Precautions

To ensure your safety and rights, all participants are kindly requested to carefully review all the precautions on this page before making a reservation. Your reservation will be considered as an agreement to the following information.

About the Tour

Tour Season

Feb. 1 to Mar. 20

  • In case of bad weather or unfavorable drift ice conditions, the tour may be canceled. A final announcement will be posted on the homepage of our official website. Please check the website yourself to confirm whether the tour will proceed. We will not notify participants individually.

Duration of the tour

Morning　8:30-10:00
Afternoon　12:30-14:00

  • Please arrive before 10 minutes earlier.
  • The tour lasts about an hour and a half (including the meet-up, info session, and putting on the dry suits; actual time on the drift ice is about 40-60 minutes).
  • Travel agencies or Private bookings have designated time slots (15:00–17:00). Please contact us directly via email to make a reservation.

Fees

8,000 yen per person

  • Advance Online Payment (Once a reservation request is submitted, the system will automatically process the payment. If the reservation is canceled, a 5% system handling fee will be deducted automatically, and the remaining amount will be refunded. This handling fee is non-refundable. Please make sure all reservation details are correct before submitting your request.)
  • Fees include the rental of dry suits and gloves, accident insurance, and taxes.

Meeting Point

131, Utoro-higashi, Shari-cho, Shari-gun, Hokkaido
Located next to Maruko Suisan

  • We do not provide pick-up or drop-off service. Check out the “Access” page for parking spaces and hotels that are within walking distance of the location of the tour.

Requirements

1. Height: 130-185 cm
2. Weight: 100 kg or less
3. Age: 70 or younger

  • You must meet all the requirements to take part in the tour.

６. Things to remember

  • There are no restrooms at the meeting point nor anywhere along the tour route, so please go before arriving at the meeting point. You can use it at your hotel, or use it at Road Station Utoro･Shiretok or Utoro Onsen Bus Terminal.
  • Please show respect to the other participants by arriving on time. If you do not arrive on time, we will consider it as a cancellation and proceed without you, so be sure to remember the meeting time and place.
  • If it is determined at the time of reservation or upon your arrival on the day that you do not meet the participation requirements, or if you are unable to comply with LANTOKO’s policies, we may have to decline your participation.
  • We cannot be held responsible for any injuries caused by your own negligence. We kindly ask for your understanding and cooperation.

Tour Itinerary

* Morning Tour (Example)

８:２０ / Registration

The staff at the counter will check your name and help you put on the dry suit.
（How to put on a dry suit：YouTube）

  • Please arrive and complete check-in before 8:30. If you are late, it may be considered a no show and no refund.

８:４０〜９:００ / Departure and info session

At the meeting point, tour participants get on the shuttle service, which takes about 5 minutes to get to the destination.

９:００〜 ９:５０ / Drift ice walk

Have fun with your guide and the local fishers of Shiretoko on the drift ice!

９:５０〜１０:００ / End of the tour

Participants return to the meeting point, and remove their dry suits for the end of the tour.

  • The time may vary according to conditions on the day of the tour.

● Dry Suits

  • Before participating in the tour, you will be asked to wear a special dry suit over your clothing, designed specifically for drift ice walking. The dry suit provides insulation, warmth, and strong buoyancy. To prevent water from entering, the wrists and neck are tightly sealed, and the suit features a unique one-piece design that includes the jacket, pants, and shoes. Please note that the shoe sizes tend to run large.
  • Dry suits in plus sizes and kids’ sizes are limited in number, so if there is no longer any dry suit in the appropriate size for you, you will not be able to take part in the tour.
  • Dry suits are expensive, so please follow the guide’s instructions on how to put them on and take them off. If you do not follow instructions and cause any damage, you will be liable to make compensations. We highly recommend watching following video in advance. (How to put on a dry suit: YouTube)

● Use of Cameras and Smartphones

  • We do not provide photography services during the tour. Please bring your own smartphone or camera, and use a waterproof case—either your own or one available for purchase at our shop—throughout the tour. You are welcome to take photos or videos during the activity.
  • You are welcome to take photos or videos at any time during the tour, provided that safety is ensured. However, please be aware that the drift ice on the sea is not stationary, and there is a risk of your personal belongings getting wet or falling into the water. Be sure to carefully consider what items you choose to bring with you.
  • It is not our responsibility if your devices get water in them or become damaged or lost during the activity, and no compensation whatsoever will be made.
  • Rental and Sale:
    smartphone waterproof case (sale): 1000yen/per
    camera waterproof bag (rental): 500yen/per
    *cash only

Outfit

It is recommended that you wear clothing that is light and easy to move in.
Please do not wear skirts. No private changing room at meeting point.

Clothes

To avoid chafing around the neck of the dry suit, please don’t wear hoodies. We recommend wearing a fitted long-sleeve top; choose a thickness appropriate for the temperature on the day of the tour.

Pants & Socks

Please wear well-fitted long pants. Wide-legged pants and snow pants with loose hems are not recommended. Skirts are not allowed. It is recommended to wear socks that are ankle to mid-calf length. Tucking your pant legs into your socks can help prevent them from riding up.

Gloves and Beanies

We can lend you gloves for free. As for beanies or sunglasses, please prepare your own.

Other

If you have long hair, please have it tied up. For all accessories including watches, please remove them before the tour to prevent damage or loss.

  • Please wear regular outdoor clothing such as a standard top and long pants, as described above. Non-daily attire, including but not limited to swimwear or raincoats, is not permitted. If, on the day of the tour, our staff determines that your clothing is inappropriate for participation, we reserve the right to refuse your participation. As your reservation has secured a spot, please note that no refunds will be issued. We kindly ask for your understanding.
  • During the tour, only mobile phones, cameras, and waterproof bags are allowed. You may temporarily leave your other belongings at the meeting point, but please note that we do not take responsibility for their safekeeping. For valuables, please store them in a secure locker at your accommodation, a roadside rest area, or a bus station.

Payment Method

Credit card

The full amount is to be paid by credit card when booking the tour.

  • Once the reservation request is submitted, the system will automatically charge your credit card. Regardless of whether you cancel the reservation yourself or it is canceled by the system due to incomplete information or failure to meet participation requirements, a 5% system handling fee will be deducted. This handling fee is non-refundable. Please make sure all reservation details are correct before submitting your request! We appreciate your understanding.

Insurance

The accident insurance premium is included in the tour fee.

We take out accident insurance for all participants of the activities we organize.
Details on payment of claims is as follows.

Death, sequela: 10 million yen per person
Hospitalization: 4,000 yen per person per day
Hospital visit: 1,760 yen per person per day

  • LANTOKO will do its very best in managing safety during its tours, but in case of unforeseeable accidents, we recommend that tour participants take out additional insurance, such as travel insurance, injury insurance, etc.

Cancellation and Refund

After you have signed up, if you cancel for any reason or simply don’t show up, the following rules will be applied.

  • For cancellations made more than 24 hours before the tour: you will receive a refund after a handling fee (5% of the total cost) is deducted by the platform.
    For cancellations made within 24 hours of the scheduled time: No refund.
    *Morning tour (before 8:30 AM the previous day), Afternoon tour (before 12:30 PM the previous day)
  • If the weather is poor or ice conditions are unideal or you are unable to take part in the tour due to suspensions in transportation services or road closures caused by poor weather, or the tour is suspended before it begins due to the government issuing strong wind or blizzard warnings, then you will receive a refund after a handling fee (5% of the total cost) is deducted by the platform.
    (We issue the refund in five days. However, it may take 7 to 10 working days for it to appear in your accounts, or a maximum of 60 days if you used a dedit card, depending on each bank. If you have any questions about the use of your card, please contact the issuer of your card.)
  • If the tour has to be suspended after it starts due to natural causes such as blizzards or rough waves, fees are not refunded.
  • Other: If, upon check-in on the day of the tour, our staff determines that your attire is inappropriate for the activity or if there are any safety concerns or health conditions (including but not limited to inability to exert force with arms, use of ventricular assist devices, or other conditions unsuitable for our tours), we reserve the right to refuse your participation. And no refund will be issued in such cases.

Notes

  • The following individuals are kindly asked to refrain from participating: those with fractures or sprains, pregnant individuals, and those under the influence of alcohol.
  • Please follow instructions from your guide. In risky situations, do not go off by yourself.
  • If you feel unwell during the activity, inform the staff immediately.
  • If health authorities deem your condition to be unsuited for this tour, we retain the right to refuse you from participating, unless you can present written documentation from your doctor, upon which we will reassess the possibility of your participation.

About the Company

Information about our company, which runs the LANTOKO Drift Ice Walk Tour, can be found here :

About the Company

Booking