Hokkaido in Winter – February 2025

Join us on this once in a lifetime opportunity to experience this amazing part of Japan during the winter months on a nine-night photo tour to Hokkaido with a very small group of just five participants.

This tour will be co-lead by the very talented and experienced photographer and tour guide Francis Ansing. Discover the minimalist beauty of northern Japan during the snow-covered winter season.

Francis recently lived in Japan for five years and is extremely knowledgeable in running tours in Hokkaido, having done so for many years. On this nine-night tour, you will experience a wide variety of locations including beautiful snowy rolling hills, wooden cabins, farm buildings, fence lines and the distant mountains of Biei to the unique rock formations of Yoichi, Esashi, Daikoku and Ebisu Iwa. There will be plenty of opportunities to photograph the wildlife too with Whooper Swans and Red-Crowned Cranes on show and perhaps we might even get to experience Sea Eagles and Ezo Deer too.

Winter is an amazing time to experience Hokkaido. Join us on our incredible nine night landscape and minimalism photography tour, where you will experience these amazing winter highlights of Japan! 

There will be six hotels provided during your nine nights in Japan, and all of them are three or four star in quality and breakfasts are included (see the accommodation tab above for a full list of the hotels that we will be staying at). You will however be required to book your own hotel rooms for the first and last nights in Japan (Thursday 15th Feb and Sunday 25th Feb 2024). We would recommend the Royal Park Hotel at Haneda Airport for quality and convenience.

We will also have a large 10 seat modern, comfortable and spacious Toyota Hi-Ace Grand Cabin minibus during our time on the workshop. It is four-wheel drive and Francis will be undertaking all the driving. 

Hokkaido will leave you with life long lasting memories. You will absolutely fall in love with Japan. Francis and we hope that you can join us.

Here is a detailed itinerary outlining our schedule. Additional locations will also feature where time and weather will allow. 

Domestic Flight Information via ANA (All Nippon Airways)
You will be required to book your own domestic flights from Haneda Airport, Tokyo to New Chitose Airport, Hokkaido and from Kushiro Airport, Hokkaido to Haneda Airport, Tokyo. The relevant date and times are listed below. https://www.ana.co.jp/en/gb/

Day 1 – 10th February 2025 : Haneda Airport, Tokyo – New Chitose Airport, Sapporo (flight time 10:00AM or earlier)
Day 10 – 19th February 2025 : Kushiro – Haneda (flight time between or later than 1:00-3:00 PM)

Day 0 – Sunday 9th February 2025
Arrive in Tokyo
Hotel: Please book your own room at the Royal Park Hotel at Haneda Airport ready for leaving early to New Chitose Airport in Sapporo the next day. The hotel is a two minute walk to the check in desks and is attached to the airport terminal. 

Day 1 – Monday 10th February 2025
Arrival in New Chitose Airport, Lake Toya (OFFICIAL START)
Take a morning flight to New Chitose Airport from Haneda
Arrive in New Chitose Airport around 11:30am
Head to Lake Toya (Ukimdo Pagaoda)
Check in at our hotel in Lake Toya
Afternoon shoot around Lake Toya

Day 2 – Tuesday 11th February 2025
Lake Toya, Mount Yotei, Otaru
Sunrise shoot around Lake Toya 
Check out and drive to Otaru with stops around Mount Yotei (active stratovolcano)
Check in at our hotel in Otaru
Sunset shoot at Otaru Canal

Day 3 – Wednesday 12th February 2025
Yoichi, Biei
Morning shoot of the rocks at Daikoku and Ebisu Iwa
Check out and head to Asahikawa
Check in at our hotel in Asahikawa
Afternoon shoot around Biei (winter trees, wooden cabins, snowy hills)

Day 4 – Thursday 13th February 2025
Biei
Another full day of photography around Biei (winter trees, fence lines, farm buildings, snowy hills)

Day 5 – Friday 14th February 2025
Biei
Another full day of photography around Biei (lone trees, fence lines, farm buildings, snowy hills)

Day 6 – Saturday 15th February 2025
Shosanbetsu, Wakkanai
Head to Shosanbetsu, Haboro
Shoot around Shosanbetsu Camping Ground and the Misakidai Torii (Torii gate in the sea and sea ice)
Continue journey to Wakkanai

Day 7 – Sunday 16th February 2025
Wakkanai, Lake Saroma
Shoot drying racks and docked boats around Wakkanai
Check out and head east to Lake Saroma with stops along the way
Check in at our hotel in Kitami

Day 8 – Monday 17th February 2025
Lake Saroma, Abashiri, Bihiro
Morning shoot around Lake Saroma and Futatsui Rocks
Sunset shoot at Bihiro Pass
Return to Kitami for another night

Day 9 – Tuesday 18th February 2025
Bihiro, Lake Kussharo, Kushiro
Sunrise shoot at Bihiro Pass
Check out and head to Lake Kussharo for afternoon shoot (Whooper Swans & Red Crown Cranes) 
Continue journey to Kushiro
Check in at our hotel in Kushiro

Day 10 – Wednesday 19th February 2025
Kushiro (OFFICIAL END)
Check out after breakfast
Morning shoot of Red-Crowned Cranes at Tsurui ito
Head back to Lake Kussharo for another morning shoot (optional)
Head to Kushiro Airport for afternoon flight to Haneda
Head to your hotel in Tokyo
Hotel: Please book your own room at the Royal Park Hotel at Haneda Airport ready for your flight home the next day. The hotel is a two minute walk to the check in desks and is attached to the airport terminal. If you wish to fly home on an evening flight, there is no need to book a room at the Royal Park Hotel, the choice is yours.  

Day 11 – Thursday 20th February 2025
Flight departure to your home country
Check out
Flight home from to Haneda Airport

HOTELS NOT INCLUDED IN YOUR TOUR
You will need to book two nights at the Royal Park Hotel at Haneda Airport for your first and last nights of your stay in Japan. The hotel is a two minute walk to the check in desks and is attached to the airport terminal. If however you decide to fly home on an evening flight on Wednesday 19th February 2025, do not book a room for the night.

• Sunday 9th February 2025 (4* Hotel)
  Royal Park Hotel, Haneda Airport, Tokyo 

• Wednesday 19th February 2025 (4* Hotel)
  Royal Park Hotel, Haneda Airport, Tokyo 

HOTELS INCLUDED IN YOUR TOUR
There are a total of six quality hotels included (3 & 4 Stars) during our nine night stay in Hokkaido. This ensures that we are as close to the locations that we will be photographing as possible meaning less time spent travelling in the minibus.

You will each have your own double en-suite room. There is no single occupancy supplement charged.

Breakfast is included

See below for a list of the hotels and that we will be staying in. Click on the hotel name to be directed to their website.

• Monday 10th February 2025 (3* Hotel)
  Hotel Cocoa Resort, Lake Toya
• Tuesday 11th February 2025 (4* Hotel)
  OMO5 Otaru, Otaru
• Wednesday 12th February 2025 (3* Hotel)
  Grand Route Inn Asahikawa
• Thursday 13th February 2025 (3* Hotel)
  Grand Route Inn Asahikawa
• Friday 14th February 2025 (3* Hotel)
  Grand Route Inn Asahikawa
• Saturday 15th February 2025 (3* Hotel)
  Dormy Inn, Wakkanai
• Sunday 16th February 2025 (3* Hotel)
  Toyoko Inn, Kitami
• Monday 17th February 2025 (3* Hotel)
  Toyoko Inn, Kitami
• Tuesday 18th February 2025 (4* Star)
  ANA Crowne Plaza Hotel, Kushiro
  

We reserve the right to change hotels for alternative ones of a similar standard if required