Arrive at New Chitose Airport in the morning and travel by rail to JR Toya Station. From the station, take a taxi to Toyako Onsen and find a local spot for lunch. After lunch, it'll be time for a 90-minute canoe tour of Lake Toya, a caldera lake that provides beautiful views of this area that has itself been designated a UNESCO Global Geopark.

Next, grab another taxi to the Toyako Visitor Center and Volcano Science Museum, where you can learn about the local flora and fauna, watch an educational video about volcanic Mount Usuzan, and brush up on safety precautions. Check in to your hotel in the late afternoon and take it easy for the rest of the day. The hot springs of the Toyako Onsen resort town are a perfect way to spend a relaxing evening.

Start your day off at the Toyako Visitor Center and Volcano Science Museum, where you'll join a tour that centers on the consequences of the 2000 eruption of Mount Usuzan and Mount Nishiyama, the damage inflicted by this phenomenon, and the importance of disaster prevention. This walking course will let you experience firsthand the power of the natural world and consider what it means to coexist with such a threat.

Take a taxi back to Toyako Onsen for lunch. In the afternoon, head to the Mount Usu Ropeway to begin a guided tour that brings you to the the Toya Observatory and the Mount Usuzan Volcano Observatory, where you can enjoy splendid views of the caldera lake and Mount Usuzan. The day's activities will allow you to understand the reality of living alongside a volcano, both the threat it represents and the unique opportunities it creates in the hot springs and agricultural industries. Let it all sink in while relaxing in your hotel for a second night.

Walk or taxi to the central boat ramp on Lake Toya, where you'll depart for Nakajima Island by pleasure boat. Formed by a volcanic eruption around 50,000 years ago, Nakajima sits in the center of Lake Toya and has huge evergreen trees and lava domes that will take your breath away. The majesty of nature will fill you with a sense of awe on this tour. Have lunch at your own leisure, then head to JR Toya Station to catch the train back to New Chitose Airport.

Visitors interested in extending their time in Shikotsu-Toya National Park can add on a trip to Hohei Gorge, a canyon with magnificent seasonal views; Mount Orofure, with its abundance of alpine plants; or the mystical transparent waters of Lake Shikotsu.