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Guided ski tours · Japan powder
Guided Japan powder skiing, compared
Backcountry days and guided powder weeks in Hokkaido (Niseko, Furano, Asahidake, Tokachidake) and Honshu (Hakuba, Myoko, Hakkoda), across nine local, UK and US companies. Local guides price in yen, mostly per group of four to six; UK and US companies sell all-in weeks from £2,895 to $5,995 a head. Lift passes and avalanche kit are in some prices and not others.
9companies compared, 30 programs
¥28,000cheapest published price, per person
1–10 daystrip length
Dec–Marthe season; January and February are the deep-powder months
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Hokkaido Backcountry Club (Black Diamond Tours)Introduction to Backcountry Touring – privateNiseko area backcountry · 1 day
1
¥165,000 per private group of up to 5
Experience neededFirst-timers to touring; you need to be comfortable off-piste.Published as 165,000 yen per private group of up to 5, plus another 165,000 yen for 6–10. Includes tax, guide, transport and avalanche safety kit; touring gear is not included. Maximum 5 guests per guide.
Hokkaido Backcountry Club (Black Diamond Tours)Advanced Backcountry Tour – privateLower Yotei, Shiribetsu, Nitonupuri, Goshiki · 1 day
1
¥184,000 per private group of up to 5
Experience neededAdvanced skiers only. Maximum 5 guests per guide.Published as 184,000 yen per private group of up to 5, plus another 184,000 yen for 6–10. Includes tax, guide, transport and avalanche safety kit; touring gear required and not included (rent from sister company Niseko Basecamp).
Hokkaido Backcountry Club (Black Diamond Tours)Yotei Summit Tour – privateMount Yotei (1,898 m) · 1 day
1
¥368,000 per private group of up to 10
Experience neededAdvanced only. Maximum 5 guests per guide.Published as 368,000 yen per private group of up to 10. An older page lists 19,500 yen per person (minimum 3) or 85,000 yen private (see conflicts).
Hokkaido Backcountry Club (Black Diamond Tours)Avalanche Skills Training 1 (AST 1)Niseko · 2026–27 price · 2 days
2
¥40,000 per person
Experience neededNot stated. Ask the operator.Published as 40,000 yen per person for 2026–27 (5,000 yen off for Hokkaido residents). Avalanche gear and manual included; touring or splitboard rental 5,000 yen. Minimum 4 participants. Dates Dec 7–8, 9–10, 12–13, 20–21 and Mar 14–15 (Dec 5–6 and 14–15 are in Japanese).
Hokkaido Backcountry Club (Black Diamond Tours)Niseko Backcountry Week (The Nakamura)Niseko · 7 days
7
¥226,000 per person for 5; ¥365,000 each for 2
Experience neededNot stated. Ask the operator.Published as 664,000 yen for 1 guest, 365,000 per person for 2, 299,000 for 3, 241,000 for 4 and 226,000 for 5. Includes 6 nights at The Nakamura, 3 days of private guiding and the round-trip airport shuttle.
Niseko ZenNiseko Deluxe Powder TourNiseko lift-access backcountry · 1 day
1
¥170,000 per guide for up to 4 people
Experience neededBring your own beacon, shovel, probe and 20 L pack, or rent.Published as JPY 170,000 per guide for up to 4 people. Lift pass, meals and rentals not included; avalanche gear rents at 5,500 yen a day. Tail guide for 5–6 people JPY 70,000 extra.
Niseko ZenCentral Hokkaido powder guidingFurano, Asahidake and Central Hokkaido · 3 days
3
¥175,000 per day for one guide and up to 4 people
Experience neededNot stated. Ask the operator.Published as JPY 175,000 per day for one guide and up to 4 people, 3-day minimum. Lift passes, meals and rentals extra.
Hokkaido Powder Guides (Backcountry Ski Guides Japan)Private backcountry day (Furano / Niseko)Furano, Tokachidake or Niseko · 1 day
1
¥34,000 per person for 6; ¥88,000 each for 2
Experience neededNot stated. Ask the operator.Published as 88,000 yen per person for 2, 59,000 for 3, 46,000 for 4, 37,000 for 5 and 34,000 for 6. The Niseko area page shows the same rates. Lift passes not included on resort days, and the group pays the guide's lift pass.
Hokkaido Powder Guides (Backcountry Ski Guides Japan)Daisetsuzan Backcountry WeekDaisetsuzan, from Furano (snowmobile-assisted) · 8 days
8
Not published, ask
Experience neededNot stated. Ask the operator.Price not published. 8 days / 7 nights starting and finishing in Furano; the operator calls it its most remote ski tour.
Rising Sun GuidesCentral Hokkaido Daisetsuzan BackcountryDaisetsuzan (Asahidake, Tokachidake) · 5 days
5
¥365,000 per person (private group of 5)
Experience neededNot stated. Ask the operator.Published as 365,000 yen per person for a private group of 5, 10% tax included. Includes 5 guided days, 4 days of lift tickets (none needed at Tokachidake) and lodging. Avalanche and touring gear, lunch, dinner and drinks extra. Private trips only; price varies with group size.
Rising Sun GuidesKamui Mintara Backcountry (East Daisetsuzan)East Daisetsuzan
—
¥409,000 per person (private group of 5)
Experience neededNot stated. Ask the operator.Published as 409,000 yen per person (private group of 5, tax included). Avalanche and touring gear not included; 20% off rental for guests.
Rising Sun GuidesLift-assisted day tour (December only)Niseko-area resorts · 1 day
1
¥149,000 a day for 1–3 people
Experience neededNot stated. Ask the operator.Published as 149,000 yen a day for 1–3, 179,000 for 4–5, 204,000 for 6, tax included. Lift tickets extra at 12,000 yen each; door-to-door transport included. December only; from Jan 1 only backcountry and multi-day trips are booked.
Whiteroom ToursYuki Yama Backcountry TourNiseko · 2027 price
—
¥570,000–¥585,000
Experience neededNot stated. Ask the operator.Published as 570,000–585,000 yen (2 Jan, 16 Jan, 30 Jan and 13 Feb 2027 starts; 30 Jan sold out). 7 nights. Maximum 4 guests plus guide. The page also says 2026–27 pricing is "coming soon".
Whiteroom ToursHokkaido Backcountry TourFurano to Niseko · 2027 price · 10 days
10
¥570,000–¥595,000
Experience neededNot stated. Ask the operator.Published as 595,000 yen (22 Jan and 7 Feb 2027) and 570,000 yen (22 Feb, Niseko to Furano). 9 nights. Lift passes not included.
Whiteroom ToursTohoku Backcountry TourTohoku (northern Honshu) · 2027 price · 9 days
9
¥675,000
Experience neededNot stated. Ask the operator.Published as 675,000 yen (11 Jan, 22 Jan sold out, 2 Feb 2027). 8 nights.
Whiteroom ToursPrivate guiding (3-day minimum)Hokkaido – Niseko, Furano · 2026–27 price · 3 days
3
¥110,000–¥175,000 a day for 1–5, by season
Experience neededNot stated. Ask the operator.Published as 130,000 yen a day for 1–5 people in storm season (20 Dec–14 Jan), 175,000 at peak (15 Jan–28 Feb), 110,000 in spring (1–10 Mar 2027). 3-day minimum.
Evergreen Backcountry GuidesIntroductory backcountry group tourHakuba Valley · 1 day
1
¥28,000 per person
Experience neededNot stated. Ask the operator.Published as 28,000 yen per person.
Evergreen Backcountry GuidesAdvanced backcountry group tourHakuba Valley · 1 day
1
¥30,000 per person
Experience neededNot stated. Ask the operator.Published as 30,000 yen per person, including touring equipment, lunch and transport.
Evergreen Backcountry GuidesPrivate backcountry tourHakuba Valley · 1 day
1
Not published, ask
Experience neededNot stated. Ask the operator.Price not published. Includes certified guide, backpack with beacon, shovel and probe, and basic rescue insurance. 8:00–15:00 with a lunch break. A separate private Freeride World Tour faces tour is published as 95,000 yen (1–3) / 109,000 yen (4–6) on an older page.
Evergreen Backcountry GuidesAST 1 + Companion RescueHakuba · 2025–26 price · 3 days
3
¥57,500 per person
Experience neededNot stated. Ask the operator.Published as 57,500 yen per person (67,500 with a Mandarin translator). 20% off group tours for AST students booking online 2+ days ahead.
Evergreen Backcountry GuidesAST 2 + Mountain Advanced TrainingHakuba · 2025–26 price · 5 days
5
¥99,500 per person
Experience neededNot stated. Ask the operator.Published as 99,500 yen per person.
PowderQuestHokkaido Backcountry TourHokkaido · 8 days
8
$5,595
Experience neededNot stated. Ask the operator.Per person, shared twin with private bath. 7 nights, maximum 6 guests, rated challenging. Lift tickets and onsen fees included per the Japan overview; lunches extra (suggest $15–$25 a day). Dates: one page says 2028 TBA, another lists Jan–Feb 2027.
PowderQuestFurano Backcountry Ski TouringFurano, Central Hokkaido · 8 days
8
$4,995
Experience neededNot stated. Ask the operator.Per person. 7 nights, rated very challenging. Breakfasts, all dinners (with beer and sake) included; lunches, flights and insurance not. Private room $1,095.
PowderQuestMyoko to Hakuba BackcountryMyoko and Hakuba · 2027 price · 9 days
9
$5,995
Experience neededNot stated. Ask the operator.Per person, shared twin. 8 nights, maximum 6. Ground transport and lift tickets at all Myoko and Hakuba resorts included. Private room $995. Jan 22–30 (2027) listed.
PowderQuestTohoku Backcountry TourHakkoda and Aomori · 2027 price · 9 days
9
$5,995
Experience neededNot stated. Ask the operator.Per person. Starts in Aomori, ends in Morioka; arrival/departure travel, lunch, insurance and guide tips not included. Private room $1,495.
Mountain TracksHokkaido Powder Pilgrimage (Niseko & beyond)Niseko and Hokkaido · 2027 price · 7 days
7
£3,200
Experience neededNot stated. Ask the operator.9–18 Jan 2027 departure, marked full; now run on a private-group basis only. Includes 7 guided ski days, airport and local transfers, 9 nights 4-star hotel with breakfast. Flights, lunches, dinners, drinks and hire excluded.
Mountain TracksJapan Powder PilgrimageJapan · 8 days
8
Not published, ask
Experience neededNot stated. Ask the operator.Price not published for a dated departure (see conflicts). Includes 8 guided ski days, all lift passes, local transfers, 8 nights with breakfast and 8 dinners. Single room about £300 extra.
Mountain TracksShiretoko Backcountry with Bruce GoodladShiretoko, eastern Hokkaido · 9 days
9
Not published, ask
Experience neededNot stated. Ask the operator.Price not published. Includes 10 nights half-board, overland transfers, 9 full days with mountain guides and any lift tickets needed. Travel to Japan, lunches and drinks not included.
Jagged Globe (JG Ski)Ski HokkaidoNiseko and Furano · 2027 price · 8 days
8
£4,325
Experience neededGraded Advanced: touring kit, some touring experience and descent fitness mandatory.Excludes flights. 16–23 Jan 2027. IFMGA guide, group pickup at Chitose, 4 nights Niseko and 3 Furano half-board, private vehicle, four days of lift passes.
Jagged Globe (JG Ski)Hokkaido Storm ChaserCentral Hokkaido · 2027 price · 9 days
9
£2,895 (from Asahikawa) / £4,295–£5,495 (from UK airport)
Experience neededGraded Advanced (11B).Jan 2027 departures £4,295 from the UK; 22–30 Mar £4,895 and 27 Mar–4 Apr £5,495 from the UK; £2,895 from Asahikawa on every date. Inclusions not shown in what we could read.
Copied from each company’s own pages on Oct 22, 2026. Every “See dates” button opens the page we used. Where a page says which season a price is for, we show it. Prices are in each company’s own currency; sorting by price uses rough exchange rates. Prices change; the operator’s page wins if it disagrees with this one.
Read this before you pay a deposit
The cheapest guided day in Japan is a seat on a Hakuba group tour: Evergreen's intro group is 28,000 yen per person. In Niseko almost everything is private, at 160,000–184,000 yen for a group of four or five, which only gets cheap if you fill it.
Yen prices sit outside this page's sort. Do the conversion yourself. A full Niseko Zen or Hokkaido Backcountry Club group can still come out cheaper per head than a UK or US week, before you add lodging.
Read what is in the price. Hokkaido Backcountry Club and Evergreen include avalanche kit; Niseko Zen charges 5,500 yen a day for it; Rising Sun's multi-day prices exclude avalanche and touring gear. Lift passes are extra at Niseko Zen and on Whiteroom's Hokkaido Backcountry Tour.
The UK and US weeks buy logistics, not cheaper guiding: Jagged Globe's Ski Hokkaido is £4,325 without flights, PowderQuest $4,995–$5,995. Jagged Globe's Storm Chaser at £2,895 from Asahikawa is the cheapest priced week here, if you get yourself to Hokkaido.
Cancellation terms are strict across the board. Hokkaido Backcountry Club and Rising Sun keep 100% inside 30 days, even for injury, and PowderQuest pays credits, not cash, when it cancels. Buy insurance.
Every serious touring trip here (Hokkaido Backcountry Club's advanced and Yotei days, Jagged Globe, PowderQuest Furano) wants an advanced off-piste skier with touring kit and some touring experience. If that isn't you, start with an intro day or an AST 1 in Niseko or Hakuba.
- Niseko United's Niseko Rules: leave the resort only through the backcountry gates, and never when they are closed. Ducking a rope is prohibited and can cost you your lift pass. Everyone in the backcountry should wear a helmet and carry an avalanche beacon. niseko.ne.jp ↗
- Yu no Sawa and Haru no Taki are strictly off-limits under the Niseko Rules, and so is the area on the Hirafu side of the gondola, which is not avalanche-controlled. Gate 11 to Mizuno no Sawa opens 09:00–14:00 with no advance notice of whether it will open. niseko.ne.jp ↗
- Search and rescue outside the boundaries is charged to you, with a minimum of ¥100,000 for a backcountry rescue. The daily Niseko Avalanche Information is posted at lift stations, the gates and online. niseko.ne.jp ↗
- Niseko United runs an affiliation system for snowsports and guiding businesses operating on its mountains. niseko.ne.jp ↗
- The Japan Avalanche Network (nadare.jp) publishes avalanche bulletins by region, including Niseko-Yotei-Yoichi-Shiribeshi, with separate ratings for alpine, treeline and below treeline. They run for the winter only; the 2024–25 Niseko bulletins ended on 30 March 2025. data.nadare.jp ↗
The companies
Hokkaido Backcountry Club (Black Diamond Tours)
- Based
- Niseko, Hokkaido (prices in JPY)
- Programs
- 5
- Deposit
- Booking more than 60 days out: 25% non-refundable deposit. Inside 60 days, or with an early-bird discount: full payment at booking.
- Refunds
- Non-snowcat tours: cancel 30–60 days out and pay 50%; inside 30 days, 100% for any reason including injury. HBC may cancel any tour for weather or unsafe conditions. Avalanche courses cancelled for weather are rescheduled or refunded in full less transaction fees.
- Private
- Guided tours are sold as private groups (up to 5, or up to 10 on Yotei), 5:1 maximum ratio.
Policy from: hokkaidobackcountryclub.com, hokkaidobackcountryclub.com, blackdiamondtours.com, hokkaidobackcountryclub.com
Niseko Zen
- Based
- Niseko, Hokkaido (prices in JPY)
- Programs
- 2
- Private
- Priced per guide for up to 4 people; tail guide for 5–6 is JPY 70,000 extra.
Cancellation terms not published where we looked. Get them in writing before you pay.
Visit Niseko Zen ↗Policy from: nisekozen.com, nisekozen.com
Hokkaido Powder Guides (Backcountry Ski Guides Japan)
- Based
- Furano / Niseko, Hokkaido (prices in JPY)
- Programs
- 2
- Deposit
- Full payment of tour fees confirms a booking.
- Refunds
- 5,000 yen administration fee on all cancellations, plus bank charges. Full schedule not in what we could read.
- Private
- Private day rates fall per head as the group grows, from 2 to 6 guests.
Policy from: hokkaidopowderguides.com, hokkaidopowderguides.com, hokkaidopowderguides.com
Rising Sun Guides
- Based
- Hokkaido (prices in JPY)
- Programs
- 3
- Deposit
- 25% non-refundable deposit confirms all reservations; full payment due 60 days before the start.
- Refunds
- Cancel 60–30 days out: 50% of the full tour cost. Inside 30 days: 100%. If RSG cancels (weather, unsafe conditions, guide illness, too few guests) you reschedule or get a full refund less transaction fees. Day trips carry a "powder guarantee": no good snow, you can reschedule or take a refund.
- Private
- Multi-day trips are private only; quotes vary with group size.
Policy from: risingsunguides.com, risingsunguides.com, risingsunguides.com
Whiteroom Tours
- Based
- Hokkaido (prices in JPY)
- Programs
- 4
- Deposit
- Tours: 20% non-refundable deposit; final balance due by 31 October 2026 (or within 7 days for bookings from 1 November). Miss it and the booking is cancelled.
- Refunds
- Guided days: 30+ days notice, refund less the 20% deposit; 8–30 days, 50% back; under 7 days or no-show, nothing. If Whiteroom cancels for weather you get another date or a full refund. Tours cancelled for too few sign-ups are refunded in full.
- Private
- Private guiding for 1–5 people, 3-day minimum.
Policy from: whiteroomtours.com, whiteroomtours.com
Evergreen Backcountry Guides
- Based
- Hakuba, Nagano (prices in JPY)
- Programs
- 5
- Private
- Private tours priced per group; beacon, shovel, probe and rescue insurance included.
Cancellation terms not published where we looked. Get them in writing before you pay.
Visit Evergreen ↗Policy from: evergreen-backcountry.com, evergreen-backcountry.com, evergreen-backcountry.com
PowderQuest
- Based
- USA
- Programs
- 4
- Deposit
- 25% deposit at booking on the Japan trips; balance due 90 days before departure.
- Refunds
- 91+ days out: lose the deposit. 61–90 days: 50% refund. 60 days or less: nothing. Private-group departures: deposit and balance non-refundable (refund less $100 per person if you find a replacement). If PowderQuest cancels for reasons beyond its control you get another departure or a credit for the next season, not cash.
Policy from: powderquest.com, powderquest.com, powderquest.com
Mountain Tracks
- Based
- UK
- Programs
- 3
- Private
- Hokkaido Powder Pilgrimage now sold on a private-group basis only.
Cancellation terms not published where we looked. Get them in writing before you pay.
Visit Mountain Tracks ↗Policy from: mountaintracks.co.uk, mountaintracks.co.uk, mountaintracks.co.uk
Jagged Globe (JG Ski)
- Based
- UK
- Programs
- 2
- Deposit
- Ski Hokkaido: £960 deposit, balance 60 days before departure. Hokkaido Storm Chaser: £1,495 deposit.
Cancellation terms not published where we looked. Get them in writing before you pay.
Visit Jagged Globe ↗Policy from: jagged-globe.co.uk, jagged-globe.co.uk
Get an email when bookings open
Several Japanese guide offices still show last winter's yen rates, and Whiteroom says its 2026–27 prices are 'coming soon'. Get an email when new prices and dates are posted.
Before and after the trip
Most programs start in Niseko, Hokkaido, Japan. Lodging is extra on nearly all of them.
Places to stay in Niseko ↗Rescue & evacuation cover (Global Rescue) ↗More guided options on 57hours ↗
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How this page makes money: links to Booking.com, Viator and 57hours may earn PeakSeeker a commission if you book. Links to the guide companies themselves don’t, and nobody pays to be listed or to change what we say. Spot something out of date? Tell us.
Sources
- niseko.ne.jp/en/niseko-rules/
- niseko.ne.jp/en/affiliate-school/
- data.nadare.jp/avalanche_informations
- hokkaidobackcountryclub.com/en/about-us-en/terms-and-conditions/
- hokkaidobackcountryclub.com/en/guided-tours/introduction-backcountry-touring/
- blackdiamondtours.com/guided-tours/backcountry-day-trips/advanced-backcountry-tours/
- hokkaidobackcountryclub.com/en/avalanche-courses-en/ast-1-2/
- nisekozen.com/powderguiding
- nisekozen.com/faq
- hokkaidopowderguides.com/japan/ski/guides/about/us/booking-policy-1/
- hokkaidopowderguides.com/niseko-furano-ski-guide/furano-day-tours/
- hokkaidopowderguides.com/about/contact/
- risingsunguides.com/terms-and-conditions/
- risingsunguides.com/powder-guarantee/
- risingsunguides.com/multi-day-packages/daisetsuzan-powder-trip/
- whiteroomtours.com/terms-conditions/
- whiteroomtours.com/japan-ski-snowboard-guiding/hokkaido-niseko-furano-guiding/
- evergreen-backcountry.com/hakuba-backcountry-tours/
- evergreen-backcountry.com/backcountry-group-tours-in-hakuba/
- evergreen-backcountry.com/avalanche-safety-training/
- powderquest.com/booking-terms/
- powderquest.com/trip-essentials/
- powderquest.com/trips/hakuba-myoko-backcountry-quest/
- mountaintracks.co.uk/holidays/hokkaido-powder-pilgrimage
- mountaintracks.co.uk/holidays/japan-powder-pilgrimage
- mountaintracks.co.uk/holidays/shiretoko-backcountry-bruce-goodlad
- jagged-globe.co.uk/ski/i/ski+hokkaido.html
- jagged-globe.co.uk/ski/adventure.html
- Each climb’s own page, linked from its “See dates” button.