Sukayu Guide
酸ヶ湯ガイドGuidefrom ¥5,000, about CAD 45 or USD 32 (October 2026 rates)
Sukayu Guide suits confident off-piste skiers and splitboarders who want Hakkoda's tour routes with a local guide at a low daily price; groups run large, up to 30 a day, so it's a shared tour more than a private one.
What they offer
| Offering | From | Duration | Months |
|---|---|---|---|
| Backcountry ski and snowboard tour, full dayShared tours take up to 30 riders a day, sometimes 40 on busy weekends, and booked riders go first. Meet at the guide counter in front of the Sukayu Onsen front desk; the bus leaves at 8:40. | ¥7,000 per person, about CAD 63 or USD 44 (October 2026 rates) | 8:40–16:00, varying by day | 19 December 2026 to 6 May 2027 |
| Backcountry tour, half dayAfternoon riders take the 12:30 bus from Sukayu or meet the group at the Hakkoda Ropeway summit station. | ¥5,000 per person, about CAD 45 or USD 32 (October 2026 rates) | Morning from 8:40 or afternoon from 12:30 | 19 December 2026 to 6 May 2027 |
| Private backcountry tour, full dayHalf-day private tours cost ¥50,000 for up to eight. Larger groups ask in advance. | ¥70,000 per group, about CAD 629 or USD 442 (October 2026 rates) | Full day | 19 December 2026 to 6 May 2027 |
| Green-season eco tours and private toursSukayu's guides also lead walks around Hakkoda when the snow has gone. Ask the ryokan for dates and prices. | – | – | Green season |
Sukayu Onsen's own guides lead backcountry tours on Hakkoda from 19 December 2026 to 6 May 2027. Tours start at the guide counter by the front desk, ride the bus up to the Hakkoda Ropeway and come down through Hakkoda's tour routes. A full day costs ¥7,000 and a half day ¥5,000, plus ¥100 for insurance and your own ropeway ticket.
Every rider needs an avalanche transceiver and poles, snowboarders included, plus skins or snowshoes. The guides ask you to carry a probe and shovel too. Rentals cost ¥2,000 for a transceiver, ¥1,000 each for poles or a pack, ¥3,000 for snowshoes and ¥4,000 for a ski set with skins. Boots aren't for hire.
The tour routes lie outside Hakkoda's patrolled area. The Hakkoda Mountains Ski Safety Convention asks everyone entering them to file a mountain entry form, and it bills rescues at ¥30,000 per rescuer per day plus ¥50,000 for each emergency ropeway run.
Worth knowing
- Book ahead for weekends, when the guides cap shared tours at 30 to 40 riders and booked riders go first.
- Bring your own boots, since Sukayu rents skis and snowshoes but not ski or snowboard boots.
Quick answers about Sukayu Guideよくある質問
How much is a Hakkoda backcountry tour with Sukayu Guide?
¥7,000 for a full day and ¥5,000 for a half day in 2026/27, plus ¥100 insurance and your Hakkoda Ropeway ticket.
When does the Sukayu backcountry tour season run?
From 19 December 2026 to 6 May 2027, depending on snow.
Is Sukayu Guide open out of season?
Sukayu Guide: From May to December the guides run green-season walks and look after the Sukayu campground.
In the journal and guides
Read more about Sukayu Guide特集
Snow feature · 11 min read
When should you ride Zao and Hakkoda for the snow monsters?
February is the month. Zao Ropeway puts its snow monsters at full size then, on a big ticketed mountain above a sulphur onsen village. Hakkoda gives one ropeway and two ungroomed courses through its own fir groves, with tour routes opening from early March.
Practical guide · 10 min read
How do backcountry gates and rescue costs work at Japan's ski resorts?
Japanese resorts let riders out only through designated gates once a climbing plan is filed, and every resort here that publishes a rescue rule bills the rider. Zao bans riding off its courses altogether.