Day 01: Kushiro, Crane Centre And Lake Akan

We landed, got picked up by our driver, and went straight into the snow-land mood.

First stop was Kushiro Marsh Observation Deck. There was honestly nothing much there, but because it was our first time seeing Hokkaido covered in snow, everything still looked amazing to us. You know that first-day excitement where even a random snow patch looks pretty? That was us.

After that, we went to Kushiro Washo Seafood Market for lunch, then Akan International Crane Center. The crane centre is more of a see-once place. People were mainly there to look at the famous Japanese crane, which is considered quite sacred in Japan. If you are not into this kind of nature/animal stop, do not expect too much.

We checked into our first hotel after that: Lake Akan Tsuruga Wings.

The hotel area felt like a small winter village with shops around, and there were even winter activities like snowmobile rides outside. But by then everyone was tired from the flight and the cold, so we kept the night simple and rested.

Day 02: Mt Iou, Shiretoko And Snow Shoe Walking

The morning view from breakfast was gorgeous. Hokkaido is really one of the prettiest winter places I have been to, and waking up to that kind of view honestly makes the whole trip feel more worth it.

After checking out, we went to Mt Iou, an active volcano area. It reminded me of the sulphur valley in Hakone, except this one did not have the strong sulphur smell, and the snow made everything look ten times prettier.

We also had the volcanic eggs there, so I guess our lives extended by a bit haha.

After lunch around Shiretoko, it was time for snow shoe walking.

This was actually quite fun because none of us had tried it before. But please dress warmly from head to toe. Some snow areas were very deep, and you can suddenly sink into a hole. Thye wore Red Wings boots and his toes were freezing by the end of the tour, so proper winter footwear really matters.

By the time we went back to the hotel, it was already getting dark because winter days in Hokkaido are short. We ended the day with onsen, which is honestly the best combination: freezing outside the whole day, then soaking in hot spring water at night.

Hotel for the night: Shiretoko Grand Hotel Kitakobushi.

Day 03: Drift Ice Backup Plan, Cruise And Private Onsen Room

The original plan was drift ice walking plus drift ice cruise. But early in the morning, we got news that the ice was not hard enough, so the drift ice walking had to be cancelled.

This is why Hokkaido winter plans need backup. Some activities really depend on weather and ice condition, so you cannot assume everything will run perfectly.

Instead, we took the Norroko Train from Shiretoko to Abashiri first. After that, they brought us to a glass-making activity to make up for the cancelled drift ice walk.

Thankfully, the drift ice cruise still went ahead. The view was spectacular and this is one of the winter experiences I would keep in the route if the timing and weather allow. It is not something we get to see often.

We also went to a museum and tried a snow slide. It looked harmless, but at one point it went really fast and was actually quite scary.

The third hotel was a big WOW moment. We had a private onsen bath right outside the room, and dinner was a 7-course meal that got us full by the 5th or 6th course. We still went for both the hotel onsen and our own private room onsen after that because… when in Hokkaido, just soak.

Hotel: Hokuten no Oka Abashiriko Tsuruga Resort.

Day 04: Smelt Ice Fishing, Fox Farm And Sounkyo Snow Festival

This was one of my favourite days because of smelt ice fishing at Lake Abashiri.

Smelt ice fishing is a must-try if you can fit it in. We got to drill our own hole in the ice, fish, and then they cooked the fishes we caught immediately. Eating fresh hot fried shishamo in the cold is such a simple but memorable experience.

Thye's sister even caught a unique fish, and according to our tour guide, it was a rare catch that brings good luck. Whether true or not, still quite exciting lah.

After that, we went to a fox farm. This one can skip if you are not interested. There were foxes, but the place was quite smelly because of the fox poo. Not exactly a highlight.

Lunch was at Aburitei, and this meal stood out because after so much sashimi and seafood, we finally had wagyu beef and BBQ food. Very happy.

We checked into Hotel Taisetsu earlier because there was a snow festival near the hotel, so we went to explore that in the evening.

That night, there was a snow storm and the temperature went down to around -20 degrees. This is why I keep repeating: dress properly.

Day 05: Asahiyama Zoo, Ramen Village And Furano

Day 5 was a travel day towards Furano, with a few stops along the way.

The plan included Asahiyama Zoo, Asahikawa Ramen Village, Otokoyama Sake Museum and Furano Marche.

I would recommend Asahiyama Zoo, especially in winter, because you get to see penguins walking through the zoo. That was quite cute and not something we get to see in Singapore. They also had animals like ostriches, so it was more interesting than I expected.

After the day stops, we finally checked into a hotel where we stayed for two nights. This felt like a relief after changing hotels almost every night.

And the reason we were there for two nights: SKIING. Wooooo.

Hotel: New Furano Prince Hotel.

Day 06: Skiing Day And Ningle Terrace

This was our full skiing day.

We spent the day going through ski lessons and trying to ski down the slopes. My regret was not going up the mountain, but honestly we were still quite noob and I was afraid I would literally roll down the mountain. Also, either my socks/jeans were wrong or the ski shoes just hated me, because they rubbed against my leg until walking was painful.

Still, I would not mind trying skiing again. Next time I would want to try snowboarding too. There were kids there sliding down like pros, making it look like no kick at all.

Dinner was another 7-course meal, but this time we were actually hungry because skiing used up so much energy. To be fair, I was almost never hungry during this Hokkaido trip because the meals were insane, but skiing day was different.

After dinner, we walked around the shopping village behind the resort. This should be Ningle Terrace, and it was so serene and pretty. The shops sold handmade/handcrafted items, so if you like ornaments and small handmade things, you should definitely go.

Day 07: Sapporo, Otaru And No More Onsen

We checked out of the final "outskirt" hotel and headed to Sapporo, where the last two days were more free-and-easy.

The good thing: no more changing hotels. The sad thing: no more onsen.

After soaking in onsen for six consecutive nights, I really felt like my skin became super smooth haha.

Our driver dropped us at the hotel, and the next time we saw him would be for the airport transfer.

We stayed at Mercure Hotel in Sapporo. The location was convenient, with food places around us, but because we were so tired from the past few days and the cold, we ended up taking cabs quite often. Not cheap, but sometimes comfort wins.

First stop was Otaru. We took the public train there, and Sankaku Fish Market was right outside the station.

After that, we went to Otaru Canal and explored the shopping street around the area. Otaru is a nice day trip from Sapporo if you want seafood, canal views and a slower shopping street kind of day.

At night, we headed out for supper near the hotel because there were many nice-looking restaurants around. This is why Sapporo hotel location still matters even if you have transport for the earlier parts of the trip.

Day 08: Sapporo Snow Festival, Shopping And Beer Museum

We had breakfast at a sushi restaurant near the hotel, then went to the Sapporo Snow Festival.

There were so many food stalls there that we were basically eating non-stop. If you are in Sapporo during the festival period, I would definitely include it because it gives the trip a very winter-festival feel.

After that, Thye's mum was not feeling well, so she rested while Thye and I went shopping. We went to Sapporo Factory Outlet, and I would say it is worth going if you want shopping. They had shops like Nike and Adidas Originals, and I think we did most of our shopping there.

Later, we met up again and went to the Sapporo Beer Museum.

To be honest, I was more excited about the BBQ than the museum because you get to BBQ and drink Sapporo beer at the same time. In cold weather, that combination feels very good. They are famous for lamb BBQ there, so try it if you can.

We cabbed back to the hotel after that.

Day 09: Seafood Breakfast, Shrine, Soup Curry And Home

On the last day, we woke up early for seafood breakfast at the fish market. It reminded me of Tsukiji Market in Tokyo, with seafood, fruits and other products.

After that, we went to a shrine and did some final shopping at Stellar Place Shopping Mall before heading back to pack for the night flight.

There was also a snack near the shrine that I liked, with brown sugar inside.

In between packing, Thye and I slipped out for late lunch at Suage Soup Curry and Dining in Sapporo. No regrets. The curry rice was sooo good.

If you want to try it, go early or at a non-peak timing because the queue can stretch from level 2 to level 1. The shop was on the 2nd level.

Address from my original post: Japan, 〒064-0804 Hokkaido, Sapporo, Chuo, 南４西５ 都志松ビル

After that, we waited for our driver and it was home sweet home.