Fire and Ice

Time to another Japan adventure! This time we’re doing winter festivals in Hokkaido with a bunch of friends.

Day 1: Tokyo

We started the trip in Tokyo doing some quick shopping, exploring, and lots of eating. It’s good to be back and even better to see so many familiar faces.

Day 2: Tokyo > Sapporo

Today we dealt with a canceled flight, visited a chocolate factory in an airport, accidentally left our guide behind and took a train to Sapporo on our own, went to an ice festival, and ate bear for the first time!

Day 3: Sapporo and Otaru

We checked out the Sapporo Snow Festival and then hopped a train to Otaru: an adorable little harbor town with shopping, food, and lots of snow.

Day 4: Fun in Sapporo

This was our last full day in Sapporo! We sampled some famous Hokkaido dairy and ramen, did some shopping, and ended the day at the Sapporo beer garden with an all-you-can-eat-and-drink grilling experience. Tomorrow we head to a resort!

Day 5: Sapporo > Chitose

Time for some pure relaxation at one of the nicest resorts ever on the shores of Lake Shikotsu. We went to two more festivals today, and then turned on super chill mode.

Day 6: Relaxing in Chitose

Today was all about relaxation. We returned to the ice festival and explored the town a little, but mostly just ate and drank everything in sight, sat around, and warmed up in the onsen.

Day 7: Chitose > Hakodate

We said goodbye to our beautiful resort and headed south to Hakodate to explore a fortress, take in the views, and, oh yeah, eat and drink some more.

Day 8: Exploring Hakodate

We started the day at a fish market, popped over to another nearby winter festival, drank tea at the former British consulate, and then did some shopping! And eating. Lots of eating.

Day 9: Hakodate > Hirosaki

We left Hokkaido today to return to Honshu (the main island of Japan). We visited a castle that was dragged around by hand and then ate and drank to our hearts’ content at an izakaya.

Day 10: Hirosaki > Aomori > Kakunodate

Floats, a boat, apples, and fire! We visited the Nebuta Museum, toured an old ferry boat, ate and bought tons of apple goods at A-factory, and then hit up the Kakunodate fire and ice festival to swing some fireballs! 🔥

Day 11: Kakunodate and Yokote

Last full day of the official tour! Most of us are staying on for at least a few days in Tokyo but we enjoyed our last festival tonight with some melting igloos and festival food.

Day 12: Kakunodate > Tokyo

We’ve returned to Tokyo for a few more days of soaking in Japan. We started in snow and ended in a super mild, sunny day where we petted cats and a capybara, ate pizza, and hung out one last time together.