The airport bus both ways (about ¥2,100), the Tentozan bus to both museums and back (about ¥1,500), the Prison Museum (¥1,500) and the Museum of Northern Peoples (about ¥550). Add about ¥7,000 for the drift ice cruise in winter. Flights are extra.
Best time to go
Late January to March for drift ice and snow, like the story's winter. Summer is green and mild.
Closing days
The Prison Museum closes only on December 31 and January 1. The Museum of Northern Peoples is closed on Mondays (the next weekday after a Monday holiday) and over New Year.
Walking (our estimate)
Light to moderate: roughly 3–6 km a day, much of it around the open-air prison buildings. Icy in winter.
Abashiri Prison is a key setting in Golden Kamuy, and the real prison buildings from the Meiji era survive as an open-air museum on the slope of Mt. Tento outside Abashiri. The museum cooperated in filming the live-action movie set at the prison. This short route flies into Memanbetsu Airport, spends the first afternoon on Mt. Tento learning about the peoples of the north, and gives the second morning to the prison museum before the flight home.
Times, fares and opening hours are approximate. Check the official pages under Sources before you go (last checked September 18, 2026).
1
Day 1
Memanbetsu Airport → Abashiri → Mt. Tento
Airport bus into Abashiri, the Museum of Northern Peoples, a hot-spring night in Abashiri.
Late morning
Memanbetsu Airport → Abashiri
Flights from New Chitose Airport land at Memanbetsu. The Abashiri Bus airport line, timed to flights, reaches Abashiri Bus Terminal and Abashiri Station in about 30–40 min (about ¥1,050).
Afternoon
Abashiri Station → Mt. Tento
Abashiri Bus's Tentozan sightseeing line runs from Abashiri Station past the Prison Museum to the Okhotsk Ryu-hyo Museum and the Museum of Northern Peoples.
Afternoon
Hokkaido Museum of Northern Peoples
A prefectural museum of the cultures of the northern peoples, including the Ainu, whose culture is at the heart of Golden Kamuy. Closed on Mondays (if Monday is a holiday it opens and closes the next weekday), except in July, August, September and February, when there is no closing day. Check hours and fees on the official site.
Evening
Abashiri hot springs
Abashiri has ryokan inns where you can relax in hot springs; see the hotel links below.
A full morning in the prison, a prison-style lunch, then the bus to the airport.
1
Morning
Abashiri Prison Museum
Open 9:00–17:00 (last entry 16:00), closed only on December 31 and January 1. Adults ¥1,500. Allow about 1 hour for a short visit or about 2 hours to look around properly. The grounds include the five-wing radial cell block, the old administration building and other preserved buildings, several of them Important Cultural Properties.
The museum's restaurant serves a set meal based on what inmates eat today at the current Abashiri Prison. Check the official site for serving hours.
Winter option
Drift ice cruise (late January-March)
From late January to the end of March, the Aurora icebreaker sails from Abashiri into the drift ice of the Sea of Okhotsk (about ¥7,000 for adults on the large ship). If you are here in season, do it on the morning of day 2 and move the prison to the afternoon of day 1.
Afternoon
Back to Memanbetsu Airport
Bus back to Abashiri Station or the bus terminal, then the airport bus (about 30–40 min). Allow at least 2 hr from the museum to your flight.
A car from Memanbetsu Airport makes the day easier and lets you add Lake Notoro or the Shiretoko Peninsula. In winter, only drive if you are used to snow and ice.
Some links here are partner links: we get a commission if you book through them, at no extra cost to you.
Please note
Visiting with respect
The Prison Museum is a museum, but Abashiri Prison itself is still a working prison, nearer town. If you stop at its gate, stay outside and don't photograph staff or inmates.
At the Museum of Northern Peoples, treat Ainu and other peoples' objects as living culture, not props. Follow the photo rules in each room.
In winter, paths are icy. Wear boots with grip and walk carefully.
Take your trash with you.
Good to know
FAQ
Is there Golden Kamuy content at the museum?
The museum is a real setting of the story and cooperated in filming the live-action movie set at the prison. Special events come and go; check the museum's blog for what is on during your visit.
Can I do this in one day?
It depends on your flights. The airport bus takes about 30–35 min each way and the Prison Museum takes about 1 to 2 hours. You would miss Mt. Tento's museums and a night in Abashiri.
What is the best season?
Late January to March is the drift ice season: the Aurora icebreaker runs from January 20 to March 31.
Is the Museum of Northern Peoples part of Golden Kamuy?
No. It has no official tie to the series. It is a prefectural museum of northern cultures, including the Ainu, and gives useful background to the story.
Does the airport bus go to the Prison Museum?
Not as a standard stop. Ride to Abashiri Station and change to the Tentozan sightseeing line.
Transfer
Combine with nearby routes
Have more days? These routes start or end close to this one.
