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Xperience/Japan/Hokkaido/Mombetsu/[Tour Guaranteed with 1 Participant] Drift Ice Day Tour: Board the Newly Built Icebreaker Ship "Garinko No.Iii Imeru" with Meal Options (Depart From Sapporo) | Hokkaido

[Tour Guaranteed with 1 Participant] Drift Ice Day Tour: Board the Newly Built Icebreaker Ship "Garinko No.Iii Imeru" with Meal Options (Depart From Sapporo) | Hokkaido

Drift ice icebreaker Garinko-go III and IMERU boarding point
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Nearest Tour Date | Wed, 26 Feb 2025
Tour Duration | 13 Hours 30 Minutes

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Japan
Starts from

USD 107.52

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What You'll Experience

Cruise on Garinko No. III IMERU, the newly built icebreaker ship. Stay on a sightseeing ship designed for drift ice sightseeing, with a gross tonnage of 370 tons and a capacity for 235 passengers. Enjoy a comfortable drift ice cruising experience with air-conditioned cabins, vending machines, and vendor stalls on the icebreaker ship.

Experience the exciting drift ice that can only be seen in Hokkaido during the winter
Embark on the new icebreaker ship "Garinko No.III IMERU" and encounter the grandeur of nature
Choose from packages that include lunch

The content of this product is provided by machine translation and may not reflect the actual information, please take this into consideration before booking.

— Tour Information —

Join the thrilling Garinko tour, navigating drift ice with a powerful drill. A must-try experience for the Hokkaido winter season. 

Drift Ice Icebreaker Ship Garinko No.Iii Imeru
Watch the breathtaking sight of a ship moving forward while breaking through the ice with a drill at the tip. The cruise ship has two large screws at the bow, propelling it forward through drift ice with a distinctive "graunching" sound. Experience the ice breaking through the onboard sound and vibration. Enjoy the thrill as drift ice rises alongside the ship, offering an up-close view of one of Hokkaido's most popular winter attractions, and admire the wonder and excitement of drift ice.

Garinko No.III IMERU, the newly built icebreaker ship
Marvel at the stunning sight of drift ice in Japan's northernmost Okhotsk Sea. Let go of the cold and the clock, and relish the thrilling experience of the unknown. Spot flocks of birds like Steller's sea eagles, white-tailed sea eagles, and Slaty-backed gulls perched on the drift ice, as well as adorable seals peeking out from between the ice.

Shopping at Dezuka Suisan
Visit Dezuka Suisan, a renowned "Kamaboko" shop, and consider their carefully crafted Kamaboko as a souvenir. Travelers will receive "Scallop tempura" as a gift.

Crab Claw Statue
The crab claw statue, crafted during the 1983 Drift Ice Art Festival, used to float at sea to represent Okhotsk's beauty, but now stands on land. This 12-meter-high, 6-meter-wide, 7-ton sculpture creates an impressive backdrop for memorable photos


— Lunch —

Plan without lunch
Enjoy your lunch at the Ocean Exchange Center. There is a cafeteria, a ramen restaurant, and a convenience store in the Ocean Exchange Center, where the Garinko will be departing.

Plan with Seafood Robata lunch
Indulge in a seafood Robatayaki lunch at Marukaichi Suisan, featuring the finest offerings from the Sea of Okhotsk: 1 Atka mackerel, 1 spot prawn, 1 scallop, 2 onigiri (rice balls), and crab soup. Located next to the Marukaichi Fisheries factory, the restaurant offers a unique atmosphere. Grill your own food with the assistance of the staff at Robatayaki, and enjoy some shopping after the meal.

Plan with Seafood Robata with Crab Legs lunch
Enjoy the best seafood from the Sea of Okhotsk: 1/2 Atka mackerel, 1 spot prawn, 1 scallop, 1 Blue King Crab leg, 2 onigiri (rice balls), and crab soup. Located next to the Marukaichi Fisheries factory, the restaurant offers a unique atmosphere. Grill your own food with the assistance of the staff at Robatayaki, and enjoy some shopping after the meal.

Plan with Drift Ice Rice Bowl lunch
Savor a deluxe seafood rice bowl with Okhotsk's finest offerings: snow crab, salmon roe, and scallops. Enjoy the inclusive side of crab soup, and enjoy some shopping after the meal.


— More Info —

Meeting place and location:
- Premier Hotel Nakajima Park Sapporo (meet at 6:20 am/depart at 6:30 am)
- Sapporo View Hotel Odori Koen (meet at 6:35 am/depart at 6:45 am)
- ANA Crowne Plaza Sapporo (meet at 6:50 am/depart at 7:00 am)
Meeting location: Lobby on the 1st floor of each hotel
Drop-off location: Sapporo Station North Exit/Odori Park/Susukino (scheduled to arrive around 8:00 pm–8:30 pm) (Susukino and Odori Park are both near the subway station)
Please note that changing the boarding location on the day of departure is not possible
There will be no drop-off at the hotel where you boarded the bus


— Attractions —

Garinko Station “Ocean Exchange Center”
Catch a free shuttle bus from the Ocean Exchange Center, a designated "Umi-no-Eki" (station of the sea) and a key sightseeing hub. It serves as a departure point for the Garinko and offers Mombetsu souvenirs, such as Garinko merchandise and snacks.

Okhotsk Tower/Ice Sea Observation Tower (Entrance fee applies only for the submarine floor: JP¥500)
Explore the reopened attraction in October 2016. In the drift ice season, experience the world beneath the ice at the Undersea Nature Observation Room, featuring displays of northern sea fish and clione, the drift ice fairy. Don't miss the novel 360-degree stereoscopic vision in their new "4D-KING" experience (Fee: JP¥300 per show).

Tokkari Center Gomachan Land (Entrance fee: JP¥200)
Visit the Tokkari Center, the sole facility in Japan exclusively housing seals, where you can observe these lively creatures. "Tokkari'' translates to "seal" in the Ainu language.



Known as one of the Hokkaido Heritage, the icebreaker ship Garinko No.III IMERU is a sightseeing ship with a gross tonnage of 370 tons and a capacity of 235 passengers, designed for the purpose of drift ice sightseeing. With air-conditioned cabins, vending machines and vendor stalls, the icebreaker ship offers a comfortable drift ice cruising experience.

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Tour Itinerary

06:50 ANA Crowne Plaza Sapporo (depart at 7:00am)
ANA Crowne Plaza Sapporo (depart at 7:00am)
ANA Crowne Plaza Sapporo
ANA Crowne Plaza Sapporo
Do-O Expressway
Sunagawa Service Area [Break] (approx. 15 minutes)
Roadside Rest Station Kaori-no-Sato Takinoue [rest] (approx.15 minutes)
[Plan without lunch] Ocean Exchange Center [Okhotsk Tower / Tokkari Center free time / entrance fees not included in the tour] (approx. 50 minutes)
[Plan without lunch] Ocean Exchange Center [Okhotsk Tower / Tokkari Center free time / entrance fees not included in the tour] (approx. 50 minutes)
[Plan with lunch] Marukaichi Suisan [Drift ice rice bowl & crab soup lunch and shopping] (approx. 50 minutes)
[Plan with lunch] Marukaichi Suisan [Drift ice rice bowl & crab soup lunch and shopping] (approx. 50 minutes)
Board the "Newly built icebreaker ship Garinko No.III IMERU" [Experience the powerful icebreaker ship] (approx. 60 minutes)
Board the "Newly built icebreaker ship Garinko No.III IMERU" [Experience the powerful icebreaker ship] (approx. 60 minutes)
Dezuka Suisan (Kamaboko shopping/Scallop tempura as a souvenir) (approx. 20 minutes)
Breaks along the way (in 2 places)
19:00 Sapporo Station North Exit = Odori Park = Susukino (scheduled to arrive around 8:00pm-8:30pm) *No drop-off at the hotel where you boarded.
The scheduled times and details listed are subject to change depending on road conditions.

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