Hokkaido’s Autumn Foliage 2020
October 22nd -30th, 2020
7nts/9days fr: $2995 dbl/tpl $3395 single
Colorful autumn leaves, known as koyo in Japanese, draw just as many visitors in autumn as the cherry blossoms do during spring. The viewing of autumn leaves has been a popular activity in Japan for centuries.
There’s no better time to appreciate nature than autumn, when the hills are set ablaze with trees making their slow transition into winter. Get yourself front row seats to nature’s wildest show as she decorates the land in an explosion of glimmering gold, burnt-orange, and blood-red.
The Hokkaido Autumn Foliage Tour offers you the very best of Northern Japan’s spectacular fall season. It’s all included, daily sightseeing, two onsen stays, two sake breweries, and Otaru, the bustling merchant port in its heyday.
But, it doesn’t end quite yet as we have included three nights in Sapporo at the Century Royal Hotel, the best spot to call home. Besides touring, enjoy a complete free day to shop and sightsee on your own.
Itinerary/Details
Day 1 – October 22nd, 2020 Thursday – Depart from Honolulu
Hawaiian Airlines #441 Departs Honolulu 1:10pm – Arrive Chitose 5:00 pm + 1
Meet up with your Panda Travel representative at the Hawaiian Airlines international check-in counters located in Terminal 2, Lobby 4 a minimum of 3 hours prior to the flight departure time. After clearing security, you will meet up once again at the gate area.
Day 2 – October 23rd, 2020 Friday – Chitose
On arrival in Chitose, please make your way to the baggage claim area. Free luggage carts are available. We suggest that you use one as once we exit the customs area there is a short walk to our hotel, the Air Terminal Hotel which is located right on the airport grounds. Our local English speaking guide will be waiting on the group.
After checking in, enjoy free time to explore the airport area. There are so many dining options available to you and most stay open until 8pm. This airport also offers excellent shopping for local Hokkaido products.
Accommodations: Air Terminal Hotel Free
Day 3 – October 24th, 2020 Saturday – Chitose – Noboribetsu (B/D)
After breakfast, please meet your guide by 8:00am for a full day of touring and late afternoon arrival in Noboribetsu, one of Japan’s most unique hot spring resorts and the most popular onsen town in Hokkaido.
The morning begins with a visit to the Nibutani AINU Culture Museum and the opportunity to participate in an Ainu dance. The drive time is approximately 1.5 hours.
Opened in 1992, the museum is devoted to the history and cultural assets of the Ainu, the indigenous people of Hokkaido. It is said that this museum may be the best exhibition of Ainu culture in Hokkaido. Besides the exceptional examples of Ainu craftwork here, the collection includes 919 items relating to the daily way of life of the local Ainu people. Enjoy free time to explore and for serious shoppers, the gift shop is a must stop, offering works from contemporary Ainu artisans.
From here, we make our way to Michinoeki Lake Utonai, a lakeside area which is a popular spot for bird watching. Find yourself a lakeside seat that comes complete with a large picture window and binoculars so that you can capture the beauty of this area up close.
This spot also serves as a rest area complete with a variety of food options and shops. Enjoy free time to explore and have lunch on your own. It is said that their surf clam kimchi made by the famous Yakiniku restaurant in Tomakomai, Kingoen, is ono with rice and sake. Other popular lunch items include surf clam gyoza, Tomakomai Curry Ramen, charcoal grilled pork rice bowl and many more.
For souvenirs, the more popular items include the high-rise Wild Bird Society of Japan rain boots that come in a variety of colors. At the shop “Meal” the popular item is haskap berry ham, a specialty of Tomakomai.
As we arrive in Noboribetsu, a stop at the Noboribetsu Date Jidaimura Village,
From here we are off to Noboribetsu and a visit to the Noboribetsu Date Jidaimura Village, a history theme park highlighting the Edo Period, one of the most attractive era in Japanese history. Step back in time to enjoy traditional games, activities, theaters, street performances and more. The charm of ancient Japan is abundant as you mingle with the Ninja and Oiran courtesans so symbolic of the Edo Period. Enjoy free time here as well as lunch on your own.
Next, off to visit Noboribetsu Jigokudani, or “Hell Valley”, a spectacular, valley just above the town of Noboribetsu Onsen, which displays hot steam vents, sulfurous streams, and other volcanic activity. It is a main source of Noboribetsu’s hot spring waters.
From the valley, there are attractive walking trails through the wooded hills above Noboribetsu. If you follow them for about 20 to 30 minutes, you will get to Oyunuma, a sulfurous pond with a surface temperature of 50 degrees Celsius and a smaller, even hotter, mud pond nearby.
Noboribetsu Jigokudani
Flowing out of Oyunuma is a river called Oyunumagawa. Still hot, the river flows through the forest, making for an out- of-this-world sight. It is possible to follow the river for several hundred meters and enjoy a natural foot bath (ashiyu) along the way.
Enjoy the autumn colors and spectacular scenery.
From here we are off to our hotel, arriving at approximately 5:30 pm. A buffet dinner at the hotel begins at 6:00pm.
Accommodations for tonight are at the Hotel Mahoroba, on the main street of Noboribetsuonsencho with a variety of souvenir shops just around the corner. It is also only a 10-minute walk to the Hell Valley.
The indoor & outdoor onsen in this hotel are fantastic. The hotel claimed that they have the largest outdoor onsen in Japan with four different types of springs and a total of 31 different baths. Accommodations: Hotel Mahoroba Free- Japanese Style rooms
Day 4 – October 25th, 2020 Sunday – Noboribetsu-Lake Toya-Hakodate (B/L/D)
Please meet your guide by 9:00am as we are off for a full day of touring.
The morning begins with a ride on the Usuzan Ropeway to enjoy the views from Mount Usu, an active volcano, which has erupted four times in the past 100 years, most recently in the year 2000.
Mt. Usu is a 737-meter high active volcano that was formed to the south of Lake Toya, Hokkaido, about 20,000 years ago. At the foot of the mountain, rose Showa-shinzan, a Special Natural Monument of Japan, during the period from 1943 to 1945. The two mountains are protected as part of Shikotsu-Toya National Park. Mount Usu and Lake Toya joined the Global Geopark Network as “Toya Caldera and Usu Volcano Geopark,” which is one of the three Global Geoparks in Japan.
The 106-passenger gondola brings you close to the volcano's summit. The upper station's observation deck offers panoramic views of Lake Toya and neighboring Showa Shinzan. From a second observation deck a short walk away, there are views of the ocean and Mount Usu's largest crater, which was formed in an eruption in 1977.
Have you ever seen a bear standing up and waving at you? Well, you can see them here at the Show-shinzan Bear Ranch where we will be visiting next.
Brown bears are the largest species of animals in Hokkaido and worshiped by Ainu, the native Hokkaido people, as the God. There are approximately 2,000 brown bears in Hokkaido and the number reported to be on the decline. There are approximately 100 bears being bred here of various ages.
At the bear ranch souvenir shop, a couple of popular items are bear oil, which is used for dry skin as well as treating small sores and horse oil cream.
Lunch is next, Japanese lunch at a local restaurant.
This afternoon we are off to Lake Toya, part of the Shikotsu-Toya National Park. In addition to the lake itself, the Toyako region features hot springs and an active volcano, Mt. Usu.
As if the landscape in Hokkaido couldn’t get any more beautiful, the natural beauty of Lake Toya will not soon be forgotten. As you walk around the lake, enjoy the views of Nakajima Islands and Mount Yotei in the distance.
The Lake Toya area is incredibly beautiful, and especially during the fall when the leaves are changing to shades of yellow and orange
Once here we are off to enjoy a boat cruise on the lake. Lake Toya is an ice-free lake, it never freezes, even in winter when the temperature falls quite drastically. There is a little island called Nakano-shima in the middle of the lake, and on it is the Toya-ko Lake Forest Museum, which is a part of the sightseeing boat route. Trout and smelt fishing are very popular sports in and around the lake.
Next, a visit to the popular Kombukan Kelp Shop and Museum. In Japan, konbu is only gathered in Hokkaido and Touhoku. Long ago, konbu was gathered in Hokkaido and shipped all over the country using a water route called "Konbu Road".
A total of 120,000 tons is produced every year within the country. 95% of that amount is gathered along the coastal lines of Hokkaido. In Japan, there are 45 different species of konbu. This facility has a planetarium-like movie theater, museum and a shop that sells a variety of kelp products. Kombu or kelp seaweed is a healthy and popular cooking ingredient in Japan. Here you will find almost all kelp products from kelp powder to candies, snacks, soup, and condiments. Don’t forget to try the kelp tea while here.
One last stop before our hotel, at the top of Mt. Hakodate so that you can enjoy the sweeping views of Hakodate and the surrounding sea and mountains.
Now, off to our onsen hotel, La Vista Hakodate Bay, ideally located right on the waterfront in the Kanemori Red Brick Warehouse District. This onsen hotel features six types of hot spring baths on the top floor, offering spectacular night views of Hakodate.
Our arrival will be by 7:00pm followed by a western style dinner at the hotel.
Accommodations: Hotel La Vista Hakodate Bay free in the public areas
Day 5 – October 26th, 2020 Monday – Hakodate-Otaru (B/L/D)
After breakfast, please meet your guide by 8:30am as we head off on a full day of touring.
The morning begins with a visit to the Hakodate Morning Market, open daily from 6:00am until noon. With over 250 shops over a four-city block area, you can enjoy free time to explore and shop.
If you leave a little room from breakfast, do try the mouth-watering seafood rice bowl. It goes without saying the seafood is freshly caught.
Seafood is not the only thing on sale here; there are also a variety of dried fish, rate delicacies, souvenirs, and sweets. It makes for a very convenient place to shop. Another attraction to shopping here is the fact that you can buy items here that are not easily bought even at supermarkets.
Next, a visit to Miharashi Park Kosetsuen, featuring a Japanese style garden consisting of an old Japanese style building and many trees. This time of the year, the autumn leave colors are amazing. Enjoy this fall foliage viewing spot.
Now, off to lunch at a local restaurant.
The afternoon drive to Otaru includes a stop at Niseko Takahashi Milk Farm, a picturesque farm with the majestic peak of Mt. Yotei as its background. The popular sweets available here are produced from the fresh and high-quality milk of this farm. They make ideal omiyage gifts to bring home.
From here we make our way to Otaru and accommodations are at the Grand Park Otaru Hotel.
Otaru was once the financial center of Hokkaidō – a bustling center of trade with Russia and China– in the early 20th century. The city's elite invested some of those riches in the construction of grand, Western-style buildings of stone and brick – the style of the time – many of which line the town's central canal. This exotic atmosphere makes Otaru very popular with locals Japanese as well as international visitors.
This small harbor city, less than an hour’s drive from Sapporo offers a beautifully preserved canal area and interesting herring mansions, a must stop with visiting Hokkaido.
Our hotel is ideally located on Ishikari Bay, a 5-minute walk from the JR Station and housing Wing Bay Otaru, one of the largest shopping malls in Hokkaido. Arrival will be by 6:30pm, followed by a Japanese dinner at 7:00pm.
Accommodations: Grand Park Otaru Hotel Free Day 6 – October 27th, 2020 Tuesday – Otaru-Sapporo (B)
After breakfast, please meet your guide in the lobby by 8:45am as our morning begins with a fruit picking experience at a local farm.
From here we are off on a tour of historic Otaru. Here you will find the old remnant of the city’s major industry, glassware shops. Glass buoys were used to light up fishing boats at night to attract herrings. The glass industry flourished to support the herring trade. When the herring fishing industry declined in the 1950s, the makers of glass buoys diverted their business to produce refined glassware, as the demand for buoys plunged. The result today are numerous glass shops, which now carter mainly to souvenir hungry tourists. If you think that blown glassware is only made in Venice, then you are wrong.
Glassworks, music boxes, and sweet shops that can be found lining Sakaimachi Street. As you near the end of Sakaimachi Street, look and listen when you come to the vintage steam clock at the front of the charming Music Box Museum. The nostalgic atmosphere inside the main building of the museum takes you back in time. The museum houses almost 15,000 music boxes, ranging from matchbox sized souvenirs to precisely tuned masterpieces. The Music Box Museum has something for everybody, from The Beatles to the latest J-pop hits.
Our first stop this morning will be at The Music Box Museum. The museum, shop and workshop consists of five different buildings all located within a 2-minute walk of each other. The main building displays hundreds of different kinds of music boxes, both large and small. The second museum is full of antique music boxes from the 19th century onwards. The final three stores contain a different variety of goods and crafts. One building is dedicated to animal toys, another to glassware and the final one to music boxes made in the shape of modern characters such as Mickey Mouse, Winnie the Pooh and Hello Kitty.
Enjoy a hands-on experience at creating your own music box!
From here we will be visiting the Kitaichi Glass Shop, Sa Shi Su Se So and a Kitakaro confectionary shop.
Enjoy some free time to walk and explore Sakaimachi Street. It is like opening a giant music box. Though the city is famous for its canal area, the whole street is a showcase two of Otaru’s distinct characteristics- old architecture and one of a kind craftsmanship. Lunch is on your on today and your guide will make suggestion of the many options available.
On your stroll, do drop into one of the dozens of glassware shops that line the street. If you are in search of a unique gift item, Otaru is known for their dripless shoyu bottles, available in a variety of sizes and designs.
In addition, take some time to have a bite to eat in one of Sakaimachi’s delicious sweet shops, the most famous being LeTAO. Enjoy sampling a few of their 50 varieties of cakes and sweets. If you would prefer to sit down and relax, the 2nd floor hosts a cafe. There is also a free observatory on the 3rd floor with views of the Sakaimachi landscape.
Before leaving Otaru, a stop at the Tanaka Sake Brewery, the most famous sake brewery in Otaru. The building built in 1905 during the Meiji Period is designated as a historical architecture site by the city. After a short factory tour, enjoy the opportunity to sample a variety of their fine products.
At their factory store, purchase sake products, some only available here. Takaragawa is the famous original Sake, ‘Takara’ means treasure and ‘Gawa=Kawa’ means river, made from Hokkaido rice and ground water from under the factory.
Now, off to Sapporo, and our hotel, The Century Royal Hotel. The location of our hotel is simply second to none. Daimaru and Stellar Place both next door, with its never-ending floors of shops and eateries are simply mind boggling and will have you shopping and eating to your heart's content. For the techies, Esta next to Stellar Place is a delight with its nine floors of high tech gadgets and other electronics.
The arrival will be by 4:30pm and the remainder of the evening is free. Your guide will give you suggestions for shopping and dining options. Accommodations: Century Royal Hotel Free
Day 7 – October 28th, 2020 Wednesday –Sapporo (B)
After breakfast, please meet your guide by 8:30am as we are off on a full day of touring.
The morning begins with a visit to the Sapporo Central Wholesale Market where every morning, the freshest produce and fish arrive. While this inner market where the fish auction takes place is not open to the public, you can enjoy the Curb Market. Open from 6am, it is comprised of approximately 60 stores selling a variety of items ranging from fruits to fresh and dried fish. Sushi and other reasonably priced dishes made with fresh seasonal ingredients are available.
As soon as the bidding ends in the inner market, the products are made available at the Curb Market. Here you will have the opportunity to experience a meal of fresh local seafood, whether it be a donburi bowl or crab and salmon sushi Choose from the many restaurants along the edge of the market, a front-row view of your chef preparing freshly-cut stock. If ramen is to your liking, there is a group of ramen shops along one of the side streets. Choose one and enjoy a delicious bowl of Hokkaido’s finest ramen.
Jogai Curb Market-Fish Market side street ramen shops
Next, off to Okurayama Ski Jump and a ride on the lift to its peak. This ski jump stadium was used at the Winter Olympics held in Sapporo in 1972.
Once at the top enjoy time at the viewing lounge and the panoramic views of the city of Sapporo, the Ishikari Plain, and Ishikari Bay. It is also an ideal location to view the start line of the ski jump right before your eyes - looking directly down at the steep slope of the approach will certainly give you an idea of how the skiers are feeling when they begin their jumps!
Once back in Sapporo, a visit to the Chitosetsuru Sake Museum, the only local sake brewer in Sapporo. At the museum/brewery you can enjoy not only sake, but Chitosetsuru’s history and how it is brewed.
Their smooth sake features a clean texture and a fresh aftertaste. Hokkaido has a cool climate with little humidity, so fermentation is restrained, and it is easy to produce sake with a refreshing, dry flavor. Chitosetsuru is made from water created by the vast natural world of Hokkaido, which lends the finished product a uniquely deep flavor. The predecessor of Nipponseishu Co., Ltd., which manufacturers Chitosetsuru, was Shibata Shuzoten. This brewery was the first to produce sake in Sapporo in 1872.
Enjoy sake sampling, mainly ginjo, junmai, and honjozo varieties. The gift shop also sells sake that is only available at the brewery and seasonal products, so it’s the perfect place for that unique omiyage gift or a treat for yourself.
Imagine a yokocho alley made up entirely of ramen restaurants. Sounds like a dream? Well, your dream can come true in Sapporo! The Sapporo Ramen Yokocho is a famous alley not just for its concentration delicious ramen but also for being the originator of the miso ramen! It all started in 1951 when 7 ramen joints set shop in the yokocho alley. The place became known as "the ramen alley" and gradually more joints moved in there until it became all ramen. Today, the place counts 17 restaurants all renowned for making excellent ramen in typical Hokkaido style!
Enjoy lunch on your own here.
The afternoon ends with a stop at Tanuki Koji Shopping Arcade. It is Sapporo’s oldest shopping area, dating from the late 1800′s. Some shops here have been in business for 100 years.
Conveniently running east to west in the Odori area of central Sapporo, Tanuki Koji is a ten block long outdoor shopping arcade with everything ranging from clothing, jewelry and souvenirs to nightclubs, cafes, and restaurants.
Here you will find the ever-popular Don Quijote and very close by, Daiso 100yen store with five floors of shopping.
After free time to browse and shop, its back to our hotel, arrival by 4:30pm. The remainder of the evening is free.
Accommodations: Century Royal Hotel Free
Day 8 – October 29th, 2020 Thursday – Sapporo (B)
After breakfast, enjoy a free day here in Sapporo.
Enjoy this free time in Sapporo to explore the city and catch up on some shopping. Sapporo is one of Japan's most cosmopolitan cities. Its wide streets and tree lined boulevards give the city an almost European feel. Coffee shops and cafes proliferate throughout the city and the centre is packed with a fantastic range of shops, restaurants and bars.
Here are some ideas for the day:
Susukino Area:
Susukino is Japan's largest entertainment district north of Tokyo. It is packed with stores, bars, restaurants, karaoke shops and pachinko parlors. You will find many shops and department stores as well as the much cherished 100 yen shops. Once you are shopped out, getting back can easily be by subway or taxi. We recommend that you carry a business card from the hotel which is in English and Japanese. Just show to the driver and it’s a short drive.
Sapporo Beer Museum:
Hokkaido is the birthplace of beer in Japan. Sapporo Beer, one of the oldest and most popular beer brands in the country, has been brewed in Sapporo since 1877 and is now produced and sold around the world. The Sapporo Breweries opened the Sapporo Beer Museum in 1987 in a former brewery from the Meiji Period. The museum introduces the history of beer in Japan and the process of beer making, but has few explanations in English. After the exhibitions, beer tastings are available at a small fee.
Next to the museum is the Sapporo Beer Garden, which consists of two restaurants. A relaxing meal can be enjoyed at the Garden Grill restaurant, while the Genghis Khan Hall is an atmospheric beer hall that offers all you can drink beer and all you can eat mutton BBQ, a popular local dish named after the great Mongolian ruler (Jingisukan in Japanese).
Clock Tower:
The Clock Tower is a symbol of Sapporo. The building was constructed during the early period of Sapporo's development in 1878 as a drill hall of the Sapporo Agricultural College. In 1881 a clock purchased from Boston was installed. Today, the Clock Tower serves as a museum with displays about the building's history and Sapporo on the first floor. On the second floor are displays about the clock and a spacious ceremony hall that calls to mind the simple buildings of the colonial American Midwest.
Botanic Garden:
This botanical garden close to Sapporo’s city center belongs to Hokkaido University and primarily serves a scientific and educational purpose. The garden with its walking trails and lawns, however, is also a pleasant place to take a break or to have a (non-alcoholic) picnic.
Established in1886, the Botanic Garden preserves a small part of the forest which formerly covered the Ishikari Plain. In addition, there is an alpine garden, a greenhouse, and a small Ainu museum.
Nijo Market:
Nijo Market is a public market in central Sapporo that occupies about one city block. Both locals and tourists visit the market to shop for fresh local produce and seafood such as crabs, salmon eggs, sea urchin and various fresh and prepared fish.
The market is open from 7:00am 6:00pm daily. Several restaurants can be found among the shops.
Sapporo Station: (right around the corner from our hotel)
Sapporo Station is the city's main railway station located right downtown. Multiple shopping centers surround the station complex, particularly on its south side. Sapporo Station dates to the early development of Hokkaido in the late 1800’s but its current building was opened in 2003. A replica of the original station building can be found at the Historic Village of Hokkaido
The area's most impressive tourist attraction is the T38 Observation Deck at the top of the JR Tower building that rises above the station. Occupying the tower's 38th floor, 160 meters above ground, the observation deck is quite a bit taller than the 90-meter observation deck of the TV Tower.
Accommodations: Century Royal Hotel Free
Day 9 – October 30th, 2020 Friday – Sapporo-Chitose (B)
It is our last day in Japan, but we still have much planned for the day.
Please meet your guide in the lobby by 9:30am as we make the most of our last day on tour.
The morning begins with a visit at Shiroi Koibito Park, a theme park by Ishiya, a local chocolate company. The company's flagship product is the Shiroi Koibito cookie, which consists of two thin butter cookies and a layer of white chocolate in between. These cookies are the best souvenirs from Sapporo!
The park consists of a free area with a shop, cafe, and restaurant and most interestingly, large windows so that you can observe the candy production process. The first glimpse of the building doesn’t compare to the wonderland inside while outside it is complete with all sorts of winter decorations and illuminations.
Shiroi Koibito Park
From here, time for lunch and last-minute shopping at the AEON Mall Sapporo Hassamu.
Next, a stop at the Hokkaido Kikkoman Soy Sauce Factory, for a tour revealing the history of soy sauce manufacturing in Japan, and the process of brewing the sauce from wheat, beans and koji, the fungus that creates the fermentation.
Outside the main factory is the goyogura where the factory produces a special variety of soy sauce reserved for the emperor. The goyogura is accessed by a vermilion bridge. The bridge and gardens are great vantage points for taking photos in any season.
When you finish the tour, you can taste a wide variety of soy sauces, and try your hand at roasting sembei rice crackers flavored with soy sauce at the Mame Cafe. A favorite treat at the cafe is soy sauce soft cream, which has a sweet and malty flavor. The gift shop next to the cafe carries character goods, limited edition soy sauce varieties, and sweets.
One last touring spot will be at the Chitose Salmon Aquarium. It is one of only a few freshwater fish aquariums in the world. From its underwater observatory, salmon can be seen vigorously directly into the Chitose River and observe the salmon and other freshwater fish in their natural habitat.
Salmon hatching in Japan began in 1888 at the Chitose River, which flows from Lake Chitose. To catch salmon for roe for the hatchery, a fish-wheel was built in the river in 1996 after the Native American way of catching salmon. In this unique fishing method, the river is blocked except for a passage for salmon to swim through. The wheel scoops up the fish that pass through. This is the only place in the world where such a wheel can be seen. Unfortunately, wheel fishing only occurs from late August and early December.
Now off to the Chitose Airport with an expected arrival of 4:45pm. We have arrived a little early so that you will have time for dinner and shopping. This ultra-modern airport offers a wide variety of dining and shopping options.
Hawaiian Airlines #442 Departs Chitose 7:45 pm – Arrive Honolulu 8:10am