How Do You Join a Drift Ice Cruise in Abashiri and Dress for the Cold?

Published 2026-10-04 · Sources checked 2026-10-04 · Treasure Hunting Co., Ltd.

This guide is for visitors who want to see the drift ice from the water at Abashiri and need to know how the season works and what to wear. It uses the English pages of the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) and the Hokkaido Official Tourism Site "HOKKAIDO LOVE!". All pages were read on 2026-10-04. Sailing times change by season and weather, so confirm them with the operator.

The short answer

The Aurora is a large sightseeing icebreaker that leaves from Abashiri. The Hokkaido tourism site says "Every year from late January, drift ice reaches the coast of Abashiri" and that the Aurora powers its way through the ice on an exhilarating winter cruise. JNTO says the drift ice usually arrives by late January, is generally thickest around Abashiri, and retreats by late March.

What the cruise is like

• Inside, there is a heated cabin with large panoramic windows, and an observation deck for being closer to the ice.
• The page says the deep cracking sounds of the ice and powerful jolts convey the force of the frozen sea.
• If you are lucky, you may spot Steller's sea eagles or seals resting on the ice.
• Since 2023 the Aurora 3 has also been in operation. It has an underwater drone whose live images of the ice below the surface appear on monitors inside the vessel.
• The cruise lasts about an hour. The Hokkaido sample itinerary calls it an "hour-long cruise".

Where it leaves from and how to get there

The Hokkaido sample itinerary lists the Aurora's address as the Road Rest Area Ryuhyokaido Abashiri, at 4-5-1 Minami 3-Jo Higashi, and lists a 10-minute bus ride from JR Abashiri Station to the Aurora bus stop. JNTO says the limousine bus from Memanbetsu Airport reaches the ship after the Bus Terminal; see our access guide for the two different times its pages give.

When it sails

The Hokkaido page lists daily sailings that are cancelled in bad weather:

• January: 9:00, 11:00, 13:00 and 15:00.
• February: 9:30, 11:00, 12:30, 14:00 and 15:30.
• Early March: 9:30, 11:00, 12:30, 14:00 and 15:30.
• Late March: 9:30, 11:30 and 13:30.

The page says the ship is open every day during the period. For phone reception the sample itinerary gives 8:00 to 17:00 and asks you to check the official website for the ship's operating hours.

What you see on the route

A JNTO guide says Aurora tours around the area's highlights, such as Notoromisaki Cape, Futatsuiwa rocks and the Cap Rock, and that you will meet white-tailed eagles, sea eagles and seagulls during the cruise. It describes the ship as "relatively large and stable", and therefore suitable for people who suffer from motion sickness, but also says the cruise may be quite bumpy because of the waves.

What to wear

JNTO's guide says the lowest temperature at the Sea of Okhotsk may drop to below minus 20 degrees Celsius in winter. For the tour it lists gloves, a scarf, a beanie or earmuffs, moisture-wicking underwear and thick socks, and says heat pads around your underwear would be even better. It adds that the key point is keeping warm with thermal innerwear, with a long coat or windbreaker on top. The Hokkaido sample itinerary gives a gentler number: the average temperature during the drift ice season, from mid-February to early March, is about -6°C. The two figures are not in conflict, because one is an average and the other a possible low, but they show why you should prepare for the colder number. Bring medicine for motion sickness if you are prone to it.

Cruise or walk?

JNTO explains that you need to join a tour to get close to the ice, and that tours divide into a "Drift Ice Cruise" and a "Drift Ice Walk". On a walk you wear a life jacket under the supervision of a tour guide, and the guide says you can jump into the seawater and still float. Walks run from Utoro, in Shiretoko, rather than from Abashiri. The Hokkaido itinerary names a dry-suit walk run by a Shiretoko naturalists' association, in a special suit that also floats.

If there is no ice

JNTO says that if you arrive with not a speck of ice in sight, the ice is often just a short boat ride away. It suggests the Ryuhyo Museum in Abashiri to learn how the ice forms. The museum keeps real drift ice at -15 degrees Celsius.

What we could not verify, and therefore left out

• The cruise fare and discounts, which the page says are available but does not list.
• How to reserve a place, and whether booking is required in peak weeks.
• The sailing times for this winter.

Related guides

• How do you get to Abashiri and get around from Memanbetsu Airport and Sapporo?
• What is Abashiri? Drift ice, the prison museum and Mt. Tento

Sources

All URLs retrieved 2026-10-04.

1. Abashiri Drift Ice Sightseeing & Icebreaker Ship Aurora (HOKKAIDO LOVE!) — (the ship, schedule)
2. Abashiri Drift Ice Cruises (JNTO) — (season, access)
3. Drift Ice (Ryuhyo) Cruise in Hokkaido (JNTO) — (clothing, cruise and walk, route)
4. One night, two days sample itinerary (HOKKAIDO LOVE!) — (temperature, hour-long cruise)