Hokkaido, Daisetsuzan National Park 7 days 2024
Tour map

Introduction
Situated in the central part of Hokkaido, Daisetsuzan is the largest National Park in Japan.
Ministry of the Environment of Japan claims it as, “A chain of 2000m-class mountains standing
like an immense "roof of Hokkaido", and expansive clusters of alpine plants on the mountains, it
is a highly primeval park. It is home to various wild animals including the brown bear.” We will
cycle just outside of the National Park, and ride around Daisetsuzan mountain range withenjoying the fantastic view of the mountains. There are several active volcanoes in the area, wewill enjoy the geothermal Onsen hot spring spa at our accommodations. We would also
recommend a hiking trip in the National Park before or after our cycling tour.

Joining instruction
Our guide will meet you at 6:00 pm at the hotel in Shirogane Onsen. The closest airport isAsahikawa Airport (AKJ). You can take a free shuttle bus from Asahikawa airport to Shirogane
Onsen, it departs 1:00pm, 3:00pm, and 5:00pm, will take around 40 min. You can also take adirect bus from Asahikawa station to Shirogane Onsen for 77 min. The bus departs 4 times aday, from 8:35am to 4:35pm, it will cost JPY 1,220 per person.
Search train timetable https://world.jorudan.co.jp/mln/en/

Itinerary in summary
ITINERARY (7 days / 6 nights)
Day 1

Meeting in Shirogane Onsen

Hotel

TSO

DDay 2Cycle 77km, total ascent 600m to Furano

Hotel

TSO

B,DDay 3

Cycle 75km, t.a. 700m to Sahoro

HotelTSO

B,DDay 4Cycle 72km, t.a. 1200m to Lake Nukabira

RyokanTOB,DDay 5Cycle 53km, t.a. 800m to Sounkyo Gorge (10km transfer

RyokanTSO

B,DHotelTS

B,Dby van at the end)
Day 6Cycle 67km, t.a. 300m to Asahikawa

Day 7

Finish after breakfast

BRyokan Traditional Japanese inn.
T room with toilet only
B breakfast

TS room with toilet & shower

C communal facility

D dinner

Tour price per person#of people

service

priceincludes2 clients

Guide, support van

JPY 440,000

See below

3+ clients

Guide, support van

JPY 344,000

See below

Single supplement JPY 33,000
Includes•6 nights’ accommodation on a twin share basis•6 breakfasts and 6 evening meals•

Rental bike (Hybrid bike or Road bike)O onsen spa

*E-bike is available for extra JPY 20,000•

Other equipment comes with bike
Front bag for hybrid bike

Helmet on request(8 litter volume)

Seat post bag for road bike
(6 litter volume)

Gloves on request

Spare tube, tyre levers, multi tool, pump, and flat patches are in the bag.
All the bikes are equipped with front and rear lights, and cycle computers.
•All transport detailed in the below itinerary•

Snacks and refreshments•

English speaking guide(s)•Spare parts and mechanic services•Support vehicle with seats and bike rack•
Does not include•

Airfare•Lunches and other meals•

Personal expenses•

Drinks with included meals

Recommended season
June to September
Average temp. in a monthJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAug

SepOctNovDec

Highest in Abashiri (℃)

-3-3

1

91418212420

1570Lowest in Abashiri (℃)-9-10-50

510

14

17

13

70-6

Rain fall in Abashiri (mm)

5436

4352

62

53

87

10110870

60

60

What we offer as our services•

We have a support vehicle to follow cyclists to back up water, snacks, and othernecessary things for the ride. If one of you wants to stop riding at some point in the day,he or she will be welcome to have seat in our support vehicle. (The seats for clients canbe limited depending on tour style)•

Our guides are all cyclists, we know what you need during your ride. We are trained to be
bike mechanics and cycling leaders. We also completed 16 hours of wilderness first aid
training.

•In case of heavy rain, strong wind, or other fierce weather conditions for cycling, we maychange the plan and give you other activities options like hiking, sightseeing, and so on.

•We have bilingual guides who speak both Japanese and English.

Detailed itineraryDay1 Checking in Shirogane Onsen
Our guide will meet you at 6:00pm at the hotel to fit the bike and explain about the tour. Tonight,
we are staying in the famous Hot spring region called Shirogane Onsen which situates at thefoot of the active volcano, Mt. Tokachi. If you arrive earlier, you can enjoy a short walk on thetrail from our hotel.
Accommodation -(3 stars quality)

Hotel / Private bath / Onsen / wifi / meal (D)Day 2 Cycle to Furano
We start our day with a nice long downhill through the beautiful forest along Hokkaido silver
birches towards the town of Biei.

Biei is famous for its picturesque landscape of gently rollinghills and vast fields.

We will be visiting a few of the landmarks of the area, such as a beautiful

flower park called Shikisai no Oka, a Unique set of trees on Mild Seven Hills, A single tree on afarm named Christmas tree, and many others along the way. After lunch, we will visit one of thelavender farms in the area.

We continue riding backroads towards our accommodation inFurano.
Cycling Distance – 77km / Altitude gain - 600m
Accommodation -(3 stars quality)

Hotel / Private bath / Onsen / wifi / meal (B,D)

Day 3 Cycle to Sahoro
Leaving Furano town, we cycle in a flat farming area and gradually into the mountains by theriver. Going upstream, we come across beautiful Lake Kanayama and keep cycling along thelake. We stop at lakeside for morning tea with listening to the sound of the wind and birds
singing. At the end of the lake, we have "Road Station" rest area which has restaurants andshops for our lunch to charge energy for the afternoon climb. This is the first mountain pass ofthe trip, called Karikachi Toge, from which we can enjoy the magnificent view of Tokachi plain.
Tonight's accommodation has a natural hot spring Onsen, we can relax and heal our tension
from the mountain ride.
Cycling Distance – 75km / Altitude gain - 700m
Accommodation -(3 stars quality)

Hotel / Private bath / wifi / Onsen spa / meal (B,D)

Day 4 Cycle to Lake Nukabira
We cycle through hills at the edge of Tokachi plain in the morning and have a break at RoadStation for morning tea before start to climb. We take some back roads through farmland, thencycle up to Shirakaba pass. After the pass, we cruise by beautiful Shikaribetsu Lake andcontinue to Lake Nukabira. Our accommodation tonight is run by a lovely family, they renovateda historical hotel into modern Japanese-style accommodation. Outdoor Onsen here will be thehighlight of the day.
Cycling Distance – 72km / Altitude gain - 1200m
Accommodation -(3 stars quality)

Ryokan / Private toilet / Shared bath / wifi / Onsen spa / meal (B,D)

Day 5 Cycle to Sounkyo Gorge
Today, our challenge is conquering the highest mountain pass on the road in Hokkaido, called
Mikuni Toge with an elevation of 1139m. From Lake Nukabira to the pass, we can enjoy afantastic view of Kumaneshiri mountain range and dense woodland on its foothill. After having
morning tea at the viewpoint of the mountain pass, we cycle down to Lake Taisetsu and start toclimb up to Sekihoku mountain pass. Picnic lunch at the summit, then rewarding 10km downhill
all the way to the finishing point of the day. We transfer by our van for 10km as there are aseries of narrow, dark tunnels. Our accommodation is in the Sounkyo Gorge, where you can see
many cliffs, rocks and waterfalls. It has also a geothermal hot spring, we soak ourselves in theonsen to relax all the muscles from the cycling.
Cycling Distance - 53km / Altitude gain - 800m
Accommodation -(3 stars quality)

Ryokan / Private bath / wifi / Onsen spa / meal (B,D)

Day 6 Cycle to Asahikawa
We say farewell to Daisetsuzan national park and cycle towards Asahikawa city.
We cycle along Ishikari river, which is the longest river with 268km. There is a cycling road by
the river, we ride at a leisurely pace on a flat road. We will finish at one of the best Sake
breweries in Japan to visit. You can learn how Japanese Sake is made and taste several best
Sake from the brewery.
Cycling Distance – 67km / Altitude gain - 300m
Accommodation -(3 stars quality)

Hotel / Private bath / wifi / meal (B,D)

Day 7 Finish
The tour finishes after breakfast today. Our hotel is near Asahikawa station, you can take theairport bus to Asahikawa airport or take the train to Sapporo.
Cycling distance – 0km (B)About Accommodation
We choose Ryokan (traditional Japanese inn) as much as possible to support local tourism andthe economy. Ryokan is traditional Japanese-style inns often run by family and in many cases,
it has Onsen (natural hot springs) on site. You will sleep on a futon on the tatami floor in aryokan. It’s definitely the best choice if you want to experience authentic Japanese
accommodation. However, there are a few things to remember before staying there.

Room in Ryokan•YukataOnsen hot spring

Washing space

Traditional Japanese room does not have a bed, instead, it has Futon mat on "Tatami"
straw-weaving floor to sleep on. The photo is what a typical Ryokan room looks like.

•Most of the accommodations provide "Yukata" traditional night robe, you can wear it tohot spring and restaurants on site. You don't have to carry your night clothing as much
if you enjoy Yukata.

•Most of Ryokan provides nice public Onsen hot spring to share, then some of the rooms
do not have their own shower and bath. The public onsen has a washing place where you
can wash yourself.

•Some Ryokans in the remote area do not have toilets in each room. They have a public
toilet on site.

What to bring□Passport You need to show passport when you check in accommodations.
□Travel insurance detail Medical cost is expensive in Japan. You are strongly recommended
to have comprehensive travel insurance.
□Cash in Yen Credit card does not work in small restaurants and shops in Japan. Lunch costs
1000-1500yen, dinner 2000-3000yen. ATM in post office can work for international card.
□Helmet It is compulsory to wear helmet on our tour. Rental on request.
□Gloves Protect your hands.
□Cycling clothing Bring appropriate clothing for cycling.
□Rain jacket It rains in Japan.
□Warmers It can be cold in the mountains.
□Casual clothing to go out to restaurants at night.
Please check detailed packing list on “Japan-genelar-info-CJ-2017.pdf” file.

Equipment requiredYour bike will come with a front pannier bag for your camera, wallet, jumper etc. Although wehave comfortable bike seat and helmet, we recommend you bring your own gear that you areused to at home.

Weather forecast in Furanohttps://www.yahoo.com/news/weather/japan/furano-shi/furano-shi-1117112
The highest pass on the route is 738m, it can be below 10C. Please prepare for the weather.