1. Conducting Company: シンラ (SHINRA)
Address: 284 Utoro Higashi, Shari-cho, Shari-gun, Hokkaido
2. Children 6 years of age and younger cannot join this tour. Those who are pregnant also cannot join this tour.
3. This tour is meant for participants with intermediate-level physical fitness. Total tour time is 2 and a half hours. Time for the experience is about 2 hours, and the distance walked is 2 km round trip.
4. The tour will be held even if snow is falling, but will be cancelled in cases of stormy weather. Also, the tour may be cancelled beforehand or cut short midway through the tour at the guide’s discretion depending on stormy weather or other factors.
If the tour is cancelled, please contact the agent that handled your tour booking within 7 days of the planned tour date. A full refund will be issued at a later date. However, please note that if a customer is unable to attend the tour due to their own circumstances no refunds will be issued. In case of cancellation due to weather conditions, please note that refunds for transportation expenses to the meeting location, accommodation charges, etc. will not be issued.
If cancellation of operation was determined by one day before the tour, customers will be notified by the conducting company via e-mail by evening of the day prior to the tour. Please make sure to check the e-mail address you specified at the time of booking by the evening of the day prior to the tour departure date. In addition, depending on weather conditions, etc., the decision whether or not to push through with tour operation may be made right before the tour starts. If operation is to be decided right before starting, customers will be notified at the location.
5. Selecting the Meeting Location / Transfers on the Day:
There is a free shuttle service operated by the conducting company from accommodations in the Utoro district. As public transportation to the location is not available, please use the free shuttle service.
Please be sure to select a meeting location in the Utoro district. The meeting location must be the same as the hotel accommodation to book this tour. If the customer’s hotel is not on the list, please choose Utoro Shirietoku Roadside Station or Utoro Onsen Bus Terminal. If your meeting location changes at a later date, please make sure to change the information entered during booking (change of meeting location and prior night hotel accommodation).
On the day, if traveling from another location to the Utoro district, please make sure to check the travel time from your previous night’s accommodation.
As the roads are frozen, customers who will be arriving by car are advised to leave plenty of time to reach the location.
Please note that refunds cannot be issued in the event that a customer did not make it on time due to their own circumstances.
6. About Departure Time:
Please make sure to be at the lobby of the hotel (meeting location) selected at the time of booking by 15 minutes before the departure time. (At least 5 minutes in advance for Kitakobushi Shiretoko Hotel & Resort, Hotel Kifu Club Shiretoko, Kokumin Shukusha Katsurada; At least 20 minutes in advance for Iruka Hotel)
*Depending on meeting status for other customers, the meeting time may vary about 5-10 minutes. Please note that pick-up will not be available at hotels for which there are no requests to board.
On the day, if customers do not arrive at the meeting location on time, they will have their bookings cancelled.
*Customers that are not prepared by the meeting time cannot join the tour. Additionally, the full cancellation fee will apply. Ex.) Insufficient clothing, customers are not at the meeting location, group members are eating, etc.
7. Regarding Clothing:
Please wear warm clothing that can protect against wind and rain. Dressing in layers is preferred. Warm winter items such as a scarf, gloves, and hat are required. Skirts and high heels are not allowed. Please wear warm clothing which is easy to move around in, such as skiwear, and trekking shoes or similar footwear. Please wear warm, waterproof high-cut boots. Customers will be wearing snowshoes over their own footwear. Note that footwear and pant legs may get wet on the tour. Rentals are not available.
8. Please refrain from consuming alcohol before the tour, and refrain from consuming alcohol, eating and smoking during the tour.
9. Please refrain from using cell phones while walking.
10. Only those who are feeling completely healthy should participate. Those who are feeling ill should not attempt to participate on the tour.
11. On tours in December, long boots may be used instead of snowshoes depending on the amount of snowfall.
12. Depending on operational circumstances, certain tour dates may be cancelled, or tour operation may cease entirely.
13. This is an unguided plan, so please go to the meeting location on your own. At reception, please show a printed copy of the reservation confirmation sheet or a printout of the reservation confirmation e-mail. Simply showing the confirmation on a mobile device screen will not be accepted.
14. For participants of this tour, please select the Shiretoko Utoro area for your prior night’s accommodation.
