Lake Shikotsu

It was a great trip, but I highly recommend dressing very warmly, or you'll get very cold.

Although it was very cold, the Ice Wave Festival, illuminated at night, was worth seeing. However, it got quite crowded on the weekend, so I recommend going on a weekday. There's a short distance from the parking lot to the venue, and the path can be slippery, so please be careful.

We waited 45 minutes for our luggage, but thank you to the driver for his patience in the lobby. The car was much bigger than I expected. Given the unpredictable traffic on Sapporo JR lines, I highly recommend booking a private car for your connecting trip!

The overall itinerary was well-planned, the tour guide was enthusiastic and provided detailed explanations, clearly outlining the background and key points of each attraction, making the trip run smoothly. This was a Chinese-speaking tour in a 10-person bus, a small group that made assembly and movement efficient. The weather was great today, the scenery along the way was beautiful, and the time allotted at each stop was well-arranged, avoiding any sense of rushing. It was a bit of a pity that it wasn't mentioned beforehand that we would be traveling by minibus. The seating was slightly cramped, which slightly affected comfort during long journeys. If this had been mentioned in advance, the experience would have been more complete.