After leaving your luggage at the hotel, enjoy a walk and a late lunch.

Here are some lunch spots in Abashiri recommended from a local perspective!

Restaurant White House
A Western-style restaurant located about 5 minutes on foot from Abashiri Bus Terminal, in the downtown area of Abashiri. This hidden gem offers a luxurious seafood rice bowl topped with sea urchin and salmon roe at a reasonable price. The limited-number katsudon, steak, and hamburger steak are also very popular.

Take the Abashiri Bus "On-Demand Bus Doko Bus" to the Ryuhyo Glass Museum. The beautiful glass crafts made using recycled glass material from fluorescent lights, "Eco Pirika," look just like drifting ice on the Sea of Okhotsk. Unique glasses and accessories, each one-of-a-kind, are displayed throughout the museum and make great souvenirs. At the connected "Scenic Café Boshiiwa," you can warm yourself by the wood stove while looking out over the sea of drifting ice. The Ryuhyo Coffee and Ryuhyo Soda are served in handmade glassware — extremely popular menu items you can only enjoy here.

For how to use Doko Bus, check the official website ！

The first thing you should enjoy in Abashiri is fresh seafood and unique local craft beer. Here are some recommended places!

YAKINIKU Abashiri Beer Hall
Less than 10 minutes on foot from Abashiri Bus Terminal. Enjoy your meal while gazing at the Abashiri River flowing beside the restaurant. They brew Abashiri’s brightly blue local beer “Ryuhyo DRAFT” and more, so you can enjoy delicious beer. The restaurant is spacious, making it ideal for families and group travelers.

Sakasaitei Kihachi
About 5 minutes on foot from Abashiri Bus Terminal. Open since 1995, this popular izakaya is beloved by Abashiri locals. It has been awarded Bib Gourmand by the Michelin Guide Hokkaido for two consecutive editions. Their specialty is whale cuisine — sashimi and bacon are exquisite dishes you can only try here. They are deeply particular about using ingredients from the Okhotsk region, and a wide selection of local sake is available.

This sightseeing ship moves forward while breaking the drift ice floating on the sea. The large vessel “Aurora” provides a comfortable ride with minimal rolling as it crushes the ice, making it suitable even for those prone to seasickness. The first floor has free seating, allowing you to enjoy the drift ice up close at eye level. On the reserved-seat second floor, you can watch the icebreaking process from right in front of you, or go out to the observation deck to experience the overwhelming panorama of drifting ice as far as the eye can see. You may even catch glimpses of seals resting on the ice or Steller’s sea eagles, and sometimes spot red foxes or Ezo deer who have ventured onto the ice from land.
With the newly built “Aurora 3” small sightseeing boat launched in 2023, you can also enjoy watching underwater footage of the drift ice, shown on monitors inside the ship, shot by underwater drones. Drift ice arrives in Abashiri as early as late January and, compared to Shiretoko, is less densely packed, allowing you to admire the blue sea peeking through the gaps between the ice.
Note: The Aurora ticket included in the Winter Abashiri Bus package is for non-reserved seating.

Located at the summit of Mount Tento in Abashiri City, this science museum is themed around drift ice and the Sea of Okhotsk. In the Drift Ice Experience Terrace inside the museum, you can touch real drift ice in a room chilled to minus 15 degrees Celsius. The popular "Shibare Experiment" lets you freeze a wet towel by swinging it around in the cold air. On another floor, you’ll find exhibits of rare creatures such as the "clione," also known as the Angel of Drift Ice. From the observation terrace on the 3rd floor, you can enjoy a spectacular 360-degree panoramic view that stretches from Lake Abashiri to Lake Notoro, and all the way to the Shiretoko mountain range across the Sea of Okhotsk. If the timing is right, you may even see the drift ice coming ashore. At the café inside, you can enjoy the “Drift Ice Soft Cream,” a salted caramel flavored ice cream made with Okhotsk sea salt.

After lunch, board the winter-limited sightseeing train “Ryuhyo Monogatari,” which runs along the Okhotsk coastline. This line offers some of Hokkaido’s most breathtaking winter scenery, with views of the Sea of Okhotsk covered in drift ice. At Kitahama Station, known as "the closest station to the drift ice” and used as a location for many movies and dramas, you can gaze at the drift ice on the Okhotsk Sea. The train also stops at Hamakoshimizu Station, where you can shop for souvenirs at the nearby roadside station. Limited edition merchandise is also available for purchase in the sales area on board. Since this train operates only from late January to early March each year, it’s a good idea to check the schedule in advance.
Note: When on the Winter Abashiri All-in-One Bus, you cannot get off at Hamakoshimizu Station.

On the second day, we introduce some lesser-known gourmet spots located a bit outside the city center! Please use a taxi or other transportation as needed.

Robata Akari
Just a short drive (about 15 minutes on foot) from Abashiri Bus Terminal, this popular restaurant offers panoramic views of the Sea of Okhotsk. Their pride is in the fresh seafood sourced directly from local fishermen, and the seafood kamameshi (rice casserole) here is exceptional! You can also enjoy robatayaki (charcoal grill) and à la carte dishes.

Sushi Dining Tsuki
Less than a 10-minute drive from Abashiri Bus Terminal. This sushi restaurant allows you to casually savor the seafood of Okhotsk. The sushi, made with fresh seafood, is so delicious you’ll be amazed at the value for the price. Box seats and raised tatami seating are also available.

We would like to introduce a recommended local restaurant operated by fishermen, where you can enjoy the seafood of the Shiretoko/Shari area!

Maruko Suisan
"Maruko Suisan," which delivers delicious fish from Hokkaido Shiretoko to all over Japan, has a restaurant where you can enjoy fresh seafood. Even if you miss lunch a little on weekends, they are open. Whether before or after sightseeing cruises or tours, when strolling around Utoro, or upon arrival, you can enjoy various types of seafood at different times!
For details such as business hours and seasonal operation, please check their official Instagram or business profile !

After lunch, enjoy wandering around Utoro! "Oronko Rock," a huge boulder (60 meters high) located in the fishing port, is currently closed for climbing due to construction, but it is one of the Shiretoko Eight Sights. Along with "Godzilla Rock," standing 15 meters tall, they are symbols of Utoro. Depending on the timing, even just walking along the coastline is recommended, as you might see drift ice floating on the Sea of Okhotsk.At the Shiretoko World Heritage Center, you can see life-size photos and models of brown bears and Ezo deer living in Shiretoko, and get information about Shiretoko's highlights, which has been recognized as a World Natural Heritage Site.

Tour period: Around February to late March Have fun playing on the drift ice with local fishermen! Get guided across the drift ice by local fishermen who know Shiretoko’s sea best, and by Shiretoko’s only Chinese-speaking guide from Taiwan. Walk and jump on the drift ice together!

Wear a cute and colorful dry suit and, together with a professional guide, touch and walk on the magical drift ice. This activity, unique to Utoro, allows you to experience mysterious Arctic-like phenomena and scenery.

Along National Route 334 on the way to the World Natural Heritage Site of Shiretoko, you will find a waterfall selected as one of the 100 Best Waterfalls in Japan. 'Oshinkoshin' comes from the Ainu language meaning 'the place where Ezo spruce grow in clusters.' As its name suggests, the sight of water thundering down from a cliff among the forest is truly impressive. Since the water splits into two flows partway down, it’s also known as the 'Twin Beautiful Falls.' In the harsh winter, you can see a 'frozen waterfall'—ice that remains even as the water continues to flow—creating a scene that is like a work of ice art. From the observation deck at the top of the falls, you can take in a vast white sea covered with drift ice.

On the final day, take the Akan Bus "Tsurui Line" to Tsurumidai in Tsurui Village. Here, you can see the red-crowned cranes ("tancho"), a designated special natural monument. Around 9 a.m., the cranes are fed, and you can witness the impressive sight of nearly 200 cranes gathering. If you start to feel cold, relax and enjoy a meal at "Doremifa-Sora," located across the road. Their specialty is the "Tancho Curry," inspired by the cranes themselves. From the large windows inside the restaurant, you can enjoy views of Tsurumidai. After your meal, you can also do some shopping for souvenirs.

After returning to downtown Kushiro, it's recommended to pick up your luggage at your hotel and also explore the shops around Kushiro Station. Within walking distance of the station is the "Kushiro Washo Market," where fresh seafood is abundantly displayed. The most popular item here is the "Katte-don," a personalized rice bowl made by choosing your own toppings. Across from Kushiro Washo Market is "Kushiro Tancho Ichiba Gurume-kan," which was newly renovated and reopened in April 2024. Here you can buy not only seafood but also locally-produced vegetables and souvenirs, as well as enjoy set meals using fresh fish or try Kushiro ramen.