Furano Activities

There are sooooo many things to do in and around Furano. In addition to Furano ski tours and cat skiing, 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. There are a few tour operators such as White Room Tours who 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 (note the capital R!) backcountry skiing and boarding! 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. 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.

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 (note the capital R!) backcountry skiing and boarding! 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.

WhiteRoom Tours offer private backcountry guiding from Furano to Tokachidake and Kurodake, and also to the 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.

There is also a kids’ play area near the Kitanomine gondola.

If you want to go snowscooting, this is permitted on the Kitanomine side but not on the Furano side of the ski area.

Adventure Activities

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

Other options for a bit of excitement include tree climbing (!!), snowshoe trekking, horse riding, hot air ballooning, and parasailing behind a snowmobile if you really want to freeze your butt off.

Leisure Activities

Or to really freeze your bits, you can try ice hole fishing!

Other leisure options include a visit to the cheese factory or wine tasting at the winery which has 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 convenient shuttle buses to get between Furano and the zoo.

For indoor activities, there are various touristy cultural activities such as Japanese tea ceremonies and dressing up in a kimono - hmmmmm.

Onsen

For complete relaxation you should partake in the Japanese tradition of an onsen. A few of the Furano hotels and pensions have simple onsen. The New Furano Prince Hotel Shisai No yu allows non hotel guests in the afternoon and evening. It also has a sauna and massage service to complete your relaxation.

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 (40 mins one way). The nearby Fukiage Onsen can be a little tricky to find if you’re not on a tour, but it’s worth the quest for this very raw onsen.

Alternatively you can have an onsen at Tokachidake or Asahidake Onsen at the end of a ski day.

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

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