You’ve heard it from your friends, “you need to go to Hokkaido!” They’re not wrong. Just north of Japan’s main island, Hokkaido receives the perfect mix of Siberian cold and ocean-fed precipitation to supply bottomless powder with free refills daily. Light snow is what it’s all about and we’re going to ride as much of it as we can over this powder week!
Storm days are spent riding the wide-open birch tree forests Hokkaido is known for. Sunny days are for summiting the local volcanos and getting big descents into the valleys. Evenings are spent soaking in the many natural Onsen’s (natural hot springs) on the island and enjoying traditional Japanese cuisine – an artform that you haven’t truly experienced until you’ve been to the far East. The accommodations are comfortable, cultural, and planned to minimize travel time and maximize relaxation. This is a trip you should be dreaming about – if you haven’t already.
One week of fine powder will be served up by our concierge-team of IFMGA and AMGA Ski Guides If you’ve skied with us before, you know that we’re going to have endless turns and endless belly laughs along the way. We may use a few lifts to access some venues, but the majority of the trip is spent well out of bounds, so get your touring legs ready – you’ll want as much left in your quads for the deep downhill as possible. We’ll provide the rest.
Powder Skiing in Hokkaido, Japan – One Week Itinerary: (*This itinerary could change to find the best skiing/riding conditions. Guests always have the options to sit out a day for rest and relaxation, as desired.)
Day 1: Arrive on the island of Hokkaido at the New Chitose (CTS) International Airport. You’ll be able to get a shuttle from the airport to our hotel. We’ll have a team meeting/dinner in the early evening, then off to bed to shake off the jet lag.
Day 2: After breakfast at the hotel, we’ll load up into a team van and drive the two hours to the powder capital of Niseko. After dropping our bags, we’ll gear up and head out for our first tour! Dinner out in Niseko
Day 3: Full day tour in the Niseko area. After breakfast, we’ll run the team through a local Mini-Mart for lunch supplies (Don’t worry, this is a major cultural experience in Japan!). After we’ve had our fill of powder, we’ll cap the day off with our first Onsen experience, then dinner out in Niseko.
Day 4: Full day tour in the Niseko area. Today (if weather allows), we’re going to climb up onto the flanks of Mt Yotei! This volcano dominates the skyline and as soon as you see it, you’re going to want to ride it. We’ll finish off with another Onsen and dinner out in Niseko.
Day 5: After a morning tour in the local hills around Niseko, we’ll load up and drive a few hours out the ‘powder highway’ of the island to Central Hokkaido. The quaint town of Furano is much quieter and provides a relaxing few days to finish our trip out.
Day 6: We’ll load up and head out toward the volcanos of Asahidake or Tokachidake. If weather allows, we’ll get up on the summits and peer down into their steaming craters. This is quite the experience. Epic powder waits us as we ride back down into the valley through more birch forests that become the usual in Hokkaido. Onsen and a fabulous meal await us when we get back to town.
Day 7: After we close out of our lodging, we’ll head up onto the flanks of Mount Furano and get the final laps of our tour. If weather and conditions allow, we’ll poke up on to the summit of this one. After our day out, we’ll make the drive back to New Chitose and get the team ready for their flights home.
Costs Include:
- US/Oregon-based guides
- Lodging (double occupancy; arrival night in Chitose, 3 nights in Niseko, 2 nights in Furano, and departing night in Chitose)
- All breakfasts
- Dinners in Furano
- One day of lift tickets included (if needed)
- Ground transportation
Costs Do Not Include:
- Airfare to and from New Chitose
- Baggage fees
- Equipment rentals
- Dinners in Niseko x 3, Dinners in Chitose x 2
- Lunches/snacks
- Onsens or other non-skiing tourism
- Gratuities for your guides or support staff
