How to take a bus to Akan National Park? Guide to visiting Akan National Park in Japan

Actually, the editor mainly wants to introduce to you the transportation within this scenic spot. In fact, generally speaking, it is chartered to visit, because it is more convenient. Let’s take a look at the relevant strategies together. Let’s find out.

Akan National Park is located in eastern Hokkaido. It is the most essential part of this trip. It is not an exaggeration to describe the scenery here as beautiful. Akan National Park is not a small park that you can buy a ticket to go in and walk around. Instead, it is a large tourist area composed of numerous volcanoes and volcanic lakes. The most famous of them are the three lakes: Lake Akan, Lake Kussharo, Lake Mashu. Lake Akan is the place with the most concentrated accommodation. There are many hot spring hotels here with complete supporting facilities. It is the first choice for many tourists. The disadvantage is that the lake view is average, so I excluded it.

The entire Akan National Park is very large. We did not go to Lake Akan, but only visited Lake Kussharo and Lake Mashu, which is also called the Teshiki area.

The scenic spot coverage map is as follows:

From Sapporo to the Akan area, you usually need to take JR to Kushiro City, the transportation hub of Dotō, and then transfer from Kushiro to JR Kushiro. Get off at Mashu Station or Kawayu Onsen Station.

Local public transportation is very scarce. If you want to visit Akan National Park, it is recommended that you charter a car or take a taxi. Chartering a car is expensive, more than 40,000 yen per day, and the price is based on a commercial vehicle, so it is more cost-effective for a small group of 4 to 6 people. Some travel companies will provide a tour guide and a driver, while others only have a driver and tour guide. The price of the former is naturally more expensive. The local people's English proficiency is generally very poor. Even if there is a tour guide, they can only communicate through translation software. The only advantage is that it allows the driver to drive with peace of mind without being distracted by negotiating with us about the itinerary.

In addition to chartered cars, there is also a local taxi service. The driver will spend 3 hours taking you around the main attractions, staying at each attraction for ten minutes, and the price is about 20,000 yen, although it saves a lot of money. , but it’s too superficial.

Our B&B owner runs a local travel agency, so we booked a chartered car service directly with her. For reservations made more than one month in advance, the price is 48,000 yen per day (7 hours). The temporary reservation price is 60,000 yen because temporary manpower is required. This hotel will be equipped with a driver and a tour guide. It is entirely up to you to decide which attractions you want to visit and how long you want to stay at each stop.

Travel agency website of the B&B owner (prices are for reference only, the actual quotation shall prevail)

Chartered route: B&B - Lake Mashu - Mount Sulfur - Lake Kussharo Sand Bath (lunch) —Wakoto Peninsula—Mihora (Sunset)—B&B

For one month every year, eco sightseeing buses will shuttle between Lake Mashu and Lake Kussharo to various attractions, including Lake Mashu and Lake Kussharo. There are also three lines of the Kawayu Hot Spring Line, passing through Mount Sulfur, Sunayu, Kotan Hot Spring (Kotan), Lake Mashu, etc., basically covering most of the scenic spots except Mihora. The starting and ending stations of the bus are JR Kawayu Onsen Station or Mashu Station, so the bus running time is connected with the JR arrival time. The daily frequency is very limited, especially the Kussharo Lake Line, which has the most stops, every day. There are only two buses. If you miss one, you may never have the chance to go back... If you need to take the bus, be sure to check the timetable and plan the attractions you want to visit in advance.

This year’s (2018) eco sightseeing bus operation time is from February 3 to March 4. Friends who do not want to spend huge sums of money to charter a bus may wish to pay attention to the operating hours published on the official bus website and the locations near the bus station in advance. B&B or hotel to arrange itinerary.

Eco buses are divided into 2-day passes, 3-day passes, 5-day passes, and 7-day passes. The prices are very cost-effective and suitable for tourists who want to spend a few more days here for in-depth travel.

Bus routes:

If you start from Kushiro and want to visit Akan National Park, you have another affordable option, which is to take the Akan Sightseeing Bus , the car will be equipped with a tour guide, who will stop at major scenic spots to take photos along the way. On the return trip, you can choose Akan Lake Hot Spring, Kushiro Airport or return to Kushiro Station. If you want to take this shuttle bus, you must make a reservation in advance. You must arrive in Kushiro the day before the trip, because its departure time is 8:30 in the morning.

This year’s route map and prices are as follows:

In addition, local travel agencies also have some special itineraries, such as Lake Mashu stargazing, horseback riding, etc.