EDITORIALS

See, touch, and ride! 5 playful drift ice experiences you can only have here!

2022.03.02

Abashiri City Shari Town Monbetsu City East Hokkaido

Winter Floating Ice in the Sea of Okhotsk in Eastern Hokkaido
The drift ice season is coming to an end in the areas facing the Sea of Okhotsk. In many areas, you can see, touch, and walk on drift ice!

The "drift ice rumbling" and the overlapping of the ice floes are fascinating, but a cruise through the sparse drift ice in the spring is also recommended. We would like to introduce you to the various ways to enjoy the ice floe season.

(If you want to know more about drift ice, we also recommend this page! →(If you want to know more about drift ice, we recommend you to read " Hokkaido's winter tradition! Do you really know about drift ice?)

Enjoying drift ice in Shari-cho (Shiretoko )
1. drift ice walk
2. drift ice kayak & walk
Enjoying drift ice in Monbetsu City
1.Drift Ice Sightseeing Boat Garinko
Hokkaido Okhotsk Drift Ice Science Center "GIZA
Enjoying drift ice in Abashiri City
1. Enjoy with all five senses! Fat Bike Experience Tour

Enjoy the drift ice in Shari-cho (Shiretoko)

1. "Drift Ice Walk

(Photo by Shinra (Shiretoko Nature Guide Tour Co., Ltd.)

)
The Shari-cho "drift ice walk" is a special experience tour where visitors wear special suits and walk on drift ice floating on the sea surface. A guide will lead you through the tour while making sure you are safe! Different routes and difficulty levels can be enjoyed depending on the drift ice conditions of the day.

Period: Until March 31 (Thursday)
*Depends on the drift ice conditions.
Hours of operation
Morning tour: 6:30 - 8:00 / 9:30 - 11:00
Afternoon tour: 13:00-14:30 / 15:15-16:45
Participation fee: 6,000 yen
■Participation Target: Height 130-190cm / Weight less than 110kg / Age less than 75 years old
Meeting place: Roadside Station Utoro Shirietoku (186-8 Utoro Nishi, Shari-cho, Shari-gun)
Inquiry: Shinra (Shiretoko Nature Guide Tour Co., Ltd.) Inquiry Form

▼View details of " Drift Ice Walk (Shari-cho) " on Domingo

2. "Drift Ice Kayak & Walk

(Photo by Shiretoko Alpa)

Shari-cho's "Drift Ice Kayak & Walk" offers a petit voyage on a kayak through the sea of drift ice. Participants paddle their own kayaks to the big drift ice and land with their kayaks. You will wear a dry suit so that you can experience floating on the sea together with the drift ice! Shiretoko is the only place where you can experience drift ice kayaking and walking.

Period: March 20 (Sun.)
Hours: 9:00 / 15:00
Participants: Height: 145-185cm / Weight: under 90kg / Under 70 years old
Participation fee: 10,000 yen
Meeting place: Shari Bus Utoro Terminal (170 Utoro Nishi, Shari-cho, Shari-gun)
Inquiry: Shiretoko Alpa 050-3196-4505

▼See details of " Drift Ice Kayak & Walk (Shari-cho) " on Domingo

Enjoy drift ice in Monbetsu City

1. "Drift Ice Sightseeing Boat Garinko

The "Drift Ice Sightseeing Boat Garinko" cruises along the sea where drift ice gathers in Monbetsu City. The boat uses a large drill to break up the drift ice in the Sea of Okhotsk. The mysterious colors of the crushed drift ice and sea water, and the crushed drift ice floating up from the side of the ship make for a powerful cruise. You can enjoy a world full of wonder and fascination that only those who take the cruise can see and experience.

Sailing schedule: *Varies depending on the ice floes and weather conditions, so please check the official website.
Winter Fare: Adults (junior high school students and older) 2,500 yen / Children 1,250 yen / Infants (under elementary school age) free
Address: 1, Ocean Park, Monbetsu City
Inquiries: Okhotsk Garinko Tower Corporation 0158-24-8000

▼See details of the " Drift Ice Sightseeing Boat Garinko (Monbetsu City) " on Domingo

2. "Hokkaido Okhotsk Drift Ice Science Center "GIZA

The Hokkaido Okhotsk Drift Ice Science Center "GIZA" stands by the Sea of Okhotsk in Monbetsu City and displays real drift ice. The cold experience room reproduces the world of 20 degrees below zero in midwinter, and visitors can directly touch the drift ice on display and experience experiments. Visitors can enjoy the drift ice even on days when the weather is not favorable because it is indoors.

Hours of operation: 9:00-17:00
Closed: Mondays (except national holidays), the day following a national holiday, and the year-end and New Year holidays
Admission Fee
Exhibition + Dome Theater: Adults 750 yen / High school and university students 250 yen / Junior high school students and younger, 65 years and older free
Exhibition only: Adults ¥450 / High school and university students ¥150 / Junior high school students and under, 65 years old and over: Free
Address: 11 Motomombetsu, Mombetsu City
Inquiries: Hokkaido Okhotsk Drift Ice Science Center 0158-23-5400

View details about Hokkaido Okhotsk Drift Ice Science Center "GIZA" (Monbetsu City ) on Domingo

Enjoy drift ice in Abashiri City

1. "Enjoy with your five senses! Fat Bike Experience Tour"
(Photo by Abashiri City Tourism Association)

Abashiri City's "Enjoy with all your senses! Fat Bike Experience Tour" is a fat bike cycling tour along the Okhotsk coastline in the middle of winter with drift ice. There are four different courses, three with predetermined destinations and one course where you can choose your own destination, allowing you to choose according to your fat bike experience and the scenery you wish to see.

Period: Until Monday, March 21, 2012
Participation fee: Adults 6,000 yen / Elementary school students 4,000 yen
*There is an additional fee for courses that specify the destination.
Meeting place: Roadside Station Drift Ice Road Abashiri (Minami 3-jo East 4-chome, Abashiri City)
Inquiry: Abashiri Tourist Association 0152-44-5849

▼ " Enjoy with all five senses! Fat Bike Experience Tour (Abashiri City) " on Domingo

There are many other tours, experiences, and exhibition facilities being held in the areas along the Sea of Okhotsk coast, so please look for them!
These tours and experiences can only be found in a limited number of areas in the large island of Hokkaido, so be sure not to miss out on this opportunity to enjoy them.

There is a possibility that you may not be able to see the drift ice due to weather conditions. Please be sure to check the official website.
It is dangerous to get on the drift ice without permission. Please be sure to participate in tours or events held by the local municipalities.