Dog Sledding at Winter Camp in Tokachi
4-Day Tour
4-DAY
DIFFICULTY
SNOW SEASON
JPY 352,000
4 days 3 nights
Min. 4, Max. 4
- HIGHTLIGHTS
-
- Enjoy a 12 km dog sledding course on the heavy snow field of the Tokachi Plain
- Have a unique night dog sledding tour under a moonlit or starry sky
- Warm up your body in a sauna hut
- Experience winter camping and night bonfires
- Savor the local products of Tokachi called the farm kingdom
- LOCATION
-
Shikaoi town of Tokachi subprefecture, Hokkaido
OVERVIEW
Dog sledding, which was used by Ainu (Hokkaido’s indigenous people) in Karafuto (South Sakhalin in Russia) is one of the most popular winter activity in Hokkaido. The dog sledding tour is one of the few authentic ones in the world, and we will get an insider’s look at Hokkaido’s climate – long, cold winters with a lot of snow.
We will not only enjoy the dog sledding experience but also deepen our relationship with nature and animals through mutual aid with our team’s dogs. People and dogs have to trust each other and cooperate in order to succeed in dog sledding through the snowfield. We will get to know and take care of our team’s dogs while working to build a relationship of trust. In addition, we will be accompanied by a dog sledding guide during those 4 days. He will share with us all his experience and give lectures.
For the meals, we will taste local ingredients such as Hokkaido’s representative gibier deer meat and agricultural products Shikaoi town and Tokachi subprefecture. The experience of having a heart-to-heart with the dogs and the sense of accomplishment of overcoming the frozen night at the camp will make us feel like true adventurers!
ITINERARY
DAY 1
Meeting dogs of your team
Arrival at the camp and meeting with our pack of dogs.
In the afternoon, we will meet at Obihiro Station. After arriving at the dog sledding camp in Shikaoi town, we will have a brief meeting with our dog sledding guide about our upcoming 4 days of adventure. We will also try on our winter gear.
We will get warm greetings from our furry friends before to ride fat bike and inspect the sledding course shortly that we will run tomorrow.
We will head to our wooden accommodation to settle down for the next 3 nights. Tonight, we will enjoy a welcome party and toast at the beginning of our challenge with a homemade dinner of local ingredients at a restaurant next to your cottage.
Accommodation
Shikaoi | COUNTRY PAPA | Wooden cottage
Included meals
Homemade dinner at a local restaurant
DAY 2
First day of dog sledding
After the breakfast delivered to our cottage, we will head to the dog sledding venue.
Today we will complete the 12 km course in pairs, taking turns as being the mushers (the one commanding to the dogs and running the sled). We will learn how to give the direction at the right time in order to make the dogs run well. After we have successfully completed the run, we will praise our dogs with gratitude.
After lunch in a tent, we will chop the wood for the nightly bonfire. Hokkaido‘s natural forests are composed of coniferous and broadleaf trees. It is quite interesting as each of these trees burns in a different way. Afterward, we will have the opportunity to warm ourselves up and relax the mental and physical tension in the sauna hut of the camp.
While sitting around our bonfire and drinking hot drinks, we will have a brief meeting regarding today’s experience. Before leaving the camp, we will feed our furry friends.
Accommodation
Shikaoi | COUNTRY PAPA | Wooden cottage
Included meals
Breakfast delivered to your cottage
Lunch of bread, sausage, and cheese produced in Tokachi Homemade dinner at a local restaurant
DAY 3
Challenge a 12 km course by ourselves and an overnight at the camp
After having breakfast delivered to our cottage, we will head to the dog sledding venue.
Today, we will run the same 12 km course as yesterday with riding a sled each. We will feel our skill improvement and as we will gain the cooperation of our pack of dogs by giving the good instructions, our appreciation and love for them will increase.
After lunch inside a tent, we will have time to enjoy again the sauna hut.
After the today debriefing around the bonfire, we will cook ourselves our dinner composed of grilled venison (It might have been hunt by the guide) and bean stew. This activity will warm us thanks to the wood stove.
Before we go to sleep in a warm sleeping bag, we will go dog sledding again in the dark and silent night.
Accommodation
Shikaoi | Tent
Included meals
Breakfast delivered to your cottage
Lunch of bread, sausage, and cheese produced in Tokachi Self-cooked camping food dinner with grilled venison etc.
DAY 4
Having our morning coffee at dawn and refreshing ourselves at the hot spring
Today’s our coffee time at dawn will have a special taste! After feeding the dogs and lightning the wood stove, we will eat a simple breakfast inside the tent. After breakfast, we will exchange about what we experienced during those three days.
Before the departure, we will have plenty of time to play with our companions and give
them a last hug!
After saying our goodbyes to the guide, we will stop at Tokachigawa hot spring to refresh ourselves and have lunch on our own. Then your 4 days adventure will end at Obihiro station.
Included meals
Simple breakfast
ACCOMMODATIONS
| Area | Facility Type | Room Type | Onsen / Spa | WiFi | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shikaoi | Wooden cottage | Wooden cottage with beds, heater, shower room, kitchen *Participants of the same gender may stay in the same cottage. |  |
|
| 2 | Shikaoi | Wooden cottage | Wooden cottage with beds, heater, shower room, kitchen *Participants of the same gender may stay in the same cottage. | |
|
| 3 | Shikaoi | Tent | Tent with a wood stove *The wood stove may be turned off during the night for safety. *Restroom is available inside a cabin near our tent. *No shower room | |
Tour Operator / Contact
Hokkaido Treasure Island Travel Inc.
- Address
9F Daito Bldg, 8-1, South 2 East 2, Chuo-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan
We are Hokkaido Treasure Island Travel (HTIT), an award-winning team of creators of unique, perfectly tailored Hokkaido travel experiences. HTIT Team is deeply rooted in Hokkaido, North Japan. In 2004, HTIT started its journey as a pioneer of a new style of adventure travel by sharing the treasures of Hokkaido. We are constantly opening new doors and making local destinations previously inaccessible for travelers available all over Hokkaido. We provide a compelling combination of personal and professional travel advice, knowledge beyond that of the guidebook insider, and behind the scenes access to places and authentic local experiences generally not available for the public. Our mission is to create for you a journey of a lifetime, every time you travel with us.
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