2018 Primetime Emmy
& James Beard Award Winner

Roam

  • Hokkaido, Japan

    Hokkaido
    Wonderland

    September 10-17, 2023

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    Welcome to Japan’s land of Milk and Honey. This will be a week of snowtopped mountains, natural hot springs and endless lakes, and a unique cuisine shaped by Hokkaido’s cool climate. Volcanic islands. Cold waters teeming with red king crab and delicate uni. Some of Japan’s best dairy and a hearty meat culture. The perfect climate for making beer, whisky, and even wine. Your host is the irrepressible co-owner of Bar Gyu+ in Niseko, the skeleton key to all great things in the North.

    SOLD OUT

Overview

Hokkaido 
Wonderland

  • September 10-17, 2023
  • September 10-17, 2023
Hokkaido Wonderland SOLD OUT
Day
1

LAND OF MILK AND HONEY

  • Raku Suisan
  • 119-1 Kabayama, Kutchan, Abuta District, Hokkaido 044-0078, Japan
  • +81136220520
  • Private transfer from Sapporo airport to Raku Suisan
  • Welcome drinks with Nathan, Ioanna and our co-host Mai Nishiyama
  • First-night dinner of Hokkaido classics at Maccarina, a design- and produce-conscious mainstay in the nearby village of Makkari
Day
2

COOL, CLEAR WATER

  • Raku Suisan
  • 119-1 Kabayama, Kutchan, Abuta District, Hokkaido 044-0078, Japan
  • +81136220520
  • Raku Suisan ryokan breakfast
  • Visit to Makkari water springs to literally and metaphorically fill our cups
  • Peruse the Macari Tofu Factory’s offerings, next to the springs
  • Refined lunch at Yukiai-Tei at Raku Suisan
  • Rest, hike, or private onsen at Raku Suisan
  • Pre-dinner cocktail for those who are into that kind of thing at the onsen bar
  • Kaiseki dinner at the iconic soba restaurant Raku Ichi Soba with master Tatsuru Rai
Day
3

THE ART OF FERMENTATION

  • Raku Suisan
  • 119-1 Kabayama, Kutchan, Abuta District, Hokkaido 044-0078, Japan
  • +81136220520
  • Miso-making workshop with chef Nakahara Juri
  • Private lunch at the delightful French-inspired country restaurant J’ai la Patate
  • Ice cream stop at Milk Kobo, because, well, Hokkaido is famed for its ice cream
  • Relax at Raku Suisan, happy hour
  • Tori Matsu Izakaya for more sake and the Niseko version of izakayas, those raucous bar dinners
Day
4

WOODS AND WHISKY

  • Raku Suisan
  • 119-1 Kabayama, Kutchan, Abuta District, Hokkaido 044-0078, Japan
  • +81136220520
  • Mushrooms! Foraging for mushrooms in the Niseko area with Ioanna
  • Cookout at Ioanna’s catered by Chef Nakahara Juri, with beers and bbq and a bit of a post-prandial hiking for those who choose
  • Niseko Distillery visit for insight into the culture of turning Mt Annapuri water into excellent gin, whisky and more
  • Dinner of Hokkaido classics — something light! we’re not monsters! — for our final evening in Niseko
Day
5

WINE AND CIBO

  • Yuen Sapporo Ryokan
  • Japan, 〒060-0001 Hokkaido, Sapporo, Chuo Ward, Kita 1 Jonishi, 7 Chome−６
  • +81112711126
  • Traditional breakfast at Raku Suisan
  • Transfer toward Sapporo, with some excellent stops on the way
  • Winery visit at Domaine Takahiko for a conversation about Hokkaido viniculture with the iconic winemaker Takahiko Soga.
  • Lunch at Lowbrow Craft, creative local winery, with bentos handcrafted by Kakuto Tokushimaya Ryokan
  • Transfer to Yuen Sapporo Ryokan, relax, optional shopping in Sapporo
  • Mushroom dinner, perhaps with the previous day’s haul with Chef Tabata at Osteria Fungido, our favorite intimate, elevated northern Italian restaurant in all of Japan
  • Optional nightcap at Owl & Rooster, Sapporo
Day
6

ISLAND HOPPING

  • Rera Mosir Pension
  • Rishiri District, Hokkaido, Japan
  • Wake up EARLY! Leave luggage at Hotel Yuen, bring an overnight bag for Rishiri.
  • Highbrow (just kidding) foraging at the conbini—the convenience store—for breakfast items for our flight to Rishiri Island
  • Turboprop glory with Hokkaido Air System, headed for the island home of Japan’s best konbu, the quintessential building block of Japanese cuisine
  • Meet our Rishiri host, Tamaki-san, head for the island port for fresh seafoods
  • Check in at Rera Mosir, a charming pension run by the iconic Toshiya Watanabe
  • Optional island activities: hiking, biking, lounging
  • Island izakaya dinner at Kamome
Day
7

ISLAND LIFE

  • Yuen Sapporo Ryokan
  • Japan, 〒060-0001 Hokkaido, Sapporo, Chuo Ward, Kita 1 Jonishi, 7 Chome−６
  • +81112711126
  • Konbu cutting masterclass in the morning
  • Lunch at nationally famed Ramen Miraku
  • Hike to Cape Peshi with speciality beers from Streetlight Brewery
  • Return flight to Sapporo
  • Classic Sapporo lamb feast “gingiskan”, last night, let’s go.
  • Late-night bar crawl down ramen alley. Beers, highballs, more ramen? What is wrong with you people?
  • Let ‘er rip karaoke??
Day
8

MATA NE

  • One last breakfast at Ryokan Yuen
  • Private transfer to Sapporo airport
  • Until the next time…
Hokkaido Wonderland SOLD OUT
R&K League of Travelers

Ready for a new adventure?

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    Frequently Asked Questions

    How large are your groups?

    We have a maximum of 12 travelers for each trip. Our guiding light: how many people could cram into a perfectly-sized bar in Ginza? That’s how many we want to travel with, that’s how we came up with that number. Each trip has at least two members from the R&K team.

    Do I really have to do an interview?

    Yes! We don’t offer a way to book online, because we want the chance to talk to each of you about how you like to travel, and about what we do on our trips. That includes spouses and partners! Don’t sweat it, we have an appropriately high acceptance rate, but it is a requirement, whether by Zoom or by WhatsApp.

    Is there a solo traveler supplement?

    Yes, we have an $1800 solo traveler supplement ($1o00 for four-night trips).

    Should I get travel insurance?

    Roads & Kingdoms is a fully insured travel provider but we recommend you purchase travel insurance for yourself to cover costs you might incur through change of plans, flights, etc. We do not have a recommended provider, but there are many reputable providers available online and the signup process is not onerous.

    What is included in the price?

    Our journeys are meant to free you from any financial decision-making whatsoever during the week, if you choose. You’re responsible for your own international airfare to our starting city. But then we take care of everything else, from tipping to transportation to hotels and meals and drinks along the way. You’re only responsible for personal bar tabs (when not with the group), personal laundry, or personal spa services.

    What happens if R&K cancels a journey?

    This has not happened in the post-acute-COVID period—nor do we anticipate it happening—but we do reserve the right to cancel or postpone a trip up to 100 days before departure. In that case, you would receive a full refund, including the $1500 deposit.

    CAN YOU ACCOMMODATE VEGETARIANS?

    The short answer is yes! Any trip can be adapted, but some work better than others. Salamanca and the World of Jamón, for instance, would probably not make sense for a vegetarian, whereas Tbilisi and the Western Winelands works well. Animal products do feature heavily throughout our journeys, and many include whole-animal barbecues, ceremonial slaughter, or other traditional culinary methods that might be off-putting to those who abstain.

    Traveler Rights And Responsibilities

    The League of Travelers is meant to be that: an intimate group of travelers who accompany us to some of our favorite places to spend time with some of our favorite people. That is why we interview all potential travelers. These trips are not for everyone, and we just want to be sure the vibe matches. Mostly, for you, that means treating the people who make these trips possible, from drivers to somms to waiters to hotel staff, with decency. We will do our best to accommodate special requests, but we don’t have fulltime concierge or waitstaff on these trips, we have chefs and writers and storytellers. Our groups are a diverse bunch, so please also come with an open mind and heart for your fellow travelers. And in exchange, we pledge to open all doors we can to you. We promise we will have poured our whole selves into these journeys, and we will do everything in our power to make it a wondrous experience.

    Refund And Deposit Policy

    We require 50% downpayment to secure a spot. Second payment due 60 days after first payment. If you cancel up to 60 days before the start of the trip, the trips are fully refundable except for a nonrefundable $1500 deposit. Within 60 days we will refund everything except the $1500 deposit if we are able to replace your seat, otherwise you must contact us to see if a transfer to a later journey is possible. If we cancel a trip for any reason, the entire trip, including the $1500 deposit, is fully refundable.

    Dates

    2024

    2025

    Destinations

    Europe

    Asia-Pacific

    Latin America

    Africa