Asahiyama Zoo, Biei, and Furano Day Trip: Summer Sunflower and Autumn Asahidake Limited
Explore Hokkaido's three must-visit autumn attractions all at once!
Asahidake | Chase Japan's earliest autumn leaves: Take the cable car directly to the clouds and enjoy the magnificent autumn scenery of Hokkaido's highest peak (cable car fee not included).
Asahiyama Zoo | Encounter northern animal stars: Get up close and personal with popular animals like penguins, polar bears, and seals.
Otokoyama Sake Brewery Museum | Savor Hokkaido's sake culture: Explore the history of traditional Japanese sake brewing and experience Asahikawa's century-old sake culture.
Autumn mountains × fine wine × cute animals, easily experience Hokkaido's three most classic autumn charms in one day!
(Limited time from 2026/7/20 to 8/18) Stroll through 2 million sunflowers and immerse yourself in Hokkaido's limited-edition golden summer spectacle.
What to expect
[Daisetsuzan National Park, Asahidake]
Hokkaido's highest peak and one of Japan's earliest secret spots to welcome autumn leaves! Take the Asahidake Ropeway up to Sugatami Station, located at an altitude of approximately 1,600 meters, and overlook the vast mountain scenery. In autumn, the high-altitude vegetation, interwoven with red, orange, and golden hues, covers the valleys, allowing you to experience Hokkaido's magnificent nature in the crisp mountain air.
- Asahidake is one of the earliest areas in Japan to welcome autumn leaves. The best viewing period for autumn leaves may vary depending on the climate and weather conditions of the year.
- Asahidake Ropeway fees are at your own expense, and operations may be suspended due to weather conditions. Your understanding is appreciated.
[Asahiyama Zoo]
Located in the northernmost part of Japan, Asahiyama Zoo is particularly famous for its "Penguin Walk" from mid-to-late December to March each year, where visitors can see adorable penguins up close. This has made it one of Japan's most popular zoos.
[Otokoyama Sake Park]
When you come to Otokoyama, the fun isn’t just about tasting sake! The newly upgraded Otokoyama Sake Park has transformed the entire sake brewery into a recreational space suitable for both adults and children. The park features a giant slide made from a one-sho sake bottle and a sake cup plaza where families can run, play, and hide-and-seek, making family outings even more enjoyable.
In addition to selling limited-edition Otokoyama sake, the new shop also offers specialty drinks such as coffee, Calpis, and shaved ice made with the brewery's natural brewing water, allowing visitors to relax and enjoy their time after touring.
In the future, Otokoyama Sake Brewery will continue to utilize the pristine groundwater from the melting snow of Daisetsuzan's perennial snow, combined with generations of brewing techniques. They will not only focus on sake brewing but also challenge themselves to develop more diverse specialty drinks, bringing a new sake brewery experience.
[Hokuryu-cho Sunflower Village 2026/7/20-8/18]
Hokkaido's summer is not just about purple lavender; it also boasts brilliant golden sunflowers. According to national survey data in Japan, Hokuryu-cho Sunflower Village ranks first as the most desired sunflower field to visit in summer. The vast fields, gradually blooming after being sown by local villagers, feature approximately 2 million sunflowers shining brightly under the summer sun. While admiring the sunflowers, visitors can also feel the enthusiasm and vitality of the local residents.
The specific arrival time is subject to the weather and road conditions on the day.
Good to know
- Adults and children pay the same price. Infants under 2 years old are free and will not be provided with a seat. If an infant requires a seat, the adult fare must be paid. If the actual number of participants does not match the number of people in the order and we are not notified in advance, resulting in insufficient seating, passengers must reduce their numbers or reschedule. No refunds will be given for reduced numbers, and a rescheduling fee will be charged separately.
- This activity requires a minimum of 6 people to form a group. If the minimum number of participants is not met, you will be offered a reschedule or a full refund.
- Lunch is not included in this itinerary. Please enjoy lunch at Asahiyama Zoo on your own.
- Please adhere to the itinerary schedule. If you are late, your trip will be considered automatically canceled, and the fees paid will not be refunded.
- Due to traffic being heavily affected by weather, our company will not be responsible for any subsequent losses caused by delayed arrival due to force majeure factors such as traffic jams. Please be aware.
- If you need to bring luggage (including baby strollers and wheelchairs, etc.), please inform us in the remarks field. We will arrange the vehicle type according to the number of travelers. If the vehicle type is confirmed to be able to carry luggage 3-5 days before departure, an additional handling fee and space reservation fee of 1500 JPY per item (cash only) will be charged for luggage space and loading/unloading arrangements. Please pay the guide before boarding. Please inform us in advance so that we can properly arrange vehicle space to make your journey smoother and more comfortable.
- In case of force majeure factors such as weather, traffic control, or safety considerations, the guide will adjust the itinerary or停留時間 (stay time) for each attraction.
- Due to factors such as weather and road conditions, it is not recommended to arrange other itineraries or high-priced dinner reservations after returning on the same day. We will not be liable for any losses incurred.
- A travel notice will be sent to your email before 5 PM on the day before departure. Please check your email (or spam folder) at that time. It will contain the guide’s contact information and detailed itinerary information for the day. Thank you.
If you have any questions, please contact us: doushin165@yahoo.co.jp
Reviews
Our tour was affected by the heavy snowfalll from the past days which caused road closures and major traffic jam. We were able to arrive to Asahiyama Zoo only just in time for the 2:30pm penguin walk show. Even if a bit rushed to destinations, this tour is well worth it as the distance to these spots from Sapporo center is barely doable for DIY. I would also like to commend our tour guide that can speak 4 languages! She made the trip much better and assured us all the way.
Masa was extremely friendly, knowledgeable, and attentive throughout the day. He explained each destination clearly, shared interesting local insights, and always made sure everyone was comfortable and enjoying the tour. His timing was excellent, allowing us to explore each place without feeling rushed.
The tour guide will be holding a small flag at the meeting point, making them easy to spot. The itinerary was well-organized and punctual. The tour description mentioned Chinese, English, and Japanese, which meant the tour guide could speak all three languages – very impressive! They introduced the attractions and recommended Sapporo's must-try foods on the bus. Overall a great experience, highly recommended.
Many tours for illuminations only offer either Blue Pond or Ningle Terrace, but this one lets you see both popular illuminated spots in one go, which is really amazing and worthwhile! The timing for Blue Pond was perfect, allowing you to see both daytime and nighttime views! The tour guide's explanations were super professional in both English and Cantonese, and they even helped translate Japanese. They also turned off the lights at appropriate times so we could rest, and at Ningle Terrace, they found great spots to take photos for the tour members. The roads were very icy that day, but the driver drove very steadily, making it easy to rest on the bus with peace of mind. Highly recommended!!
The tour guide was very dedicated, the customer service responded quickly, and the itinerary was great. It's a shame that the zoo visit was rushed, though it wouldn't have been possible to extend it further.
Very good. The tour guide service was also very attentive and even helped take pictures. A day trip is a great option in a season when the weather is unpredictable.
The tour guide was really attentive and dedicated. It was my first time joining this kind of day tour and I had a great experience. I highly recommend it! You can really buy ours if there's a special price. The tour guide is Cannas, thumbs up! 👍
The tour was very entertaining and well-paced with adequate time in each stop to enjoy the experience. Our tour guide, Allen was also very kind and accommodating and made the experience very enjoyable and stress-free for the whole family.
The zoo was crowded especially with a lot of people watching the penguin walk. We were only able to peep a bit. Since we were under time pressure, we weren’t able to go around the entire zoo. The snow park offered snow mobile but was quite expensive so we only played in the snow. Sledding at 200 yen but snow mobile 16,000 yen i think. The ningle terrace was nice though . We took some pictures. Wished we could have stayed a little longer to see the lights that makes it fairy-land like.
I highly recommend it. The service is good. The staff is very attentive. The attractions are worth it. It's better than traveling by yourself. The driver is very polite. The car is new and clean. Pick up and drop off on time. I recommend waiting at the meeting point 20 minutes in advance.
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