Things to do in Lake Shikotsu

If you are someone who wants to take their time in one place, this tour isn’t for you. it’s fast-paced and you can visit a lot of places in one day. I especially appreciate the discount tickets that shops hand you when you get off the bus. (I think it was a special discount ticket for those on tour buses). Mila explained the background of the places we went to and recommended go-to-places around Hokkaido.

Traveling around Hokkaido can be a bit inconvenient, so joining a tour is the best way to visit scenic spots in the countryside. The departure point at the North Exit of Sapporo Station is very easy to find. This time, I joined a tour with PST, led by Hikaru (the guide in the yellow hat). He is fluent in Mandarin, English, and Japanese, and shared a wealth of knowledge about Hokkaido and its local cuisine throughout the trip. His explanations on the bus were very thorough. He spoke in both Mandarin and English, making sure neither group was left out, and delivered them in a lively, engaging, and attentive manner. Hikaru also proactively offered to take photos for everyone, finding the best angles for the tour members. At the souvenir shop, Hikaru introduced the most delicious and useful items without any hard selling. Before leaving, he even handed out drugstore discount coupons. There were 47 people in our group, but everyone was friendly and punctual, and the bus seats were very comfortable. We visited five different attractions in one day, all of which were stunning and featured autumn foliage. It is definitely worth a visit. At only 7,000 yen, this tour is an incredible value with high cost-performance. I highly recommend it to everyone!

Our guide, Alex, was great and helped to take photos of many of us. He also shared bits and pieces of information about the attractions we went to in English and Chinese. The timings allocated for each attraction was also just nice. For those without transport, this was worth the money.

Excellent service and willingness from Mr. Du Ruisi. I highly recommend his tour, as it covers a wide range of the best areas in Hokkaido. We visited Lake Toya, Hell Valley, the Showashinzan Ropeway, and Nakajima Island! Plus, we forgot our umbrella in the van, and Mr. Du Ruisi brought it to us where we were sightseeing without any problem and with great willingness! Thank you very much for everything, and when we return to Sapporo, we will definitely take your excursion again!

All the spots we visited were gorgeous! Our tour guide, Xiao Weng, was also wonderful. He introduced the attractions, gave advice on what to buy and how to make the most of our time, and more. I was originally hesitating between this and another package that included Makkari Village to see Mount Yotei, but I didn't expect that I'd get to see Mount Yotei from the TOYA Observatory today anyway! It was stunning and gave me such a pleasant surprise 🫶🏻 Also, Cape Chikyu is truly worth visiting, though it seems less common in other tour packages. You can see from the videos how calm and gentle the color of the sea is 🫶🏻 Plus, there was actually a refrigerator on the bus! But I left my white pudding behind in the car 🤣 Good thing I was able to contact the staff immediately via WhatsApp. Their customer service was great and their response time was super fast. Highly recommended overall!

We had a smooth journey filled with joy and beautiful scene experience! Thanks to our tour guide，Tingting Li , for her excellent service. Well done!

Although it was pouring rain at our first stop, Lake Shikotsu, our tour guide Ella still carried out her responsibilities diligently. Even though her umbrella was almost blown inside out by the wind, she insisted on standing at a fixed spot to help us take photos, and her professional dedication is truly commendable. Later on, the weather gradually cleared up. From the Silo Observatory, we could see Lake Toya, Nakajima Island, and the surrounding mountain scenery all at once—it was a very beautiful view. The yogurt sold at the nearby souvenir shop was rich, unique, and quite delicious.

The itinerary was very well planned, avoiding cramming too many attractions that would result in staying at each place for too long. Detailed explanations (in Chinese, English, and Korean) were provided before arriving at each attraction, allowing the passengers on the bus to fully understand the local history and characteristics. We were also very fortunate to encounter the first snow this time, allowing us to enjoy both the autumn foliage and the snow. Highly recommended to everyone to purchase this tour.