Hokkaido

Hello Adél & Zsolt,

I'm glad to hear you enjoyed your trip last year!

Since you are spending two weeks in the north and travelling from Tokyo, here are my top recommendations:

• JR East-South Hokkaido Rail Pass (6 days): Use this for your major travel from Tokyo to Sapporo and back. It covers the Shinkansen and the Hokuto Express. Use it for your 'long legs' at the start and end of your trip to maximise savings.
• Hokkaido Rail Pass: Once you are settled in Hokkaido, a local pass is much more affordable for exploring the different regions.

Hokkaido in June offers a perfect blend of lush landscapes, indigenous culture, and active wildlife. Here is a short recommendation for your trip:

• June Festivals: If you are there 14-16 June, catch the Hokkaido Shrine Festival in Sapporo for traditional Shinto parades and Heian-period costumes.
• Onsen Ryokans: For a traditional stay, head to Jozankei or Noboribetsu. Staying in a mountain ryokan with a hot spring bath is a quintessential Japanese experience.
• Brown Bears & Orcas: Head to the Shiretoko Peninsula. Take a boat cruise from Utoro to spot bears on the shoreline and another from Rausu for Orcas (peak season in June).
• Biei & Furano: The best "small village" vibe for cycling. The hilly Patchwork Road is stunning in June.

Kind Regards,

Mariko

Dear Mariko!

Thank you for your answer, we are planning our trip based on this. However, we do not understand train passes, since this JR-East regional pass is for 6 consecutive days, and we would need two weeks. Then we need to buy four of these passes for 2 people (225 eur x 4) + 2 of the Hokkaido 7-day pass (182 eur x 2), this is a total of 1,264 euros, and the two-week JR PASS is 1,010 euros, which in principle allows us to travel throughout the entire northern part. Please review what passes we should buy. so that we can spend these two weeks (we leave Tokyo for the north on June 17 and arrive back in Tokyo on June 30) as favorably as possible! Thank you!

Adel&Zsolt