Biei, a popular sightseeing spot with easy access from Asahikawa and Furano

Basho Trip has introduced mainly Asahikawa and Furano, but did you know that Biei, one of the most popular sightseeing spots in Hokkaido, is also easily accessible from Asahikawa and Furano?
If you come all the way to Asahikawa or Furano, we would like you to extend your visit to Biei as well as to take a drive!

The town of Biei is located about 25 km south of Asahikawa and is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Hokkaido.
One of the most attractive features of Biei is its scenery!
The magnificent scenery of fields spreading out over gently rolling hills is the very representative of the “great nature of Hokkaido” that many people envision.
There are many photo spots such as “Road of Patchwork,” where you can see a patchwork-like landscape with different colors of crops, and “Panorama Road,” where there are sightseeing flower gardens and museums.

How to enjoy Biei to the fullest even on a day trip?

Biei is located 30-40 minutes by car from Asahikawa, so even if you are staying in Asahikawa, you can plan a one-day trip to Biei, but the trick to fully enjoy your first visit to Biei in such limited time is to visit famous places while driving around!
In fact, there are many famous places in Biei that have been featured in numerous commercials and TV dramas.
You can stop by many “attracted” spots on the way to the tourist spots, so you can fully enjoy your visit even if it is just a day trip!

However, since you are visiting Biei, we would like you to enjoy delicious food, activities, and hot springs.
So, this time, we would like to introduce a one-day plan that we especially recommend for first-time visitors to enjoy Biei in winter to the fullest!

Recommended for first time visitors! Recommended 1 Day Trip Plan in Biei in Winter

Photo shooting of “Ken and Mary’s Tree,” one of the most popular tourist spots in Biei!

To begin, let’s stop by a popular photo spot that has been popular for over 40 years.
Start with a commemorative photo near the “Ken and Mary Tree,” a popular spot used as a location for the “Ken and Mary” series of commercials for the 4th generation Nissan Skyline in 1972!

The 31-meter tall poplar tree has a strong presence even from a distance.
The view in summer, when you can see the magnificent fields and hills of Biei, is of course highly recommended, but the view in winter is different and exceptional.
The white, towering Ken & Merry tree, standing in the middle of the snow-covered landscape, is both powerful and lonely, creating a photogenic atmosphere.

Snack time at “Biei Senka” and pick out your souvenirs!

Quoted：美瑛選果

Next, stop by “Biei-Senka (selection)”, a food showroom in Biei near Biei Station.
Biei-Senka is an antenna store selling vegetables produced in Biei by JA Biei.
The store opened in 2007 and was even contracted to procure food for the G8 Hokkaido Toyako Summit Dinner held in 2008.

In addition to the vegetable selection market and the vegetable processing workshop, Biei-Senka also has a popular bakery and a French restaurant where you can fully enjoy vegetables and meat produced in Biei with a magnificent view of the city.

Quoted：美瑛選果

Here’s where you can pick out your souvenirs!
Colorful and juicy freshly harvested vegetables from Biei, such as corn, onions, potatoes, and pumpkins, can be shipped as gifts depending on the season, but mainly during the summer.

In addition to enjoying vegetables lined up at the market during the winter, original processed foods are recommended as souvenirs.
In addition to a wide variety such as “Okaki” and “Fried Onions” using sweet onions produced in Biei, “Wiener” using Biei pork, and “Haskap Jam,” each package is modern and fashionable!
They are sure to be appreciated as souvenirs.

Quoted：美瑛選果

Also popular is the bakery “Wheat Kobo” which uses world-famous Biei wheat.
The most popular items are the moist and chewy “Biei Yumechikara Bread” made with Yumechikara produced in Biei and “Biei no Kuro-mame Pan” made with plenty of cooked beans made from black soybeans produced in Biei.
The Kuro-mame-ban is filled with black soybeans not only inside but also on the outside, giving it a great visual impact!
And let’s head to the next spot while filling up on freshly made “Kitaakari potato Croquettes” and “Jaga (potato) Butter” at the “Selections Studio”!

Snowmobile experience & interact with alpacas at Shikisai (Four seasons) Hill!

Quoted：四季彩の丘

We will head to one of the popular sightseeing spots, “Four Seasons Hill” to experience today’s main activity.
It is a flower garden with a panoramic view of the magnificent Tokachi Mountain range and flowers.
This is a spot where you can enjoy completely different experiences during the “green season” from spring to fall and the current “winter season.

Quoted：四季彩の丘

The best recommendation during the winter season is snowmobiling, which is an exhilarating ride across the vast snowy plains!
This activity allows you to ride through a silver world covered with blue skies and white snow.
With an instructor, even beginners can enjoy this activity.
There are also courses such as touring that runs more than 5 km and rafting that can be enjoyed casually, so why not decide the level of difficulty depending on the person you are going to enjoy it with?

Quoted：四季彩の丘

Another fun activity is the on-site alpaca farm!
You can meet energetic alpacas all year round!
Alpacas are popular healing animals with their soft, fuzzy fur, calm atmosphere, and adorable expressions.
They are adored as the mascot of Four Seasons Hill.
At the ranch, you can feed the alpacas and get up close and personal with them.

Quoted：四季彩の丘

Four Seasons Hill also has a restaurant, so you can enjoy lunch while taking a break.
The menu features a variety of dishes using ingredients from Hokkaido, including such oddities as the “Deer Fillet Cutlet Sandwich”!
We recommend the soup curry made with fresh vegetables from the Four Seasons Hill’s FARM on the premises!
Soup curry is now one of the most popular menus in Hokkaido, and it is definitely worth trying at least once.
Recharge your energy with this soup curry filled with large cuts of vegetables.
On the other hand, curry udon noodles made with “Koumugi,” a blend of wheat produced in Biei, is also a popular menu item, so be sure to try it as well.

Enjoy the illuminated “Blue Pond” and “Shirahige (Whitebeard)  Falls”!

After exercising at Four Seasons Hill to your heart’s content, it is time to visit one of Biei’s most famous sightseeing spots, Aoi Ike (Blue Pond)!
Blue Pond is located about 20 minutes by car from Four Seasons Hill, and the dead larch trees create a fantastic atmosphere.
The best way to enjoy Blue Pond in winter is to visit during the period when the pond is lighten up from dusk to night!

You can visit the pond from sunrise to sunset all year round, but during the fall and winter months, the pond is lighten up from 4:45 pm to 9:00 pm, so you can enjoy the pond until late!

In fact, various lighting patterns are available to tell a story in about 10 minutes, so you can enjoy different appearances depending on the light.
Be sure to stay warm and fully enjoy the 10 minutes of fantastic scenery.

Finally, we will stop by the famous “Shirahige (Whitebread) Falls,” which is also known as a power spot.
Like Blue Pond, Shirahige Falls is recommended in winter to enjoy the view after the lights are turned on.
Like Aoi Ike, Shirahige Falls is also lit up until 9:00 pm, so spend a moment reflecting on the memories of the day while listening to the sound of the waterfalls and the magnificent scenery.

End the day with a visit to “Shirogane Onsen (hot spring)” to relieve your cold & tired body!

Quoted：美瑛町

To end your trip, let’s relax after a long day at “Shirogane Onsen” in Biei.
Located at the foot of the mountains overlooking the Tokachi Mountain Range, Biei Shirogane Onsen was established in 1950 as a popular hot spring resort where visitors can enjoy the rich natural scenery of the mountains and their surroundings.
Shirogane Onsen is also known as “the hot spring of forgetfulness for walking sticks,” where once you bathe, you will recover from fatigue and be able to walk around the mountain path without sticking out your walking stick.
It is said to be effective for neuralgia, wounds, digestive diseases, and skin diseases, and is currently attracting attention as a “hot spring for slimming” as well.

The area about 5 to 10 minutes from Blue Pond and Shirohige Falls is a hot spring resort, and one of the long-established hot spring hotels, Daisetsuzan Shirogane Kanko Hotel, offers day-trip bathing until 9:00 pm!
Daisetsuzan Shirogane Kanko Hotel is one of the most popular hotels where you can enjoy the dynamic open-air rock baths and the cuisine of the four seasons, which is also designated as a “northern food specialty hotel”.

Quoted：大雪山白金観光ホテル

In addition to the clean and spacious public baths, which were renovated in 2012, we recommend the best part of winter in Hokkaido: the open-air baths for viewing the snow!
Surrounded by the natural beauty of Daisetsuzan National Park, the outdoor baths are so comfortable that you will want to take a long soak while the pleasantly clear, cool air eases your body’s hot flashes.
And since the hot spring at Daisetsuzan Shirokane Kanko Hotel is a natural hot spring with a full discharge system, you can expect even more beneficial effects!

See, play, eat, and relax! Let’s plan a day trip to Biei ASAP!

How was your day trip plan in Biei?
If you have enough time in your schedule to relax after taking a hot spring bath, you can stay overnight in Biei, or you can return to Asahikawa in an hour by car, so you can enjoy your stay until relatively late.
Please visit Biei to experience this recommended plan that will make your Hokkaido trip even more enjoyable!

For Hokkaido activity experiences visit Basho Trip