Akan–Mashu to Shiretoko 8 Day Cycling Tour

We meet at about 6 pm at our hotel in Abashiri near the station. It takes 5.5 hours by train from Sapporo to Abashiri Station, and 2 hours by flight from Tokyo Haneda to Memanbetsu Airport. 

After a tour briefing & introduction, we stroll around Abashiri and have a scrumptious welcome dinner in town. 

If you have some time to spare before the tour commences, the Hokkaido Museum of Northern Peoples, as well as the Abashiri Prison Museum are popular sights in Abashiri worth visiting, and are both accessible by bus.

After bike fitting and a quick safety briefing, we head out to Cape Notoro. As we leave Abashiri, we soon hit the Okhotsk Sea coastline, where we pass by several temples, as well as a small fishing village. A short, gradual hill leading to the cape serves as excellent preparation for the rest of the tour's more challenging climbs.

We spend some time at Cape Notoro's lookout point, which affords a lovely panoramic view of the sea. We then enjoy a pleasant downhill to Lake Notoro, a small brackish lake that is home to the largest glasswort (a succulent plant which thrives in saline environments) community in Japan. This glasswort turns a very vibrant red in autumn. After cycling down the lakeside road, we connect to the cycling path which brings us back to Abashiri.

For dinner, we pay a visit to our favourite okonomiyaki (savoury pancake) restaurant, where the meal is prepared and cooked right in front of your eyes!

We leave Abashiri and ride south to the sweeping Kussharo Caldera via Bihoro Pass. From the top of this pass we can see a fantastic view of Lake Kussharo, as well as the many mountains which encircle the caldera. Looking out from this point, you truly gain a sense of the scale of the volcanic activity which formed the entire landscape, and which blessed the area with its beloved hot springs. 

After lunch at the rest house here, we enjoy a downhill ride to Lake Kussharo, the largest caldera lake in Japan, and the second largest lake in Hokkaido. The lake is also one of the three major lakes in Akan-Mashu National Park. We pay a brief visit to Sunayu, a popular foot spa site where if you dig a hole in the shore's sand, hot spring water wells up in a matter of seconds. Tonight's accommodation is located in the hot spring town Kawayu Onsen.

We begin today by cycling to Mt. Io, or "Sulphur Mountain." This still active volcano last erupted about 600 years ago, and to this day continues to emit massive billows of sulphuric steam into the sky. You can see for yourself how stained the steam vents are with an almost unearthly shade of sulphuric yellow! 

After a gradual, but long uphill climb, we reach the lookout point at Lake Mashu. This is another of Akan-Mashu National Park's three major lakes, with pristine waters set deep in a caldera of its own. Its high, steep cliffs prevent people from accessing its shores, a feature which is believed to have helped it retain its immaculate water quality to this very day. The lake is regularly veiled in mist and fog, but if we get lucky, we will be able to catch a glimpse of its renowned "Mashu-blue" surface. The rest of the day's cycling is a leisurely downhill and flat route into the farming area of Nakashibetsu.

This morning we enjoy the change in scenery as we emerge from farmland and into the UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site-designated Shiretoko Peninsula, considered by some to be the last unexplored region of Japan. 

We cycle along the eastern coast of the peninsula for today's destination, a small fishing village called Rausu, famous across Japan for its production of kombu - sea-kelp that is an essential ingredient in Japanese cuisine. This area is also well known for its delicious, fresh seafood - king crab, in particular.

After we arrive in Rausu, you have the option to spend the afternoon either driving or cycling 24 km further to a secluded seaside onsen called Aidomari. Let the sound of waves soothe and recharge you for tomorrow's ride!

Today we get a true taste of Shiretoko Peninsula's awe-inspiring beauty. Leaving Rausu, we cycle up the Shiretoko Pass to the other side of the peninsula. It is a gradual and long 15 km to the top of the pass, where you will be rewarded with a breathtaking view of Mt. Rausu, the highest peak in the Shiretoko Mountain Range. The mountain's majestic figure in contrast with the azure blue sea in the distance is a truly wonderful sight to behold. 

We enjoy a leisurely downhill to the Shiretoko Nature Center, where we have a quick lunch, and an optional short walk to Furepe Waterfall, a beautiful waterfall which empties out from a sharp cliff into the sea. We also have the option to take a 9 km side trip to Shiretoko Five Lakes, where we can walk through a very unique, beautiful landscape dotted by small lakes, each fed by underground spring water. If the weather permits, there will be a chance to see a truly beautiful sunset from our accommodation in Utoro.

Today we say so long to Shiretoko Peninsula and make our way back to Abashiri alongside the Sea of Okhotsk coast. 

In early July, potato fields on the left hand side will be in spectacular full bloom! We make a brief stop at the Koshimizu Wildflower Reserve to observe the diverse array of wildflowers in bloom during spring and summer, such as the Japanese Rose and the Siberian Lily. 

We then ride to our final accommodation of the tour, this time located beside Lake Abashiri. Enjoy relaxing in the outdoor onsen with a lovely view of the lake spread out before you!

The tour will wrap up after breakfast. You can easily take a bus from your hotel to Abashiri Station or Memanbetsu Airport.