*Trip starts at FEBURARY 5 in Tokyo. If flying in from another country, be sure to be in Japan by that time. DUE TO THE DEPARTURE TO SAPPORO THE FOLLOWING MORNING, LATE ARRIVING FLIGHTS ARE NOT RECOMMENDED.
A vacation unlike anything else.
Giant snow sculptures. Amazing food. Slides made of ice. Luxurious hot spring waters. There’s so place quite like northern Japan, and you’ll experience all of it as we travel from the massive city of Sapporo to Tokyo by way of Hakodate, Aomori, Kakunodate, Yokote, and more. It’s the finest of urban and rural Japanese hospitality, and it’s all yours!
Starting with the Sapporo Snow Festival, we’ll also visit the Ice Festival, the Fire Flinging Festival in Kakunodate, the Yokote Kamakura (Igloo Festival), and more spread over two magical weeks in the cities, hot springs, and secluded mountain towns that locals have loved for decades (or, in some cases, centuries)! Travel through neon-lighted ice caves, relax in hot springs on a picturesque lakeside, picnic with the locals inside igloos, wander among candlelit alleys by the ocean, sip fresh Apple wine, eat the freshest seafood in Japan at the Hakodate Morning Market… and maybe even spin a giant fireball over your head! Along the way, we’ll feast on lamb barbecue (“Genghis Khan”), try to conquer a giant ice cream parfait, and mingle with the locals. It’s no wonder why Fire and Ice is our most well-reviewed trip of all time. For 2027, we’re adding more time in Aomori City to attend an APPLE Wine tasting dinner and other amazing local haunts that you won’t want to miss!
With a mild winter climate that keeps temps above 20~25F, this is a journey for every traveler - especially you. Sign up today!
Trip itinerary
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Fly from your home country to Tokyo and settle in for the journey ahead.
Lodging: Shiba Park Hotel or similar
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Fly to Sapporo, where we'll visit the Royce Chocolate Factory at the airport (time permitting) before exploring the ice and snow sculptures of the festival.
Lodging: Century Royal Hotel or similar
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Two festival stops today: check out the second location for the Sapporo Snow Festival before seeing (and shopping) the candlelit streets of Otaru.
Lodging: Century Royal Hotel or similar
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Visit Sapporo's other hot spots, try the local ramen, and shop before a dinner of the city’s legendary local grilled lamb dish, Genghis Khan.
Lodging: Century Royal Hotel or similar
Meals: Dinner -
After a morning of free time to explore Sapporo, we'll head to Lake Shikotsu to settle in at our luxurious hot spring resort.
Lodging: Mizunouta Resort or similar
Meals: Dinner -
A free day to get a spa treatment, explore the lake, and check out the ice festival!
Lodging: Mizunouta Resort or similar
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner -
Board a train to Hakodate, where we'll stop at Onuma Park to check out another festival before we venture into the city to ascend to the top of Mt. Hakodate to take in the view.
Lodging: Hakodate Kokusai Hotel or similar
Meals: Breakfast -
Explore Hakodate's famous morning market, the star-shaped Goryokaku Fortress, and explore the shopping areas of the vibrant city center.
Lodging: Hakodate Kokusai Hotel or similar
Meals: Breakfast -
We cross into Tohoku and arrive in Aomori, where we’ll check out the exhibits for the legendary Nebuta Festival, explore an old rail ship, sample local seafood, and chill out at a special feast featuring the local apple wine!
Lodging: Daiwa Roynet Aomori or similar
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner included -
We head to Kakunodate to walk among the homes of samurai and swing fire in the Hiburi Kamakura Festival!
Lodging: Machiya Hotel or similar
Meals: Breakfast -
Today, we venture to Yokote to check out some of the city’s historical spots and visit the igloos of the Kamakura Festival!
Lodging: Machiya Hotel or similar
Meals: Breakfast -
We head back to Tokyo and have a free afternoon to explore the city.
Lodging: Shiba Park Hotel or similar
Meals: Breakfast -
Head home and tell your friends how much fun you had!
This trip includes…
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Trip Status |
Open for signups |
Deadline |
Nov. 30, 2026 |
Minimum guest #: |
8 guests |
Fly → JP On*: |
February 4, 2027 |
Starts in JP On: |
February 5, 2027 |
TRIP PACE |
Medium-light. Some walking, especially at festivals, but lots of breaks and chances to sit and sip some cocoa. |
Extras |
Single Room (Hotels Only): +$1000 Single Room (Hotels + Resort): +$2300 |
*This is the date you should leave your home country.
Click for more info about:
FLIGHTS • REFUND POLICY
🛌 12 nights four-star accommodations, including two nights in a hot spring resort
🥢 Includes 7 breakfasts and 4 dinners
🚅 All scheduled rail and air transport within Japan.** Six days of this trip make use of a rail pass.
🧳 Baggage shipping (up to 4 complimentary luggage transfers for one suitcase per trip)
😀 Professional, bilingual guides there to help with anything you might need
🎟️ Admission to all scheduled activities
📗 Customized Trip Guidebook and Pre-Trip Orientation Materials, mailed to you before the trip so you can prepare for the journey before leaving home!
🍫 Nightly turndown service with local sweets
❤️ Complimentary concierge service: we can help plan extra stops, pre-and-post-trip extensions, and more.
🗾 Much, much more!
NOT INCLUDED:
❌ Flights to Japan from your home country
❌ Travel insurance
❌ Meals not listed above
NOTES:
ADVANCE DEPOSIT: The trip does not have a final price yet. Final price to be announced later; anyone who signs up early gets a $50 discount and may get a fee-free refund of the deposit if they do not approve of the final price when it is announced.
*All initial payments are a $300 deposit. The balance for the trip is due at the deadline for the trip.
**If a guest decides to go long distances on rail during free times, extra charges may apply.
