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BB Edit / Japan

Niseko, beyond the snow.

A summer camp for the kids, a beautiful hotel, and a family holiday with a little breathing room.

Words & personal photos by LilyOur trip: late June 2026
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Two kids exploring the wooden bell structure at Hanazono, with green summer slopes behind them.
Hanazono, with its summer greens.
WhereNiseko, Hokkaido
The kids4 & 7 at the time
The stay4 hotel nights + 1 camping night

A break for everyone

Something for them. A little time for us.

Our kids were 4 and 7 when we went to Niseko in late June. I wanted them outdoors, trying new things, meeting new people and flexing muscles they don’t always get to use at home. Summer in Niseko felt like the perfect setting.

Niseko was the middle chapter of our Hokkaido trip. We’d spent two nights in Furano before arriving, and after Niseko we headed to the Lake Toya area for another two nights.

Where we stayed before Niseko: Furano, at Glamp Sora.

I also wanted a camp where they could attend the same session. Convincing a 4-year-old to try something new is considerably easier when his big sister will be there too.

And yes, I wanted some time for the adults. A few hours during the day to do whatever we felt like, knowing the kids were safe, learning and having a blast. We travelled with another couple whose kids were the same ages, and they joined the camp too.

A child eating an ice cream outdoors with a green mountain and blue sky behind him.
Ice cream with a view.
Two adults standing together in a grassy field with a mountain and low clouds behind them.
A little time for us, too.

For the kids

Camp days with EdVenture

We booked MNK EdVenture’s Moiwa Programme, which combined day camp with an overnight family camping trip. We had never camped together before, so that was part of the appeal: a new experience we could all share.

The practical details made the day camp work for us. It was a short drive from our hotel, lunch was included in our booking, and the roughly 8 am–4 pm day gave the adults a proper stretch of time to ourselves. The kids had plenty of outdoor activities, and the English-speaking environment made it easy for them to join in.

One thing to know: during our visit, most of the kids weren’t Japanese. It worked well for us, but I wouldn’t choose it primarily for Japanese-language immersion.

We also asked if our kids could stay together, and the camp accommodated our request. Technically, our younger one should have been in the Family Programme, which required an adult to be with him for the whole day. As you can imagine, that wasn’t quite the relaxing holiday I had in mind. 😏 If you’d like siblings to stay together, it’s worth asking the camp what they can accommodate.

Other ways to do EdVenture

Moiwa suited us for this trip, but EdVenture has other options depending on your kids’s ages and how independently they’re ready to join.

Family Programme · recommended ages 3+
Five days of outdoor activities with a parent joining each day, including an overnight camping trip. An option for families who want to share the adventures together.

Yotei Programme · recommended ages 9+
A six-night, seven-day camp where kids stay in EdVenture’s lodges and attend independently, with nature hikes, team challenges and creative activities. A day-only option is also offered, subject to availability.

Rishiri Programme · recommended ages 13+
Also six nights and seven days, with outdoor challenges for teens such as hiking, rock climbing and navigation, plus opportunities to develop independence and leadership.

These starting ages follow EdVenture’s detailed programme pages. Confirm the current age groups and arrangements for your child before booking.

Kids wearing helmets and life jackets getting ready to jump from a yellow raft into a river with camp instructors nearby.
New experiences, with plenty of time outside.
Kids in helmets and life jackets splashing in the river beside a yellow raft and camp instructors.
And then, into the water.
Kids with backpacks checking in at the EdVenture outdoor registration table.
Getting ready for a day at camp.
Kids and an instructor working together with wooden poles among the trees.
A different kind of classroom.
An orange EdVenture Moiwa Program flag outside the camp building.
Our programme for the week: Moiwa.
A group of kids wearing helmets listening to instructors at an outdoor activity area.
Getting ready for the next adventure.
Kids in yellow EdVenture shirts examining plants at the edge of a leafy woodland.
A closer look at the world around them.

Our home for four nights

Park Hyatt Niseko Hanazono

We stayed at Park Hyatt Niseko Hanazono, which was incredibly beautiful and a lovely place to be as a family. The service was top-notch and breakfast was delicious. Being a short drive from camp made the daily logistics easy, too.

MNK also has its own accommodation near the camp, including houses you can rent. We opted for a full-service hotel, but if you’d prefer a house and to be close to camp, that’s a great option too. Some of the families at camp did exactly that.

My kids LOVED the onsen. In fact, they loved every onsen we visited during our entire three-week trip around Japan.

Our 1 King Suite with Private Onsen had its own onsen as well as a beautiful bathroom with a tub. Somehow, by day four, we still hadn’t used the private onsen, so I “forced” myself to take a shower and have a soak. I use “forced” very loosely. It was all so lovely that I wish I’d bathed three or four times a day to make the most of it!

Even our little onsen outfits were super chic. I would happily have worn mine out with the gang.

For such a lovely hotel all round, the sofa bed in our suite didn’t quite live up to the same standard. Super creaky, and once you were on it, getting back up took some serious core strength. This was definitely not a “so comfortable I never want to leave” situation. More of an unexpected ab workout. Good thing both my kids have natural six-packs.

Visit the official hotel website

There was a bonus to booking through my travel advisor benefits: for our reservation, I was able to secure an upgrade to the next room category within 24 hours of booking. If you’re considering a stay, plan with me and I can check which benefits are available for your dates and room choice.

That upgrade was confirmed for our booking. Benefits and upgrade terms vary by hotel, rate and availability; I’ll confirm the details for your stay.

Our family in matching dark onsen outfits, taking a mirror photo at the hotel.
The onsen outfit gang.
A little look around Hanazono in summer.
A sitting area at Park Hyatt Niseko Hanazono with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking green hills.
Room to slow down, with a view.
A deep stone bath beside a window looking onto a green lawn at Park Hyatt Niseko Hanazono.
A very inviting place to unwind.
The kids at a table in our hotel sitting area, with green hills through the windows.
A little downtime back at the hotel.
Chefs preparing breakfast behind a counter with bowls and a handwritten menu at Park Hyatt Niseko Hanazono.
Breakfast at Park Hyatt.
The breakfast à la carte and drinks menu at the Lounge during our stay.
The breakfast menu during our stay.
An illustrated map showing the breakfast buffet stations at Park Hyatt Niseko Hanazono.
Even breakfast came with a map.

Meanwhile, the adults…

Very busy doing nothing

Late June was quiet when we visited. Quite a few places in Hirafu and Niseko were closed, but that suited us. We weren’t trying to fill every hour.

We ate at a soba shop. We browsed local supermarkets intensely, along with the discount stores attached to them. We came across a sake distillery, where the men were firmly denied a tasting because they were driving.

We did fit in ziplining with our friends, which was exhilarating. My husband also tried the golf; his verdict was “so-so”.

Mostly, though, we were busy doing nothing while the kids were having a blast. It was a lovely chance to truly relax on a holiday with two kids—with moments that felt a little like travelling without them, if you know what I mean.

The wooden entrance to a soba shop, with dark curtains, a soba banner and yellow flowers.
A stop for soba.
A hand holding two small cans of Japanese beer in front of a supermarket drinks refrigerator.
Taking our supermarket browsing very seriously.
The red wooden storefront of Niseko no Mori with its illustrated sign and open sign.
Niseko no Mori.
A straw-wrapped sake barrel beneath framed awards at our sake stop.
Our sake stop—no tasting for the designated drivers.
Two adults in helmets and harnesses standing on a wooden zipline platform overlooking the countryside.
Hanazono Zipflight · Mach 3
Length: 1,700 metres — the longest single zipline in Japan and one of the longest in Asia.
A first-person view along a zipline cable over green countryside beneath a bright blue sky.
The view from the zipline.
Helmeted participants walking towards a raised zipline platform overlooking green countryside.
The walk to the launch platform.
Green slopes and summer skies around Hanazono.
A red tractor at Niseko Takahashi Dairy Farm, beside a green field with mountains and a blue summer sky in the distance.
The tractor at Niseko Takahashi Dairy Farm (Milk Kobo).
Wrapped bales stacked on grass and decorated with colourful drawings beneath a blue sky.
A little colour along the way.
“We were busy doing nothing while the kids were having a blast.”

Back together

Our first family camping trip

On Thursday, we checked out of the hotel for the overnight family camping trip near Lake Toya, which was part of the Moiwa Programme. It was a beautiful location and our first time camping as a family—a chance for all of us to try something new together.

The setup felt close to glamping: there were washrooms, laundry facilities if needed and a little trinket shop. Our car was only a quick walk away, too. A comfortable introduction to camping as a family.

Having a car made a huge difference throughout the trip, from camp drop-offs to our own exploring and getting to the overnight campsite. It’s one of the first things I’d arrange for a similar holiday.

The kids holding the awning poles of our yellow and green family tent at the wooded campsite.
Our first family camping setup.
Families by the shore and in the water at Lake Toya, with green island hills across the lake.
A beautiful place to spend time together.
Three kids in striped tops exploring beside a shallow stream and a wooden footbridge.
Little discoveries by the water.
A child carefully holding two small green frogs, with tents and grass behind him.
The smallest discoveries were a big deal.

Next time

I’d arrive a little earlier

We arrived on Sunday and stayed four nights at the hotel before the Thursday overnight camp. Next time, I’d come earlier in the weekend so we could all enjoy more of the hotel together.

With the kids at camp during the day, there were hotel activities we never got around to doing. A little extra time at the beginning would have made room for those, without squeezing anything else in.

If Park Hyatt isn’t quite your style, I’d also look at Nikko Style Niseko Hanazono, nearby in the same Hanazono area. It’s another option worth comparing for the location, rooms and value for your dates.

For us, the combination worked: outdoor adventures for the kids, a hotel we loved coming back to, some freedom during the day and a new experience together at the end. That felt like a better break.

The drive from Furano to Niseko
A car navigation screen showing winding roads on the drive from Furano to Niseko, with green trees visible through the windscreen.
On the road from Furano to Niseko.
A little of our drive from Furano to Niseko.

Featured in this story

House rentals · Near camp

MNK accommodation

An option for families who prefer a house close to camp. Some of the families we met at camp stayed with MNK.

View houses at The Orchards

Our camp · Niseko

MNK EdVenture · Moiwa Programme

The programme we joined, combining outdoor day camp with one overnight family camping trip.

View camp details Moiwa programme