Hoshino Resorts Tomamu's Terrace of Frosted Tree (霧氷テラス; also written "Terrace of Frost Tree") runs from December 1, 2026 to April 5, 2027. It sits by the top station of the Unkai Gondola (雲海ゴンドラ), a 13-minute ride from the base, and operates as the Unkai Terrace (雲海テラス) in summer.
The gondola runs from 9 a.m. (7:45 a.m. from January 20 to February 10), and the last ride up is at 3:00 or 3:30 p.m. depending on the date. A round trip costs ¥2,500 for adults.
The official site doesn't mention advance booking for the terrace or the gondola; tickets are sold at the Resort Center counter on the day. Guests at Tomamu The Tower and RISONARE Tomamu ride free.
By bus, a day trip from Sapporo works, but it's tight. From December 2 to March 30, just one bus a day in each direction links Sapporo with the Resort Center, arriving at 10:50 a.m. and leaving at 4:10 p.m.
Book it at least nine days ahead, or it may not run.
Frost forms on cold early mornings, and for the January–February morning events the gondola starts at 7:45 a.m. If either is the goal, the bus won't get you there in time; stay overnight or drive.
Frost doesn't form every day. Last season the frost rate was 72% in December, falling to 42% in March.
Terrace of Frosted Tree at a glance (2026–27)
Item | Details |
|---|---|
Season | December 1, 2026 – April 5, 2027 |
Location | Top station of the Unkai Gondola (1,088 m), about 13 minutes by gondola |
Gondola round trip | ¥2,500 adults (12+), ¥1,600 ages 7–11, ¥500 pets |
Free for | Lift pass holders; guests at Tomamu The Tower and RISONARE Tomamu |
Booking | No advance booking listed on the official site (the high tea and the Sapporo bus do need booking) |
Tickets | Ticket Information counter in the Resort Center (8:30 a. |
Phone | Hoshino Resorts Tomamu, +81-167-58-1111 (0167-58-1111 in Japan) |
The terrace may close, or simply have no frost, depending on the weather. Up top there's an indoor café (KUMO Cafe, 雲Cafe), an observation deck and cloud-themed lookouts such as Cloud Walk and Cloud Bar.
Pets must be leashed, and the resort asks that you keep them in your own crate as much as possible. They can't go into KUMO Cafe. The rules on large dogs aren't clear, so check with the resort before bringing one.
Gondola hours by date
Dates | First up | Last up | Last down |
|---|---|---|---|
Dec 1 – Dec 25 | 9:00 a. | 3:00 p. | 3:30 p. |
Dec 26 – Jan 19 | 9:00 a. | 3:30 p. | 4:00 p. |
Jan 20 – Feb 10 | 7:45 a. | 3:30 p. | 4:00 p. |
Feb 11 – Mar 31 | 9:00 a. | 3:30 p. | 4:00 p. |
Apr 1 – Apr 5 | 9:00 a. | 3:00 p. | 3:30 p. |
The 7:45–9:00 a.m. rides from January 20 to February 10 are for terrace visitors only; you can't ride them to ski or snowboard down. KUMO Cafe takes last orders at the same time as the last gondola up.
Best months for frost
According to the resort's official page, last season's frost rates were 72% in December, 58% in January, 48% in February and 42% in March. If frost is the point of your trip, aim for December or January.
Frost (rime ice) forms at around −2°C to −10°C and coats the branches white on cold mornings.
According to Hoshino Resorts, diamond dust and sun pillars (columns of light rising from the sun) occur in the early morning when it drops to −15°C or colder, the air is still and the sky is clear.
Early-morning extras in January and February
The Frosted Tree Morning High Tea runs January 1 to February 28, 2027, 8–9 a.m. in KUMO Cafe. It's ¥7,500 per person, plus the gondola fare.
Only three parties a day get in, two people max per party. Book on the official terrace page (in Japanese); reservations close a week before your date. You don't need to be a hotel guest, and high-tea bookers can board the gondola from 7:45 a.m.
Shibare Time (シバレタイム) runs January 20 to February 10, 7:45–9 a.m. It's free, and you don't need to book.
Staff plan to explain frost, sun pillars and other natural phenomena, and to show how fast a wet towel freezes. KUMO Cafe's regular service still starts at 9 a.m.
The Resort Center ticket counter doesn't open until 8:30 a.m., so if you're a day visitor hoping to ride at 7:45, ask the resort how to get a ticket. Either event can be called off for weather or snow conditions.
Staying vs. day-tripping
Guests at Tomamu The Tower and RISONARE Tomamu can collect terrace and Ice Village tickets at the front desk, even before check-in. Staying at another hotel means buying a gondola ticket at the counter like a day visitor.
The Ice Village (アイスヴィレッジ), a cluster of ice domes, is scheduled to run from December 20, 2026 to March 10, 2027, 5–10 p.m., with domes and activities opening one by one as the ice allows.
If you're day-tripping on the Sapporo bus, you'll miss it: the bus leaves at 4:10 p.m.
Check hotel availability and rates in Tomamu (Shimukappu)
If you're skiing too, a one-day lift pass covers the gondola. Adults pay ¥9,500 at the counter or ¥9,200 online (¥5,000 from December 1 to 20 and March 29 to April 5).
Getting there without staying
Option | Times | Season and notes |
|---|---|---|
Bus 7701 (outbound) | New Otani Inn Sapporo 7:50 a. | Dec 1, 2026 – Mar 30, 2027; reservation required |
Bus 7710 (return) | Resort Center 4:10 p. | Dec 2, 2026 – Mar 31, 2027; reservation required |
Lift pass pack (¥9,800 adults) | Both buses above plus a one-day lift pass | Dec 2, 2026 – Mar 30, 2027; day trips only |
JR | Only limited express trains stop at Tomamu; all seats reserved; about 90 minutes from New Chitose Airport | Reserved-seat ticket needed |
Car | Use parking lot "U1" if visiting the terrace or ski area | Free |
A same-day round trip by bus works only from December 2 to March 30. There's no return bus on December 1, no outbound bus on March 31 and neither from April 1 to 5.
Adult fares are ¥7,000 from Sapporo and ¥6,000 from New Chitose Airport. A lift pass gets you on the gondola free, so the ¥9,800 lift pass pack covers the terrace too.
Watch the clock on the way down. You need to be at the return bus by 4 p.m. (10 minutes before it leaves), and the gondola ride down takes about 13 minutes.
From December 26 the last gondola down leaves at 4 p.m., which is too late. Miss that bus and there's no other one from the Resort Center, so head down early.
Buses from New Chitose Airport also run, but they stop only at The Tower and RISONARE, not the Resort Center.
Every bus needs a reservation, and any bus with no bookings nine days out doesn't run. From eight days out until 6 p.m. the day before, you can book online only on buses that are confirmed and have seats.
To make sure your bus runs, book at least nine days before you travel on the bus reservation page (in Japanese). After the 6 p.m. cutoff, call the Hokkaido Access Network reservation center (+81-11-219-4411) to ask about same-day seats.
By train, a shuttle meets arrivals at Tomamu Station (トマム駅) and runs to The Tower (about 5 minutes) and RISONARE (about 10 minutes). Day visitors can ride it.
At the hotel where the shuttle drops you off, ask the front desk how to reach the Resort Center and when the free in-resort bus runs. Shuttles back to the station must be reserved.
The resort asks rail travelers to tell the front desk when they arrive. Day visitors should call the resort (+81-167-58-1111) to check how to book.
Driving from the Asahikawa or Furano side, your GPS may route you over the narrow gravel road through Ikutora Pass (幾寅峠); the resort's site warns drivers about it.
Heading to Sapporo in February? Our Sapporo Snow Festival 2027 guide covers the dates and the three sites.
This article was translated from the original Japanese with AI assistance and reviewed by our editorial team. The Japanese version is authoritative.