Lake Toya & Noboribetsu Hell Valley Day Tour from Sapporo

Lake Toya, a caldera lake in Shikotsu-Toya National Park

Lake Toya filled a huge volcanic caldera that formed roughly a hundred thousand years ago, and today it is an almost circular lake about ten kilometres across, ringed by forested hills. At its centre sit the Nakajima islands, home to wild deer and dense woodland. Because the lake is deep and fed by warm geothermal water, it rarely freezes, so the view stays open even in the heart of a Hokkaido winter.

A Lake Toya day trip from Sapporo usually starts at a viewpoint high on the caldera rim, the best spot for photos of the whole basin with the islands and volcanoes beyond. You then drop to the lakeside onsen town for lunch and a stroll on the promenade. Is Lake Toya worth visiting? For anyone who likes wide, calm landscapes, it is one of the most beautiful lakes in Japan, and it is part of a UNESCO Global Geopark.

Mount Usu and Showa Shinzan, the living volcanoes

The southern shore of Lake Toya is guarded by Mount Usu, one of Japan's most active volcanoes, which last erupted in 2000 and reshaped the land around the town. Beside it rises Showa Shinzan, a reddish lava dome that pushed up out of flat farmland between 1943 and 1945 and still steams from its flanks. Few places let you see such a young mountain so close to a road.

On this shared tour you see both peaks from the lake area, and your guide explains how the eruptions changed the shoreline. Visitors with spare time often ride the Mount Usu ropeway to a summit viewpoint over the crater, Lake Toya and the Pacific coast, or watch Hokkaido brown bears at the bear park at the foot of Showa Shinzan. These activities are optional, paid on site and depend on the time available on the day.

Noboribetsu Hell Valley (Jigokudani)

Jigokudani, or Hell Valley, is a broad explosion crater above the onsen town of Noboribetsu, created by volcanic activity thousands of years ago. Its slopes are streaked with yellow, orange and grey, and steam hisses from vents and bubbling pools on every side. This crater is the source of the hot spring water that feeds the whole town, and the smell of sulphur hangs in the air.

Wooden boardwalks and paths lead into the valley, and the main viewing area takes about 30 to 40 minutes to explore. Is Noboribetsu worth visiting? Few places in Japan show raw volcanic power so clearly, and the steam looks most dramatic on cold days. There is no ticket gate, and the boardwalks can be visited at any hour, so the Noboribetsu Hell Valley opening hours never limit the tour. Paths can be wet or icy, so wear good shoes.

Noboribetsu onsen town

Below the crater, Noboribetsu is one of Hokkaido's best known hot spring towns, with a short main street of souvenir shops, cafes and steaming drains. Red and blue demon statues stand around the town, a playful nod to the Hell Valley above, and a small shrine to the guardian of hell watches over the street. Local snacks and sweets make easy souvenirs for the journey back.

The tour gives you time to walk down from the valley into the town before the coach returns to Sapporo. Bathing is not part of this tour, but if you come back for an overnight stay, note that public onsen baths are separated by gender and bathing suits are not worn there; private family baths also exist. In late summer the town holds a lively festival with demon-themed parades.

The mountain road south of Sapporo

The drive to Lake Toya is a highlight in itself. Leaving Sapporo, the road climbs through forest and usually crosses the Nakayama Pass, where on clear days you can see Mount Yotei, a near-perfect volcanic cone often called the Fuji of Hokkaido. Farmland, highland pastures and small villages line the way, changing from green in summer to gold and red in autumn and deep snow in winter.

How to get to Lake Toya and Noboribetsu without a car? Public transport links the two only with long transfers, so a coach day trip is the simplest way to combine them. Our guide shares stories about the volcanoes and the region along the way, and in winter an optional snowmobile ride may be offered at a stop on the route, paid on site and subject to snow.