Memanbetsu Airport to Abashiri and the Drift Ice Cruise

Every Way From the Airport to the Pier

The table compares the ways from Memanbetsu Airport to Abashiri and the Aurora boarding place, with times and fares from the airport operator, JNTO, Hokkaido Love and the cruise operator. A taxi fare for the airport run is not published, so agree it before you set off.

Why the Bus Wins for Most Cruise Days

The bus is timed to scheduled flights and carries you to the same place the cruise leaves from. The Aurora boarding place and ticket counter are at Michi-no-Eki Ryuhyo Kaido Abashiri, the roadside station by the harbour. Coin lockers sit on its 1st floor, so you can sail with bags stored and catch a later bus into town.

Fare, Phone and Timetable

The airport operator lists the ride to Abashiri Bus Terminal at 35 minutes and ¥1,050. Abashiri Bus answers on 0152-43-4101, and its timetable for the airport is at abashiribus.com/memanbetsu/. Carry yen in small notes for the fare.

The bus serves scheduled domestic flights, so a delayed plane still has a connection in most cases. Check the timetable for the last bus of the day before you book a late flight.

Riding On to the Aurora

In the cruise season direct buses run to the boarding place from both Memanbetsu Airport and the JR Abashiri bus terminal, per the Aurora operator. JNTO puts the extra leg from Abashiri Bus Terminal at about 5 minutes on the same bus. Tell the driver you want the icebreaker stop when you board.

From Baggage Claim to the Icebreaker

Collect your bags and walk out to the Abashiri Bus stop. The ride to Abashiri Bus Terminal is 35 minutes, then about 5 minutes on to Michi-no-Eki Ryuhyo Kaido Abashiri. Store bags in a coin locker on the 1st floor.

The operator asks you to finish boarding procedures at least 20 minutes before departure, and the counter closes 5 minutes before. Every passenger fills in a boarding list, in Japanese or English, so download it before you fly. Seats are unreserved and boarding goes in queue order, so a full ship can turn away even a booked passenger.

Sailings That Fit a Morning Flight

Large ship sailings run at 9:00, 11:00, 13:00 and 15:00 from January 20 to 31. In February and from March 1 to 14 they run at 9:30, 11:00, 12:30, 14:00 and 15:30. From March 15 to 31 they run at 9:30, 11:30 and 13:30.

Times may shift with ice conditions, so treat the first afternoon sailing as the safe target after a morning landing.

Rental Car and Free Parking at the Pier

Several rental firms have counters in the arrival lobby. Hokkaido Love puts the Aurora pier about 30 minutes by car from the airport and about 10 minutes from JR Abashiri Station. Parking at the roadside station is free, with 106 spaces listed by Hokkaido Love.

Roads in January to March carry snow and ice. Normal January daily lows in Abashiri are -8.9 C. Drive only if you are used to winter surfaces.

Taxis at the Terminal

Taxis wait at a stand by the terminal entrance but are not always on standby, so call ahead on a busy ice day. No fixed airport fare is published. The cruise operator gives the shorter run from JR Abashiri Station to the pier as about 8 minutes and about ¥1,000.

The JR Option in Practice

The Okhotsk limited express from Sapporo calls at Memanbetsu Station 15 minutes before Abashiri. On the Okhotsk no. 1 that is 12:02, with arrival in Abashiri at 12:17. The station is a long walk from the terminal with no taxis waiting, so it does not help an air traveller.

If you come by train from Sapporo, stay on to JR Abashiri Station. The direct cruise bus leaves from the bus terminal there, or a taxi takes about 8 minutes to the pier.

Memanbetsu Against Sapporo

From Memanbetsu the bus reaches Abashiri in 35 minutes and the Aurora pier about 5 minutes later. From Sapporo JNTO gives the bus to Abashiri as about 6 hours, and the Okhotsk limited express takes over 5 hours. That turns a cruise into an overnight trip.

Sapporo still suits travellers who want the city as well. The Aurora Icebreaker Day Trip from Sapporo at $295 covers the coach, the cruise ticket and the drift ice museum. The 2-Day Aurora Cruise, Asahiyama Zoo and Onsen at $398 adds a hotel night, runs on set dates and has a 1,000 JPY festival fee paid on site.

Memanbetsu for Shiretoko

Memanbetsu also serves the Shiretoko coast. JNTO puts Utoro about a 90-minute drive from the airport, with buses taking about two hours. Drift ice walks at Utoro run from early February to mid-March, last 90 minutes and start from ¥6,000, per JNTO.

Flight Searches and Timing

Search MMB on any flight site. Flight status and the access page are on the official Hokkaido Airports site.

Plan your landing around the ice, not the other way round. The Aurora sails from January 20 to March 31. The operator says ice was historically best from mid-February to early March, but warming has delayed and reduced it, so past patterns may not hold. Leave a spare day so a cancelled sailing or a late flight does not cost you the cruise.

No Ice, Bad Sea or a Late Plane

Drift ice is never guaranteed and can move within hours with wind and tide. If no ice is within range the large ship runs a sea cruise to Notoro Cape instead, and the small ship Aurora 3 is cancelled. The ship can travel up to 10 km one way to find ice.

If your flight lands late, book the next sailing on the same day or the first one the next morning. The reception phone is 0152-43-6000, open 9:00 to 18:00. The Okhotsk Ryuhyo Museum on Mt Tento is a good fallback on a day with no sailing.