One of the biggest challenges in traveling in Eastern Hokkaido is transportation. Like any other rural area in the world, it could be difficult to get around without driving a car. That is why I made this 3-day itinerary for a summer trip in Abashiri, using only public transportation for those who prefer not to drive on their trip!
if you are traveling in winter…
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Day 1: Arriving in Abashiri
Memambetsu Airport: Get Abashiri Free Pass!
Once arriving at Memambetsu Airport, get Abashiri Free Pass at the information center. It will be your friend during this trip. The ticket allows you to take all the public bus in the Abashiri area at the information center, for 2 days (2,000 yen) or 3 days (3,000 yen). Now you are ready to hop on a bus to Abashiri (40 min to the city center). The bus departs after every flight arrival, so you don’t have to worry about bus schedule.
Recommended Hotel: Hokuten no Oka
(Photo source: Houkten no Oka)
Hokuten no Oka is my favorite hotel in the area. I like the wooden cozy interior, and moreover, their buffet and hot spring are amazing. No wonder this hotel was listed in the Michelin Guide for Hokkaido! The buffet offers various kinds of dishes using fresh local ingredients with a French twist. The open-air hot spring is so refreshing. What I love the most here is a stone sauna where you lie down on a warm stone plate on the floor. It makes you really sweat and is perfect for detox.
To get to the hotel, you get off at a bus stop “Yobito Eki Mae” (20 min from the airport). I recommend you to make a prior request to the hotel for pick-up, if you have many luggage.
Day 2: Exploring Abashiri
It’s time to get active! There are many places you can go with the Abashiri Free Pass. Here are my recommendations; Prison Museum to learn a little bit about an unique history of Abashiri, Drift Ice Museum to experience how the nature in Abashiri changes in winter, and a flower park, Hana Tento to enjoy beautiful summer flowers. You can visit all these spots with taking a bus route “Kanko Shisetsu Meguri Line（観光施設めぐり線）.” Please check the latest bus schedule from http://www.abashiribus.com/local-bus/stop-times/ (Select “English” in the language tab). The bus ticket offers you a discount at the museums, so don’t forget to check with the reception!
Abashiri Prison Museum
(Photo source: Abashiri Prison Museum)
This open-air museum preserves the building compound that was used as prisons from 1890s to 1980s. It shows how prisoners in Meji Era contributed to the development of Hokkaido as labor forces and how their life looked like in jail. The exhibitions are interesting and well explained in English. You can also
try a prison meal at a restaurant, which used to be a prisoner canteen of course!
Official website >>> https://www.kangoku.jp/multilingual_english/
2. Drift Ice Museum
(Photo source: Drift Ice Museum)
This museum offers you modern-style exhibits to learn about drift ice, which is a natural phenomenon in the Eastern Hokkaido, and marine creatures living in the Okhotsk Sea. The highlight here would be a drift ice room where you can actually touch real drift ice and experience the world of -15°C! There is a nice rooftop observatory with a scenic view of the Abashiri city, lakes and the sea, as well as a cafe restaurant and a souvenir shop.
Official website >>> https://www.ryuhyokan.com/
3. Flower Park: Hana Tento
At the final stop of the bus route sits a colorful flower field. A hill used as a ski slope in winter is transformed into a beautiful flower park in summer, with tens of thousands of sage and marigold flowers.
Back in 2002, a group of local people decided to plant flowers on the hill that is not in any use during summer to be a tourist attraction. This park has been fully taken care of by local communities including local businesses and schools since then. You can also enjoy a nice view of Lake Abashiri from an observation deck at the top of the hill!
HANA TENTO IN ABASHIRI
When to visit: July to October, best in August and September
Hours: Anytime
Admission Fee: Free
Access:
-Public Transportation: the final stop of “Kanko Shisetsu Meguri Line” departing from Abashiri Bus Terminal and Abashiri Station (20 min ride).-Car: 10 min from Abashiri, 20 min from Memambetsu Airport, one hour from Kitami.
Day 3: Excursions from Abashiri
Before you go back to the airport, why not take a little excursion from Abashiri to explore more of the region? Koshimizu Nature Reserve is a good choice to spend a couple of hours and enjoy the beautiful nature just next to the Okhotsk Sea. Or if you are here near the end of summer, from mid August to late September, there is another option to visit the lakeside of Lake Notoro colored up in deep red!
Option 1: Koshimizu Nature Reserve
Koshimizu Nature Reserve is an 8 km-long sand hill between the Okhotsk Sea and Lake Tofutsu. It is home to more than 200 species of plants and many animals and birds. Especially June and July are the best times to see wildflowers of all colors blooming along the landscape.
You can rent a bicycle at an information center to get around in the nature reserve more easily. There you could also buy snacks and souvenirs. Fresh strawberry juice here is a must-try!
Koshimizu NaturE Reserve
Admission Fee: Free
Hours: 24 hours
Best time to visit: June and July
Access:
-Public Transportation: Take a bus “Koshimizu Line” and get off at “Gensei Kaen.” 35 min ride from Abashiri Bus Terminal and Abashiri Station.-Car: 20 min from Abashiri, 30 min from Memambetsu Airport and Shari, 1 hour from Kitami.
Option 2: Red GLasswort in Lake Notoro (MID AUG-LATE SEP)
Lake Notoro is a coastal lagoon in Abashiri connected to the Okhotsk Sea. In the beginning of autumn, which comes earlier to Hokkaido than the rest of Japan, the lakeside turns beautiful deep red with glasswort, one kind of salt-tolerant plants. There are wooden paths over the marshy area so that people can walk around and enjoy the view. “No.1 glasswort colony in Japan," the sign in the picture below says!
RED GLASSWORT IN LAKE NOTORO
When to visit: Mid-August to Late September
Admission Fee: Free
Access:
-Public Transportation: Take a bus “Tokoro Saromakosakaeura Line” and get off at “Sangoso Iriguchi.” 20 min ride from Abashiri Bus Terminal and Abashiri Station.-Car: 20 min from Memambetsu Airport and Abashiri, 40 min from Kitami by car.
Time to fly back…
The airport buss runs from Abashiri Station and Abashiri Bus Terminal approximately one hour to one hour and 15 min before the scheduled time of every flight departing from Memambetsu Airport. I would recommend you to check the timetable at the bus ticket counter or the bus stations.
Hope you enjoy this 3-day itinerary and make your trip to Abashiri happen sometime soon!
