Our trip begins with a night in Tokyo, where we stay at Onyado Nono, a peaceful Japanese-style hotel in the heart of Asakusa, just steps from Sensō-ji Temple. With its natural onsen bath and warm, minimalist design, it offers a calm and authentic welcome to Japan before the journey to Hokkaidō.
The following morning, we fly north and begin our adventure in Kushiro, a quiet port city on the island’s eastern coast. After arriving and settling in, we gather for an evening yoga session to unwind after our travel day. We stay at a modern harbour-side hotel — the perfect landing place before heading into the countryside.
The next morning, we set out into Kushiro Shitsugen National Park, a vast wetland and sanctuary for Hokkaidō’s iconic red-crowned cranes. Revered as symbols of longevity and good fortune, these graceful, critically endangered birds are central to Japan’s conservation efforts. Our walks are led by expert local guides whose deep knowledge of Hokkaidō’s culture, ecology, and hidden trails offers rare insight into this remote part of Japan. Through their local connections and understanding, we explore quiet paths and special places that few visitors ever reach. Our morning walk follows a disused railway line along the marsh, with sweeping views from lookout points and the chance to spot cranes in their natural habitat. Later, we continue to Lake Onneto, beneath the active volcano Meakan. Also called Goshiki-numa, “the five-coloured lake,” its waters shift with the weather and light. Our day ends in Akanko Onsen, a tranquil lakeside hot spring resort.
From Akan, we move deeper into Hokkaidō’s volcanic heart, travelling to Akan-Mashu National Park, where the air is scented with sulphur and the hot springs bubble with mineral-rich water. After breakfast, we set out on foot with a local expert to explore a private woodland reserve. As we walk, he introduces us to Hokkaidō’s rich flora and fauna, and we encounter bubbling mud springs, or bokke — our first close-up of the volcanic activity that shapes this land. In the afternoon, we follow a gentle trail through forest along the shores of Lake Akan, home to the rare marimo algae, famed for forming perfectly round green spheres. Later, a private transfer takes us to the small hot spring town of Kawayu Onsen, our base for the next two nights.
Our next walk takes us through forested trails, blending quiet moments of forest bathing with stretches of open bushwalking. At the visitor centre, we pause to learn about the region’s volcanic geology before continuing towards Atosa-Nupuri, one of Japan’s most spectacular active volcanoes. As the trees thin, the landscape transforms into a barren moonscape. Known locally by its Ainu name meaning “naked mountain,” Atosa-Nupuri roars with fumaroles that belch sulphur and steam into the sky. Guided by a local expert, we follow a trail over the volcano, passing remnants of old sulphur mines and feeling the earth’s raw power at fumarole F1, where vapour erupts with astonishing force from vivid yellow deposits.
From Kawayu, we travel onward to Mashu-ko, a crater lake famed for its crystal-clear waters, once recorded with visibility exceeding 40 metres. From panoramic viewpoints we take in the scene before descending on a gentle trail through virgin forest to Kami-no-Ko, a cobalt-blue spring-fed pond whose Ainu names — Lake of the Gods and Child of the Gods — speak to its mystical aura. After lunch at a local restaurant, we continue to Utoro on the Shiretoko Peninsula, a UNESCO World Heritage Site celebrated for its wildlife and dramatic landscapes. We stay at a Shiretoko nature resort for our final two nights.
Our last full day begins at the Shiretoko Nature Centre, where we learn about the peninsula’s remarkable ecosystem before a gentle forest walk opening onto sweeping mountain views. In the afternoon, we explore the Shiretoko Five Lakes, a loop trail through native forest where the mountains reflect beautifully in the still waters, and follow a coastal path with dramatic views over the Sea of Okhotsk.
On our final night, we walk to a local restaurant for a celebratory dinner. The next morning, we transfer to Memanbetsu Airport for departure, carrying with us the quiet energy of Hokkaidō — its steaming earth, deep forests, and wild sea — a reminder of nature’s rhythm and the stillness within ourselves.
