Active Northern Japan: Tokyo & Hokkaido (Self-Launched)
11 days · Japan
G Adventures charges £3,450
No-markup version: ~£1,500 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
An 11-day independent version of G Adventures' Active Northern Japan trip: three days of Tokyo's temples and neon, then a cheap domestic flight north to Hokkaido for volcano-rimmed lakes, UNESCO-listed Shiretoko forest trails, a night in an Ainu-country ryokan with hot springs, the Asahidake ropeway hike and Sapporo's seafood markets and beer museum. You book everything yourself — hostel dorms and business hotels, local buses, the odd ropeway ticket and a couple of guided day hikes — for roughly a third of the group-tour price. All costs are approximate backpacker rates in GBP.
Day-by-day
Arrive Tokyo — settle in and orient yourself
Tokyo
Land at Narita or Haneda and get straight onto public transport: the Keisei Skyliner from Narita to Ueno costs about £15 (40 mins), or the Haneda monorail/train combo is around £6. Check into a hostel dorm or capsule hotel in Asakusa or Ueno — Asakusa is cheaper and puts you next to Sensō-ji for tomorrow. Spend the evening walking the Sumida River embankment, grab a bowl of ramen or a ¥500 sushi plate from a kaiten counter, and buy a Suica/Pasmo IC card at the station (£1.50 deposit) to tap your way through the whole trip.
🚌Airport train to central Tokyo (~£6-15); walking and metro.
🛏Hostel dorm or capsule hotel, Asakusa/Ueno (~£22)
- →Airport transfer to Asakusa/Ueno
- →Sumida River evening walk
- →IC card setup at station kiosk
- →Cheap ramen dinner
Tokyo highlights loop: Sensō-ji, Nakamise, Meiji Shrine
Tokyo
Do the same ground the group tour covers, just on your own timetable. Start early (7-8am) at Sensō-ji Temple and the Nakamise shopping street in Asakusa before the crowds — both free. Take the Ginza metro line across town to Harajuku and walk through Yoyogi Park to Meiji Shrine (free), then wander Omotesando. In the afternoon choose your own adventure: Akihabara for arcades and electronics, Ueno Park and its free museums, or Shinjuku at dusk. A day metro pass or pay-as-you-go IC card runs about £5-7.
🚌Tokyo Metro (IC card / day pass ~£5-7)
🛏Hostel dorm or capsule hotel, Asakusa/Ueno (~£22)
- →Sensō-ji Temple & Nakamise street (free)
- →Meiji Shrine & Yoyogi Park (free)
- →Harajuku/Omotesando wander
- →Optional Akihabara or Ueno Park
Fly Tokyo to Memanbetsu, transfer to Shiretoko
Shiretoko (Utoro)
Book a low-cost domestic flight with ANA or Japan Airlines' Hokkaido fare, or use Jetstar/Peach via a booking site — Tokyo (Haneda) to Memanbetsu is usually £50-90 if booked a couple of months ahead, and note the strict 20kg baggage limit on cheap fares. From Memanbetsu Airport take the local Airport Liner or Akan bus to Utoro Onsen at the gateway of Shiretoko National Park (~£20, 2hrs). Check into a budget minshuku or hostel in Utoro, soak in the public onsen bath, and eat dinner at a small local seafood place near the port.
🚌Haneda–Memanbetsu flight (~£50-90) + airport bus to Utoro (~£20)
🛏Minshuku/guesthouse, Utoro Onsen (~£35)
- →Domestic flight to Hokkaido
- →Onsen soak at accommodation
- →Utoro harbour evening walk
Shiretoko Five Lakes and Furepe Waterfall
Shiretoko (Utoro)
Catch the Shiretoko shuttle bus from Utoro to the Five Lakes trailhead (~£3-5, seasonal service — check timetables at the Utoro bus terminal). The elevated wooden boardwalk loop is free and takes about 90 minutes; the ground-level lakes trail requires a short paid briefing from a local guide and is usually booked on the day or via Klook/GetYourGuide (~£15-20 in season). After lunch, walk the Furepe Waterfall trail from the Shiretoko Nature Center — about 40 minutes each way, free, with views of cliffs dropping into the Okhotsk Sea. Back in Utoro, hit the Shiretoko World Heritage Conservation Centre if it's open.
🚌Local shuttle bus to trailheads (~£5)
🛏Minshuku/guesthouse, Utoro Onsen (~£35)
- →Shiretoko Five Lakes boardwalk (free)
- →Optional guided ground trail (~£18)
- →Furepe Waterfall hike (free)
- →Shiretoko Nature Center & conservation centre
Primeval Forest hike and Steller's sea eagles
Shiretoko (Utoro)
Book a half-day guided nature walk through the primeval forest area of the Shiretoko Peninsula — local operators in Utoro and Rausu run these for around £35-45 and it's the best way to learn the ecology (brown bears, Ezo deer, Steller's sea eagles) from a licensed guide. Alternatively, walk the free forest trails around the Nature Center solo with binoculars. Spend the afternoon walking 20 minutes into Utoro village for coffee, or head to a public onsen (¥500-800). If it's eagle season (winter), the Rausu drift-ice cruises run from the neighbouring port.
🚌Walking; optional local bus to Rausu
🛏Minshuku/guesthouse, Utoro Onsen (~£35)
- →Guided primeval forest walk (~£40)
- →Wildlife spotting with binoculars
- →Public onsen visit
- →Utoro village walk
Mt Iō, Lake Kussharo hot-spring beach and Lake Akan ryokan
Lake Akan (Akan-ko)
This is the day the group tour uses a private van — you'll do it on the Akan Bus network or a shared taxi. Take the morning bus from Utoro toward Abashiri/Kitami and connect onto the Akan Bus route to Kawayu Onsen (roughly £12-18 combined, allow 4 hours with a change; check the seasonal timetable carefully the day before). Stop at the Mt Iō sulfur vents viewpoint, then walk down to Lake Kussharo's Kotan beach where you can dig your own hot-spring pool in the sand (free, bring a small trowel). Continue to Lake Mashu's observation deck if time allows, then overnight in a lakeside ryokan at Lake Akan (~£55 including dinner and breakfast — book direct or via Booking.com). In the evening, see the Ainu cultural performance 'Akan Yukar: Lost Kamuy' at the Lake Akan Ainu Kotan theatre (~£13).
🚌Local bus network Utoro → Kawayu Onsen → Lake Akan (~£15 combined)
🛏Ryokan at Lake Akan, dinner & breakfast included (~£55)
- →Mt Iō sulfur vents viewpoint
- →Lake Kussharo sand hot-spring dig (free)
- →Lake Mashu observation deck
- →Ainu theatre performance 'Lost Kamuy' (~£13)
Lake Akan onsen morning and on to Asahikawa
Asahikawa
Use the ryokan's hot spring bath again before breakfast, then take a short walk around Lake Akan (the free湖畔 trail along the southern shore takes about an hour and passes the Ainu Kotan village). Catch the bus from Lake Akan to Kushiro or directly to Asahikawa via Kitami (about 4.5 hours, £22-28 — the direct Akan Bus service is cheapest if it's running that season; otherwise bus to Kushiro then the JR Sekihoku line to Asahikawa, roughly £35). Check into a business hotel or guesthouse near Asahikawa Station, then eat the reason you came: Asahikawa shōyu ramen at a classic counter like Santōka or Hachiya (~£7-9).
🚌Local bus/coach Lake Akan → Asahikawa (~£22-28)
🛏Business hotel/guesthouse, Asahikawa (~£30)
- →Morning onsen at ryokan
- →Lake Akan shore walk & Ainu Kotan
- →Asahikawa ramen dinner
- →Asahikawa evening stroll
Asahidake Ropeway and Sugatami hike
Asahikawa
Take the Asahidake-bound bus from Asahikawa Station (seasonal, ~£9 each way, about 1hr 20mins; otherwise a shared taxi or hire car). Ride the Asahidake Ropeway up to Sugatami station (~£12 one way / £18 return) and walk the Sugatami Pond loop trail — 1.5 to 2 hours over volcanic scree and alpine ponds, best done in the morning before the cloud rolls in. Bring a warm layer, waterproof and proper boots; this is Daisetsuzan's high country even in summer. Return to Asahikawa by late afternoon, hit an onsen or the Asahikawa Ramen Village if you're still hungry.
🚌Local bus Asahikawa → Asahidake (~£18 return) + ropeway (~£18 return)
🛏Business hotel/guesthouse, Asahikawa (~£30)
- →Asahidake Ropeway ascent
- →Sugatami Ponds loop hike
- →Alpine photography
- →Evening onsen in Asahikawa
Train to Sapporo — Hill of the Buddha or Hokkaidō Jingū
Sapporo
Ride the JR Kamui/Lilac Express from Asahikawa to Sapporo (about 1hr 25, ~£22 reserved; cheaper un-reserved). Drop bags at a hostel or business hotel near Ōdōri or Susukino (~£28). In the afternoon head out on the municipal subway and bus to the Hill of the Buddha at Takino Cemetery (site entrance free, ~£3 bus fare) — it's a striking concrete hill with a giant Buddha emerging from the roof and lavender in July. Alternatively visit Hokkaidō Jingū shrine, a forested, quiet Shinto site (free). Evening: drink in the Susukino lanes, or go up the JR Tower observation deck for the city view (~£5).
🚌JR express Asahikawa → Sapporo (~£22) + subway/bus (~£5)
🛏Hostel/business hotel, Sapporo (~£28)
- →JR train to Sapporo
- →Hill of the Buddha at Takino (free entry)
- →Alternative: Hokkaidō Jingū shrine
- →Susukino evening walk
Nijo Market and Sapporo Beer Museum
Sapporo
Start at Nijo Market near Ōdōri — free to walk through, with crab, salmon roe, uni and scallops on ice; buy breakfast from a stall rather than a sit-down restaurant to save (£8-12). Then take the Tōhō subway line to Higashi-Kuyakusho-mae and walk 10 minutes to the Sapporo Beer Museum, itself free, with an optional paid tasting of the local-only Sapporo Classic and other brews (~£5 for three small samples). Pair it with the Sapporo Beer Garden if you fancy genghis khan lamb. Last night: pick up a snack at a depachika basement food hall and wander Odori Park.
🚌Subway day pass (~£5)
🛏Hostel/business hotel, Sapporo (~£28)
- →Nijo Market (free)
- →Sapporo Beer Museum & tasting (~£5)
- →Odori Park walk
- →Depachika food hall browsing
Depart Sapporo
Sapporo
Check out and head to New Chitose Airport on the JR Rapid Airport train from Sapporo Station (~£9, 40 minutes) for your international connection, or extend with a couple of days in Noboribetsu or Otaru if your flight home is flexible. Leave time for the airport's food hall — the ramen alley there is genuinely good.
🚌JR Rapid Airport to New Chitose (~£9)
🛏None (departure day)
- →Train to New Chitose Airport
- →Optional Noboribetsu or Otaru extension
Self-launched vs. G Adventures
| This itinerary (self-launched) | G Adventures | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£1,500 | £3,450 |
| Duration | 11 days | 11 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £1,950 per person (57%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more G Adventures-style trips? Check them out here.~£1,500
estimated per person
You never pay Travel Crew for this — you pay hostels, transport, and activity providers directly, the same as if you'd booked it all yourself.
This publishes your dates so other travellers can find and join you — no tour operator needed.
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Frequently asked questions
How much does Active Northern Japan: Tokyo & Hokkaido (Self-Launched) cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £1,500 per person for 11 days in Japan. This is an AI-generated estimate based on typical budget-traveller prices — actual costs will vary by season and how you book.
Is this cheaper than booking with G Adventures?+
Yes — G Adventures charges around £3,450 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £1,500 — a saving of roughly £1,950 (57%) per person.
How long is the Japan trip?+
This itinerary runs 11 days, covering 11 day-by-day stops through Japan.
How do I join this trip?+
You can join an existing open departure using this itinerary if one is scheduled, or launch your own departure with your own dates and invite other travellers to join you — no tour operator required.
Isn't it easier to just use a tour operator?+
Well, yes, a tour operator will book all the individual parts of your travel for you and provide a guide. That's obvious, but doing this has the potential to save the group thousands, which can in turn improve your itinerary substantially or save you huge amounts of money. Also, when you launch a departure, Travel Crew has tools in place to help you book the individual sections of the trip or make it easier for you to do this as a group. Really, you do not need a middle man. If you are more comfortable paying more and using a middle man, then you should certainly do this.
Is it safer to book through a tour operator?+
Arguably, there isn't much difference. A self-launched trip runs on the same principle as a group travel crew: collective responsibility, everyone looking out for each other, the same way it would if a group of friends organised the trip themselves — because that's exactly what's happening. You should always take out travel insurance before you go, self-launched or not; that doesn't change either way. Every open departure is published publicly with real dates and a real trip organiser, so it's never an anonymous arrangement, and our support team is reachable any time you need help, including in an emergency while you're away. Longer-term, we're building direct relationships with ground DMCs in popular destinations, offered as an optional paid add-on for extra on-the-ground support. Ultimately, though, the group is responsible for its own conduct and safety on a self-launched trip, same as on any trip you plan yourself.
What kind of trip is this?+
This is a adventure, hiking, culture trip through Japan, self-launched rather than run by a tour operator — you organise it with a group you find or bring yourself.
Would you like to name the operator, name the trip, or have any suggestions about how to improve this itinerary?
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