Shiretoko Tour

Hello, this is Sato of Shiretoko Dai-ichi Hotel writer!

The fact that you have reached this blog is probably that you are looking for a tour guide in Shiretoko.

Good news for everyone who is looking for a tour guide in Shiretoko. In this blog, I have actually used a tour guide in Shiretoko, and I will introduce three reasons why I should take a guided tour on my trip to Shiretoko based on my own experience, and three recommended guided tours.

We will talk based on the actual experience, so it will be helpful! Then, please!

3 Reasons Why Guided Tours Are Needed in Shiretoko

Part 1. There are few options for transportation in Shiretoko
Travelers coming to Shiretoko can be divided into roughly three types:

Group travelers
Private travelers using a rental car
Private travelers who come without using a rental car

#1 and #2 have a means of transportation, so there is no particular problem, but the problem is #3 people. They/they have no means of transportation in large Shiretoko.

In addition, there are only two taxis in Shiretoko, so you can't take a trip like renting a taxi for a day. I didn't know about this, and when I first went to Shiretoko, I thought when I arrived, I would find a taxi and pay a fixed cost and take it to my favorite place.

But as I mentioned at the beginning, there are few taxis in Shiretoko.… So I finally asked for a guided tour.

However, even if you have a means of transportation, I recommend a guided tour. I'll tell you the reason next.

Part 2. Safely enjoy nature and animals

I would like to talk about "safety" as a reason why individual travelers who have a means of transportation in Shiretoko need a guided tour. Moving cars in Shiretoko in spring and summer is not so problematic, but moving cars in winter is very dangerous.

Currently, there is no picture of the road in Shiretoko in winter at hand, but please see the following photo for reference.

This is a photo taken on the seaside road between Abashiri and Shiretoko in May. On the day when the photo was taken, there was no snow and the wind was calm, but for example, in the winter season, there were snow along the road and strong winds from the sea.

If a person who is not used to driving in a snowy country drives in Shiretoko, there is a risk of having an accident. Also, there are roads where snow remains on the road even in the spring, so care must be taken when driving. For example, the photo below is also a photo of Shiretoko Pass taken in May.

In this way, even in the spring of Shiretoko, there is a possibility of snow falling on the summit and cold days, so care must be taken when driving. In that regard, if you ask a guided tour guide, you can safely see the scenery of Shiretoko while watching the outside scenery slowly.

Part 3. You can understand Shiretoko

First of all, please see the following photo.

This photo was taken at Shiretoko Pass in May. There is a stone wall on the left and a tree on the right. Do you feel that all the heights of the trees on the right are aligned?

This is because when the tree is higher than the wall, it will die by the cold wind. I heard this story from the tour guide. In addition, when driving in Shiretoko, you can often see windbreak forests. Windbreak forests are trees that are artificially planted so that sea breezes and sea salts do not fly to farms.

If you do not hear this information directly from the tour guide, you will not be able to search even if there is information on the Internet.

I often saw Hokkaido Sika Deer during my guide. The guide told us a variety of trivias in the car, including stories about the ecology of Hokkaido Sika Deer and stories about the nets set up for countermeasures against Hokkaido Sika Deer.

If you are coming to Shiretoko for the first time, I highly recommend that you ask for a guided tour.

Interesting guided tours and their costs

After reading so far, I think that if you are coming to Shiretoko for the first time, you can see that guided tours are good. However, what matters is the cost and what guided tours are available, right?

Next, I would like to introduce three guided tours in Shiretoko and the cost of each one.

Part 1.　Shiretoko Guide Shop Pikki

The guide is a woman named Wakatsuki, who specializes in trekking. There is a lot of knowledge about mountains.

I asked "Pikki" for my first Shiretoko guide. It was impressive that Mr. Wakatsuki answered all the questions I felt while driving in a car.

The cost is listed here. I was a half-day course by myself, so the cost was about 12,000 yen.

Shiretoko Guide Shop Pikki:
https://www.shiretoko-pikki.com/

Recommended for those who are interested in the nature and ecology of Shiretoko, and beginners in Shiretoko!

Part 2.　Okhotsk Natural Hall

The next one I would like to introduce is "Okhotsk Nature Hall". It features a beautiful HP. I've never used this here myself, but the couple is guided by two people. Pikki is also a personal guide.

Therefore, it is unlikely that the staff will quit and suddenly a staff who is not familiar with Shiretoko will guide you.

In addition, there is also a tour at Okhotsk Nature Hall that guides only the famous spots of Shiretoko in a short time, so it is convenient when you want to ask for a guide at the spot! The cost is kindly and clearly written on HP.

Okhotsk Natural Hall:
https://www.jinendo.net/

Part 3.　Eco Tour Star Time

The last thing I would like to introduce is "Eco Tour Star Time". The representative is a veteran who has been a guide for 40 years. It seems that various awards have been received in the past, so it is recommended for those who really want to know Shiretoko deeply. For your reference, please refer to the background of the representative:

Hokkaido Outdoor Qualification Master Guide
Director of the Shiretoko Nature Conservation Society
Shiretoko Goko Lakes Registration Leader
NHK Radio My Asa News in Hokkaido

Eco Tour Star Time:
https://siretoko.jimdofree.com/

In addition, there is also a guided tour for Taiwanese and Chinese speakers in Shiretoko. This is the only guide in Shiretoko to guide you in Chinese.

[Finally] Shiretoko Guided Tour Experience

In this blog, I would like to conclude by talking about the schedule and experience when I actually arranged a guided tour in Shiretoko.

In May 2022, I asked Pikki for a half-day custom guide.

We met at 1:30 pm on the day at Shiretoko Dai-ichi Hotel, and then around 4:30 pm – I was taken to various places by a guide until about 5:00. By the way, my schedule was like:

1. Oshinkoshin Falls
2. The road leading to heaven
3. Shiretoko Pass
4. Cape Puyuni

After Oshinkoshin Falls, there was a facility that kept Hokkaido Sika Deer on the way to heaven, so I stopped by.

Facilities that raise Hokkaido Sika Deer

The road leading to heaven

Shiretoko Pass

Cape Puyuni

I really wanted to go more, but I was able to go in half a day with these four limitations. That's why Shiretoko is large (or Hokkaido is big).

Therefore, if you have a number of places you want to go, it is recommended to ask for a guided tour of the whole day. It's not very much, but I can't turn around.

At first I thought, "Isn't there just four places in three to four hours?", but that was not the case. Pikki often tours of trekking, so I was really familiar with the trees and nature of Shiretoko.

I wrote it in the middle of the blog, but if you are interested in the nature and ecosystem of Shiretoko, Pikki is recommended!

If you want a reliable guided tour, go to Shiretoko Dai-ichi Hotel!

By the way, Shiretoko Dai-ichi Hotel has partnered with guided tours to arrange guided tours according to the needs of customers.

Although few people know it, Shiretoko Dai-ichi Hotel also does things like concierge, such as arranging guided tours and picking up and dropping off at restaurants under the hotel.

The Shiretoko Dai-ichi Hotel is located on the hill, and it takes a considerable amount of time to walk to the Shiretoko roadside rest area, convenience stores and restaurants under the hill. In fact, if you ask the staff, they will pick you up! (This blog is a secret.)

Guided tours are the same, and if you talk to Shiretoko Dai-ichi Hotel about where you want to go and what activities you want to do, you will be able to help you arrange a guided tour in a friendly way!

If you are planning to travel to Shiretoko, why don't you stay at Shiretoko Dai-ichi Hotel and ask Shiretoko Dai-ichi Hotel to arrange various activities?

This was from writer Sato!