Best of Hokkaido and Tohoku

Don’t hesitate to contact us. We are an expert team and we are happy to talk to you. Among the Japanese, Hokkaido has become synonymous with sensational food, stunning scenery, and some of the best onsens in Japan. You will enjoy Sapporo, Hokkaido’s largest city, home to many fine restaurantes and host to the 1972 Winter Olympics. You will explore the morning market of Hakodate where you can have local specialties like crab, sea urchin, or squid prepared for you. Tohoku may share the main island of Honshu, but it is a world apart from the crowded and busy south. The mountain villages are more remote, the forests more untamed, the traditional onsens more secluded, and the people friendlier. Better yet, Samurai history lives on in Aizu Wakamatsu, a castle town with a long Samurai tradition. You will climb the 1,000 steps to Yamadera, a mountainside temple founded in the 9th century, and enjoy the natural beauty of Matsushima, ranked as one of the three most scenic spots in Japan. You will visit Nikko, one of the most elaborate shrines in Japan dedicated to the memory of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the first of the Tokugawa Shoguns who ruled Japan for more than 250 years. After clearing customs and immigration, you will be met at Tokyo’s Narita Airport by a Samurai Tours meeting staff member. They will then purchase a limousine bus ticket for you and help you board the bus to the hotel. After checking in, the evening is free. No meals are included. Travel: 1-1/2 Hours; Walking: Light After breakfast, we will travel to Tokyo’s Haneda airport and you will fly to Sapporo’s New Chitose Airport. We will then travel into Sapporo, the largest city on Hokkaido and the host of the 1972 Winter Olympics. After checking in, we will visit the JR Sapporo Tower where you will be able to get a bird’s eye view of Sapporo while also getting your bearings. In the evening, we will have dinner at the Sapporo Beer Garden, located next to the original Sapporo Beer Brewery where you can try the local specialty of grilled lamb, cooked yourself at the table. Breakfast at the hotel and dinner at a local restaurant included. Travel: 3 Hours; Walking: Light We start the day at the Nijo Fish Market where locals visit to shop for fresh local produce and seafood such as crabs, salmon eggs, sea urchin and various fresh and prepared fish. On our way to the market, we will walk along Odori Park, the venue for the world famous Sapporo Snow Festival held annually in early February. We will also walk along the Tanuki Shopping Arcade. The unique aspect of this mall is that you will find traditional merchants selling kimonos, tea or incense side-by-side with modern stores specializing in computers, software and state-of-the-art electronics. Next we will visit Susukino. Susukino is Japan’s largest entertainment district north of Tokyo. It is packed with stores, bars, restaurants, karaoke shops and pachinko parlors. We will end the tour with lunch at Ramen Yokocho, a narrow lane lined with shops serving Sapporo’s famous miso ramen. The afternoon and evening is free. Breakfast at the ryokan and lunch at a local restaurant included. Travel: 1/2 Hour;; Walking: Heavy Today we will take a day trip to Otaru which once thrived as a major trade and fishing port. We will start our tour by visiting the preserved Aoyama family villa, documenting the time when the herring industry played a major role in Otaru and Hokkaido’s history and development. After lunch, you will have some free time to explore the Canal area lined with Meiji period warehouses, and the Sakaimichi street with its Music Box Museum and Glass workshops. Breakfast at the ryokan and lunch at a local restaurant included. Travel: 1 1/2 Hours; Walking: Medium Before leaving for the day you will need to prepare your luggage to be transferred to Hakodate. You will travel to Noboribetsu and Hakodate with an overnight bag only. You will need to prepare your overnight bag for 3 days, 2 nights. First, we travel to the nearby city of Shiraoi where we will visit the Upopoy Ainu Village. Here we will learn more about the Ainu ,the foremost place in Japan to learn about the Ainu, the indigenous people of northern Japan. Later in the day we continue on to Noboribetsu Onsen, one of Japan’s most popular onsens, in the late afternoon. Breakfast and dinner at the ryokan included. Travel: 1 1/2 Hours; Walking: Medium This day is free to explore the Noboribetsu area. Enjoy the many hot springs or walk around the Jigokudani (Hell Valley) where you will find many steam vents, thermally heated pools, and small geysers. You may also just want to relax and enjoy one of the 17 separate baths at the ryokan. Breakfast and dinner at the ryokan included. Travel: N/A; Walking: TBD After breakfast, we will travel to Hakodate. Hakodate was one of the first cities in Japan open to foreigners after the Meiji Restoration. After arriving in Hakodate, we will visit Goryo-Kaku, Japan’s first western-style fort. Built in 1864 by