Hokkaido Spring Tour 2009
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758 Kapahulu Avenue, Suite #220 ** Honolulu, HI. 96816 Phone No: (808) 739-9010 ** Fax No: (808) 735-0142 (TA#4988) Email address: [email protected] Fall Hokkaido Tour ( October 03 – 13, 2019 ) Highlights for the tour: 6 nights of onsen (hot springs), 1 night Chitose, 2 nights in Hakodate, 1 night Noboribetsu, 1 night Furano, 2 nights Asahikawa, and 2 nights in Sapporo Thursday, October 03 Honolulu – Sapporo (Chitose) 10:30a.m. Please meet NADINE, your bilingual tour escort at the Hawaiian Airlines at HONOLULU INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, Lobby #4, check-in area. After check-in, you may want to head to the TSA line because the line may be long since the interisland, Mainland (US), and international travelers use the same line. Your departure gate will probably be the former gates #28-34 of the Main International Airport. 1:30p.m. Depart Honolulu on Hawaiian Airlines Flt.#441 bound for Sapporo/ Chitose, non-stop. In-flight meals (lunch and snack) and complimentary soft drinks & liquor will be served. ** Complimentary Inflight Movies only on International flights **Bring your own Earphones Friday, October 04 Sapporo/ Chitose 5:00p.m. Arrival into Sapporo Chitose International Airport. Upon arrival immigration and customs procedures are required. After picking up your baggage and you will going thru customs, exit then walk to the shuttle bus stop to get to your hotel (bus takes around 10 minutes). After check-in, you could have a simple dinner at one of the restaurants in the hotel. There is also an Aeon Mall right next to the hotel (closes at 9pm/ last order 8:30pm). Accommodations at ANA CROWNE PLAZA CHITOSE for 1 night. Saturday, October 05 Chitose – Hakodate, Hokkaido 5:40-8:00a.m. Breakfast at hotel. 8:15a.m. Check-out of the hotel. 8:25a.m. Meet with your bilingual English speaking tour guide (Akiko Sasaki). 8:30a.m. Depart for your tour to Hakodate. Along the way you will be stopping at Shikabeken Ketsuen Koen. While at this rest stop, you can have lunch and if time permits soak in the Ashiyu (foot bath). After lunch, you will stop at ONUMA PARK and HOKKAIDO KONBUKAN. Konbu Kan is a huge kelp shop, selling almost all kelp product such as kelp powder, kelp candies, kelp snacks, kelp soup, kelp tea and kelp condiments. 5:30p.m. Arrive at newly opened, HOTEL & SPA CENTURY MARINA HAKODATE for 2 nights stay, Western style rooms with onsen within the hotel property and overlooking Hakodate Bay. The JR Hakodate Train Station and Donburi Yokocho is about 10 minutes walk from your hotel. ( B ) Onsen Spa on the 14th floor Sunday, October 06 Hakodate ______________________ 6:30a.m.(starts) Buffet breakfast at the hotel. 8:30a.m. A full day tour of HAKODATE. First stop to the famous Hakodate Asaichi (morning market). It is open from 5:00a.m. At the market, you will see lots of various seafoods, dried products, & fresh fruits. Recommend to buy shoyu butter sauté scallops (vacuum packed individually and the giant ika seen below) Hakodate Morning Market Goryokaku Tower 10:00a.m. Depart hotel for GORYOKAKU PARK and GORYOKAKU TOWER. Goryokaku Tower overlooking the Goryokaku Fort and Mt. Hakodate, a small mountain, 334 meters high which offers great view of the city of Hakodate. Lunch at a local restaurant. After lunch, Drive-by to MOTOMACHI, unique western-influenced buildings, more than a century old, and traditional Japanese buildings still remain in the city to this day. MT. HAKODATE ROPEWAY, it takes 3 minutes to get to the summit from the base station. On a clear day in particular, the views from Mt. Hakodate is spectacular. Mt. Hakodate Ropeway & the View 3:30p.m. Return back to the hotel. The rest of the day is at your leisure. ( B , L ) Monday, October 07 Hakodate – Shikotsu - Toya – Noboribetsu___ 6:30a.m.(starts) Buffet breakfast at the hotel. 7:45a.m. Check-out of the hotel. 8:00a.m. Bus depart for SHIKOTSU- TOYA NATIONAL PARK and NOBORIBETSU. Showa Shinzan and Mt Usu are the major attractions of Shikotsu-Toya National Park. Mt. Showa Shizan is a small volcano designated as a special natural monument. 12:00p.m. Japanese lunch at a local restaurant at Showa Shinzan. After lunch continue on to NOBORIBETSU ONSEN, one of the many well known resorts in Japan. Noboribetsu is the largest “hot spring town” in Hokkaido. A stop at JIGOKUDANI or "Hell Valley" a spectacular, and appropriately named 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 Onsen, hot spring waters. Last stop, NOBORIBETSU DATE JIDAIMURA VILLAGE, a historical theme park devoted to Edo Period, the most beautiful era in Japanese history. Every detail inside the park feels like you went back in time: the attendants wear traditional Japanese after, the pathway is covered with cobblestones, and even the buildings look like you’re inside a movie set. Jidaimura Village 5:30p.m. Arrive at your hotel in Noboribetsu, 1 night stay at HOTEL MAHOROBA in the western style room. The hotel features 31 different onsen. Mahoroba Onsen 6:30p.m. Fabulous Buffet Dinner at the hotel. After dinner, enjoy onsen. ( B, L, D ) Tuesday, October 08 Noboribetsu – Furano 6:30-8:00a.m. Buffet breakfast at hotel. 8:15a.m. Check-out of your hotel. 8:30a.m. Bus departs for FURANO with one stop at NOBORIBETSU BEAR PARK. Noboribetsu Bear Park is located at the top of Mount Shiho-rei, the mountain is commonly called “Bear Mountain”, which is 560 meters high. You need to take a ropeway ride from the Noboribetsu Hot Spring town to the park. On the top of the mountain, there is also the Kuttara Observatory. From here you can have a great view on Lake Kuttarako, a lake which has the 2nd clearest water in Japan. You can see Ezo bears, they are the largest species of animal in Japan also in Hokkaido and were worshiped by Ainu, the native Hokkaido people, as the God. Lunch on your own at Service Area Restaurant on our way to Furano. BIEI BLUE POND (Aoiike) is named after it’s deep blue color which it owes to natural minerals dissolved in the water. The pond is part of an erosion control system that was built to prevent damage to Biei in case of an eruption by nearby Mount Tokachidake. TOMITA FARM to see flowers. With clear autumn skies in the background, the field is vividly adorned with spider flowers, pretty ornaments in autumn gardens and the perpetual flowers that bloom until the first frost. 5:00p.m. Arrive at NEW FURANO PRINCE HOTEL for 1 night stay. Western style hotel rooms with natural onsen facilities within the hotel premises. 6:00p.m. Dinner at the hotel. ( B, L, D ) ( B, L ) Wednesday, October 09 Furano - Asahikawa__________ 6:30- 8:15a.m. Buffet breakfast at hotel. 7:45a.m. Check out of the hotel. 8:00a.m. Depart for ASAHIKAWA via Kamikawa. DAISETSUZAN ASAHIDAKE is the highest mountain in Hokkaido, we will be taking round trip ropeway to see the autumn colors in the mountainous area. Lunch at “Kita no Mori Garden” in Kamikawa. HOKKAIDO ICE PAVILLION. This is the first museum in the world to provide the chilling experience of Hokkaido throughout the whole year Your last stop for the day will be at Ginga No Taki (Milky Way Fall) and Ryusei No Taki (Shooting Stars Fall). These 2 waterfalls have earned them other names as Meotodaki (meaning "husband and wife waterfalls"). 6:00p.m. Arrive at JR INN ASAHIKAWA for 2 nights stay, directly connected to Aeon Shopping Mall (open from 10am-9pm) and Asahikawa Train Station. The hotel has onsen (hot springs). Daiso (100 Yen Store) in Aeon on 3rd floor, Food Court on 1st Floor, and Restaurants on 4th floor. After check-in, the rest of the day is at your leisure. ( B, L ) Thursday, October 10 Asahikawa__________ 6:30-8:45a.m. Buffet breakfast at hotel. 9:00a.m. Full day tour of ASAHIKAWA. First stop, ASAHIYAMA ZOO, At Asahiyama Zoo, you’ll meet about 150 kinds of animals that can survive in this challenging environment. In addition to Arctic creatures such as polar bears and penguins, the zoo houses other species including capybaras, atelids (monkeys), and orangutans normally found in jungles. 11:30a.m. Lunch on your own at Asahikawa Ramen Village gives you 8 of Asahikawa's most well known ramen shops in one location. After lunch, OTOKOYAMA SAKE BREWERY a local sake brewed in spring water in Asahikawa. In 1977, it was the first time in the world to win Monde Selection award for Japanese sake. In addition, won many gold medals in domestic and foreign liquor competition. Last stop, MICHI no EKI ASAHIKAWA, where you can buy local products from Asahikawa. 3:00p.m. Return back to JR Inn Asahikawa. The rest of the day is at your leisure. ( B ) Friday, October 11 Asahikawa – Sapporo 6:30-8:30a.m. Breakfast at hotel. 8:45a.m. Check-out of hotel. 9:00a.m. Depart your hotel for SAPPORO. Enroute to Sapporo, we will make a stop at Highway Oasis Sunagawa (Service Area) for restroom, snacks, or shopping for local items to take home. Local favorites are yubari melon pure jelly, corn chocolates, and etc. Lunch at local restaurant. After lunch, you can have some dessert at JOZANKEI FRUITS FARM picking fresh fruits. Before getting to the hotel, a brief stop at ODORI PARK and CLOCK TOWER, these are the symbol and landmark of Sapporo.