Furano Ski Tours, Activities

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Furano Ski Tours, Activities

Central Hokkaido Guided Tours

Furano Activities

There are sooooo many things to do in and around Furano. In addition to Furano ski tours, there are other on-snow things to do in Furano and onsen excursions.

Furano Ski Tours & Day Trips to Other Ski Areas

If you are looking for a guided Furano ski tour of the off-piste and sidecountry areas, there are a few options for Furano ski guiding services. White Room Tours provide a range of private off-piste, sidecountry and backcountry tours at Furano as well as nearby ski areas. Hokkaido gets micro storms where it may dump in one valley but not in another, so if the powder at Furano isn’t to your liking, check out the weather conditions at the nearby ski areas such as Asahidake, Kamui, Sahoro and Tomamu.

Or a fabulous way to make the most of Furano and the other Central Hokkaido ski resorts is to go on a multi-day tour. The guides take care of all your transport needs and will show you plenty of great powder stashes.

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Furano Backcountry Skiing

The Tokachidake area (about an hour drive away) has three main areas for backcountry skiing with Mt Tokachi, Furano-dake and the Three Step Mountain. If you like to earn your turns, this area offers remarkable backcountry skiing and boarding! To end the day, the reddy-brown outdoor onsen at the Ryounkaku ryokan at Tokachidake is also pretty legendary and offers some spectacular views.

A good spot for inclement weather days is the Take Noro Yama backcountry area near Minami Furano. This goes up to approximately 1,200 metres in the sub-alpine and offers a vertical drop of about 700 metres. Some parts are reasonably mellow whilst there are also some steep treed pitches in the mid-section of the hill.

Ashibetsudake is another popular Furano backcountry skiing destination, and can incorporate multi-day touring staying at the Yufure-goya Hut.

WhiteRoom Tours offer private backcountry guiding from Furano to Tokachidake, Asahidake and Kurodake, and also to the backcountry areas around the Furano Ski Resort such as Furano-nishi-dake.

Family Activities Furano

Head to Waku Waku Family Snowland where they offer a plethora of Furano activities including snow rafting, snowmobiling tandem rides, banana boating, cross country skiing, snow shoeing, and sledding. Waku Waku is located just a 2 minute walk from the New Furano Prince Hotel.

The Prince Hotel also holds various events for families and treasure hunts for kids.

A little down the road from the New Furano Prince Hotel is dog sledding with Furano Trekking Support Yuma.

Adventure Activities

Furano snowmobiling is a popular Furano activity. There are a few companies that offer snowmobiling, with variability in the length of the trail ride, the power of the snowmobiles, and the cost.

Other Furano winter activities for a bit of excitement include snowshoeing, hot air ballooning, and ice hole fishing if you really want to freeze your butt off.

Leisure Activities Furano

Leisure options include a visit to the cheese factory or wine tasting at one of the wineries which have surprisingly good wine. Wandering around the quaint town of Furano is also enjoyable.

The Asahiyama Zoo near Asahikawa is an interesting visit, where you can see super cute penguins, seals and polar bears. There are usually shuttle buses to get between Furano and the zoo.

Furano Onsen

Onsen options in Furano are rather limited. A few of the Furano hotels and pensions have communal baths that are not true onsen, but are still nice for relaxing.

The New Furano Prince Hotel Shisai No yu allows non hotel guests in the afternoon. It also has a sauna and massage service to complete your relaxation.

Or if onsen is high on your priorities, you may want to stay at La Vista Furano Hills in downtown Furano. The indoor onsen baths are lovely and the outdoor onsen offers views of the mountains. The outdoor area also has small individual baths and there are private baths on a first-come first-served basis.

If you’re driving to Tokachidake or Asahidake Onsen to ski or ride, you can finish off the day with an onsen. Or if you’re skiing at Kamui for the day, you could have an onsen at Ashibetsu Onsen Starlight Hotel on the way back to Furano.

Otherwise there are various onsen tours to nearby areas that can be organised through Furano Tourism. Examples include the red-brown onsen at Ryounkaku (at Tokachidake) or the Hakuginsou Hot Spring Centre/Fukiage Onsen (40 mins one way).  

See our Japanese onsen overview for tips on the etiquette of using an onsen.

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