Hokkaido skiing: nine days following the snow, 30 January to 7 February 2027
There's a snow you don't quite believe the first time. Cold and dry, it parts around your shins, closes again above your knees and rises to your face on every turn, so you learn to breathe between them. This is the snow that draws us to Hokkaido skiing each January: a week on Japan's northern island, moving from one massif to the next to find it at its best.
This winter we run one fixed departure, from Saturday 30 January to Sunday 7 February 2027: nine days and eight nights on the move, three bases, and a single idea, which is to follow the snow.
Three bases in one week, because the snow moves
A single base has its charms: you unpack once and ski. Hokkaido, though, is vast, and the wind lays its powder differently from one massif to the next. Moving with it tilts the odds in your favour.
The week runs in three stages. Four nights at Niseko to begin, across the Annupuri, Moiwa, Hirafu and Hanazono sectors, with a day out to Rusutsu or Kiroro when the conditions suggest it. Then one night at Otaru, a small port on the Sea of Japan, to break the journey and change the scenery entirely. Finally three nights at Furano, in the heart of the island, with its open birch forests and Tokachidake and Asahidake within easy reach.
We start and finish at New Chitose airport. Between the bases a private minibus stays with the group all week, and it is what lets the whole itinerary flow.
A plan written each morning
The day's plan is set each morning, on what fell overnight and where the wind has worked the slopes. Your guide reads the bulletins, checks the weather and chooses the sector. That is the point of moving: when Niseko sits under cloud, Furano is sometimes in sunshine, and the other way round just as often.
The week blends Japan backcountry skiing straight off the lifts with skinning out to quieter lines. On the fuller days the climbs reach up to +800 m on skins, spread across the outing and well rewarded on the way down.
Much of the pleasure here is in the trees. Hokkaido's forests are open and full of light, ideal for linking turns in the shelter of the canopy when the ridges are wind-scoured. You ski a snow that holds your track for a moment, then quietly fills it in again.
Evenings at the ryokan and the onsen
After the skiing comes the ritual. At Niseko you stay in a ryokan with an onsen, its hot baths fed by the island's volcanic springs. You slip in once darkness falls, snow still drifting down outside, and the day eases out of your legs in the steaming water. It is very much part of the trip.
For the rest of the journey you sleep in three-star hotels, in twin rooms. Breakfasts are included; in the evenings we head out to eat locally. A different table every evening is one of the quiet pleasures of travelling on.
Who this week suits
You should be at ease anywhere on piste and have some off-piste experience already. We rate the trip 3/5 for skiing and 2/5 for fitness: linking turns in ungroomed snow, and climbs of up to +800 m on skins on the fuller days. Light powder does a good deal of the work, carrying you and keeping you upright.
Groups are six skiers to a guide, so everyone keeps their own rhythm. The safety kit is provided: avalanche airbag pack, transceiver, shovel and probe. Wide skis make all the difference in snow like this, and we are glad to advise on what to bring. If you are unsure of your level, write to us and we'll talk it through.
The trip at a glance
Dates · Saturday 30 January to Sunday 7 February 2027, nine days and eight nights
Route · Niseko (4 nights), Otaru (1 night), Furano (3 nights), from and back to New Chitose
Rate · €4,500 per person, excluding flights
The week includes:
Guiding, six skiers to a guide
Eight nights: ryokan with onsen at Niseko, three-star hotels thereafter, twin rooms
Breakfasts
Private minibus all week and airport transfers
Ski passes
Safety kit: avalanche airbag pack, transceiver, shovel and probe
Yours to arrange:
Flights to and from New Chitose
Lunches, dinners and drinks
Other ways to ski Hokkaido with us
This departure is one of several. If you would rather settle into a week on a single massif, or stretch the journey further, tell us what you have in mind and we'll shape it with you. The Hokkaido skiing trip in Japan page sets out every formula.
Common questions
Do I need off-piste experience? Yes, some. The trip sits at 3/5 for skiing: you should be comfortable anywhere on piste and able to link turns in ungroomed snow. Hokkaido powder is very forgiving.
How much skinning is there each day? It depends on the day and the snow. The fuller days climb up to +800 m, spread across the outing; others stay close to the lifts. Your guide adjusts to the group and the conditions.
Why three bases rather than one? Because the snow and the wind move. Following the weather from Niseko to Furano gives you the best chance of good snow every day, and the private minibus keeps the transfers simple.
What does the trip cost? €4,500 per person, excluding flights. The trip starts and ends at New Chitose airport, where we handle the transfers.
Can I come on my own? All rooms are twin rooms. Write to us and we'll sort out the rooming with you; we reply within 24 hours.
Our guides follow the bulletins of the Japan Meteorological Agency; to plan the rest of your stay, the Japan National Tourism Organization and Hokkaido Tourism are good places to start.
To hold a place on the departure of 30 January to 7 February 2027, see our Hokkaido skiing trip in Japan and write to us with the size of your group, and we'll reply within 24 hours.
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