Every winter, drift ice (ryuhyo) floats down from the north and fills the Sea of Okhotsk along Hokkaido's northeast coast. Two sightseeing icebreakers work those frozen waters: the Aurora (おーろら号) from Abashiri (網走), and the Garinko (ガリンコ号) from Mombetsu (紋別).
Keep in mind that drift ice is a natural phenomenon, so neither boat can promise you'll see it. The peak is usually mid-February to early March. If you are planning a wider winter trip, see our guide to winter travel in Hokkaido.
Drift ice is never guaranteed, and February sailings fill up fast, so lock in your date early and pack full winter gear before you go.
Aurora or Garinko: which to choose
The two boats leave from different towns. They differ in departure point, vessel, cruise length, fare, and how you get there, so compare them in the table below.
Aurora (Abashiri) | Garinko (Mombetsu) | |
|---|---|---|
Departure point | Michi-no-Eki "Ryuhyo Kaido Abashiri" (roadside station) | Kaiyo Koryukan (Garinko Station), Mombetsu |
Vessel | Aurora (491 tons) / Aurora No.3 (small) | Garinko-go III "IMERU" |
How it breaks ice | Large icebreaker | Bow drill (an Archimedean screw) |
Cruise length | Aurora approx. | Approx. |
Operating season | Jan 20 – Mar 31 (posted dates, no year shown) | Jan 15 – Mar 31, 2027 (daily) |
Fare (approx. | Aurora adult (junior high and up) 7,000 yen, elementary child 3,500 yen (infants free) / Aurora No.3 adult 9,800 yen, elementary child 4,900 yen (2027 fares not yet announced) | Winter cruise ticket 5,000 yen (check child fares on the booking site) |
Next season booking | Opens Nov 1 (web) | Opened Oct 9, 2026 |
The Aurora runs more sailings a day and is easier to reach from JR Abashiri Station and Memanbetsu Airport (女満別空港).
The Garinko is worth it for the sight of the bow drill grinding through the ice. Mombetsu has its own Okhotsk Monbetsu Airport (紋別空港), with a direct flight from Tokyo (Haneda).
Abashiri and Mombetsu are separate towns with no direct bus between them, so for a single trip it is more practical to choose one.
The two schedules are not equally firm yet. As of this writing, the Aurora's official site shows no year next to its 2026–27 dates and fares, and web booking only opens on November 1.
Treat Aurora's posted "Jan 20 – Mar 31" and fares as provisional, and confirm them before you travel. Garinko, by contrast, has already announced daily sailings from January 15 to March 31, 2027.
Booking and same-day tickets
On busy weekends and public holidays, both boats can sell out, so book ahead if your date is set.
The Garinko opened booking for the 2027 winter season on October 9, 2026. You can reserve online or by phone (050-1743-5848). Same-day tickets may be available if seats remain, but it gets crowded, so a reservation is safer.
The Garinko's check-in runs from 60 to 30 minutes before departure, and boarding closes 10 minutes before.
The Aurora takes bookings online and by phone (0152-43-6000); web booking for the 2027 season opens on November 1. The operator asks you to book only your first-choice sailing rather than holding several as backups.
Same-day availability is not spelled out on the official site, so reserve if your date is fixed. Special seating is available only on the larger Aurora for an extra 500 yen; it cannot be reserved and is sold first-come on board.
If you prefer to book through an overseas platform, drift ice cruises are also listed on Klook.
Check Aurora icebreaker cruise tickets
Check Garinko icebreaker tickets
Official sites: Drift Ice Sightseeing Icebreaker Aurora Garinko (Okhotsk Garinko Tower)
No-ice days: what each boat does
Drift ice moves with the wind and currents, so even in season there are days when it drifts offshore and out of reach. Boarding a boat is no guarantee you'll reach the ice, and the two operators handle a no-ice day differently.
With the Aurora, the large boat still sails even when there's no drift ice: it runs a coastal cruise out to Cape Notoro (能取岬) instead. Aurora No.3 does not operate on no-ice days, and any sailing can be canceled if too few passengers book.
The Garinko gives passengers who sailed but did not see ice a "re-challenge" voucher (the operator's term, not sold separately) for a repeat sailing at 4,000 yen. It is a discount on a future trip, not a refund.
If you cancel on your own because the ice looks unlikely, Garinko's cancellation fee still applies, on a sliding scale that starts 14 days out and reaches the full fare on the day of sailing.
You can check the day's status on the Aurora's "today's operations" page and by phone, or on the Garinko's operations page and by phone.
Garinko's re-challenge voucher is a discount on a future cruise, not a refund for the sailing you took.
Best time to go
In Abashiri, the drift ice reaches the shore on February 4 in an average year (the 1991–2020 average). The peak runs from mid-February to early March, which is also when the boats most reliably reach the ice.
The timing varies a lot from year to year. In 2024 the first ice arrived on January 19 and reached shore by January 22; in 2025 those dates were February 15 and 17, almost a month later than in 2024. Come too early and the ice may still be offshore.
The "sea opening" (umiake), when the ice clears enough for ships to pass, averages March 15, so plan on a season of roughly late January through late March.
Note that the Abashiri Local Meteorological Office ended its visual observations of sea ice in 2025. The city of Abashiri and the Okhotsk Drift Ice Museum (オホーツク流氷館) now observe from the deck on Mount Tento (Tento-zan).
What to wear
Midwinter in Abashiri and Mombetsu is genuinely cold. Japan Meteorological Agency averages put Abashiri's January at -5.1°C with a daily low of -8.9°C, and February at -5.4°C with a low of -9.6°C; Mombetsu is much the same.
Out on deck, exposed to the sea wind, it feels colder still. The Garinko's own guidance puts winter temperatures at roughly -15 to 0°C and warns that it is especially cold on board.
Come prepared: a heavy, knee-length coat, a hat, gloves, a scarf or neck warmer, and non-slip shoes for the snow. Disposable hand warmers help.
Camera and phone batteries drain fast in the cold, so carry a power bank and keep your devices in an inside pocket when you're not using them.
Getting there
The Aurora leaves from Michi-no-Eki "Ryuhyo Kaido Abashiri," a roadside station about a 5-minute drive from JR Abashiri Station. The nearest airport is Memanbetsu, roughly 1 hour 45 minutes from Haneda and about 50 minutes from New Chitose.
The airport bus reaches Abashiri Bus Terminal in about 35 minutes; the fare is 1,050 yen. From Sapporo, the Dreamint Okhotsk intercity bus takes about 6 hours.
For the Garinko, ANA operates one round trip a day between Haneda and Okhotsk Monbetsu Airport. A free connecting bus links the airport with central Mombetsu.
From Mombetsu Bus Terminal, the Gariya shuttle bus runs to the departure point at Kaiyo Koryukan (the Marine Exchange Center); check times and service with the Mombetsu tourism association or the terminal. From Sapporo there is an intercity bus (reservation required).
There is no direct bus from Memanbetsu Airport, which serves Abashiri, to Mombetsu, so for the Garinko, fly into Okhotsk Monbetsu Airport or go via Sapporo. Fares and timetables change, so confirm the latest with each operator.
This article was translated from the original Japanese with AI assistance and reviewed by our editorial team. The Japanese version is authoritative.
