Things to do in Noboribetsu

My tour guide was Serina, and she was great. She gave us plenty of time at each attraction and also recommended good things to buy and eat. She helped take photos at every spot, and she responded to my DM the day before. Lake Toya is beautiful, but unfortunately, it was snowing today, so I couldn't see the reflection of Mount Yotei. However, the tranquil snow scene was also beautiful. They hand out 5% discount coupons at the Lake Toya observation deck. The snowmobile ride (which was optional) was super fun, and luckily, the sky was blue when we were riding, so the scenery was absolutely gorgeous. Remember to wear sunscreen and wind protection while riding. Although 15,000 yen is quite expensive, the tour guide said that you can ride for an hour here, but only half an hour in other places, which makes it feel better. If you don't participate in the optional activity, you can wait for everyone in the snack shop. Finally, the main attraction, the Lake Shikotsu Ice Festival, was absolutely stunning. The sunset and twilight made it the best time to visit, but a one-hour stay is only enough for taking pictures. The ice castle at the back is the best spot to capture the entire scene, so be sure to line up to go up. Inside the ice festival grounds, there are also ice-made snow huts selling snacks. You can buy marshmallows to roast, but unfortunately, I didn't have enough time to buy any 🥹

With the gorgerous Oscar again, he really knows the history of the places to visit in Hokkaido. The bus is very clean. The Shikotsu Lake Festival is very beautiful. However, the schedule is very tight, but everything went on time. Very recommended

Much better than expected, mostly thanks to our tour guide, Meifang. Her flexibility and humanity made the tour enjoyable for everyone. The tour guide is very knowledgeable and explained every attraction in detail, making me understand the value of visiting them. For example, when we went to Lake Toya, the weather was bad and we couldn't see the scenery, but she told us which yogurt pudding and horse oil were only available locally, and that the store was family-run, which I found very interesting. I wasn't planning on riding a snowmobile, but a good tour guide doesn't make you feel like you're being pushed to buy things, and I'm glad I participated because it was the most fun experience. Meifang's greatest strength is her flexibility. When we arrived at the ice cream shop, there was a long queue, so she directly tallied the people who wanted to buy it and bought tickets for the group, and the queue disappeared. Also, due to heavy snow on the last day, there was a traffic jam in Sapporo, so she immediately suggested going to the JR station so we could transfer to a train early and be dismissed earlier. Although the traffic cleared up in the end and we didn't do that, she was great. I usually get carsick, but luckily there were a lot of people that day and we were on a big bus, and the driver, Lei Ge, drove steadily, so I didn't get sick. The only downside was that the person sitting next to me was sick and didn't wear a mask, and kept coughing and sneezing throughout the trip. I got sick the next day as expected!

Mr. Kevin!Our tour guide made this trip even more unforgettable. Fun, informative, and so easy to be with, they turned every stop into a story and every moment into a memory. From sharing little-known facts to making us laugh along the way, the journey felt light, exciting, and meaningful. Traveling is always special, but having a guide who’s passionate and genuine makes it twice as amazing. Truly grateful for the experience and the energy they brought to our adventure

I was on Mila team and yes it was a great experience. Mila was chatty, friendly and proactively took our pictures on snowmobile and also keep offering to take pictures whenever there's a good view. She even said bear ranch is optional as its small and same as in pictures online and not pushing us to go and recommended to have lunch instead yet the restaurant is full as there is only 1 restaurant there so I went to see the bears. Mila speaks very good English and keep interacting with us on the bus. She kept pushing us to buy the face horse cream which was expensive but now I dont regret it as I realised its not easy to find it in my country and probably only time I got chance to buy. Snowmobile single cost 15k yen, double 20k yen which have to be paid on bus in cash, expensive but worth the almost 40-50min ride and the scenic views

We had a wonderful time guided by Alex, who is very fluent in English. He seems to have visited Noboribetsu many times, as the knowledge he shared during the trip helped us greatly and allowed us to save a lot of time when visiting each place on the itinerary. From the recommended foods to the popular local products, to shopping guides at Mitsui Outlet ,we were very happy with everything. The trip is truly worth trying, and we would highly recommend it to everyone.

What made this tour especially enjoyable was that it did not feel like a typical tour at all. It felt more like going around with a friend. Lily was a very sweet and kind tour guide, and she made everyone feel comfortable from the start. She took photos for me and my husband, which was really appreciated. There was enough time at each stop to explore the area without feeling rushed. Lily speaks Chinese, Japanese, and English. While her English is not perfect, she tries her best and communicates clearly enough to make everyone feel at ease. The small extras were a nice touch, including discount coupons and free ice cream at Lake Hill Farm. Most importantly, she made sure everyone was accounted for at all times and never left anyone behind. This tour is highly recommended, especially for solo travelers, as it feels safe, relaxed, and enjoyable.

It was a wonderful first time experience in Sapporo. Magistic place to visit Lake Toya and thrilling snowmobile riding. And thank you to our guide Mr. Hong. Thank you for guiding us to our every destination and giving us some brief knowledge about the place. And thank you to our guide Mr. Hong . You did a great job. 非常感謝。

Book the ticket on day of visit and just show to the staff at ticket counter. A small park where you feed them with food purchased in the park vending machine. ¥200 or ¥500/packet. 1st ranch where the male bears( human cage) is where you can observe and feed them up close. Female bears in 2nd ranch seem not so active when we visited compared to the video seen previously where they will make some actions to beg for food. Interesting activity is we joined the "Duck Race" to guess which duck will win the race. it is like a bet and my kid choose the duck with red ribbon won the race and got a small gift from the park. facilities: