One Day Guide for Nature Lover: Lakes, Hot Springs and Volcano!
Got a day to spare during your stay in the Eastern Hokkaido? Check out this one day itinerary for nature lovers ! It’s got lakes, hot springs and a volcano. This one day trip in the Lake Kussharo area is great for people who enjoy being in the nature as well as family with kids, and good for pretty much all year around. Renting a car is highly recommended to visit all the places included in this guide.
Where Should you start from?
This itinerary is perfect to fit in your travel plan, if you are staying in Kitami, Abashiri, Shari, Akan or Kushiro. You’ll reach Bihoro Pass, which this itinerary starts with, in 1 hour to 1 hour 45 min by car.
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Lake Kussharo Panorama View
First, make a stop at Bihoro Pass and enjoy a beautiful panorama view of Lake Kussharo. It is a huge free parking area with a lookout, a souvenir shop and public restroom. It is just on the way to other places in this guide if you come from Kitami or Abashiri, so it is the best to start a day dropping by here. Even though you come from Akan, Kushiro or Shari, it is worth driving a little extra miles to visit this viewpoint! Plus, if you are an early bird who does not mind heading out before sunrise, you might want to try your luck at seeing cloud sea over the lake. Check out the link below for more detail.
2. Lunch at SORA
Photo Source: SoRa
This is my favorite restaurant and hotel in the area. It’s a cozy log house restaurant located next to Lake Kussharo. They serve French style courses using fresh local ingredients at great price. Their lunch menu starts from 2,000 yen including salad, soup, main, dessert and drink (this is a really great price!).
For accommodation, they have two suite rooms for 4 or 6 people. I have stayed there once with my family, and it was an amazing experience. The room was very spacious and nicely furnished. I especially enjoyed a morning walk to the lake side!
Photo Source: SoRa
Auberge SoRa
Website: https://www.auberge-sora.com/
Lunch time: 11.00 - 14.00
Dinner time: 18.00 - 22.00 (reservation required)
3. Hot Spring Hopping
The Lake Kussharo area is home to a number of hot springs thanks to its geographical advantage being in a volcanic zone. Here are my three recommendations for you to enjoy unique onsen experiences. You could pick one or two to visit, or try all of them if you are a big fan of onsen!
Sanko Onsen
Sanko Onsen is an authentic natural onsen run by a friendly couple. Surrounded by a forest, their quiet outdoor bath makes you feel relaxed and enjoy fresh air. Accommodation is also available.
Kotan Onsen
If you are looking for an extraordinary onsen experience, this is for you! It’s an open-air onsen right next to Lake Kussharo, where you can see swans swimming in the lake from late October to April.
Sunayu
This place is the easiest to drop by, where you can just bathe your feet. As the name of Sunayu means sand hot spring in Japanese, the water along the lake shore here is naturally warm due to volcanic heat. You can also dig a hole in the sand to make your own little onsen!
4. Mount Io
After enjoying relaxing onsen, it’s time to visit where the geothermal energy that forms hot springs comes from. Mount Io is an active volcano, but no worries it’ safe. There you can see volcanic gas and steam rising from many fumaroles. Feel the heat of the earth!
5. Lake Mashu
Lake Mashu is another crater lake formed by a volcanic eruption, like Lake Kussharo. Lake Mashu is famous for the highest level of water transparency among crater lakes in the world, which makes it beautiful deep blue. However, as it is referred as “Foggy Lake Mashu,” the lake is often covered by fog especially from June to August. If you can get a clear view of Lake Mashu… you are super lucky!
Hope this helps your travel planning :) The Lake Kussharo area has a lot to offer. It’s also a good idea to stay there for a couple of days and explore more!