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Lake Shikotsu Ice Festival, Noboribetsu and Lake Toya in Sapporo

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Activity provider: イ一エストラベル株式会社
Lake Shikotsu Ice Festival, Noboribetsu and Lake Toya
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Full-day tour in Sapporo, taking in Jigokudani (Hell Valley), Lake Toya Hot Spring and Lake Tōya. Run by イ一エストラベル株式会社, booked direct rather than through a reseller.

Highlights

  • Bus/coach
  • Jigokudani (Hell Valley)
  • Lake Toya Hot Spring
  • Lake Tōya
  • Runs 10 hours
  • Air-conditioned coach

Lake Shikotsu Ice Festival, Noboribetsu and Lake Toya: Key Facts

PriceFrom $117 per person
Duration10 hours
LanguagesEnglish
Tour typeGuided Tour
BookingDirect with the local operator — no OTA markup

Full description

This is a 10-hour experience from Sapporo, built around Bus/coach, Jigokudani (Hell Valley) and Lake Toya Hot Spring. It is run by イ一エストラベル株式会社, an operator we book with directly rather than through a reseller, which is why we can hold your place with them before we treat your booking as final.

Hokkaido is Japan's northern island, a different climate and a different scale: Sapporo is its city, with the beer museum, the ramen alley and the February snow festival; Otaru, 40 minutes away, has the canal and the glass and music-box shops; Noboribetsu is the hell-valley hot springs; Lake Toya and Lake Shikotsu are caldera lakes; and Biei and Furano in the centre are the flower fields and lavender of July. Winter brings two metres of snow to Sapporo and the powder that made Niseko famous. Distances are long and trains are few, so day tours from Sapporo are mostly by bus and run eight to ten hours.

The price covers Air-conditioned coach, guide service, Round-trip transport from Sapporo and Highway tolls and parking fees. It does not cover Shikotsu Ice Festival admission, Snowmobile experience at Snow World Toya, Lunch and Personal expenses, so budget for those separately. Everything included is listed in full on this page; if something is not on that list, assume it is not in the price.

イ一エストラベル株式会社 sends the meeting point and time by email as soon as the booking is confirmed. We need at least one day's notice, and we confirm the date with イ一エストラベル株式会社 before treating your booking as final. If they cannot take your date we tell you and refund you rather than leave you waiting.

Tour Itinerary

Itineraries are customisable as per your request

The schedule below is a suggested plan and can be adjusted to suit your preferences.

Starting/pickup location

Depends on the selected option

Bus/coach

(2 hours)

Jigokudani (Hell Valley)

Photo stop, Visit, Sightseeing (40 minutes)

Bus/coach

(1 hour)

Lake Toya Hot Spring

Photo stop, Guided tour, Sightseeing (20 minutes)

Bus/coach

(20 minutes)

Lake Tōya

Free time, Sightseeing (20 minutes)

Snow・World・Toya

Free time, Sightseeing (70 minutes)

Bus/coach

(80 minutes)

Lake Shikotsu

Visit, Free time, Sightseeing (1 hour)

Bus/coach

(1.5 hours)

3 drop-off locations

Sapporo Station North Underground Parking Lot, Sapporo, Statue of Hope

Detailed Itinerary

Starting/pickup location: Depends on the selected option

Bus/coach: (2 hours)

Jigokudani (Hell Valley): Photo stop, Visit, Sightseeing (40 minutes)

Bus/coach: (1 hour)

Lake Toya Hot Spring: Photo stop, Guided tour, Sightseeing (20 minutes)

Bus/coach: (20 minutes)

Lake Tōya: Free time, Sightseeing (20 minutes)

Snow・World・Toya: Free time, Sightseeing (70 minutes)

Includes

  • Air-conditioned coach.
  • Professional guide service (English/Chinese).
  • Round-trip transport from Sapporo.
  • Highway tolls and parking fees.

Excludes

  • Shikotsu Ice Festival admission (weekday approx. ¥1,000, weekend/holiday approx. ¥3,000; age 12+; under 12 free).
  • Snowmobile experience at Snow World Toya (solo ¥15,000, tandem ¥20,000; cash only).
  • Lunch.
  • Personal expenses.
  • Travel insurance.

Important information

Meeting point

イ一エストラベル株式会社 sends the meeting point and time by email as soon as the booking is confirmed.

Know before you go

  • Free cancellation available up to 24 hours before the activity starts

About this activity

Free cancellation
Cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund
Secure payment
Complete your booking safely with Razorpay. Full refund if you cancel 24h prior. Read more
Duration 10 hours
Check availability to see starting times
Live tour guide
English
Wheelchair accessible

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Main Tour Price
Starting from $117
$117
Need a custom booking or have a larger group?Contact Support via WhatsApp
Free cancellation
Cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund
Secure payment
Complete your booking safely with Razorpay. Full refund if you cancel 24h prior. Read more

Frequently Asked Questions

イ一エストラベル株式会社 sends the meeting point and time by email as soon as the booking is confirmed.
The price does not cover shikotsu ice festival admission (weekday approx. ¥1,000, weekend/holiday approx. ¥3,000; age 12+; under 12 free)., snowmobile experience at snow world toya (solo ¥15,000, tandem ¥20,000; cash only)., lunch. and personal expenses.. Everything it does cover is listed in full on this page, so if something is not on that list, budget for it separately.
Unless the option says private, this runs as a small group. The operator caps it rather than filling a coach, and if you want it to yourselves the private option is priced separately on this page.
We confirm your booking with the operator before we treat it as final, and we need at least one day's notice. Once it is confirmed you get the meeting point, the time and a contact number for the day. If the operator cannot take your date we tell you and refund you rather than leave you waiting.
Air-conditioned coach., Professional guide service (English/Chinese)., Round-trip transport from Sapporo., Highway tolls and parking fees.
The duration of the Lake Shikotsu Ice Festival, Noboribetsu and Lake Toya is typically 10 hours. We recommend arriving 15 minutes before the scheduled start time for a smooth check-in. Your guide will meet you at the designated meeting point and ensure the experience runs on schedule while remaining flexible to your pace.
For most experiences, we highly recommend an early morning start. This allows you to avoid the midday heat, bypass the largest crowds, and capture the best lighting for photography. Your guide can advise on the optimal timing based on the season and specific attractions included.
Yes, once your booking is completed via our secure payment gateway, you will receive an instant confirmation email with your tour details, meeting point address, guide's name, and direct contact information. You can also view and manage your booking through your AsiaByLocals account dashboard.
Yes! All our private tours are fully customizable. Whether you want to add extra stops, skip certain locations, change the pace, or adjust the start time — simply let your guide know in advance or on the day. We aim to create a personalized experience tailored to your interests and energy level.
We offer free cancellation up to 24 hours before the scheduled start time for a full refund. Cancellations within 24 hours may be subject to a partial charge depending on the tour type. Weather-related cancellations for outdoor and boat tours are handled on a case-by-case basis, with full refunds or free rebooking offered when safety is a concern.
Most of our experiences are family-friendly and suitable for children of all ages. However, some tours involving extensive walking, water activities, or early morning starts may be better suited for children aged 5 and above. Please check the specific tour description for age recommendations, or contact us for personalized family itinerary advice.
After booking, you will receive detailed meeting point instructions via email. Most tours include complimentary hotel pickup within the central area. For tours without pickup, your confirmation email will include the exact address, Google Maps pin, and your guide's phone number for easy coordination. Guides typically arrive 10 minutes early and will message you on WhatsApp.
We accept all major credit and debit cards (Visa, Mastercard, American Express), PayPal, Apple Pay, and Razorpay for Indian cards. All payments are processed through a PCI-compliant secure gateway with 256-bit encryption. You can also pay in multiple currencies — the price is automatically converted to your local currency at checkout.
Yes, all AsiaByLocals guides are licensed professionals who have been rigorously vetted through background checks, skill assessments, and customer reviews. Many hold government-issued tourism licenses, university degrees in history or cultural studies, and have years of experience leading tours for international travelers. Every guide maintains a minimum 4.5-star rating to remain active on our platform.
February for deep snow and the Snow Festival, or late June to mid-July for Furano's lavender. Note that Sapporo's cumulative snowfall of 4.7–5 m is often misread — actual ground depth peaks around 80–100 cm in February. Full month-by-month detail in our best time to visit Sapporo guide.
The 2027 festival runs 4–11 February across Odori, Susukino and Tsudome, and entry to all three sites is free. Hotels sell out 6–9 months ahead and rates run 2–3× normal — our Snow Festival guide covers whether that premium is worth paying.
The subway covers most of the city at ¥210–380 a ride, and the weekend Donichika pass is just ¥520 — far better value than the ¥830 weekday version. The airport train is ¥1,230 (33–37 min). See getting around Sapporo.
Yes — it's 30 minutes and ¥800 by JR, making it the easiest day trip in Hokkaido. The canal, glassworks and sushi street fill a comfortable day. Timing tips and the Snow Light Path dates are in our Otaru day trip guide.
Miso ramen (invented here around 1954), jingisukan lamb BBQ, soup curry, and Nijo Market seafood. Bowls run ¥900–1,500. Where locals actually eat — and which famous spots to skip — is in our Sapporo food guide.
Niseko has the deepest snow (~15 m a season) but the highest prices — a 2026-27 peak day pass is ¥13,500. Rusutsu, Kiroro and Sapporo Teine (¥8,400 online) offer similar powder for less. Honest comparison in our Niseko and Hokkaido ski guide.
Three days works well: one for the city, one for Otaru, and one for a day trip or ski day. Our Sapporo 3-day itinerary has winter and summer variants with realistic timings.
Starting from$117