Last checked: October 10, 2026
Want to add a fishing rod to your Furano trip? This short tour gets you hooked on a Hokkaido river without any gear shopping.
You spend 3 hours with a guide, about 1.5 of them fishing for rainbow trout. The tour starts at 9:00 or 14:00, and the guide and gear are included. Children can join from age 3.
This guide uses the KKday listing, the Hokkaido government’s 2026 fishing rules and train and bus timetables. We flag anything we couldn’t confirm.
Prices below are what KKday showed in October 2026 and change with the date and availability.
At a Glance
- Price: about US$39 for adults (13–85) and about US$36 for children (3–12) on KKday (as of October 9, 2026)
- Start times: 9:00 or 14:00. Meet 10 minutes before
- Length: 3 hours, with about 1.5 hours of fishing
- Included: guide, fishing gear and tax. You tell the operator everyone’s shoe size when you book
- Ages: 3 to 85, with 2 people minimum. Preschool children need a guardian
- Free cancellation: up to 2 days before
Prices and available dates vary. Check the booking page before you book.
Is This Tour Right for You?
✅ Great if you…
- are traveling with children aged 3 or older
- have never fished and want a guide to set everything up
- have half a day to spare in Furano
- want to try a river instead of the sea
⚠️ Think twice if you…
- want a long, serious fishing day. The fishing lasts about 1.5 hours
- are traveling alone. The tour needs at least 2 people
- want the 9:00 start on a day trip from Sapporo. The first train leaves you only 20 minutes to reach the meeting point (see Getting to Furano)
📅 When the tour runs
Open △ Check dates Closed
The operator lists the 2026 tour period as June 1 to October 31. Fishing seasons shift a little from year to year, so check dates on the booking page.
Source: Earth Outdoor Tours website, checked October 2026.
Your Tour, Step by Step
10 minutes before the start
Arrive at your meeting point
That’s 8:50 for the morning tour or 13:50 for the afternoon tour
9:00 or 14:00
Your guide starts the tour
About 1.5 hours of the 3 are fishing
About 3 hours later
The tour ends, around 12:00 or 17:00
These end times are our estimate from the 3-hour length
Two Meeting Points: Check Yours Before You Go
⚠️ The meeting point changes with the season. KKday lists two places but doesn’t say when it switches.
- Furano — Torinuma Park parking lot (鳥沼公園駐車場, Torinuma Koen Chushajo), 1-527 Higashi-Torinuma, Furano
- Minami-Furano — 194-2 Ochiai, Minami-Furano Town (南富良野町落合, Minami-Furano-cho Ochiai)
- Parking — The listing says there’s parking for 12 cars, without saying at which site
- Before you go — Read your booking confirmation for the place. If it doesn’t name one, ask the operator through KKday
Which meeting point will we go to?
The listing says only that it changes with the season. We’d check your confirmation as soon as it arrives, because the two places are in different towns.
What You’ll Catch and Hokkaido’s River Rules
The listing names rainbow trout, yamame (a masu salmon that stays in the river all its life) and amago. It says rainbow trout is the most popular. A catch isn’t guaranteed.
Hokkaido sets its own river rules. Salmon and several kinds of masu are off-limits all year, though rainbow trout isn’t one of them, and yamame has a closed season in spring. Our guide to Hokkaido fishing rules for visitors explains them, with a table by town that includes Furano.
We’d follow your guide’s instructions on every fish, because the rules depend on the species.
Can You Eat Your Catch?
The listing doesn’t say. Several reviewers say the guide grilled their fish on the spot.
Can we eat the fish we catch?
The listing doesn’t mention it, but several reviewers say the guide cooked their catch. We’d ask when you book and not count on a meal.
A note on raw fish
Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare warns that Anisakis larvae live in seafood such as salmon, mackerel and squid. Eating them raw can cause severe stomach pain, usually within hours to a few days. Cooking at 70°C or higher (or 60°C for 1 minute) kills them. Vinegar, salt, soy sauce and wasabi do not. We couldn’t confirm which river fish carry them, so eat your catch only when it’s cooked through.
Getting to Furano
Furano is 1 hour 58 minutes from Sapporo by train and about 2 hours 40 minutes by bus. These examples come from a search for Wednesday, October 21, 2026. Timetables change, so check before you go.
Sapporo, by train
1 h 58 min, ¥4,760
Kamui 7 limited express to Takikawa, then the Nemuro Line. Example: 9:00 → 10:58
Sapporo, by bus
About 2 h 40 min, ¥2,700
Direct express bus Kosoku Furano-go (高速ふらの号). Example: 8:50 → 11:27
New Chitose Airport, by bus
About 1 h 53 min, ¥5,000
Airport bus to Shin-Furano Prince Hotel, from stop 23, domestic terminal 1st floor. Example: 10:30 → 12:23
Asahikawa Airport, by bus
1 h 11 min, ¥790
Furano Bus Lavender-go from stop 2. Example: 10:32 → 11:43
Source: Yahoo! Transit (Japan), searched for October 21, 2026, checked October 2026.
If you’re coming from Sapporo and watching your budget, we’d take the bus. It costs ¥2,060 less than the train, and the train saves only about 40 minutes.
From the station to your meeting point
- Torinuma Park (Furano) — It’s about 5–6 km from Furano Station. We’d plan on a taxi or a car, because we couldn’t confirm a bus
- Minami-Furano (Ochiai) — Trains no longer run between Furano and Shintoku. Buses replaced them in April 2024, according to news reports. We couldn’t confirm bus times to Ochiai, so we’d plan on a car
Which start time?
The first train from Sapporo, the limited express Lilac No. 1 at 6:29, reaches Furano at 8:30 (¥4,760). That leaves 20 minutes to reach an 8:50 meeting time, and Minami-Furano is farther out. If you want the 9:00 start, we’d stay overnight in Furano. If you’d rather travel on the day, we’d go with the 14:00 tour. Trains and buses that leave Sapporo around 8:50–9:00 arrive by 11:27.
Where to stay
Furano Natulux Hotel is a 1-minute walk from JR Furano Station, according to Jalan’s listing. Klook lists check-in from 15:00 to 24:00, check-out by 10:00 and a front desk open 5:00–1:00 (as of October 2026). If you take the 9:00 tour, we’d stay by the station, so you start the morning in Furano instead of on the 6:29 train.
Check Furano Natulux Hotel on Klook →Booking, Cancellation and Weather
Booking
Your booking is a request that the operator approves. KKday confirms it one day after you order. We’d book as soon as your dates are set, so the confirmation arrives well before your trip.
Cancellation
KKday’s cancellation policy (as of October 2026):
Weather
The tour runs in the rain. The operator may cancel when high water makes the river dangerous. The listing doesn’t say what happens to your payment.
Will the tour run if it rains?
Yes, rain doesn’t stop it. High water might. Ask KKday about refunds before you book.
What to Bring
🎒 Your packing list
- ☐ Clothes you don’t mind getting wet. The listing asks for this
- ☐ A towel and a dry change of clothes. This is our advice, not the listing’s
- ☐ Spare clothes for children, in case they get wet
- ☐ Everyone’s shoe size when you book, because the operator lends footwear
We couldn’t confirm whether waders are provided. One reviewer says one tour had none, so ask the operator when you book.
Do You Need a Fishing License?
No. We found no license system for rod fishing in the sea in official sources. Some rivers and lakes in Hokkaido need a permit from the local fishing cooperative, and our Hokkaido fishing rules guide lists them. Your guide will tell you the local rules on the day. For more, see do you need a fishing license in Japan?
FAQ
QCan young children join?
Yes, from age 3. Children under school age need a guardian with them.
QDo I need my own gear?
No. The guide and fishing gear are included.
QIs the guide English-speaking?
The listing lists English among five languages, but we couldn’t confirm how well the guide speaks it. Ask KKday if that matters to you.
QCan I go alone?
No. The tour needs at least 2 people.
QWhat time does it end?
About 3 hours after the start, so around 12:00 or 17:00.
QCan I keep my fish?
We couldn’t confirm. The listing doesn’t say, so ask when you book.
Ready to Book?
Hooked on the idea? This is an easy half-day add to a Furano trip, especially with children. If you’re traveling from Sapporo on the same day, we’d pick the 14:00 start.
