SHIRETOKO — Where the drift ice arrives

And the wild has the last word

A UNESCO peninsula on Hokkaido's north-east edge, where sea ice comes down from the north and the forest runs unbroken to the water. Bears, eagles, almost no roads.

05 — SHIRETOKO — WHAT TO SEE

What to see

What SHIRETOKO is known for

DRIFT ICE

Drift ice, and the sea it covers

流氷

From late January the Sea of Okhotsk freezes over and the ice reaches the Shiretoko coast — the lowest latitude on Earth where this happens. Icebreakers run out of Abashiri, and on the ice itself white-tailed and Steller's sea eagles sit waiting.

FIVE LAKES

The Five Lakes boardwalk

知床五湖

An elevated walkway crosses the forest floor to the first lake with Mount Rausu reflected behind it. This is brown bear country, so the ground-level loop opens and closes with the season and sometimes requires a licensed guide.

THE CLIFFS

The cliffs, seen from the water

知床岬クルーズ

Most of the peninsula has no road. The cruise from Utoro runs beneath waterfalls that drop straight into the sea, and bears come down to the shoreline to fish — which is the honest reason to take the boat rather than drive.

GETTING THERE

Why this one takes planning

行き方

Shiretoko is a long way from Sapporo, and the interior road closes in winter. It works best as two or three nights built around a flight into Memanbetsu, which is exactly the kind of trip we put together by hand.

PRIVATE TRANSPORT

Your own vehicle, and a driver who knows the roads

移動そのものを楽にする

Hokkaido is large and the trains do not go where the good places are. Every tour we run is private to your group, in our own vehicle, with a nationally-certified driver. You are picked up at your hotel and dropped back at it, and the route can change on the day if the weather does.

05 — SHIRETOKO — PRACTICALITIES

Practicalities

Before you go to SHIRETOKO

Best season: Late January to March for drift ice. June to September for the Five Lakes boardwalk and the coastal cruise.
Getting there: The far north-east of the island. Most people fly into Memanbetsu rather than driving from Sapporo.
Time needed: Two or three nights. It does not work as a day trip from Sapporo.
Getting around: Distances are long and public transport is thin. The Shiretoko Pass closes over winter.
Good to know: This is brown bear country. Parts of the Five Lakes loop open and close with the season and can require a licensed guide.

We do not run a fixed tour here yet — Shiretoko trips are put together one at a time around your dates.

05 — SHIRETOKO — WHAT WE RUN

What we run

We build SHIRETOKO trips one at a time

We do not run a fixed tour here yet. Tell us your dates and what you would like to see, and we will put together a private itinerary with our own vehicle and an English-speaking guide.

Ask about a private trip

05 — SHIRETOKO — NEXT

Where else we can take you