (depending on bike type) for you to store your daily necessities such as spare snacks, jacket and camera.

What happens if the weather is bad during the tour?#

While we try to organise everything, mother nature is out of our control. If the weather is too bad to safely cycle, such as a typhoon or sudden storm, we will travel the route in our support vehicle. Along the way we will still stop at local restaurants and visit indoor facilities, so you can still experience the charm of the area while travelling safely and comfortably.

Booking & Payment#

How do I book this tour?#

We will send you a link to our online booking form, where we ask for the travel information of all the members travelling with you. 

Once we receive this, we will send you an invoice for your tour deposit, which is JPY 50,000 per person. We will confirm your booking upon receipt of your deposit payment.

The deposit is treated as a part of the tour price. Payment of the balance will be reminded by email, which is generally 30 days prior to the tour departure date.

We can accept payment via wire-transfer from local banks in a number of countries including but not limited to the US, UK, Australia, and Singapore. Payment will be made in your own currency via Wise (Wise’s transaction fees will apply).

For credit card payment, we use Flywire, which will incur an additional transaction fee of 1.5%.

By paying for a deposit or full amount, you confirm that you have read, understand and agree to these Terms and Conditions .

What Is Your Cancellation Policy?#

Our general cancellation policy is shown as below.

  • Cancelled more than 21 days prior to departure: Zero fees

  • Cancelled between 20 days and 8 days prior to departure: 20% of the Tour Price

  • Cancelled between 7 days and 2 days prior to departure: 30% of the Tour Price

  • Cancelled 1 day prior to departure: 40% of the Tour Price

  • Cancelled on the day of departure: 50% of the Tour Price

  • No refunds will be given after the tour has commenced

In addition, refunds will be given if travel becomes impossible due to government-imposed restriction of movement.

For further details, we recommend you read our refund and cancellation policy in more detail on our  Terms and Conditions page . Feel free to contact us at  info@adventure-hokkaido.com  if you have any additional questions.

How far ahead should I book this tour?#

Japan remains a popular travel destination and it is not unusual for accommodation in peak seasons to be booked out up to a year in advance. So, the sooner the better! Generally speaking, we ask for you to book 10 - 12 months in advance if you are looking at a custom departure. For scheduled departures, we make our dates available from up to a year in advance. If we feel that your date is too close for us to realistically put a trip together to the standard we pride ourselves on, we will let you know at the time of enquiry and will do our best to suggest alternative travel dates.

What is the minimum group size for this tour?#

This is a mixed group tour and we accept bookings from one person up . However, our scheduled group tours require a minimum number of bookings for us to guarantee the departure of the tour, and to offer the tour at the price quoted. The minimum number of booked guests to guarantee the tour is three people .

If you book with less than three people, we will hold your place on the tour and wait for another group to join the tour. If the number of guests has not reached the minimum number by 30 days prior to departure, we will give you the option to cancel or to upgrade to a private departure. 

If you choose to cancel, we will refund the amount you have paid us. You’re welcome to check with us at any time about the status of bookings. 

Please be advised that we will not be liable to compensate for any inconvenience or incidental expenses that might have incurred to you, including airline tickets.

Can I book a single room?#

Our tours are priced on a twin share basis. Those travelling by themselves will need to pay an additional supplement for use of a single room. If you enter the number of guests in your group and rooms you need, the dates and prices form will calculate the price for your group.

I am a solo traveler, can I share a room with someone else?#

Our tours are priced on a twin share basis and those travelling by themselves will need to pay an additional supplement for use of a single room. If you are happy to share a room with another guest - of the same gender - then let us know at the time of booking. If we match you with another solo traveller then we can discount the single supplement for both of you.

Can you organise a custom departure for this tour?#

Custom departures based on one of our pre-arranged scheduled tours is something that we can arrange, provided that we have guides available for your travel dates. The earlier it's planned the higher chance we can secure guides and our favourite accommodations for you. Requests made at least 10-12 months prior have a good chance of being accepted successfully, while 6 months prior is too late for peak seasons like August or February.

Travel & Safety#

Do I need travel insurance?#

Absolutely! This is a must for all travellers joining our tours. Please make sure you have a valid travel insurance, covering the kind of activities you are undertaking during our tour, cancellations, loss of personal belongings, and any unforeseen circumstances while travelling. We will require the details of your travel insurance provider such as the name, policy number and phone number prior to the commencement of the tour.

If you're a Japanese citizen and on Japan's national health insurance scheme, we can mitigate our insurance requirement, although we still strongly recommend that you have flight cancellations and related expenses covered by some kind of insurance. Often your credit card provider can offer this coverage.