hokkaido road trip itinerary winter

Best of Hokkaido in Winter

The above itinerary is somewhat fast-paced. Tourists preferring a slow pace of travel should consider spending more time at some of the destinations along the way.

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Your Hokkaido Winter Adventure Starts Here

February 20, 2023 by Robert Schrader Leave a Comment

My first winter trip to Hokkaido  did not go as planned. I’d gotten bad advice from the tourist board, which saw me mostly squander the five days I had on the island (which would not have been enough, even if I’d had the perfect plan for how to use them).

Since then—2015—re-visiting Hokkaido during winter and doing the island justice has been one of my top travel priorities. Unfortunately, Japan’s covid-19 restrictions spoiled my plans to do this in 2021 and 2022, which meant that it took me until 2023—eight years—to make good on my promise.

Which makes this Hokkaido winter itinerary all the more interesting—and bulletproof. In travel as in life more broadly, correcting failure is often the quickest (and best) way to arrive at success.

Hokkaido is More Than Just Skiing

When most people think of Hokkaido in winter, they think of skiing at Niseko. I’m here to tell you, as someone who has only skied a handful of times in his adult life, that you can fully enjoy Hokkaido without setting foot anywhere near Niseko. In fact, while I’d like to visit Niseko one day in order to get some pictures, it’s always been the farthest thing from my mind as I explore Hokkaido.

On the other hand, if you do come to Hokkaido to enjoy Japan’s famous ja-pow , then all the rest of what I’m recommending will be even more enticing. Imagine exploring Hokkaido for a week, then rewarding yourself with the world’s best skiing? Or vice-versa. Whether or not you care about skiing, Hokkaido is a top winter destination for a reason.

My Favorite Hokkaido Winter Destinations and Experiences

Sapporo snow festival.

The bad news? If you want to take part in the Sapporo Snow Festival , you’re need to make sure your winter Hokkaido trip takes place between February 4-11 or thereabouts. The good news? Even if you can’t come at this time, there’s plenty to enjoy in Sapporo in winter, even if you simply enjoy views from Mt. Moiwa and Sapporo TV Tower by day, or drink and karaoke your way through Susukino at night.

Hokkaido Winter Cuisine

Food is one of the best reasons to visit Hokkaido in winter! This is especially true if you come during the snow festival, when all kinds of different options—crab soup, oden and Wagyu skewers, to name just a few—are on offer within one small area. Even if you don’t come at this time, you’ll have your fill of warming foods like ramen and Japanese curry most anywhere in Hokkaido you choose to travel.

Otaru Canal

I’ll be honest: Many unwitting travelers are stumped as to why they should make a point of visiting a canal during their trip. Even if you disregard how picturesque Otaru Canal is, particularly during winter and especially at night, the town built up around it is a great half-day trip from Sapporo. It’s home to many Western-style buildings and glass-blowing shops, to say nothing of all the cuisine.

Noboribetsu Onsen

As would be the case on Japan’s main island of Honshu, visiting an onsen is an essential part of any Hokkaido winter trip. In Noboribetsu , which is about 90 minutes from Sapporo by limited express train, swimming in hot springs is just the beginning. You can hike in Jigokudani (aka Hell Valley), where rising plumes of steam give you the impression of being in the underworld.

Asahikawa Penguin Parade

I’ll be honest: I’m not generally a fan of zoos in Japan, or anywhere in Asia. Standards for the treatment of animals just aren’t up to par with those in the west, as you’ll know if you read my article about Zao Fox Village . On the other hand, I do think a trip to Asahiyama Zoo in Asahikawa (Japan’s coldest city, and the hub of central Hokkaido) is worth it, if only for the iconic “penguin parade” that takes place every winter day at 11.

Kushiro and Abashiri: Hokkaido’s Wild East

One of my biggest regrets about my first Hokkaido winter itinerary is that I didn’t head very far east. As a result, I was intent on this trip having a few days in Kushiro and Abashiri (the two main cities of eastern Hokkaido) and the vast wilderness between them. Whether you see tancho red-crested cranes near the lakes north of Kushiro, or take an “ice breaker” tour in the Sea of Okhotsk off Abashiri, the long journey here is definitely not a wasted effort.

Mt. Hakodate’s Night View

For many years, Hakodate was my favorite city in Hokkaido on the whole—I still love it a lot. One of the many reasons for this is its geography: The city sits between two roughly symmetrical bays, and a mountain that rises at the tip of a peninsula. The best way to appreciate this is to ride the ropeway up Mt. Hakodate which, after night, allows you to take in what is often ranked as Japan’s best “night view.”

How Many Days Do You Need in Hokkaido in Winter?

Take it from me: You don’t want to come to Hokkaido in January or February without enough time to see and do everything. If you don’t plan to ski, I’d say the minimum you should plan to spend is a week. This will give you a few days in Sapporo to get yourself situated, plus the opportunity to head east, optionally all the way to Kushiro and Abashiri, if that’s in the cards for you.

For skiers, on the other hand, spending winter in Hokkaido is a slightly different discussion. Some will fly to New Chitose Airport, to a bus directly to Kutchan or Niseko, and get moving again only to head back to the airport. For others, however, I’d say you should plan at least a week to however long you plan to ski. I’d probably recommend exploring Hokkaido before you ski, although that’s somewhat down to preference.

Other FAQ About Hokkaido Winter Travel

Should i visit hokkaido in the winter.

Winter is when Hokkaido is most itself—you should absolutely visit Japan’s northernmost island at this time, if you can. Not a skier? Not a problem? From Otaru’s icicle-lined canal, to Asahikawa’s penguin parade, to the wild scenery of far eastern Hokkaido, there’s never a dull moment when you’re this far north.

How do you travel around Hokkaido in winter?

The best way to get around Hokkaido during the winter is public transportation, be that express trains from Sapporo to other cities, local trains in more rural parts of the island or buses in places where the rails don’t run. As a general rule, I don’t recommend driving in Hokkaido during winter.

Is it difficult to drive in Hokkaido in winter?

Hokkaido isn’t always a difficult place to drive during the winter. If the snow isn’t freshly-fallen, or hasn’t frozen over after it’s melted, you’re unlikely to face any difficulty at all. The challenge is when a blizzard hits—and they can hit at any time—or if ice is on the road. If you don’t have a lot of experience driving in wintry conditions, you shouldn’t rent a car in Hokkaido during the winter.

The Bottom Line

I hope my Hokkaido winter itinerary has informed and inspired you as you plan your own trip to Japan’s great, white north. As I know from personal experience, simply heading to Hokkaido during the coldest part of the year is not a guarantee of success. However, if you have a good grasp of all there is to do, and how much ground you can realistically cover with the amount of time you have, it’s difficult to fail. Planning to visit Hokkaido in summer? I’ve got a guide for that. Want personalized help putting your Hokkaido trip together, at any time of year? Consider hiring me to plan it for you!

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Plan the Perfect Trip: A Comprehensive Hokkaido Winter Itinerary

Embrace the magic of Hokkaido this winter with an itinerary that is tailor-made for adventurers, nature enthusiasts, and ski aficionados alike. From the majestic ski resorts in Niseko to the traditional smelt fishing experience in Furano, let us guide you through an unforgettable winter journey in the heart of Japan.

Furano: The Heart of Hokkaido Skiing

Venture into the very heart of skiing in Japan at Furano. Renowned for the Furano ski area and resort, it's a winter paradise that skiers and snow enthusiasts swear by. The backcountry guided tours, leading to gems like "Sandanyama" and "Secret Mountain," are experiences not to be missed. Add to this the thrill of smelt fishing on Lake Kanayama, and you have the complete Hokkaido winter itinerary wrapped in Furano's embrace.

Lake Shikotsu & Lake Toya: Frozen Beauty

Discover the captivating frozen landscapes of Lake Toya and Lake Shikotsu. Lake Toya, set against Hokkaido's snowy backdrop, offers breathtaking winter vistas. Dive deep into Lake Shikotsu's Moss Corridor with snowshoe tours, or marvel at the intricate ice art of Shichijo Otaki. These lakes exemplify the serene beauty that Hokkaido winter brings, creating unforgettable memories for every traveler.

Sapporo: The Winter Capital

Embrace the vibrant winter vibes of Sapporo, Hokkaido's bustling metropolis. Engage in night snowshoe hikes under Sapporo's shimmering city lights, especially at iconic spots like Mt. Misumi and Mt. Moiwa. Delight in traditional smelt fishing or trek through powder snow forests, revealing the city's quieter side. From modern attractions to nature's splendor, Sapporo encapsulates the best of Hokkaido things to do in the winter season.

Niseko: Japan's Skiing Mecca

Dive into Niseko, famed as one of the premier Japan ski resorts, offering pristine hokkaido snow perfect for skiing adventures. Here, backcountry tours beckon, revealing untouched terrains that are every skier's dream. Don't miss out on the snowshoe trekking half-day tour, as you journey under the starlit Niseko skies, making for a truly immersive winter experience.

Otaru & Otaki: Snowy Gems of Hokkaido

Otaru, with its historic canals, and Otaki, home to the majestic “Otaki Icefall Cave,” offer unparalleled Hokkaido experiences. Engage in snowshoe hiking at mesmerizing spots like Asari Tengudake or delve deep into Japan's largest icefall cave in Otaki. Combining history with nature's grandeur, these snowy gems paint a picture of Hokkaido's winter allure that's hard to resist.

Biei & Yufutsu: Nature's Hidden Retreats

Venture into Biei and Yufutsu, epitomizing Hokkaido's raw, natural charm. Biei's unexplored snowshoe tours lead you to the Shirogane Onsen, an untouched wonder. Meanwhile, Yufutsu showcases an authentic snowmobile experience tour, making for an adrenaline-packed visit. As you traverse these retreats, the perfect blend of tranquil beauty and thrilling adventures await, making your Hokkaido winter itinerary even more enchanting.

Hakodate & Kushiro: Coastal Winter Charms

Hakodate and Kushiro, coastal jewels of Hokkaido, bring a unique seaside twist to winter fun. In Hakodate, indulge in Wakasagi fishing on ice at the Onuma Quasi-National Park. Kushiro wetlands, on the other hand, offer enchanting snowshoe experiences, taking you deep into Hokkaido's snowy marshes. These coastal towns blend maritime beauty with winter festivities, ensuring an unforgettable coastal winter charm.

Hokkaido's Diverse Winter Landscape

Hokkaido's winter is not just about snow-covered mountains and icy lakes. From snow trekking in World Natural Heritage spots like Shiretoko to exhilarating snow sports in Furano, the diversity is astounding. Whether it's exploring the snowy forests of Arashiyama or sliding down on snow tubes, every corner offers a unique facet of Hokkaido's winter. Dive into this diverse landscape and uncover the countless ways to celebrate winter in Hokkaido.

Recommended For You

With countless activities awaiting you, from smelt fishing to snowshoeing and from snowmobile adventures to ski rental services at Japan's best ski resorts, Hokkaido in winter is a dream come true for every traveler. Make the best of this winter by exploring the heart of Japan. tapestry of experiences Japan has to offer!

Frequently asked questions

Q when is the best time to visit hokkaido for winter activities.

A The ideal time is between December to February when Hokkaido is blanketed in snow, making it perfect for skiing, snowshoeing, and other winter activities.

Q Is it easy to rent ski equipment in Hokkaido?

A Absolutely! Places like Niseko and Furano offer a variety of ski rental services, catering to beginners and experts alike.

Q Can I experience traditional Japanese winter activities in Hokkaido?

A Yes, activities such as smelt fishing on ice and snowshoe tours in traditional settings provide an authentic Japanese winter experience.

Q How accessible are the ski resorts from Sapporo?

A Many ski resorts, like the Niseko Hokkaido ski resort, are a few hours drive from Sapporo, with convenient transportation options available.

Q Are there any nighttime winter activities in Hokkaido?

A Certainly! Night snowshoe hikes in places like Mt. Misumi and Mt. Moiwa in Sapporo are popular, offering stunning views of the starry skies and city lights.

Q Do I need any prior experience for snowshoeing or snowmobile tours?

A No prior experience is needed. Many tours accommodate beginners, and guides ensure you have a safe and enjoyable experience.

Q Is Hokkaido suitable for family winter vacations?

A Absolutely. With a mix of adrenaline-packed adventures and serene winter landscapes, Hokkaido caters to both kids and adults, making it a top choice for family winter getaways.

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How to enjoy new activities in the after / with corona era

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Even now, there are tourist facilities and activity operators whose business hours and dates have changed. Please check the calendar status at the time of application and check the latest information with each operator even after the reservation is completed. Please check with each operator regarding whether or not there is a cancellation fee due to sudden closure of the facility, cancellation of the activity experience, etc.

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[Online experience] New experience online anywhere

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• Winter Road Trip in Hokkaido: A 10-Day Itinerary

Hokkaido Winter Road Trip | Itinerary Organizer

At the end of 2019, during the Christmas and New Year holidays, I planned a self-driving winter trip to Hokkaido, Japan. This trip was prepared somewhat hastily (as it often seems to be the case with my trips to Japan!). Before departure, I had initially focused on Hokkaido as the main destination. However, due to the need to transit through Tokyo or Osaka when flying back to San Francisco and the fact that some businesses in Hokkaido close during the New Year holiday season, I adjusted the itinerary accordingly. The final plan included spending ten days in Hokkaido, flying via Haneda to Hakodate just before Christmas, staying a day in Hakodate, and then embarking on a three-day self-driving journey from Hakodate to Sapporo. Subsequently, I used Sapporo as a base for exploring Sapporo and Otaru, and enjoyed skiing in the vicinity during the New Year holiday.

Here is the detailed itinerary for our trip to Hokkaido, spanning ten days. After our time in Hokkaido, we actually spent an additional five days in Kansai, but this article focuses mainly on the Hokkaido portion of the trip, with a brief mention of our experiences in Kansai. Due to the New Year celebrations, the first half of the itinerary was quite packed, while we deliberately kept the latter part more relaxed. If you prefer a more intense schedule, you can complete the Hokkaido portion of the trip within a week by excluding the skiing activities.

I found the accommodations to be quite excellent. They were reasonably priced, conveniently located, and all of them had hot spring baths, which made it very relaxing to soak in after a day of exploring and shopping. We thoroughly enjoyed our stay at each place.

Hokkaido Winter Road Trip | Driving Route

Our self-driving route took us from Hakodate , passing through Lake Toya , and Noboribetsu , all the way to Sapporo. The actual driving route had a total length of approximately six hours, split into three days of traveling, with a relaxed atmosphere throughout the journey. The final return of the car was near Sapporo Train Station, and afterward, we resumed our exploration of Japan as pedestrian tourists.

Regarding my first experience with right-hand driving, I quickly adapted to the different seating position. The only aspect that took some time to get used to was making right turns, where I had to be particularly cautious and stay as close to the left lane as possible. This was mainly due to the snowy conditions in Hokkaido, where road markings were not as clear as I would have liked.

Hokkaido Winter Itinerary | Day 1 - 2 | Hakodate 2-Day Trip

Originally, we had planned to spend three days and two nights in Hakodate. However, due to an unexpected missed connecting flight and an unintentional overnight stay in Haneda Airport, our stay was shortened to two days. Despite the slightly rushed schedule, we managed to visit all the intended attractions.

• Hakodate Winter Adventure: Two Days of Sightseeing and Gourmet Experiences in Hokkaido

Day 2-3 | Lake Toya

Lake Toya is a volcanic caldera lake formed by the eruption of Mount Usu in the Showa era. Since we visited during the winter, our primary goal was to enjoy the snowy landscape. Our one-day itinerary in Lake Toya was focused on admiring the winter scenery and relaxing in the hot springs.

• Experience Sapporo's Winter Magic: 2-Day Tour of Sapporo's Highlights, Teine Ski Resort, and 10 Unmissable Sapporo Eats

Day 3-4 | Noboribetsu

Noboribetsu Onsen is one of the most famous hot spring resorts in Hokkaido, known for its various types of hot spring waters, with around 10,000 tons of hot spring water flowing annually. Noboribetsu is perfect for planning a one or two-day itinerary. You can stroll through the hot spring street, explore Jigokudani (Hell Valley), and if possible, staying at a nearby hot spring hotel for a night is undoubtedly the best way to fully enjoy the experience.

• Discovering Noboribetsu Onsen in a Day: Top Attractions, Jigokudani, Oyunuma, and a Review of Ryokan Shimizu-ya

Day 4 | Lake Shikotsu | Eight Views of Muroran

This day's primary mission is to drive from Noboribetsu to Sapporo. Lake Shikotsu and the Eight Views of Muroran are located along the route between Hakodate and Sapporo, making them excellent stops for a self-driving route. The entire journey offers stunning natural landscapes, and taking breaks at these two locations in the middle of the trip is a great arrangement to minimize the travel fatigue.

• Hokkaido Road Trip: Shikotsu Lake, Muroran's Eight Views, and Points of Interest on the Hakodate to Sapporo Route

Day 5 | Otaru

Starting from this day, we transitioned into the mode of traveling without a car. The itinerary for this day involved taking a train from Sapporo for a day trip to Otaru. Otaru is a charming port city with a rich history and culture. We spent the day exploring the first railway in Hokkaido, Otaru Canal, Triangle Market, Sakaimachi Street, the Glass Museum, the Music Box Hall, and indulging in Otaru's delicious cuisine.

• Otaru Winter Adventure: A Day of Exploring Top Attractions and Savoring Local Cuisine

Day 6-10 | Sapporo

Sapporo served as our base for the latter half of our Hokkaido trip, and we actually stayed in Sapporo for a total of five days. These five days spanned over the New Year holiday period, and to accommodate the varying opening hours of different attractions, we staggered our itinerary. Apart from the first day's one-day trip to Otaru and spending two days skiing at Teine Mountain during New Year's, we had two days within Sapporo city itself.

Further reading

• One Day in Lake Toya During Winter | Top 8 Scenic Spots | Relaxing at Lakeview Toya Nonokaze Resort

More Kansai Itinerary

• Himeji Castle Tour
• Arima Onsen
• Journey through the Nada Gokyo Sake Breweries
• Food Diary: Exploring Osaka and Kobe's Culinary Delights
• Expedia.com
• Booking.com
• TripAdvisor
• Best US Credit Card for smart traveler
• Backpacking 101: How to Pack for a Long Journey | A Beginner Packing List

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Tokachi Ranch Shirakaba Trees & JEWELRY ICE (Tokachi)

Tokachi Ranch Shirakaba Trees

Tokachi Ranch is a ranch in Otofuke town located in the northern part of Obihiro city. The birch tree-lined avenue, which runs straight about 1.3km from the ranch entrance, is a popular spot known as a shooting location for the NHK morning serial drama "Massan" (2014). In the midwinter, the birch branches that had lost their leaves were covered with hoarfrost, and white flowers (snowflakes). The contrast between the pure white straight road and the blue sky is beautiful, and you definitely want to take a picture of it.

JEWELRY ICE

"Jewelry Ice" is a unique phenomenon only in the midwinter on the Otsu coast in Toyokoro town facing the Pacific Ocean. A natural phenomenon in which the water of the Tokachi River freezes and flows into the sea before hitting the coast. As time goes by, the sand polishes each block gradually and turn them into shiny and bright on surface! It can be seen from mid-January to late February, depending on the weather of the year.

Tokachi Winter River cruising (Tokachi), Shikisai-no-oka & Blue Pond (Biei)

Tokachi Winter River cruising

The Obihiro River is a river that flows through the city, but in winter you can see swans flying from Siberia. The boat is close to the surface of the water, and it is attractive to be able to experience the scenery close to your eyes of waterfowl. While sitting in the boat, you will be enjoying the perfect combination of wonderful landscape and blue surface of water that leaves you calmness and relaxation. *Available from December to March.

Shikisai-no-oka

Shikisai-no-oka is a 7-hectare flower field spreads out against the backdrop of the magnificent heavy snowfall mountain range and hills, and the view is simply extraordinary. You can see about 30 species of flowers from spring to autumn. In winter, you can experience buggy snowmobiles and enjoy the charm of winter hills, which is quite different from the green season.

Blue Pond is a mysterious pond where the water surface displays various hues of blue depending on the season and weather. In different seasons, it creates different stunning atmosphere that leave all visitors remarkable memories. Although Blue Pond is one of the key elements, the surrounding forest also play an important role in contributing to this breath-taking scenery. When there is no wind, the sky and trees are reflected on the surface of the water, creating a mysterious mirror-like scene.

Asahiyama Zoo, Hokkaido Ice Pavilion & Asahikawa Ramen Village (Asahikawa)

Asahiyama Zoo

At Asahiyama Zoo, you’ll stand a chance to meet more than 150 kinds of animals. Apart from the animals that we understand in general, this zoo consists of variety of wild animals including Artic creatures like penguins and polar bears, other species including capybaras, orangutans and many more that are typically live in the wild. It is famous nationwide for its "behavioural exhibition" which creates a comfortable space for animals and allows the visitors to truly see the ecology and behaviour that those animals originally have.

Hokkaido Ice Pavilion

The Ice Pavilion is the world's first and largest scaled facility where you can enjoy the cold experience all year round. The ice hall is kept at -20 ℃ throughout the year, and the icicles that have created over 40 years and the nature has boast a scale of 600m2 ice wall and 1000-ton ice volume and you can also have your photo taken with the sea angel, Clione. Besides, never forget to visit the 25 years old giant icicles and still counting!

Asahikawa Ramen Village

Asahikawa Ramen Village is one of a kind must visit spot for ramen lovers, mainly to promote the culture of Asahikawa's delicious ramen noodles. At here, there are 8 ramen shops with their unique recipes and original tastes, and offering customers a variety of choices. In addition, there is also a shop in Ramen Village, where you can buy a wide range of Asahikawa ramen as souvenirs. Aside from the delicious ramen, you can visit Ramen Village Shrine for blessings and there are Instagrammable spots such as benches that were customized in the shapes of chopsticks and giant ramen bowls.

Former Hokkaido Government Office, Sapporo Factory & Okurayama Ski Jump Stadium (Sapporo)

Former Hokkaido Government Office

The Former Hokkaido Government Office, often known as the “red brick building” was built according to the American neo-baroque style in 1888. It is also an iconic symbol of Hokkaido and the color of the building has attracted the attention of many. This “red brick building” has various facilities such as historic exhibitions, museum shop, conference room and even tourist information office. Aside from the indoor facilities, you can explore and walk around the front yard and every corner of this wonderful place.

Sapporo Factory

Sapporo Factory is categorized as a large-scale shopping and entertainment complex with over 160 establishments. There are restaurants, lifestyle products, cinema, fashion, hotel and many more available in this complex. Even though Sapporo Factory was the former Sapporo Beer Factory, but a small and functioning brewery is still operating in the building that offers visitors tour services at the beer brewery.

Okurayama Ski Jump Stadium

Okurayama Ski Jump Stadium is a place that you can actually go to the starting point of the "Okurayama Jump Stadium" jumping platform exactly where the jumping competition was held at the 1972 Winter Olympics Sapporo Tournament. During winter time, visitors can get to take nice photographs with their friends and family with snowy white background, and also experience the amazing view of Sapporo City at the top of observatory platform.

Moerenuma Park & Mt. Hakkenzan (Sapporo)

Moerenuma Park

Moerenuma Park is located in Higashi-ku, Sapporo and was designed by the world-famous sculptor Isamu Noguchi. With an area of about 188.8 hectares, the park itself is a huge campus where nature and art merge together. A comprehensive park with seasonal attractions such as cherry blossoms in spring, playing in the water in summer, coloured leaves in autumn, and snowy scenery in winter available for its patrons.

Mt. Hakkenzan

If you are a beginner for mountain climbing, Mt. Hakkenzan is definitely one of the best spots for you. As the simple formation and structure, it is easier for all mountain climbers to enjoy their hiking session. You will notice the top of the mountain is filled with sword-like rock formations and that’s where the name “Mt. Hakkenzan” was created. Besides, the climate in the area is warm and sunny. So, it is a great location to grow fruits such as cherry, apple, grape and even strawberry. Visitors are able to experience fruits picking here too!

Snow Activities (Snowshoeing) & Yukemuri Lumina (Sapporo)

Snow Activities (Snowshoeing)

You can enjoy the scenery of winter mountains with snowshoes, and you can walk on the powder snow with ease where no experience required. Modern spiked snowshoeing is considered as the common option at ski resorts, but alternatively, visitors also can opt for a unique Japanese experience by strapping on a pair of traditional kanjiki snowshoes too. Also, you can enjoy the snowy mountains of Jozankei from a different angle than usual that gives you the feeling of nature trekking.

Yukemuri Lumina

At Yukemuri Lumina, a number of illuminations are set up throughout the year, including Jozankei Gensen Park in the center of the hot spring town and a huge tree next to the souvenir shop. There are many spots available where you can see the illuminations while taking a footbath and take pictures in the hot spring town. Collectively, they are called "Yukemuri Lumina". *Available throughout the year

Otaru Art Base, Sakai-machi Street & OTARU TIMES GARTEN (Otaru)

Otaru Art Base

Otaru Art Base is renowned for their marvellous arts and crafts across entire Japan and the world. In each of the four buildings and 3 facilities consisting of a stained-glass museum, the former Mitsui Bank Otaru branch museum, and the Nitori Museum, which has been renovated from a historic building. If you’re an art lover, this is the place that gives you cultivation and sensitivity toward the beauty of arts and culture.

Sakai-machi Street

Sakaimachi Street is a historical and attractive well-preserved merchant street. Many Western style buildings were built along Sakaimachi Street as the offices and shops of trading and shipping companies in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Nowadays, these buildings have since been converted into restaurants, cafes, museums, etc. to attract more visitors. Tourists can also enjoy DIY experience at some of the local Otaru glassware shops along the street and bring back your own one of a kind glassware as a special souvenir. Visitors often shop while walking along Sakaimachi Street and enjoy desserts made from Hokkaido fresh milk.

OTARU TIMES GARTEN

OTARU TIMES GARTEN is a food-themed garden consisting of three pavilions: the meat specialty store "ONIKU NO HITOTOKI", which boasts Genghis Khan, the Hokkaido wheat bakery "PAN TIME", and the hammock cafe "OCHA BIYORI". This the exactly the spot where you can enjoy food in the historic stone warehouse of the Otaru Canal.

UPOPOY (Shiraoi), Usuzan Ropeway & The Windsor Hotel Toya Resort & Spa (Toya)

Upopoy is a national center that serves as a base for the reconstruction and development of the Ainu culture, which is a precious culture of Japan but is in danger of survival. It is also a symbol for the future to build a vibrant society that respects the dignity of indigenous peoples and has a diverse and prosperous culture without discrimination.

Usuzan Ropeway

The Usuzan Ropeway brings you close to the volcano's summit. The upper station's observation deck offers panoramic views of Lake Toya and neighboring Showa Shinzan. From the second observation deck, with a short walk away, there are views of the ocean and Mount Usu's largest crater, which was formed in an eruption in 1977. A 7-minute walk will take you to the crater observatory, where you can see a large crater that raises water vapor.

The Windsor Hotel Toya Resort & Spa

The Windsor Hotel Toya Resort & Spa is located on the summit of Mt. Poromoi at an altitude of 625m. It offers a beautiful view of Lake Toya from their unique Western style rooms, spa area, onsen and golf course too! They even pamper their guest with BVLGARI bath sets. If you are feeling hungry, there will be eight restaurants ranging from Japanese and French restaurants that was awarded two stars from the prestigious Michelin Restaurant Guide.

Jigokudani - Hell Valley & Noboribetsu Bear Park (Noboribetsu)

Jigokudani - Hell Valley

Jigokudani is an explosion crater with a major axis of about 450m in the northeast of Noboribetsu Onsen Town. Visitors often find the natural hot spring is a relaxing attraction, but have you ever wondered where is the source of the water? Let me reveal the answer for you, these waters were actually flow up from the underground and more than 10,000 tons of water mixed with natural elements flow directly to the hot springs in town.

Noboribetsu Bear Park

Noboribetsu Bear Park is a ranch on the summit of Mt. Shikatamine, raising about 70 brown bears. It was equipped with a brown bear museum and an observatory. In Hokkaido, brown bears are the largest species of animals but it was reported that the population has been declining and it is believed that there were 2,000 brown bears left. Thankfully, brown bears were worshiped by the native Hokkado people, Ainu and they were contributing and the numbers of bears are growing steadily from eight to sixty now!

Chitose Winery & Salmon Hometown Chitose Aquarium (Chitose)

Chitose Winery

Chitose Winery is a place where you can participate yourself in the tour about this brewery that manufactures wine. While enjoying the wine tasting session, you can shop for your favourite wines at here. "North Wine Kellner" is very popular as a souvenir from Hokkaido as well as the specialty Hascup wine which is made from indigenous fruits is also available here! Let’s share this with your wine buddies and try these amazing flavors together.

Salmon Hometown Chitose Aquarium

Salmon Hometown Chitose Aquarium is an aquarium with one of the largest aquariums in Japan for freshwater species, and you can observe various freshwater creatures from all over the world, mainly salmon friends and freshwater fishes from Hokkaido. Above all, a flock of salmon that goes up the river for spawning in the fall is a must-see.

• Beauty of Hokkaido & Tohoku
• Winter Hokkaido Recommended Itinerary

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Hokkaido Road Trip: The Perfect 10 Day Hokkaido Itinerary

By: Author Lotte

Posted on Last updated: July 24, 2024

Categories Japan

One of the most beautiful and coolest places in Japan , quite literally, is Hokkaido, Japan's northernmost island.

Hokkaido is a wild and untamed destination in Japan with stunning scenery. It's an island of volcanoes, natural hot springs, endless forests, stunning National Parks with plenty of wildlife, and walls of snow that line the roads.

In this Hokkaido self-drive itinerary, you can find all the nitty-gritty details about our Hokkaido road trip.

Hokkaido itinerary: a 10 day Hokkaido road trip

Disclosure: Some links in this post are affiliate links. If you make a purchase through one of these links, we may earn a small commission (at no extra cost to you!). We're very grateful when you use our links to make a purchase:-).

Road trip Hokkaido

When I was researching Hokkaido and our Hokkaido tour itinerary, I discovered not much has been written about driving in Hokkaido.

That's why I wrote an extensive post including everything you need to know more about renting a car and driving on Hokkaido (the speed limit, the Hokkaido Expressway, how to get and use an ETC card, etc.).

You can read all about it in my Guide to driving on Hokkaido.

In this post, you'll find all the best things to do on Hokkaido, as well as practical tips and where to stay on Hokkaido. I hope this Hokkaido backpacking itinerary will help you plan your Hokkaido driving trip!

Our Hokkaido road trip itinerary: map

You can find our itinerary including all the highlights we visited and our Hokkaido accommodation on the Hokkaido travel map below.

Click here for the interactive Hokkaido road map

Hokkaido trip itinerary

• Day 1: Lake Shikotsu
• Day 2: Noboribetsu and Lake Tōya
• Day 3: driving South (to Hakodate)
• Day 4: Hakodate and around
• Day 5: Matsumae Castle and Onuma Park
• Day 6: driving North (to Furano)
• Day 7: Furano and around
• Day 8: Asahidake Onsen
• Day 9:  Daisetzusan Park
• Day 10: Lake Akan

Plan your Japan trip like a pro with these tools: ✅ Get a Japan Railpass to save lots of time and money. ✅ Rent a car for your Japan road trip via Rentalcars.com . ✅ Stay connected with Airalo Japan offer . ✅ Plan your journey with the Japan Lonely Planet . ✅ Find the best hotel deals on Booking.com . ✅ Join the best tours in Japan via Klook . ✅ Travel safely and get reliable travel insurance from Safety Wing .

Our Hokkaido travel plan: facts and figures

• I traveled to Hokkaido with my husband; we started and ended our road trip at New Chitose Airport in Sapporo.
• Our Hokkaido driving itinerary was 10 days in total, we drove approximately 2000 kilometers (so ~200 km per day).
• For our road trip we decided to follow the sun, or at least go where the weather forecast said it would be the least rainy and/or cold. I have to say, the Japan weather forecast is extremely good! It was very accurate during our Hokkaido trip, something we definitely used to our advantage while traveling around this amazing island.
• With temperatures below 0°C at some point, we decided to change our plans and head south instead of north to Wakkanai and the islands of Rebun and Reshiri. Our entire Hokkaido travel itinerary was based on the weather and turned out very different from the one I created before our trip. After all, travel is all about being flexible !

Things to know about a Hokkaido road trip

Is it safe to drive in hokkaido.

In general, yes, it's very safe to drive on Hokkaido. Roads are well maintained and people generally obey the traffic rules (except for the speed limit, which can be frustratingly low).

In this post, you can read more about driving in Hokkaido .

Can I use the JR Pass to get around Hokkaido?

If you don't want to rent a car in Hokkaido and use public transportation to get around instead, that's a good option as well.

Note that it will be more challenging to get to remote places, while there is an extensive rail network, trains are only available in the major cities.

That being said, there's a network of buses as well, just keep in mind that getting from place to place will take more time than by car.

You can purchase the regular Japan Rail Pass for your time on Hokkaido but it's also worth looking into the regional Hokkaido Rail Pass .

The regional pass is cheaper than the Japan rail pass, but it depends on your Japan itinerary which one is the best option.

Click here to compare the JR rail pass (valid everywhere in Japan) with the Hokkaido rail pass (only valid in Hokkaido).

What is the best time to visit Hokkaido?

Hokkaido is a year-round destination and each time of the year has its own pros and cons.

A Hokkaido road trip in spring

We traveled to Hokkaido at the end of April and the start of May, my favorite things about traveling to Hokkaido in spring were:

• We got to experience four different seasons in just 10 days. From snow and freezing nights to walking around in a t-shirt and relaxing in an onsen after a very rainy day.
• We got to admire the beautiful cherry blossoms (in full bloom!) at Goryōkaku and Matsumae Castle (read more below).
• I loved that we had the campsites entirely to ourselves as there weren't any other campers yet this early in the season.

However, be sure to pack appropriately and bring plenty of (warm) layers. It's still pretty cold in Hokkaido during this time of year!

A Hokkaido road trip in the summer

During the summer months, you can admire the famous flower and lavender fields on Hokkaido. Plus, you can hike the Shiretoko Traverse and lots of other trails.

Note that many hiking trails on Hokkaido are still closed in Spring (and sometimes even in June) because of the large amounts of snow that fall during winter.

While this isn't a specific Hokkaido summer itinerary, all of the spots included in the post can be visited in summer.

A Hokkaido road trip in autumn

Hokkaido is a very popular spot during autumn because of the brightly colored forests with leaves in vivid autumn colors.

Check the Autumn Color Report  on  Japan Guide  to plan the best time for your visit.

A Hokkaido road trip in winter

If you plan to visit Hokkaido in winter, make sure you're very well prepared. It's not easy to drive on Hokkaido in winter, it can even be dangerous unless you know what you are doing!

That being said, Hokkaido can be a wonderful winter destination! You can visit the Sapporo Snow Festival (read more below), go skiing in one of the ski resorts, and admire the frozen lakes and snowy views.

Where to stay on Hokkaido

Here is a list of all the places we stayed during our road trip around Hokkaido.

Note:  Prices for the hotels, campgrounds, and guesthouses depend on the time of year and how far in advance you book. Therefore, the prices mentioned above are a rough indication of the price per night to help you compare the different options. Click ‘book here’ to see the latest prices on  Booking  and book ahead to get the best deal.

* Unfortunately the accommodation we stayed at during our Hokkaido trip is no longer available. While we didn't personally stay at the Shin Furano Prince hotel we did visit their spa twice during our time in Furano.

How to find accommodation during Golden Week

Golden Week is the period from the 29th of April to early May and includes a number of Japanese holidays. Check the exact Golden Week dates here

During this week many Japanese people go on holiday and accommodation can be extremely difficult to find.

In fact, when I was looking for some last-minute accommodation on Agoda and Booking , there were only 2 hotels available in the entire city, the cheapest one was €400 a night…

I was very happy to we had our tent and car as a backup option!

If you are traveling in peak season and Golden Week in particular: book your accommodation in advance!

Hokkaido itinerary day 1: Lake Shikotsu

Itinerary: New Chitose Airport – Nissan rental car outlet – Nature trail Lake Shikotsu – Shikotsukomorappu Camping Ground

Pick up your rental car

Pick up your rental car at New Chitose Airport so you can start your Hokkaido road trip immediately after landing on the island. Click here to compare car rental prices on Rentalcars.com.

Important: be sure to stock up on enough drinks, snacks, and some instant ramen at a nearby 7-11 before setting out on your road trip.

If you are traveling early in the season or during winter, many restaurants are (still) closed.

You really don't want to arrive at a beautiful camp spot with an empty stomach and nothing to eat. We did on our first day in Hokkaido and had to drive back to Chitose for supplies.

Go hiking along the shores of Lake Shikotsu

Lake Shikotsu is a caldera lake in the Shikotsu-Toya National Park. Around the lake, there are several mountains and (some still active) volcanoes, such as Mount Eniwa and Mount Tarumae.

There is a short but steep trail going up Mount Tarumae with excellent views from the top.

Unfortunately, the trail was still closed when we visited (too much snow) supposedly the views from the summit are really beautiful and worth the climb.

Where to stay at Lake Shikotsu ⇒ Campsite Morappu (1 night)

The view alone makes this campsite worth a visit! However, the fierce wind blowing over the lake was very cold and I didn't get much sleep that night…

We purchased a set of thermal underwear and extra blankets the next day which solved the problem.

Please note that while there are (clean) toilets, there are no showers. I later found out this is actually quite normal for Japanese campsites because there usually is an onsen (either onsite or nearby) instead.

Price per night: €12,80/$14.

Places to stay near Lake Shikotsu

If you don't want to go camping there are other accommodation options available. However, there are only a handful of hotels to be found around Lake Shikotsu and most are quite expensive.

There is the friendly 3-star Marukoma Onsen Ryokan and the superb 5-star Lake Shikotsu Tsuruga Resort Spa Mizu no Uta .

Alternatively, you can explore Lake Shikotsu during the day and drive back to Chitose or Sapporo where there are more affordable options to stay.

Hokkaido itinerary day 2: Noboribetsu Onsen and Lake Tōya

Itinerary: Shikotsukomorappu campground – Jigokudani (Hell Valley) – Oyunuma Pond – Lake Kuttara – Lake Tōya – Nakatoya Camping Ground

Noboribetsu Onsen

Noboribetsu is Hokkaido's most famous hot spring resort and a great place to visit in Hokkaido.

While the town itself it small, it offers a wide variety of activities and attractions, from its beautiful hot springs to its picturesque lakes and mountains.

Visit Jigokudani (also known as Hell Valley)

Volcanic activity is something that has fascinated me since I was a little girl. In fact, my first school project was about volcanos and even got me an A!

The smell of sulfur, the crazy colors of the rocks, and the steaming vents make Jigokudani one of the best places to visit on Hokkaido.

Take your time enjoying the scenic landscape of the area, Jigokudani is one of those places where you truly feel (and smell) the incredible force of nature.

Oyunuma Pond

This was quite possibly my favorite place in Hokkaido! I had never seen a steaming lake before, it was mesmerizing, and couldn’t take my eyes off Oyunuma Pond for a long long time…

Lake Kuttara

This perfectly circular crater lake inside the volcano Kuttara contains the best quality water in Japan. You can drive along its shores and admire the views.

There are hiking trails as well ( such as this one ), but we didn't cover any during our trip.

Lake Toya is another spectacular lake, with an even more spectacular backdrop. It's part of the Shikotsu-Toya National Park and a popular location for hiking and camping.

Where to stay at Lake Toya ⇒ Nakatoya Camping Ground (1 night)

During our stay, we were the only ones at the campsite. It was so quiet and the starry night was magical.

Also, with our newly purchased thermal underwear and extra blankets, we were well prepared for the cold, and sleeping in our tent was very comfortable!

Unfortunately, the onsen was closed. Maybe it was too early in the season or the campground manager didn't turn it on because we were the only ones there.

Price per night: €7,20/$8.

Hokkaido itinerary day 3: driving South (to Hakodate)

Itinerary: Nakatoya Camping Ground – Hotel WBF Hakodate

The kindness of Japanese people

While driving south to Hakodate I experienced firsthand that Japanese people are among the kindest and most helpful people in the world.

I had accidentally booked the wrong flight and needed to call customer service. There was just one problem, I didn't have a local SIM card and my own SIM didn't work for some reason.

A very friendly Japanese man generously loaned me his phone. And not only that, he bought us coffee and locally produced food as gifts as well!

I was speechless… And very grateful .

That being said I highly recommend getting a local SIM, click here to buy a SIM card with unlimited data online .

Relax in an onsen

Our first onsen experience was amazing but we also desperately needed it. It had been raining heavily the entire day.

And we had ‘slightly' underestimated how cold Hokkaido would be at the end of April. Therefore, the rain felt like wet snow and we didn’t feel like pitching our tent that night.

I was extremely happy I managed to book one of the last available hotel rooms in Hakodate (it was Golden Week, read more below), which happened to have an onsen.

Onsen = Japanese spa with a VERY hot bath… Utter bliss! Read more about how to visit an onsen in Japan.

I know I've said it before, but I can't stress this enough: Golden Week is the busiest travel period of the year in Japan (because it's a public holiday). Booking accommodation as early as possible is crucial when traveling during this period. My favorite sites to find accommodation are Agoda and  Booking . I usually also check reviews on Tripadvisor if I'm having trouble choosing between 2 hotels.

Where to stay in Hakodate ⇒ Hotel WBF Hakodate (1 night)

WBF Hakodate is a lovely hotel: comfortable and clean. Rooms have an ensuite bathroom and a kettle. The onsen was pure bliss…

The walls are pretty thin and the room is quite small (though that's pretty common in Japan).

Click here to book hotel WBF Hakodate

Hokkaido itinerary day 4: Hakodate and around

Itinerary: Hotel WBF Hakodate – Goryōkaku Castle – Hakodate Mountain walking trail – Hakodate Village – Roadside Rest Area Fukushima

Goryōkaku Castle

We didn’t time our visit to coincide with the cherry blossom season or sakura as it’s called in Japan.

But it was the icing on an already delicious cake (the cake being Japan;-). Walking below thousands of cherry trees dressed in pretty pinks and whites was like stepping into a fairy tale…

Click here to buy a ticket for the Goryokaku Tower online.

Hakodate Mountain walking trails

On Hokkaido nature is never far away. And so it didn’t take us long to find a nice hiking trail leading to the top of Mount Hakodate.

Hakodate historic village

With old brick houses and colonial villas, I almost felt like we were back in Europe. I would have loved to learn more about Hakodate and its interesting history but unfortunately, we didn't have enough time.

If you want to see the most important highlights of Hakodate (such as the Kanemori red brick warehouse) while gaining fascinating insights into Japan’s history and culture, check out this private walking tour with a licensed local guide.

Where to stay in Fukushima ⇒ Roadside Rest Area Fukushima (1 night)

I didn't know this, but sleeping in your car is actually rather common in Japan!

When we arrived at the Michi-no-Eki (road station) in Fukushima we were a bit apprehensive as we weren't sure if it was allowed to stay the night.

We decided to risk it and were very surprised to wake up in a packed parking lot the next morning! There were fully equipped campervans and next to us was a Japanese man in a suit who slept in his sports car.

This road station is a convenient place to spend the night. There was a supermarket across the parking lot where we bought a cup of coffee and some sandwiches for breakfast.

We even brushed our teeth in the shop's little bathroom! However, keep in mind that you're staying at a parking lot and there aren't many facilities.

Price per night: free!

Hokkaido itinerary day 5: Matsumae Castle and Onuma Park

Itinerary: Roadside Rest Area Fukushima – Matsumae Castle – Onuma Quasi National Park – Lake Toya Fireworks – Toyako Parking Lot

Visit Matsumae Castle

Visiting a Japanese castle during cherry blossom season with a perfect blue sky: it doesn’t get better than that!

Explore Onuma Quasi-National Park

We strolled around this nice little park with lovely bridges and stunning Mt. Komagatake in the backdrop. A perfect afternoon activity.

Admire the Lake Toya Fireworks

From the start of Golden Week until October there is a firework show every evening. You don't need a ticket and can enjoy the show from the boulevard.

During our first stop at Lake Toya (on day 2 of this itinerary), we were too early for the fireworks shows (it wasn't Golden Week yet).

We were very lucky to catch the show on our way back north.

Where to stay in Toyako Onsen ⇒ Toyako Parking Lot (1 night)

The parking lot was in the center of the village Toyako, but still very quiet (we were there very early in the season).

There was even a (clean) toilet and a tap with warm water. No showers, but what can you expect from a free parking lot?

Hokkaido itinerary day 6: driving North

Itinerary: Toyako Parking Lot – Shin Furano Prince hotel

Admire the view

With the risk of repeating myself too often: road trips are the best! I love driving around an unknown country, looking out the window of our car, and admiring all there is to see…

Eat the best Maze Soba Tempura in Furano

Until this day, the Maze Soba we had in Furano is the best food I've ever eaten. Food in Japan is pretty much always really tasty, but this dish is my #1 favorite plate of food in the world.

Relax in a spa (onsen)

Hokkaido can be very cold, even in Spring. As such, I had been wearing my thermal underwear for 3 days straight when we arrived in Furano and both my clothes as well as myself were in dire need of cleaning…

The spa at the Shin Furano Prince Hotel was the perfect place to do so. For obvious reasons, taking pictures in the spa isn't allowed, but you can find pictures of the spa on Booking.com .

Where to stay in Furano ⇒ Shin Furano Prince Hotel (2 nights)

This hotel offers clean and spacious rooms in a beautiful location. However, the best feature of the Shin Furano Prince Hotel is the aforementioned spa.

The view from the spa is beautiful and there is no better way to end your day of sightseeing in Furano than by soaking up the heat in the onsen.

Click here to book the Shin Furano Prince hotel

Hokkaido itinerary day 7: Furano and around

Itinerary: Cheese factory – Wine factory – Walk around wine factory – Rollercoaster road – Blue Pools – Glass Forest – Spa at Shin Furano Prince Hotel  

Visit the Furano cheese factory

The first stop of the day was the cheese factory where we watched an informative movie (even though it was in Japanese and so were the subtitles).

We ate wine-infused cheese and black brie, very interesting tastes. And of course, we had to look up Dutch ‘Goudse Kaas' on the World Of Cheese.

Do a tasting at Furano wine factory

Next up was the wine factory (I had no idea they produce wine in Japan). It was fun to take a look in the wine cellar and search for the wine bottles produced in the year we were born.

The weather was amazing during our time in Furano, it was even warm enough to walk around in a t-shirt! We went for an easy 5-km walk near the wine factory and spotted a fox in the fields!

Visit Farm Tomita in Furano

the most famous lavender farm in Japan. I didn’t know this before coming to Japan, but lavender is kind of a thing here. Apparently, there is a special train station that is only in use during the lavender season.

Seeing the already beautiful views from Farm Tomita, I can understand why this place is such a tourist hotspot (for Japanese people).

We bought a lavender ice cream which tasted strangely good albeit a bit weird.

Drive the Rollercoaster Road

This is a fun 4km long road that really fun to drive because of the rolling hills. Thought it would have been even more fun if one were allowed to go faster than 50km an hour…

The Blue Pond

This is a beautiful but odd place with vividly blue glacier water and a lot of dead trees. Pretty but strange.

Drive around Furano valley

The views of the mountains on both sides of the valley were beautiful and we were extremely lucky with the weather!

Visit the Glass Forest

The last stop on our self-drive customized sightseeing tour around Furano was the Glass Forest.

This glass is unique and made using a very special technique that creates tiny cracks in the glass that take 3-5 years to mature! It’s very beautiful but also very expensive!

Enjoy the good life

We ate maze soba again because it was so delicious. And then we hung out in the spa of the Shin Furano Prince Hotel , again…

Hokkaido itinerary day 8: Asahidake Onsen

Itinerary: Shin Furano Prince hotel – Asahidake Onsen – Sōunkyō 7-11 parking lot

Hiking in the snow at Asahidake Onsen

The drive to Asahidake Onsen alone is reason enough to go there. The higher up the mountain we got, the higher the walls of snow lining the road became…

We, therefore, assumed hiking would be out of the question, but when we paid a visit to the tourist information center the friendly guy manning the station told us about a cross-country trail that was accessible for hiking.

Well, that sounded pretty awesome. Turns out it was!

The temperature was around 16 degrees Celsius and was a bit surreal to hike in a t-shirt through a very snowy landscape.

An unusual experience for sure, with gorgeous views along the way.

Where to stay at Sōunkyō ⇒ parking lot next to the 7-11 (1 night)

We asked the staff of the 7-11 if we could park for the night and they so kindly made an exception for us.

Parking next to the 7-11 meant we could literally crawl out of bed to get our morning coffee. Also, as apparently, all supermarkets in Japan do, there was a toilet in the store and a little sink to brush our teeth.

Hokkaido itinerary day 9: the road trip continues through Daisetzusan Park

Itinerary: Sōunkyō 7-11 parking lot – Ryusei-no-taki and Ginga-no-taki waterfalls – Taisetsu Dam in Daisetzusan Park – Lake Akan parking lot

Ryusei-no-taki and Ginga-no-taki waterfalls

I love waterfalls, they are mesmerizing, how can there be such an endless amount of water coming down from those steep cliffs…

To get the best view we hiked to the top of the trail across the waterfalls, from this spot you can take a picture of both waterfalls in one shot.

Be sure to bring bear spray and keep your eyes peeled for wildlife. We didn’t see a bear but we did spot a couple of deer strolling through the forest.

Road through Daisetzusan National Park

Even with the dreary weather, it was a delight to drive this road through Daisetsuzan National Park.

We continued driving because with rain pouring down there wasn’t much else we could do and ended up at Lake Akan.

In Akan town, we chilled out in a little café, Pan de Pan, until the rain cleared up. With an almost completely clear sky, we went for a short walk by the beautiful lake and strolled through the Ainu village.

In the shopping street of Akan village, all sorts of arts and crafts products and countless marimo items are being sold in the souvenir shops. Marimo is what Lake Akan is all about after all!

You may wonder what the #$%^ is a marimo?

Marimo are green spheres of algae and very kawaii (because fluffy). How much of a thing is Kawaii in Japan? Let me quote the Lonely Planet : Marimo became endangered after being designated a national treasure. Suddenly everyone in Japan needed to have one. Anyway, these green spheres of algae grow in lake Akan and the people living in the village sure know how to use that fact to their advantage, there are marimo-themed items everywhere you look.

Where to stay at Akanko Onsen ⇒ Lake Akan parking lot (1 night)

The lady selling the parking tickets didn't mind if we stayed the night.

The parking lot happened to be across from 7-11, so getting coffee and breakfast was easy again, as was cleaning up (slightly) in the morning.

I'm nit-picking here, but the ground wasn't entirely level. Not ideal when you sleep in your car.

Price per night: €3,20/$4 (for a parking ticket)

Hokkaido itinerary day 10: Lake Akan and around

Itinerary: Lake Akan parking lot – Lake Akan nature walk – Eco Museum – Lake Onetto – car drop-off point – Hotel Areaone Chitose

Lake Akan nature walk

On our last day in Hokkaido, we were definitely in luck (again): the sun was shining! We went for a short hike over the nature trail next to the Eco Visitor Center.

It was a brief hike but offered great views of the lake. And of course, we passed some mud pools, signs of volcanic activity are never far away on Hokkaido.

Visit the Akan Eco Museum

In the Akan Eco museum, we checked out some particularly fluffy marimo (see the picture above) and learned more about the formation of these strange phenomena.

Hike around Lake Onetto

Lake Onetto is a gorgeous lake with bright blue color and two imposing volcanoes looming over the lake.

We went for a hike around the lake, but the trail was still partially snowed under!

I imagine in summer it’s a nice and easy stroll, but in Spring it was quite a challenging hike as we tried not to sink too deep into the snow!

Where to stay in Sapporo ⇒ Hotel Areaone Chitose (1 night)

We had an early flight to Hiroshima from New Chitose Airport. Hotel Areaone Chitose was close to the airport and offered a free shuttle service.

It was a good place to stay, the room was small but after sleeping in our car for a couple of nights it actually felt big to us;-).

We spent our afternoon soaking in the steaming onsen but unfortunately, the sauna was out of service during our stay.

More things to do on Hokkaido

If you've got more time to spend in Hokkaido (lucky you!), here are some popular places I wish we could have added to our Hokkaido itinerary.

Sapporo Snow Festival

If you happen to visit Hokkaido in winter, you can visit the famous Sapporo Snow Festival! This annual winter event is held in Sapporo and takes place every February in Odori Park (you'll also find the Sapporo tv tower in this park).

One of the highlights of the festival is the Snow Sculpture Contest. Teams from countries around the world compete to create the most amazing snow sculptures and the cool thing is: you can actually see the snow sculptures being made during the festival.

There are lots of other attractions such as snow slides, skiing, live performances, and much more. The Sapporo Snow Festival is a great way to experience the beauty of winter in Sapporo.

Check the official site for more information.

Shiretoko National Park

Shiretoko National Park is a stunning natural area located in the northernmost part of Hokkaido. With its unique combination of mountains, volcanoes, forests, and seashore, it is a popular destination for hikers, bird watchers, and nature enthusiasts.

The park is home to a variety of wildlife, including the endangered Steller's sea eagle, brown bears, and the Asiatic black bear.

If you plan to visit this stunning part of Hokkaido, be sure to read up on bear safety and bring a can of bear spray and a bear bell .

Otaru is a charming port city, known for its picturesque canals lined with old-fashioned warehouses and charming, historical buildings.

The city has a rich history of fishing and trading, and you can still see many of the old fishing boats in the harbor.

Besides the famous Otaru Canal, there are a variety of attractions, such as the Otaru Aquarium, Otaru Music Box Museum, and the Otaru Tenguyama Ropeway.

All in all, Otaru is a great place to visit in Hokkaido, as it is a peaceful and relaxing city with many great restaurants, shops, and attractions to explore.

Road trip in Hokkaido: conclusion

Our road trip around Hokkaido was an amazing experience, despite the cold.

Hokkaido truly is a wonderful island: wild, mountainous, active volcanoes, lots of wildlife, pretty lakes, friendly people, and delicious food. 

I will add that 10 days in Hokkaido is not nearly enough to see everything this beautiful place has to offer. I really hope that we'll be able to come back to Hokkaido and visit more Hokkaido highlights.

Not many people include a trip to Hokkaido in their Japan itinerary , but I hope that this Hokkaido travel blog has convinced you Hokkaido is highly worth a visit!

If you want to read more about traveling in Japan , check out my other posts:

• Japan on a budget
• Japan off the beaten path
• Funny things in Japan
• Tokyo itinerary
• Kyoto itinerary
• Osaka itinerary
• Miyajima itinerary
• Japanese Alps itinerary
• 3 days in Kamikochi
• Hiking to Koyasan

Download our Hokkaido free and easy itinerary below and plan your trip in no time! Feel free to ask any questions you may have about planning a trip to Hokkaido, I'm happy to help!

This post was updated in January 2023 .

Sunday 15th of September 2019

Will you recommend Hokkaido in mid October? And if so, what changes from your itinerary do you suggest?

Friday 20th of September 2019

While I think you can visit Hokkaido in October, please keep in mind it will already be quite cold. Also, the leaves will probably have fallen (most of them at least) so you will miss the splendid fall colors. Nevertheless, the scenery will still be stunning and the crowds will have left so you'll have them all to yourself.

I wouldn't necessarily change the itinerary but my most important tip would be to follow the weather. If the weather forecast says sun in the north, go north. If rain is expected in the east, go west. And pack enough layers, gloves and a beanie:-)

Have a great trip! Lotte

Friday 12th of July 2019

Hi Lotte, Your mission has been accomplished as I was truly inspired by your 10day trip to Hokkaido. I live in Malaysia. I am hoping to take my 17 yr old daughter on road trip. I am hoping to rent a MPV (with sleeping and simple cooking set up but no toilet facilities). You are right in that there are not many articles about driving /camping routes around Japan or maybe I don't know what to look for. So thank you very much for sharing your trip. I've never done a driving holiday before and I feel even more responsible bringing my teen daughter so I don't really know where to begin. I chose Japan as I think it is a safe country to begin such a journey and also because I LOVE Japan and have only seen small parts of it. I wonder if you could give me some advise as to how I could go about researching and planning my own trip. (1) I would like to travel mid August 2020 as that is school break for my daughter - would it be meaningful to use your travel route as a guide (keeping in mind I won't see seasonal wonders like cherry blossoms blooming) (2) We plan to sleep in our van (so no hotels) (3) We are not sure how long should we plan ( we think maybe 7-10 days) - also I am concerned about how to plan so I can return the hired van in time. Also, I chose a Van instead of RV ( my teen is hoping I'd get an RV) because I wanted to have freedom of more parking options. (4) We would love to do the following: - Hot springs & light hiking ( a couple of hours) - visit quaint little shops or markets - local interesting places e.g. temples, museums or architecture (we both enjoy craft and art) (5) I am REALLY hoping to end our day with a warm Japanese meal and a bath in an Onsen before we retire for the evening in our van. But we are also prepared to park at a rest stop sometimes and hopefully able to get a shower at least. I need to own up on the fact that I have always been a book and plan in advance person. So this is a huge leap for me. I want to do this before my teen outgrows bunking and holidaying with mom. (6) I looked at the car rental which you mentioned but I don't see that they offer the van which I'm after. I have done some research but if you do have any recommendations, I'd be happy to compare with my own findings.

Thank you for your time. May you have many more lovely trips and wonderful memories. Vivien

Saturday 20th of July 2019

It’s so wonderful to read about your upcoming adventure to Hokkaido with your daughter! Japan is a very safe country indeed and a great place for a first driving trip.

Regarding your questions, I think a van is a good choice as it gives you lots of flexibility. Keep in mind you’ll need/want something (like towels) to cover your windows so you don’t wake up at first light.

In 7-10 days you can see lots of things, but it really depends on the distance you want to cover in one day. You could easily spend a couple of days in the area around Furano, especially since you mention you like quaint little shops and arts&crafts.

Some campsites have an onsen but not all, I’d just ask the camp manager about the facilities when you arrive at a site. We also parked at random parking lots and there are no facilities (like a shower) available at such locations?. Regarding the rental company, if you are after a particular car I’d just go with the company that offers the best deal. As I went with ToCoo I have no experience with other rental companies in Japan.

I wish you a wonderful trip with your daughter! Let me know if you have any further questions:-) Lotte

Oodledoodles

Monday 18th of February 2019

Great post! Thank you for sharing your trip and information with fellow travellers!

I have a question... You mentioned "With temperatures below 0 degrees Celsius at some point, we decided to change our plans and head south instead of north to Wakkanai and the islands of Rebun and Reshiri..." Was weather and freezing temperatures the only reason why you changed your course of travels or was it because of the sights as well (with North having less sights over longer distance and South having more sights over shorter distance travelled?

I am planning to include some south Hokkaido (giving NOBORIBETSU and HAKODATE a miss... the former i've seen plenty in Rotorua and the latter, is just a city) and some of north Hokkaido (including Cape Kamui, Wakkanai and Cape Soya). Will include Biei and Furano as well.

Do you think is workable? I want to follow the tourist route but at the same time i'd like to able to see a little of the north side of Hokkaido as well. Just iffy about the travel distance and time between the cities thats all. We want to be able to take a relaxing journey and take our time, instead of being on the road all the time and rushing from one place to another, not taking time to enjoy the experience.

Sunday 3rd of March 2019

Hi! Thanks, I'm happy to hear that:-) For us the weather was the only reason we traveled South a couple of days sooner than planned. I'd love to revisit Hokkaido as there is so much more to see...

Regarding your itinerary, it really depends how much time you have available. As I mentioned in the post, covering the distances on Hokkaido takes time. However, the views are beautiful though and the roads are in great condition! I always like the journey as well, but I agree you don't want to feel rushed. I'd calculate the distances with google and multiply the time mentioned there by factor 1,3. If that seems alright to you I'd go for it! Have a wonderful trip:-)

Wednesday 30th of January 2019

Hello Lotte!

Thank you so much for this!

Did you go to Hokkaido around late April? I'm planning to go there on this late April and would love to go to Farm Tomita Furano, I saw your picture there, and seems that the lavender is not bloomed yet, But how about other flowers? I'm afraid that late April (30 april) wont be a good time to go to the farm if others flowers are also not bloomed yet.

Thank you Yessi

Friday 1st of February 2019

You are most welcome:-) Regarding your question, yes we traveled to Hokkaido at the end of April. No flowers were in bloom at all, in fact, there was still a lot of snow! Visiting Farm Tomita (and the other places on Hokkaido) was still great but if you are specifically looking for flowers blooming the end of April of probably not a good time. Enjoy your trip!

Friday 7th of September 2018

Hi Lotte - what a great read!

As a non-driver (yeah, shocking I know!) I'm always interested in how folks explore Japan by hire car.

I have a lot of affection for Hokkaido and reading this reminds me not to leave it too long before I'm next there.

The Log Yukari Guesthouse really looks like my kinda place - so that's a good find - thanks for the tip!

If anyone is visiting Hokkaido in Winter (especially between Jan-Mar) then I can thoroughly recommend taking a cruise out into the winter ice floes in an icebreaker ship - it really is an unforgettable experience:

https://www.therealjapan.com/how-to-cruise-an-icebreaker-ship-in-hokkaido/

Wednesday 19th of September 2018

Thanks for reading! I loved exploring Hokkaido by car but of course the trains in Japan are excellent as well;-) I would love to visit in winter, the icebreaker cruise sounds amazing...

• Dec 7, 2023
• 13 min read

10-Day Hokkaido Road Trip Itinerary: Exploring Northern Japan

Prepping for your year end holidays to Japan's Northern Island? Can't wait to feast on all that sashimi and Japanese food and soak in beautiful onsens? Want to experience the freedom of driving yourself from place to place? We've got you!

Buckle up, fellow explorers! We're about to embark on a 10-day journey through enchanting landscapes!

Hokkaido is a traveller's dream. Think of soaking in the onsen in winter, experiencing skiing or snowboarding in powder snow... (take me there right now!)

How many days do I need to travel around Hokkaido?

It really depends which areas you'd want to cover and the season you'll be visiting. Typically if you're heading to Hokkaido in winter for the ski slopes, then you'd usually spend at least 3 days trying to learn how to ski or snowboard!

And then you'll need more days to explore the rest of the icy, wintery northern island.

But if you're just intending to visit Sapporo and the nearby cities like Otaru, check out our 5D4N Sapporo itinerary !

How do I get to Hokkaido, Japan?

Although there aren't as many direct flights into Sapporo New Chitose Airport as compared to popular Tokyo and Osaka , there are more flights during the winter ski/snowboard season. If you're in Singapore, Scoot flies directly from Singapore to Sapporo, and you can search for them on Skyscanner .

But if Hokkaido is on your list from Tokyo, you can always Shinkansen up north to the lovely city of Hakodate. Once you are in the island of Hokkaido, you can then rent a car for the road trip :)

What do I need for driving in Hokkaido, Japan?

We've covered quite extensively in this blog post about driving in Hokkaido, Japan . In summary, you'll need an International Driving Permit, purchase the ETC card, and consider getting the Hokkaido expressway pass (only for foreigners). Don't forget to ask for a GPS in English (or your preferred language) and to ensure you have 4G / 5G mobile data !

And I would also want to throw caution that driving in Winter in Hokkaido is not for the faint-hearted and beginner drivers. The roads can be really slippery in the smaller cities, and you'll need to ensure that you have a shovel and winter tires!

Hokkaido Road Trip Itinerary

Day 1: Chitose > Lake Shikotsu > Noboribetsu > Lake Toya

Day 2: Lake Toya > Lake Onuma > Hakodate

Day 3: hakodate city, day 4: hakodate > niseko, day 5: niseko > otaru, day 6: otaru > furano, day 7: furano > asahikawa, day 8: asahikawa, day 9: asahikawa > sapporo, day 10: sapporo > chitose, day 1: arrival in chitose airport > lake shikotsu > noboribetsu > lake toya.

Our Hokkaido adventure began in Chitose, where the crisp and chilly northern air greets us as we step out of the airport. We started our car rental directly from the airport, kicking start our journey towards Lake Toya where we'll spend a night. Picking up the car was easy. All we had to do is to head over to the car rental companies on the bottom floor of the airport. You'll see many car rental car counters which are unmanned. But not to worry, once you've reserved your car online, all you have to do is to head over and call them. They will then promptly send a driver to bring you to the actual car rental company located just slightly outside of the airport.

We got a Toyota Roomy (a very quintessential Hokkaido cute car) from Toyota Rent-a-car, which costs about 8000 yen per day. It fits 2 pax comfortably with lots of room for luggage.

Chitose Outlet Mall RERA

Our first stop? It was for lunch and we decided to head to Chitose Outlet Mall RERA . It was a short 10 minutes drive from Toyota Rent-a-car. We arrived there slightly before noon and there weren't anyone at the outlet store. This is also a much smaller shopping outlet so you can actually shop in peace!

Lake Shikotsu

We had a simple lunch at the food court and then started towards our journey to our second stop of the trip - Lake Shikotsu.

The approximately 50mins drive to Lake Shikotsu unveils a picturesque landscape of rolling hills and forests. Once we've arrived, we were mesmerised by the clarity of the Lake Shikotsu waters. We took a leisurely stroll along the lake's shores, breathing in the fresh air, and absorbing the tranquility that surrounds this natural wonder.

Unlike busy cities, there weren't as many tourists here, so it was a really tranquil and great second stop after arriving in Hokkaido! Before you leave, swing by the Shikotsuko Shrine and take a walk across the Yamasen Bridge Ruins. It's bright red so you won't miss it! For those who would like an aerial view, there's also a path up the hill after you've crossed the Yamasen Bridge.

There are several hotels at Lake Shikotsu like Shikotsu Daiichi Hotel Suizantei , featuring outdoor onsens. Some rooms even have private open-air baths so that you can unwind privately with your loved ones in the comfort of your rooms! What's really special here is that most travellers who travel via trains will stop and stay at Noboribetsu, so you can be assured of a relatively peaceful stay here!

Noboribetsu

For us, we're heading over to Noboribetsu! Nestled in the southwestern part of Hokkaido, Noboribetsu awaits with its captivating blend of natural hot springs and stunning landscapes. As soon as you arrive in this little town, you'll know for sure as the pungent Sulphur fills the air!

Begin your exploration by visiting Jigokudani , aptly named "Hell Valley" due to its volcanic terrain featuring steaming sulfur vents and dramatic landscapes reminiscent of an otherworldly realm. Take a leisurely stroll along the walking trails, marvel at the boiling hot springs, and witness the raw power of nature in this geothermal wonderland.

Unlike Lake Shikotsu, Noboribetsu is a popular day trip destination for travellers who are based in Sapporo. But what's great is that most of them leave before evening arrives so you'll get to explore the rest of the city without crowds if you arrive after 3pm.

For a serene contrast to the volcanic landscapes, you could go on a little trek to visit Oyunuma Pond . Oyunuma Pond offers a tranquil setting surrounded by lush greenery and the gentle bubbling of hot spring waters. The picturesque scenery invites you to relax and soak in the soothing atmosphere, making it an ideal spot for a rejuvenating break after driving for several hours. Near the pond, you'll find the River Oyunuma Natural Footbath for a free onsen foot bath!

Don't forget to get onto the ropeway all the way to the Noboribetsu Bear Park - zoo with 70 unique Ezo brown bears! It is a must-visit because where else can you see a congregation of bears? As this is a popular attraction, grab your tickets in advance to skip the queues! The ticket includes the gondola or ropeway!

You can choose to spend the night at Noboribetsu ryokans and hotels if you would like to soak in onsens directly from the source!

For us, because we booked a night at Lake View Toya Nonokaze , we carried on our drive to Lake Toya. We arrived in the evening, just before dinner. I cannot recommend this modern ryokan enough.

Somehow we managed to snag an awesome full board (dinner + breakfast) deal for just 36,000 yen! We think it was because we were there during the off-peak season (in November, just before the winter season). After the long drive and sight-seeing, we decided to "wash up" at the onsen for about 30 mins before we went for dinner, thus concluding our day. Read more about our stay at Lake View Toya Nonokaze .

Today's the day for the long drive to Hakodate! Before that, there are plenty more things to do in the Lake Toya region like riding at Lake Toya Ranch, hiking up Nishiyama Crater Walking trail, or going on the Uzusan Ropeway. Some people may choose to stay another night here!

For us, we only visited the nearby parks along Lake Toya and went to an ice cream shop!

Shikotsu Toya National Park Silo Observation Deck

After seeing Hokkaido's Mount Fuji, Mount Yotei, from ground-level, it is now time to see it from atop! Standing tall atop the Shikotsu Toya National Park Silo Observation Deck feels like a moment suspended in awe.

As I reached the observation deck, the expanse of nature's grandeur unfolded before my eyes—a breathtaking tapestry of Lake Toya's cerulean waters and the majestic silhouette of Mount Yotei painting the horizon. The gentle breeze whispered tales of the surrounding landscape, while the sprawling views below ignited a sense of wonder and reverence. From this vantage point, the beauty of Hokkaido's untouched wilderness is laid bare, a spectacle that captivates the soul and leaves an indelible mark on one's appreciation for nature's sublime artistry!

Lake Hill Farm

Lake Hill Farm is a must-stop on your way in or out of the Lake Toya region. It is situated close to Hotel Cocoa Resort . This cosy cafe has two sides. A take-out ice cream shop on the left and a little cafe selling pastries, desserts and coffee on the right. As we needed coffee before our long drive, we decided to stop by the cafe. When the weather's warmer, you'll even get to see animals roaming around the farm!

Ukimido Park

Ukimido park is a must-see when you are in the Lake Toya region. This lakeside haven offers a peaceful retreat where travellers can immerse themselves in nature's splendor while admiring the iconic Ukimido Pavilion gracefully perched above the water. This place offers a great photospot without much tourists as you can only get here if you are on a self-drive trip!

Surrounded by lush greenery and the calming presence of Lake Toya's waters, the pavilion serves as a symbol of tranquility, inviting contemplation and moments of serene reflection. Visitors often find solace in the park's serene ambiance, strolling along the pathways, taking in panoramic views of the lake and mountains, and embracing the harmony between nature and architectural beauty that defines Ukimido Park.

Then it was the long drive till our next stop at Lake Onuma. Ah, as if we haven't had enough lakes, Lake Onuma is where nature paints its finest masterpiece. Picture this: the evening mist dancing atop the calm waters, the silhouette of Mount Komagatake gracing the horizon, and the gentle rustle of leaves as you stroll along the winding trails.

I remember my visit vividly—the air crisp with a hint of pine, the vibrant colors of autumn reflecting off the lake's surface. The serenity of the marshlands envelops you, inviting you to pause and absorb the beauty of this hidden gem. This was a refreshing stop after over 3 hours of driving.

If you have the time, and if the weather permits, you could rent a bike or rent a boat to explore the lake, allowing you to discover every nook and cranny of this serene landscape.

And that concludes our last stop of the day. We then went to our hotel in Hakodate and had Lucky Pierot!

Where to stay in Hakodate?

When considering where to stay in Hakodate , a wide array of accommodations caters to diverse budgets and preferences. Among the favored options lies the Hakodate Bay area, a highly recommended district. An excellent choice within this locale is La Vista Hakodate Bay , a mid-range hotel that boasts breathtaking vistas encompassing the harbor and the city skyline. Notably advantageous, its central location places guests amidst an exceptional culinary landscape, ensuring convenient access to an array of delectable dining options.

We actually stayed in an Airbnb which I won't be writing about because I don't recommend it. The thing about Airbnbs in Japan is... I don't really recommend it. They tend to be a bit older than the photographs so I would advise you to stick to hotels!

I won't go too much into this section because I wrote about all the things you could do in Hakodate, Hokkaido here . What I'd suggest is to wake up early for the morning market, and then have a little walk around this very walkable city. Your car isn't much of a help here as parking prices can chalk up fast!

Walk from the bay area where you'll find the Kanemori Red Brick Warehouse to the historic Motomachi District , then head to the Hachi-man Zaki Slope .

The only place you'll need your car to get to will be the Goryokaku Fort and Goryokaku Tower .

Hakodate probably requires more days but if skiing is on your Hokkaido to-do list, then make your way to Niseko, the city of powdered snow.

Embarking on the road journey from Hakodate to Niseko unveils a captivating transition from coastal charm to mountainous allure. Exiting Hakodate, the drive unveils scenic coastal routes with panoramic vistas of the sea that gradually evolve into rolling hills and verdant landscapes.

As the road winds inland, you'll be greeted by the majestic peaks of the Niseko region, signalling the approach to this renowned mountain paradise. The approximately three-hour drive leads through picturesque countryside, offering glimpses of rural life and charming villages along the way, creating a scenic tapestry that transforms as you venture closer to Niseko.

Niseko, nestled in the heart of Hokkaido's mountainous terrain, is a mecca for outdoor enthusiasts and winter sports aficionados. Renowned globally for its pristine powder snow, Niseko is a haven for skiing and snowboarding enthusiasts, offering an unparalleled winter sports experience. Beyond winter, the area boasts a tranquil and picturesque setting, attracting visitors year-round with its stunning natural beauty. The quaint town exudes a relaxed vibe, inviting travelers to immerse themselves in its inviting atmosphere and explore its diverse offerings, from soothing onsens (hot springs) to hiking trails that showcase the region's scenic splendor.

I must add that even though we only had 1 day here - because we couldn't ski, most families and travellers would choose to base here for 2 - 3 days just to enjoy the winter sports. We highly recommend this as well!

In Niseko, accommodations cater to various preferences, from luxurious resorts to cozy ryokans, ensuring a comfortable and memorable stay amidst the region's natural splendor. One prominent option is the Hilton Niseko Village , a deluxe resort offering ski-in/ski-out access and magnificent views of Mount Yotei. If not for the fact that when we were there, the snow wasn't thick enough for snowing, I would have written a glorious review of this resort.

For a more traditional experience, the Zaborin Ryokan stands as a serene oasis amidst the snow-covered landscape. This luxury ryokan offers a harmonious blend of Japanese aesthetics and contemporary comforts, featuring elegant rooms with private open-air hot spring baths (onsen) and exquisite kaiseki cuisine crafted from local seasonal ingredients. The tranquil setting and personalized hospitality at Zaborin Ryokan create an intimate and authentic retreat for guests seeking a cultural immersion in Niseko.

There's just something magical about Otaru that keeps us going back again and again even though honestly there's not that many attractions. I've already been there three times, and that probably says alot!

Otaru , a charming port city on Hokkaido's western coast, beckons visitors with its nostalgic atmosphere and picturesque canal-lined streets. Stepping into Otaru feels like stepping back in time; its beautifully preserved merchant buildings and stone warehouses evoke a bygone era when the city was a thriving trade hub.

Otaru can be completed as a day trip from Sapporo , but we really enjoy the peaceful and laid-back vibe of this city that we decided to stay here along the canal no less!

We stayed at Hotel Nord Otaru which overlooks the canal. Especially at night, it is a beautiful scene. Staying at Otaru will allow you to visit the attractions outside the city, like Cape Kamui and the Blue Caves .

Then we skipped Sapporo and headed to the little city of Furano. Beyond Lavender fields, there's still much more to do in Furano . We decided to base here for a night as it gets us closer to Asahikawa, where there's a lot more to do!

Shiroi Koibito Theme Park

Along the way, you may wish to stop by the Shiroi Koibito Theme Park. In winter, the park is really beautiful! Entrance to the outdoors park is free, but you'll need a ticket to enter the factory.

Enjoy Kodamaya Soba

We'd recommend making a pit stop at Kodamaya Soba for lunch. Kodamaya crafts their soba noodles with great care, resulting in a perfect blend of flavors and textures. Prices are also affordable, and even though we heard that this place gets crowded (evident from the many parking lots right outside the restaurant), we were fortunate to visit it at 3pm which gave us a peaceful late lunch.

Where to stay in Furano?

We stayed right opposite the Furano train station at Furano Natulux Hotel . With tastefully designed rooms, a hotel guests-only onsen, and exceptional service, you can look forward to enjoying a relaxing stay.

Other options we've considered included Shin Furano Prince Hotel . This would have been our top choice should the ski slopes opened. And if you want an authentic Japanese experience, then Ryokan Sansui is your go to.

This is the day you can visit Biei Blue Pond and Shirahige Falls near the city of Biei. Most people typically do it as a day trip from Asahikawa and we're doing it the opposite here. This was one of the highlights of the trip (okay, maybe I'm saying it too many times since so much of Hokkaido was so amazing!)

After these two attractions which require quite a bit of drive, you can then enjoy the rest of your day in Asahikawa. We've written quite a bit about exploring Asahikawa , so we won't go too much here.

There are numerous accommodations options in Asahikawa because it is the second-largest city in Hokkaido. We personally stayed in TKD House in Asahikawa and really enjoyed the space it offers. The entire apartment fits a family of four, includes a dining room, 2 toilets, 1 bathroom, and even has a sauna!

Of all the attractions within this city, we highly recommend heading to the zoo. Yes the zoo!

Asahiyama Zoo

Asahiyama Zoo stands as a premier attraction in Asahikawa, drawing animal enthusiasts with its exceptional exhibits. The zoo offers an extraordinary chance to get close to various animals, notably penguins, with the added treat of witnessing the captivating penguin parade during winter visits. Although open throughout the year, the zoo particularly dazzles in winter, boasting heightened animal activity against the snowy backdrop.

Our visit to Asahiyama Zoo was truly delightful; we relished the opportunity to observe the animals intimately. The zoo's spacious layout caters well to families, providing an enjoyable experience for both adults and children. With its manageable size, exploring all the exhibits can easily be accomplished within half a day—a convenient option, especially for families planning around their little ones' nap times.

And so we saved the best and largest city in Hokkaido for the last! There's plenty to do in Sapporo and this deserves 2 days.

We've also been to Sapporo multiple times such that we came up with a list of 22 and counting actually, things to do in Sapporo .

We've also experienced different hotels in Sapporo including APA Hotel Sapporo Susukino Ekimae which had an amazing location with an affordable price tag. If you would like to treat yourself, a notable choice is the Sapporo Grand Hotel . It is a luxurious landmark in the city center known for its elegant rooms, impeccable service, and proximity to attractions like Odori Park and Sapporo Clock Tower.

For those seeking modern comfort and convenience, ANA Crowne Plaza Sapporo stands out with its contemporary amenities, stylish rooms, and easy access to the lively Susukino district and the Sapporo Beer Museum.

Additionally, for travelers seeking a more budget-friendly stay without compromising on quality, Hotel Mystays Sapporo Nakajima Park offers comfortable rooms, excellent facilities, and a tranquil setting near Nakajima Park, providing a relaxing retreat amidst the city's hustle and bustle.

These accommodations represent a snippet of the diverse lodging options available in Sapporo, ensuring a comfortable and enjoyable stay in this vibrant city.

The journey from Sapporo to Chitose, while a travel route, also offers an array of attractions and experiences along the way, making it more than just a transit between destinations. En route, a stop at Jozankei Onsen presents a serene interlude, boasting natural hot springs set amidst stunning mountain landscapes. Visitors can indulge in a relaxing soak while soaking in the tranquility before continuing their journey. Another must-visit spot is the Chitose Salmon Aquarium , located near New Chitose Airport. Here, travelers can learn about the lifecycle of Hokkaido's iconic salmon, explore interactive exhibits, and witness the mesmerizing sight of salmon swimming upstream through an underwater viewing area.

Shopaholics should not miss Mitsui Outlet Park Sapporo-Kitahiroshima for some factory outlet shopping!

Concluding the 10-day Hokkaido Road Trip

All good things come to an end, sadly. And 10 days is definitely not enough to cover the entire Hokkaido island as most of you will likely pick and choose some of these cities to stay longer in.

I hope that this blogpost at least give you a glimpse into what Hokkaido has to offer! And next up, I'll be sharing my Kyushu Island Road Trip! Subscribe and stay tuned!

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Hokkaido Japan winter itinerary with JR pass ⛄ How I did 7 days with JR Hokkaido pass ⛄ Backpacking Japan travel blog

This is basically part 2 of my Japan winter itinerary. (Part 1 is winter in the Japanese Alps !)

I was in Hokkaido in March 2019, and there was plenty of snow to be seen in far northern Japan!

When you think of March, you may not think “winter” but overall, it was still a good time to get winter in Japan in Hokkaido. Although there was one activity in particular in which March was a little late. (A little more on that later.)

First, the quick list of the best places to visit for winter in Hokkaido.

Then, the quick list of the 7 day trip itinerary to go to these places in Japan.

Then, a little bit about getting around Hokkaido, including by using a JR Hokkaido pass or a regular JR pass.

And then, a bit more details about this Hokkaido trip plan… including photos!

5 best things to do in Hokkaido in winter

1. asahiyama zoo penguin walk.

2. Abashiri drift ice cruise

3. Lake Shikaribetsu ice village

4. Mount Moiwa winter hike with city views

5. Noboribetsu Onsen hot springs town

• Kumano Kodo ancient pilgrimage trail (temples and shrines through the mountains)
• Must-see sumo show
• Traditional yukatabune dinner cruise
• Fun ninja lesson
• Koyasan pilgrimage temple town

More below on how to make this into a Japan winter itinerary!

So how to make these things a part of your winter trip to Japan?!

Here is the quick list of the Hokkaido winter itinerary!

Hotel links below to partner website. Most hostels in Japan also have private rooms. They also tend to have nice common areas to chill in!

Day 1: Sapporo to Asahikawa / Asahikawa activity

• Sapporo to Asahikawa by train
• Asahikawa to Asahiyama zoo by bus
• Asahiyama zoo for penguin walk
• Overnight stay in Asahikawa

Day 2: Asahikawa to Abashiri / Abashiri activity

• Asahikawa to Abashiri by train
• Drift ice cruise
• Abashiri to Kushiro train (be alert for Japanese cranes when passing Kayanuma Station )
• Overnight stay in Kushiro

Day 3: Kushiro to Obihiro / Obihiro activity

• Kushiro to Obihiro by train
• Obihiro to Lake Shikaribetsu by bus
• Lake Shikaribetsu igloo village
• Overnight stay in Obihiro

Day 4: Obihiro to Sapporo / Sapporo activity

• Obihiro to Sapporo by train
• Ramen alley
• Overnight stay in Sapporo

Day 5: Sapporo activities

• STAY PUT in Sapporo!
• Mt Moiwa hike OR day trip to ski resort

Day 6: Day trip to Noboribetsu Onsen

• Sapporo to Noboribetsu by train
• Noboribetsu Station to Noboribetsu Onsen by bus
• Noboribetsu Onsen hot springs town
• Overnight stay in Sapporo (…or make it an overnight stay in Noboribetsu!)

Day 7: Sapporo to Hakodate / Hakodate activity

• Sapporo to Hakodate train
• Goryokaku Tower for city views
• Overnight stay in Hakodate

There’s a bit more about each day of this Hokkaido itinerary, but first…

A little bit about using a JR pass for Hokkaido trains

JR Hokkaido pass

For the above 7-day Hokkaido plan, getting a 7-day JR Hokkaido pass will be the most efficient.

There are trains running between the routes listed, and they are comfortable. Many of them are limited express trains, which means they are the faster trains which is what can make them among the most efficient ways to get around Hokkaido when you’re limited on time.

For the longer distances between the major cities, I got around exclusively by train.

On most of these routes, there are reserved and non-reserved seats available. I’ve traveled in both reserved and non-reserved, although I don’t think it was necessary for most of the route to reserve seats at the time I was traveling. Sometimes it felt like the non-reserved cars were more empty, actually!

When traveling with a JR pass, you can go to the “green window” office to request a reserved seat which exists at most train stations. There’s no extra charge. Otherwise, you can just go for a non-reserved seat.

Some train routes were limited express trains, and others were local trains.

Train timings in Hokkaido

Hokkaido as a whole is a little more “rural” than other tourist cities in Japan like Tokyo and Kyoto. This means that train timings aren’t as frequent, in particular when you’re traveling across Hokkaido outside of Sapporo.

This means that it’s important to check train timings.

So the first thing you’ll want to do when you get to your first train station in Hokkaido is to pick up the latest copy of the JR Hokkaido timetable .

I relied on this SO much when I was in Hokkaido, and it was GREAT! I would check google maps for route ideas, and then check the timetable booklet for timings.

You can probably ask for it at the JR office of all major train stations in Hokkaido. I got mine at the JR office at the Sapporo Chitose airport.

When looking for the JR office at any train station, you’ll look for signs for “midori no madoguchi” – the green window.

Regular JR pass vs JR Hokkaido pass

Depending on your travel in Japan before and after Hokkaido, you may also consider getting the regular JR pass.

As you can imagine, the JR Hokkaido pass is only good for travel on JR trains around Hokkaido. This means that a JR Hokkaido pass won’t be able to get you from Tokyo to Sapporo for example.

But if you have a regular JR pass, it can get you from Tokyo to Sapporo, and you will also be able to use it on the trains around Hokkaido too.

The JR pass is more expensive than the JR Hokkaido pass. It would make sense to get a 7-day regular JR pass over a JR Hokkaido pass is if you’re planning on arriving AND leaving Hokkaido by train to/from Tokyo, if you’ll be adapting this 7-day Hokkaido plan into a 5-day Hokkaido itinerary. It MIGHT make sense to buy it if you are only going one way to/from Tokyo, IF you do enough train travel around the main cities of Hokkaido within that 7 days. Here are tips to calculate whether it’ll be worth it.

Very generally speaking, a regular JR pass will be worth it if you do 2 long-distance shinkansen train rides, and Tokyo to Hokkaido or Hokkaido to Tokyo would each count as 1 ride. If you will be going from Kyoto to Tokyo by shinkansen bullet train, and then within 7 days go from Tokyo to Hokkaido by shinkansen, the JR pass will very likely be worth it. Likewise, if you’ll be going from Hokkaido to Tokyo by shinkansen, and then within 7 days go from Tokyo to Kyoto by shinkansen, it will also be worth it with these 2 train rides alone… likely! Again, this is how you can calculate it to be sure.

My JR Hokkaido pass cost me 24,000 yen (US$220). There are also 14-day and 21-day regular JR passes.

If you don’t want to move around as much so quickly as is listed in this itinerary, then you may also look into buying individual train tickets or bus tickets and skip the pass.

Where to buy the JR Hokkaido pass

You can buy the JR Hokkaido pass at train station once you get to Hokkaido, including at the JR office at the airport and Sapporo Station.

As for the regular JR pass, it’s possible that you can buy it in Japan (you haven’t always been able to, and it’s been called an “experiment” or “trial”) but it will most likely be more expensive compared to buying it before you arrive in Japan. (I bought a regular JR pass in Japan and it cost US$30-40 more.)

Arriving to Hokkaido

There are 2 main ways you can arrive to Sapporo to start this Hokkaido itinerary:

There’s an airport near Sapporo, and that’s the Sapporo Chitose airport.

If you’re traveling with a 14-day or 21-day JR pass, then arriving to Hokkaido by train might also be an option to consider. There’s a shinkansen bullet train that will get you from Tokyo to Hakodate, which is just south of Sapporo. From Hakodate, you can then take a limited express train to Sapporo.

Or, if you want to adapt this 7-day plan into a 5-day Hokkaido itinerary, then you might consider getting a 7-day regular JR pass and then arriving and leaving by train. For Tokyo to Sapporo and Sapporo to Tokyo, it’s best to give yourself the full day to travel. (As in, don’t plan extra activities on these days, or be flexible.)

Leaving Hokkaido

If you’re traveling with a JR Hokkaido pass, you can’t use it to take a shinkansen to Tokyo, and Hakodate will be the furthest south to go. From Hakodate, you can activate a regular JR pass if you’ll be further exploring Japan.

If you’re traveling with a regular JR pass, you can take the shinkansen bullet train to Tokyo from Hakodate.

It’s reasonable to go from Sapporo to Tokyo by train in one day, although it will require a train transfer. You’ll first go from Sapporo to Hakodate by train (not the shinkansen), and then you’ll go from Hakodate to Tokyo by train.

If you’ll be staying overnight in Hakodate, the shinkansen doesn’t leave from the train station in town (that’s called Hakodate Station). Instead, you’ll need to get a train from Hakodate Station to Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto Station, and then get the shinkansen to Tokyo. If you will be going straight from Sapporo to Tokyo, you can get a train from Sapporo to Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto Station.

If this sounds complicated, consulting google maps will make it seem more simple!

If you’ll be flying out of Hokkaido, you might consider skipping Hakodate since the airport is near Sapporo.

Tokyo to Hokkaido shinkansen // Hokkaido to Tokyo shinkansen (Hayabusa)

This is one of the rare shinkansen bullet trains that DO require seat reservations. There’s the regular reserved seats, and also the green car reserved seats.There are no non-reserved cars. Most other shinkansen trains have a non-reserved compartments.

This train also has a beer cart that comes around.

If you won’t be getting a JR pass, you can buy individual shinkansen train tickets at any JR train ticket office, available at any JR train station.

This train passes through an underwater tunnel! There are reports that say this is the world’s longest underwater tunnel.

And now…

Here’s a bit more about getting around Hokkaido in winter!

I took a train from Sapporo to Asahikawa.

When I arrived at the Asahikawa train station, I put my luggage in a coin locker at the station. The tourist information center at the train station also offers luggage storage.

And then I got on a bus to the zoo. The bus stop is located right in front of the train station.

What makes the Asahiyama Zoo popular is the penguin walk.

The zookeepers say that the penguins that come out do so at their will, so number of penguins coming out can vary but it seems every walk gets lots of penguins. (And lots of tourists!) Once at the Asahikawa train station, the bus stop is right in front of the train station. This is a local bus. When I went, the penguin walk timings were at 11am and 2:30pm. Many people do a trip to the Asahiyama Zoo as a day trip from Sapporo.

After the trip to the zoo, I returned to the train station to get my luggage, and then went to check in to my hostel.

I stayed at this Asahikawa hostel which was a 15 minute or so walk from the train station.

• Abashiri to Kushiro train (be alert for Japanese cranes when passing Kayanuma Station )

When I arrived at the Abashiri train station, once again I put my luggage in a coin locker at the station.

Then, I walked to the port for the drift ice cruise for a nice winter walk, in part along the river. It was about 30 minutes.

If you don’t want to walk through the cold, there’s also a bus that’s a reasonable option. The bus stop is right in front of the train station. There’s a little tourist information booth at the train station, so stop there to pick up a map, and you can also ask about the bus too!

This is the Hokkaido winter activity I was a little late in the season for.

The thing to do in Abashiri is to take an ice breaker cruise so you can see drift ice… ice drifting around in the ocean! (Well, the sea. It’s the Sea of Okhotsk, with Russia on the other side.) It seems like you might even be able to see wildlife like seals on the ice too.

But by the time I got to Hokkaido, basically all the ice in the ocean had melted. So it turned into just a boat ride around the ocean.

I didn’t book ahead, but if you’ll be there when there actually will be drift ice, it could be good to book a cruise in advance  since it’ll be more popular if there’s ice.

I took the bus from the port back to the train station.

Then once I got back to the train station, I got my luggage to get on a train to the next destination. (No overnight in Abashiri.)

To get from Abashiri to Obihiro requires 2 trains, so Kushiro could be a good breakup point. If the timings work out, you may just try to get to Obihiro.

On the Abashiri to Kushiro train, follow along on google maps with GPS to know when you’re getting close to Kayanuma Station. There’s a chance you might see wild Japanese cranes in front of this train station! It’s known as the “ train station Japanese cranes come to “!

I stayed at this “business hotel” in Kushiro  located a few minutes walk from the train station. Since this is just a transit point, this can be one of the most convenient places to stay. I also found it to be among the cheapest options. Plus it has free breakfast.

Abashiri is on the northern coast of Hokkaido. Further to the west and north is Wakkanai. It’s said that on a clear day you might be able to see Russia from Wakkanai.

• Obihiro to Lake Shikaribetsu bus

The Obihiro bus station is where you’d get a bus to Lake Shikaribetsu.

Lake Shikaribetsu is where you’ll find a frozen lake. And it’s ON this lake that a temporary ice village or igloo village is built every winter season.

There’s an ice bar and cafe, there’s a hot springs footbath that you can soak your feet in (bring a towel to wipe your feet!), and you can just go for a nice long walk across the snow-packed lake to maybe find people ice fishing too.

You can also go snowmobiling across the lake.

There are coin lockers at Obihiro station if you want to check in to your hotel after you get back from the igloo village.

If the timings work out, you may just try to get to Sapporo instead of staying the night in Obihiro. Or you might consider just staying at the lakefront hotel that overlooks the ice village !

Another igloo village/ice village in Hokkaido I went to another time was the Tomamu ice village . This is an evening activity, and Sapporo to Tomamu is around 2 hours.

After so much travel in the previous days, you can make this an easy day!

Take your time in the morning, and then go from Obihiro to Sapporo by train!

Japanese ramen noodles can be found all over Japan, and there’s a specialty “Sapporo ramen” you can try in the “ramen alley” of Sapporo for an intro to Sapporo! There is a whole row of ramen shops in the alley.

Sapporo beer is also one of the famous beers across Japan. Have a Sapporo beer in Sapporo! Or buy one at a convenience store before you board the train, and then drink one one your way TO Sapporo! (Drinks on these trains no problem.)

There were 2 hostels I stayed at in Sapporo – this one and this one .

• Mt Moiwa hike

There are different things to do in Sapporo based on your interest, but we’ll keep a winter theme here, so a winter hike in the snow sounds perfect!

This is a pretty easy hike in the snow, and it’ll take you to the Mt Moiwa observatory that’ll get you sweeping views of the city.

If you don’t want to hike, there’s also the Mt Moiwa ropeway, and you can get a ride up to the top.

Near the start of the Mt Moiwa hiking trail are the Sapporo fushimi inari torii gates .

For more city views from above, you can make a visit to the JR Tower observatory and the Sapporo TV tower.

Or… don’t stay put in Sapporo! 😉

Day trip to ski resorts from Sapporo

If you are into skiing or snowboarding, you may consider making day trips from Sapporo to Niseko, Rusutsu, or Furano.  (Or spend a night or 2! I stayed at this hostel in Niseko .) These are among the popular ski resorts in Hokkaido. Beginner lessons are also available. If you want to start your trip out with skiing, there’s a bus from the airport to Niseko , as well as to the other ski resorts.

Noboribetsu Onsen is a hot springs town and this is a popular day trip from Sapporo.

You can take a train from Sapporo, and once at the Noboribetsu train station, you’ll take a bus from right in front of the train station to get to the Noboribetsu town area.

This is the “hell valley” of Hokkaido, and you’ll see “demon” statues all over town.

You can also visit the volcanic crater area to see steam vents and sulfur banks. In town, there’s a “geyser park” where you might be able to see natural steam coming out in the small area.

There’s a natural hot springs river foot bath you can soak your feet in. (Again, bring a towel to dry your feet!) Even in winter, the water is warm.

If you want an even greater hot springs experience, you can find them all over town. You might even consider spending a night or 2 here! There are many accommodation options , including with hot spring room options, or a public bath.

Stop by the Noboribetsu Onsen bus station so you can get a map of the town area.

There’s the Hakodate tram that goes through the city that makes it convenient to get around the tourist areas of the city.

While you can find things to do in Hakodate, this can also be more of a transit point on your way to Tokyo if you’ll be going by train. You can also skip Hakodate and then spend an extra night in Sapporo, then go straight from Sapporo to Tokyo. (Or Sapporo to the airport to fly out of Hokkaido.)

I stayed at this hostel  on a cobblestone road that’s a tram ride away from Hakodate Station. See my photos from the Small Town Hostel in Hakodate .

And there are some ideas for one week in Japan in winter!

Happy 7 days of winter in hokkaido japan.

How to spend winter in Japan

• 10 day winter itinerary with the Japan Alps
• 7 day winter itinerary in Hokkaido

If you're looking for a route for winter in Japan, here are some ideas!

• 10 day Japan winter itinerary
• Tokyo to Nagano bus
• 2 days in Nagano with snow monkey pass // Stay at  this Nagano hostel  (private rooms available)
• A few days in popular ski resort area Hakuba (go here for at least a day even if you don't ski for the winter landscape in the mountains!) // Stay at  this Hakuba hostel  (private rooms available)
• Hakuba to Takayama  ( Hakuba to Matsumoto train  / a few hours  in Matsumoto  /  Matsumoto to Takayama bus )
• A few days in Takayama with day trips: Shirakawago / Shinhotaka ropeway on a sunny day // Stay at  this Takayama hostel  (private rooms available) and  eat regional Takayama ramen
• Takayama back to Tokyo OR Takayama to Nagoya airport to fly to Hokkaido for more winter landscapes!

Hokkaido winter itinerary  (train to get around - there are JR Hokkaido passes available, and you can use a  regular JR pass  too)

• Sapporo to Asahikawa  (Asahikawa for penguin walk at zoo)
• Asahikawa to Abashiri (Abashiri for drift ice cruise)
• Abashiri to Obihiro (night in Obihiro and go to  Lake Shikaribetsu ice village  the next day)
• Obihiro to Sapporo
• Sapporo to Noboribetsu onsen hot spring town  (day trip)
• Sapporo to Hakodate  // Stay in  this Hakodate hostel
• Hakodate to Tokyo on shinkansen bullet train through the underwater tunnel! ( Regular JR pass  will be worth it if you take this train ride along with one more long distance train ride within 7 days)

Is a JR pass worth it?!

• Google maps can make it easy to figure out whether or not you should get a JR pass!
• In google maps, type in your departure and arrival city, and choose the transit icon. The route will come up, and so will the estimated cost at the bottom!
• Here is an example of a train route with cost on google maps.
• So do that for all of your long distance routes to figure out how much it might cost.
• Next, go here to see how much a JR pass costs from an official JR pass vendor (and partner of this website).
• And compare!
• Not all forms of public transportation are JR, but long distance shinkansen bullet trains are, and that's where the most cost savings will come.

Best of Kyoto (and Japan!)

• Best temples to visit in Kyoto
• Japanese gardens in Kyoto

Enjoy Snow and Drift Ice! 5-Day Eastern Hokkaido Winter Itinerary

Hokkaido is covered with pure white snow in winter , showcasing a completely different beauty from other regions in Japan. Eastern Hokkaido is a paradise of natural wonder with many moving sights seen only in winter , like the red-crowned cranes that descend on the great plains and the drift ice in the Sea of Okhotsk. What’s more, our eastern Hokkaido 5-day winter itinerary is brought to you by a local writer!

Day 1: New Chitose Airport → Sapporo → Asahikawa → Sounkyo

Day 2: sounkyo → abashiri, day 3: abashiri → kushiro marsh → kushiro city, day 4: kushiro → ikeda town → obihiro → tokachigawa onsen, day 5: obihiro → tomamu → new chitose airport, hokkaido in winter is a dynamic experience.

Travel easier with the JR Hokkaido Rail Pass While renting a car in Hokkaido is handy, in winter , it can be hazardous for those not used to driving in snow. For this reason, we recommend using public transport in our southern Hokkaido winter itinerary. Conveniently, the JR Hokkaido Rail Pass offers unlimited travel on JR trains and buses at an excellent rate.

10:30 a.m.: From New Chitose Airport Station to Sapporo Station via the Rapid Airport train

First, take the Rapid “ Airport ” train from New Chitose Airport Station to Sapporo Station . There are 148 departures per day, and the trip takes about 40 minutes. Enjoy the scenery on your way to Sapporo !

11:10 a.m.: Recharge with some “station soba”

“Tachigui soba ” restaurants serve soba and udon to patrons who stand while eating their noodles. When found on station platforms, it’s called “station soba ” and originated in Edo period (1603-1868) food stands. There used to be station soba shops all over Japan, but their number is dwindling. Sapporo Station still has shops open near platforms 5 and 6 as well as platforms 7 and 8. Try some traditional Japanese fast food !

Noon: Trivia time - Japanese rails are narrower than others around the world

Limited Express “Kamui” or “Lilac” trains run from Sapporo Station to Asahikawa Station once an hour. Interestingly, around 70% of the world’s railways use 1,435 mm “standard gauge” rails, while Japan’s conventional lines are 1,067 mm “narrow gauge.”

1:30 p.m.: Warm up with some Asahikawa ramen

Asahikawa’s take on ramen is well-known and features a soy sauce-based “W soup” broth made with seafood , pork and chicken bones, and vegetables. In the harsh subzero mid- winter temperatures, the soup’s lard-induced oily surface prevents the broth from cooling too quickly. There are many ramen shops in and around Asahikawa Station, and the most popular shops have lines of eager customers waiting outside before opening, even on weekdays.

2:40 p.m.: Ride the local “Sekihoku Main Line”

Next, transfer to the local Sekihoku Main Line at Asahikawa Station to reach Kamikawa Station in about an hour. It’s a “main line” in name only, with only a few departures per day. The one- or two-car diesel trains roar out of the station, and as you pass through the city of Asahikawa , the number of houses gradually decreases, and you’re soon in nature ’s embrace. It’s quite a distance from Kamikawa Station to your first day’s destination at Sounkyo Onsen , so it’s best to arrange transportation to the inn in advance.

7:00 p.m.: The Sounkyo Ice Waterfall Festival beautifully colors cold nights

Sounkyo is located in Daisetsuzan National Park – a scenic area with cliffs that stretch for about 24km along the Ishikari River . Sounkyo Onsen is at the foot of Mt. Kurodake, which is lined with large hotels . The Sounkyo Ice Waterfall Festival, is held nearby every year from late January to mid-March. The frozen Ryusei Falls and Ginga Falls, ice sculptures, and icy landscapes are beautifully lit up at night and serve as symbols of Sounkyo . There’s also ice climbing and an ice slide, but if you feel cold, you can always head back to your inn and warm up in the hot springs . For further details, please check the official website, available in both English and Chinese. Health & Safety Measures Indoor disinfection measures taken - Sanitizer installed - Disinfected after each guest leaves - Ventilation measures in place - Staff wear masks, gargle, wash hands regularly, and monitor body temperature - Guests asked to wear masks, have temperature checked, and sanitize hands ・2022 Dates: January 29 - March 13 ・Hours: 5:00pm - 9:30pm ・Admission: 500 yen postcard as a cooperation fee, elementary school students and younger are free

• Address Sounkyo Onsen, Kamikawa-cho, Kamikawa-gun, Hokkaido, 078-1701 View Map
• Nearest Station Kamikawa Station （Sekihoku Main Line）
• Phone Number 01658-2-1811

9:50 a.m.: Head to the Sea of Okhotsk by bus

On Day 2, take a bus from Sounkyo Onsen to Abashiri and the Sea of Okhotsk. The trip takes about 3 hours and 40 minutes, and the mountains of the Daisetsu range, as seen from the bus, are spectacular. You’ll be able to experience the sheer size and natural beauty of Hokkaido with almost nothing artificial in sight.

2:00 p.m.: Enjoy Okhotsk Drift Ice Curry and a view of the drift ice floating in the Sea of Okhotsk

For a late lunch, the “Kinemakan” food court in the Ryuhyo-kaido Abashiri roadside station near the Abashiri Bus Terminal is recommended. Abashiri Prison has, on occasion, been the filming location for movies about prisoners like Abashiri Bangaichi and The Yellow Handkerchief of Happiness . When choosing a dish made with local produce you should definitely try “Okhotsk Drift Ice Curry ” (1,350 yen including tax), which resembles drift ice floating in the Sea of Okhotsk. Despite its deep blue color, the taste is mild and delicious. The food court’s menu includes English notation, making it easy to order. Health & Safety Measures Indoor disinfection measures taken - Sanitizer installed - Disinfected after each guest leaves - Ventilation measures in place - Staff wear masks, gargle, wash hands regularly, and monitor body temperature - Guests asked to wear masks, have temperature checked, and sanitize hands

• Address 5-1 Minami 3, Higashi 4, Abashiri, Hokkaido 093-0003
• Phone Number 0152-44-0688

・Hours: 11:00am - 4:30pm ・Admission: Free ・Closed: Open daily

3:00 p.m.: Depart from Abashiri Port on a sunset cruise

The “ Abashiri Drift Ice Sightseeing and Icebreaker Ship” departs from the dock next to the Ryuhyo-kaido Abashiri roadside station. The icebreaker began operation in 1991, and from January 20th to April 3rd, the “Aurora” and “Aurora II” sail daily. The last daily departure from mid-February to the end of March is called the “Sunset Cruise” and allows passengers to see the drift ice colored by the setting sun. If you’re lucky, you’ll spot Steller’s sea eagles and white-tailed eagles or seals resting on the ice. Be sure to wear warm clothes and enjoy sights seen only in Okhotsk in winter . The official website is available in English and Chinese and provides additional details. * Please be sure to complete the boarding procedure 15 minutes before departure. * The cruise lasts about 1 hour. (Depending on drift ice conditions) * When there is no drift ice, the cruise will tour Cape Notori instead. * After March 15th, if the number of reservations on the previous day is 15 or fewer for each departure, departures may be canceled. * If there is no drift ice, the sunset cruise will be canceled. Health & Safety Measures Indoor disinfection measures taken - Sanitizer installed - Disinfected after each guest leaves - Ventilation measures in place - Staff wear masks, gargle, wash hands regularly, and monitor body temperature - Guests asked to wear masks, have temperature checked, and sanitize hands

• Address Minami three Higashi 4-5-1, Abashiri-shi, Hokkaido, 093-0000 View Map
• Nearest Station Abashiri Station （Sekihoku Main Line / Senmo Main Line） 10 minutes by car
• Phone Number 0152-43-6000

5:00 p.m.: Stay at Farm Inn Anima no Sato, where travelers can enjoy good conversation

About 10 minutes by taxi from Ryuhyo-kaido Abashiri , “Farm Inn Anima no Sato” is a farm building that has been converted into an inn. There, guests can feel the warmth of being invited into a Japanese family. Lodgers range from families, training groups, and sports training camps to backpackers and solo travelers. It’s a great opportunity to spend time talking with all kinds of people over homemade dishes. The inn is surrounded by nature , with squirrels, red foxes, and sika deer making occasional appearances. The inn itself is smaller, but the ranch grounds are large, and you’re sure to have a pleasant stay. Health & Safety Measures Indoor disinfection measures taken - Sanitizer installed - Disinfected after each guest leaves - Ventilation measures in place - Staff wear masks, gargle, wash hands regularly, and monitor body temperature - Guests asked to wear masks, have temperature checked, and sanitize hands

• Address Omagari 47-2, Abashiri, Hokkaido, 093-0045 View Map
• Nearest Station Abashiri Station （Sekihoku Main Line / Senmo Main Line） 49 minutes on foot

Vacancy search, reservation

• from 11,600JPY 1room, 2adults View Deal

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From Abashiri Station, take the “Semmo Honsen” to Kushiro Station. The Semmo Main Line is a 166.2km long line connecting Abashiri and Kushiro that began service in 1931. Along the way, there are many iconic Hokkaido tourist spots like World Heritage Site , Shiretoko Shari Station, which is the gateway to the Shiretoko Peninsula, and Kawayu Onsen Station, which is the closest station to Lake Mashu , the world’s most transparent lake . It takes about 3 hours to get to Kushiro , so be sure to buy an ekiben lunchbox at Abashiri Station before boarding the train.

3:00 p.m.: See the red-crowned cranes descending into the Kushiro Wetland

Red-crowned cranes can be found around Kayanuma Station near the Kushiro Wetland. The red-crowned cranes lost their natural nesting site due to flood damage in 1964. At the time, the birds were cared for by the Kayanuma station staff, and even though it’s now an uncrewed station, residents still look out for the birds. If you don’t find any cranes at Kayanuma Station, you can see them at Kushiro City Red-crowned Crane Nature Park in Tsuruoka, Kushiro City (about 30 minutes from Kushiro Station by taxi). The park was opened in 1958 when five Japanese cranes were released to protect the endangered species and allow their numbers to replenish. Currently, about 20 cranes live there throughout the year. There is no foreign language notation in the park , but for the simple purpose of bird watching, that won’t cause any inconvenience.

• Address 112, Tsuruoka, Kushiro-shi, Hokkaido, 084-0926 View Map
• Nearest Station Kushiro Station （Nemuro Main Line / Hanasaki Line） 55 minutes by bus
• Phone Number 0154-56-2219

6:00 p.m.: Try Robatayaki and Zangi, foods that originated in Kushiro

Blessed with excellent fishing grounds, Kushiro is one of the best food cities in Hokkaido. Among the dishes said to have originated in Kushiro , “robatayaki” and “zangi” are recommended. Robatayaki is made by grilling fresh seafood over charcoal before serving it to diners on long wooden spatulas.

Zangi looks like fried chicken , although there is some debate about the difference between zangi and fried chicken. Originally served at a yakitori restaurant, it’s rumored that zangi was simply made by chopping a full broiler chicken into smaller pieces. Zangi is served with sweet, spicy sauce, and these days there are even variations made with fried octopus, shellfish, or other fish. Recommended accommodation in Kushiro City

• Address 3-7 Nishikicho, Kushiro-shi, Hokkaido, 085-0016 View Map
• Nearest Station Kushiro Station （Nemuro Main Line / Hanasaki Line） 15 minutes on foot
• from 26,125JPY 1room, 2adults View Deal

• Address 2-1 Kita Odori, Kushiro-shi, Hokkaido, 085-0015 View Map
• Nearest Station Kushiro Station （Nemuro Main Line / Hanasaki Line） 14 minutes on foot
• from 12,882JPY 1room, 2adults View Deal
• from 10,793JPY 1room, 2adults View Deal

9:00 a.m.: Create a unique “Katte Don” seafood bowl

Instead of having breakfast at your hotel in Kushiro , order some “Katte Don” at Kushiro Washo Ichiba market, a 5-minute walk from Kushiro Station. You can buy white rice at the market’s side dish section, buy the sashimi of your choice at the seafood restaurant, and create your own original seafood bowl. There is no foreign language notation, so if you’re interested in a particular item, just ask, “What is this?” Your day’s journey is just beginning, so after you’ve eaten your fill, take the 11:30 Limited Express “Ozora” from JR Kushiro Station and head west. Health & Safety Measures Indoor disinfection measures taken - Sanitizer installed - Disinfected after each guest leaves - Ventilation measures in place - Staff wear masks, gargle, wash hands regularly, and monitor body temperature - Guests asked to wear masks, have temperature checked, and sanitize hands

• Address 13-25, Kuroganecho, Kushiro-shi, Hokkaido, 085-0018 View Map
• Nearest Station Kushiro Station （Nemuro Main Line / Hanasaki Line） 3 minutes on foot
• Phone Number 0154-22-3226

12:30 p.m.: Sample Tokachi wine at Ikeda Wine Castle

In recent years, Hokkaido has experienced an unprecedented Japanese wine boom , with about 50 wineries newly established. Tokachi Wine, first produced in Ikeda-cho in 1963, was one of the pioneers of Hokkaido wine production. A 10-minute walk from Ikeda Station, the Ikeda Town Wine and Wine Research Institute’s winery, which produces Tokachi Wine and has a wide variety of vintages, is also called the “Wine Castle ” because it resembles a European castle from the Middle Ages. Free winery mini-tours are offered on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 11:00 to 11:30am and 2:00 to 2:30pm. Full-scale paid tastings are held on Saturdays, Sundays, and public holidays only from 11:00am - 12:15pm and 2:00 - 3:15pm. The winery’s website is available in English, Korean, and Chinese. Winery tours may be canceled depending on various circumstances, so be sure to check the website for further details. Health & Safety Measures Indoor disinfection measures taken - Sanitizer installed - Disinfected after each guest leaves - Ventilation measures in place - Staff wear masks, gargle, wash hands regularly, and monitor body temperature - Guests asked to wear masks, have temperature checked, and sanitize hands

• Address 83 Kiyomi, Ikeda-cho, Nakagawa-gun, Hokkaido, 083-0002
• Phone Number 015-572-2467

・Hours: 9:00am - 5:00pm ・Admission: Free ・Closed: New Year holidays

4:30 p.m.: Bet on the world’s only “Ban’ei Horse Racing” in Obihiro

It takes about 30 minutes by regular train from Ikeda Station to Obihiro Station. From the station’s south exit, it’s a 7-minute taxi ride to Ban’ei Tokachi, where you can watch Ban’ei Horse Racing, in which draft horses race while pulling 1-ton sleds. It used to be held throughout Hokkaido, but now Obihiro ’s Ban’ei Tokachi is the only race of its kind in the world. In times past, an event known as “Festival Banma” was held to test the strength of the workhorses so important during Hokkaido’s pioneering era and eventually developed into Ban’ei Horse Racing. Basic betting is the same as the Derby system. The sight of rising dust as the horses overcome two obstacles, large and small, is impressive. Held mainly on Saturdays, Sundays, and Mondays, Race 1 starts around 2:00pm, and Race 12 ends after 8:00pm. The official website is available in English, Korean, and Chinese, so be sure to check there for more details. Health & Safety Measures Indoor disinfection measures taken - Sanitizer installed - Disinfected after each guest leaves - Ventilation measures in place - Staff wear masks, gargle, wash hands regularly, and monitor body temperature - Guests asked to wear masks, have temperature checked, and sanitize hands

• Address 9, Nishi-13-jominami, Obihiro-shi, Hokkaido, 080-0023 View Map
• Nearest Station Obihiro Station （Nemuro Main Line） 7 minutes by car
• Phone Number 0155-34-0825

7:00 p.m.: Enjoy Tokachigawa Onsen, featuring a rare moor hot spring

After enjoying the horse racing, take a taxi for about 30 minutes to today’s accommodation, Tokachigawa Onsen . This was selected as a Hokkaido heritage site in 2004 and features a “moor hot spring ,” a rarity in the world. Moor springs are hot springs in which plants grew naturally in ancient times and accumulated to form a lignite (brown coal) layer, through which the spring now flows. Due to its beautifying benefits that grant smooth skin, it is also called “Bijin no Yu.”

Every year from late January to late February, “Sairinka” is held at the hot spring town’s Tokachigaoka Park . At this event, around 600 light bulbs and LEDs are used to create a frigid fantasy show of light and sound. Health & Safety Measures The scale of the event will be reduced in 2022, or it may be canceled depending on public health conditions at the time. Please refer to the official website for the most up-to-date information. At the entrance of the venue temperature measurement, hand disinfection, mandatory masks, and contact confirmation app registration are required.

• Address 14-1 Tokachigawa Onsen, Otofuke-cho, Kato-gun, Hokkaido 080-0262

・TEL: 0155-32-6633 (Otofuke Town Tokachigawa Onsen Tourism Association) ・Hours: 7:00pm - 9:00 pm ・Admission: Free ・Closed: Open daily

Recommended accommodations in Tokachigawa Onsen

• Address Tokachigawa Onsenminami 14-2, Otofuke, Hokkaido, 080-0263 View Map
• Nearest Station Satsunai Station （Nemuro Main Line）
• from 22,014JPY 1room, 2adults View Deal

11:00 a.m.: Enjoy winter activities at Hoshino Resort Tomamu

On the final day, ride a Limited Express train for about an hour from Obihiro to Tomamu, where you can enjoy winter activities to the fullest. Hoshino Resorts Tomamu has a ski slope that will satisfy both beginners and advanced skiers, as well as a variety of other winter activities. The new Muhyo Terrace observation deck was completed in the summer of 2021 and is open from December 1, 2021 to March 31, 2022. It offers a spectacular view of the snowy mountains and the chance to see the “rime ice” phenomenon, which occurs when moisture and fog in the air freeze to tree branches when temperatures are about 2 to 10 degrees below freezing. Assistance in multiple languages is available so you can spend a relaxing last day in Hokkaido. To avoid missing your flight, keep in mind that it’s about 80 minutes by limited express train from Tomamu to New Chitose Airport . Health & Safety Measures Indoor disinfection measures taken - Sanitizer installed - Disinfected after each guest leaves - Ventilation measures in place - Staff wear masks, gargle, wash hands regularly, and monitor body temperature - Guests asked to wear masks, have temperature checked, and sanitize hands

• Address Nakatomamu, Shimukappu-mura, Yuufutsu-gun, Hokkaido, 079-2204 View Map
• Nearest Station Tomamu Station （Sekisho Line） 5 minutes by bus
• Phone Number 0167-58-1111

6:00 p.m.: Enjoyment right up to the time of your flight at New Chitose Airport

There are so many things to do at New Chitose Airport , you could mistake it for a mall. There are theme parks , movie theaters , and hot springs , so there’s no way you’ll get bored waiting for your flight.

• Address 987-22, Bibi, Chitose-shi, Hokkaido, 066-0012 View Map
• Nearest Station New Chitose Airport Station （Chitose Line）
• Phone Number 0123-23-0111

As your plane takes off, the street lights below will shine through your window before disappearing into the jet-black night, but the memories of your trip will still be reflected in the window even when nothing else can be seen. Winters in Hokkaido are long and cold, but people and animals still thrive here, and you can create unforgettable memories in this vibrant northern land of winter . Text by: Masakazu *Information in this article is accurate as of January 2022. Please check official websites for the latest information. English translation by Gabriel Wilkinson

• Area Kushiro
• Category Winter
• How To: Sightseeing

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Hokkaido Road Trip 7 Days Itinerary Winter

In my first year in Hokkaido, my husband organised a Hokkaido road trip with his friend’s kid in the winter. He made a comfortable Hokkaido 7 days itinerary in the winter that we all enjoyed throughout the whole journey.

Table of Contents

Our 7 Days Itinerary in Winter Hokkaido

This time my friend Dan flew to Tokyo with his daughter, and we caught up there. We went from Tokyo to Hokkaido together and had a fantastic road trip in Hokkaido, including ski at Niseko. In the end, they flew back to Los Angeles, U.S., and we back home by train.

There is public transportation to travel around Hokkaido. The reason we decided to make a 7 days road trip is flexibility. Especially with Dan’s little one, the journey of this Hokkaido 7 days itinerary winter is its flexibility. Therefore, we can adjust to suit our feeling slightly while travelling.

Hokkaido Winter 7 Days Itinerary: Prepare

At that moment, we had just moved to Hokkaido from Australia. Since the seasons are opposite between the two hemispheres, I still struggle with the snowy weather, and it’s summer for Australia. Therefore, I was particularly interested in preparing some clothes for the snow season.

Hokkaido Road Trip Planner>>

How Cold is Hokkaido in Winter?

It depends on the area in Hokkaido you will visit, and the temperature will be different from region to region. General speaking, the average temperature is around 2°C to -6°C. 

Hokkaido Weather and Temperature>>

What to Wear in Winter Hokkaido

You got to wear clothes wisely in Hokkaido. It’s not wise to wear thick clothes in Hokkaido winter in my state of experience. The outdoor temperature may freeze, but you will get toasty warm indoor. Here are some tips for wearing in Hokkaido comfortably, not too cold or toast. 

Clothes to Wear in Hokkaido Winter>>

Packing Tips

It wasn’t my first time travelling with kids. My husband and I love kids so much. So we always accompanied friends’ kids or my niece and nephew on trips. (We’re child-king, lol) The very first time experience of travelling with kids was horrible. We learned by our mistake and shared with you our printable packing list for a ski trip with kids.

Ultimate Family Ski Trip Packing List>>

International Driver’s License

As we decide to road trip, we will need to rent a car and prepare our driver licenses.

To drive in Japan, you must hold either: a valid Japanese licence; or a valid International Driver’s Permit and a current Australian state driver’s licence. Tokyo Metropolitan Government

My husband and I have Japanese driver’s licenses. 

Dan could not drive in Japan with his U.S. drivers license, and he needed to get International Driving Permits (IDPs). It’s pretty easy.

• Fill out an IDP Form:  the U.S>> ;  Australia>>
• Original passport pictures*2
• Your driver’s license
• Pay a USD 20 permit fee; or AU $42 (plus postage) in Australia, and you’re ready to go!

Our ute in Hokkaido hasn’t got enough seats for three adults and one kid. 

We rented a car–prius4 from  Tabirai Car Rental . It compared prices from different providers, and we found the best budget price shortly. We spent ¥39000 (About USD 353, AUD 487) in total for seven days with a kid car seat, pick-up at Hakodate Airport, and drop-off at New Chitose Airport. Perfect for our Hokkaido 7 days itinerary winter.

We found out it’s cheaper if you rent the car from Tabirai Japanese website. Likewise, renting vehicles from the  Tabirai English website  will be more expensive. My husband is Japanese, so he did the work for us. However, if you can’t understand Japanese, friends who know Japanese or Google Translate can help. Otherwise, you can just rent from their English website with a bit higher fee.

• Tabirai Japanese Website>>
• Tabirai English Website>>
• Snow Driving Tips>>

Winter Vibe Music List

I personal high recommend you prepare a good music list for this Hokkaido 7 days itinerary winter.

In Australia, I controlled speed at 100 km/hr on the highway. In Japan, speed is limited to 60 km/hr on the highway, sometimes 40 or 30 km/hr.

The distance between city to city, town to town are not far at all, and however, the speed limit will make it like forever. Therefore, you won’t regret preparing a music list for road trips in Hokkaido.

Road Trip with Kids

When it comes to road trips with kids, it is not just hopping into the car, driving for hours, arrive a destination. Kids won’t sleep in the car and awake when they come spot. There are many aspects of road trips that are much easier when we get to prepare. 

Here are our tips and hacks to road trip with kids>>

Day 1: From Tokyo to Hakodate

We caught up with Dan and his little daughter, Connie, at Narita Airport. These iconic Hokkaido limited snacks made Dan and Connie can’t wait to see snow. During the two hour waiting period, we stay at the  kid’s playground in Narita Airport . 

We arrived at Hakodate Airport and picked up our car at the rental car counter at 1F. On the way to  the Banso hotel , Connie was excited and kept saying, ‘Daddy, snow. Daddy, that!’ How adorable! 

Local’s Secret Ramen

We quickly checked in at Banso and went to eat our first meal in Hakodate. We went to locals secret ramen shop– ABURI Ramen (ラーメン 炙 ABURI) . I ordered soy sauce ramen (炙醤油ラーメン), my husband went with special miso ramen (炙特濃味噌ラーメン), and Dan chose Samurai ramen (武士ラーメン). The roasted pork is tender and delicious. The broth of Samurai ramen is quite thick and fishly. If you’re looking for miso ramen, I would recommend the special miso ramen.

• Access ABURI Ramen>>
• How to Eat Ramen>>

Things to Do in Hakodate

We made a list of Things to Do in Hakodate and visited places depending on our mood.

Things to Do in Hakodate>>

After the good meals, we took a walk at  Kanemori Red Brick Warehouse (金森赤レンガ倉庫) . And Dan rented a baby stroller for free! All you need is to fill the form and show your passport at the reception. After Dan got some customised Japanese chopsticks for his wife, we drank  Hakodate limited craft beers  at Hakodate Brewery, Bay area. Dan and my husband enjoy the good beers and the unique beer name. I was the driver, couldn’t drink. However, I went to the brewery couple of times with my husband. I like the 社長のよく飲むビール (Shyachou No Yoku Nomu Bi-ru) . It’s an ale with 10% ABV, characterised rich and deep taste. 

• Kanemori Red Brick Warehouse Intro>>
• Hakodate Craft Beers>>

Then I drove through the famous slope– the Hachiman Zaka slope  and made a short stop at the top of the hill so that Dan and Connie could take some lovely photos. Hachmanzaka slope is beautiful not only day but night. The lighting from the street post and the view of the harbour right in front and at the end road was serene. As Dan wasn’t interested in strolling around, we went straight to Mt. Hakodate. 

I was thinking of driving a car to the top, but my husband told me that the road might close because of snow. Also, Connie was excited to take the ropeway.

Mt. Hakodate Ropeway>>

We access Mt. Hakodate ropeway at nighttime, not much crowded. The panoramic view of Hakodate is impressive. Luckily, we wore our down jackets with the freezing temperature up at Mt. Hakodate. 

Where We Stay in Hakodate

Back to our hotel ( the Banso hotel ), it provides Yukata (Japanese cotton kimono)in our room. The size suited for my husband and Dan, but too big for me, and Connie wore the kid size was just fine. Therefore, my husband asked reception for a smaller one. And they gave me new Yukata in about 5 minutes, excellent service!

The onsen (hot spring) was fantastic! Onsen, Japanese bath and saunas, socking in the hot spring with the snowy view, took me into a tranquillity peace. However, it may bit boring for kids, and Connie was getting bored after trying all the bath facilities.

• Hotel Banso Official Website>>
• Access to Hotel Banso>>

Day 2: Hakodate through Lake Onuma and Lake Toya to Niseko

The hotel Banso provided a great breakfast buffet of Japanese and western food, such as sashimi, sushi, Katte Don, ramen, miso soups, fresh-baked bread, soups, fruits, etc. You can dress in Yukata and enjoy it.

Following route 338 (道道338号), we drove around Lake Onuma and took a short break at Onuma Quasi-National Park.

We stopped by Hakuchodai Sebatto (白鳥台セバッ) to see the picturesque view of whooper swans and ducks resting their wings on the icy lake. Hakuchodai Sebatto is a good place for birdwatching, the joy of observing swans, eagles, ducks, and smews.

Hakuchodai Sebatto>>

Famous dessert at Lake Onuma

For sure, we won’t miss the famous Onuma mochi (Onuma Dango, 大沼のだんご). Nowadays, there’re two Onuma mochi shops, Numa No Ya (沼の家) and Taniguchi Sweet Dumpling Shop (谷口菓子舗). My granny in law said she always bought two packs from Numa No Ya when she was young and around. Therefore, we always visit Numa No Ya. Each package comes with two flavours, soy sauce and bean paste; or soy sauce and sesame. Granny told us there were sell Onuma mochi at Onuma train station. However, now you only can find Onuma mochi at the two shops. 

Granny and I like the sesame taste, and Connie likes the bean paste. She wanted to get one for mom. Unforturnly the mochi was freshly made every day and expired on the same day.

• Numa No Ya>>
• Taniguchi Sweet Dumpling Shop>>

Hakodate Limited Burger

Grab a couple of burgers from  Lucky Pierrot Mori-Chō Akaigawa Shop  as snacks on our long drive later. Lucky Pierrot only open in Hakodate, and their handmade burgers taste as well. 

Locals Secret Ramen Shop

Had lunch at locals secret ramen shop–Drive in Mizushima (ドライブイン 水嶋), a lovely old couple runs it. The restaurant with vintage looks and old photos on the wall brought us back to the Showa Era. The food looks not fancy but tasty. High recommend Tanmen(たんめん, sticky noodle soup) and Kanikuriーmukorokke Teishoku (かにくりーむころっけ定食, creamy crab croquette set).

Access:  Drive in Mizushima>>

Horse Riding at Lake Toya

We discovered Lake Toya by horse riding, such good fun. Riding horses on winter trails through the snowy Lake Toya, accompanied solely by peace and quiet, was a dream-like experience.

L ake Toya Ranch (レイクトーヤランチ)  is the one and only horse trekking in Toya, the trails were covered in powdery snow rather than ice; the horses were well-conditioned for the weather and had the well-prepared gear for the trek. Besides, you can rent riding boots from them. The coach taught us how to move forward, stop, turn right and leave at the ranch. We head to the trail after practice. Through fluffy snowdrops on my face, horseback, and Lake Toya, the picturesque view of Whiteland, Lake Toya, and mountains unfold before me. We enjoyed the unique bond between humans, animals and nature, fantastic experience with Lake Toya Ranch. They provide such a good service, would highly recommend people to try.

• Horse Riding in Hokkaido>>
• Lake Toya Ranch Official Website (Japanese only)>>
• How to Access Lake Toya Ranch>>

Niseko Affordable Hotel

Tonight we stayed at  Yumoto Niseko Prince Hotel Hirafutei (湯元ニセコプリンスホテル ひらふ亭) . It’s near Niseko, and the price is budget-friendly. Consider we might remain outside for the whole next day, we weren’t very picky on the accommodation.

We booked a room for three adults and one kid. However, the child toiletries were missing, and Dan had to get them from reception. The good thing is the staff can speak some English. And the view was great at the outdoor onsen.

I’m aware they were swamped during the snow season. The food tasted like frozen food, don’t get your hopes up. 

• Yumoto Niseko Prince Hotel Hirafutei Official Website>>
• How to Access>>

Day 3: Niseko to Otaru

It was skiing all day in our plan. We had a simple lunch at the vendor and checked out early because we would head to Otaru at night after skiing.

Ski Equipment

My husband and I got our ski equipment. We’re not professional skiers, but it’s always nice to have your own if you frequently use them. However, rent or buy was a difficult question for Dan, who first time skied. After he sorted it out, renting would be the better option in his case.

Compare Renting and Buying Ski Equipment>>

We took Dand and Connie to get their rental ski equipment at  Amuse Sport . They rent complete equipment sets, including skis, helmets, ski boots, ski jackets, and ski pants. Their service was excellent, and the staff was friendly and found suitable sizes for you. 

Amuse Sport>>

Lift Tickets

We decided to ski at Hirafu because Dan and Connie were skiing for the first time, and Hirafu was less crowded than Niseko, which is excellent for Dan and Connie to practice skills.

Connie was free to get in as she was only three years old. And we bought three adult tickets for 8 hours.

Lift Ticket Prices>>

As Connie’s unprofessional coach, I taught Connie some basic knowledge before we hit the slope. And my husband carried on Dan.

• First Time Skiing Tips>>
• Or, you may get prepared before you leave home– Ski with Kids Survival Guide>>

It ended up proving I was a good teacher. Although my husband said ‘self proud doesn’t count.’ Lol

What We Eat at Niseko

We were planning to eat ramen, but endless lines changed our minds. We were exhausted and didn’t mention Connie was hungry and getting grumpy at the moment. 

After my husband and his friend’s recommendation, I’ve taken a fancy to the Katsu Don from  Seicomart . Therefore, I recommended it to Dan, and we bought the Katsu Don (Deep-Fried Pork Cutlet Bowl, カツ丼) from  Seicomart . Moreover, never forget the Niseko craft beers!

Niseko craft beers>>

Stay next to Otaru Canal

After my super care drove to Otaru, everyone got a good short nap in the car. Tonight we stay at Otaru Furukawa (運河の宿 おたるふる川), which recommended by our friend who lives in Otaru.

We were given our own parking space, which was helpful for our stay. The hotel is cosy, small, clean, and its amenities made us dive into Japanese culture. The Japanese style dinner was terrific, and the onsen was delightful. We were too tired to stroll around and see the   Otaru Snow Light Path (小樽雪あかりの路) . We enjoyed  Otaru craft beers  with nighttime illumination of the Otaru canal from the room. 

• Hotel Official Website>>
• Otaru Snow Light Path Official Website>>
• Otaru Craft Beers>>

Day 4: Otaru to Asahikawa and Biei

Our friend recommended the local’s favourite restaurant– Uomasa (魚真, うおまさ) . It’s open from 12:00 PM, and we won’t be there by that time. Therefore, we had breakfast at the hotel. Nothing I could say, the meal was so good. The main shopping street is only a mere 10minute walk from the hotel, which was so convenient. We strolled around then headed to Asahikawa.

Asahiyama Zoo in Asahikawa

The most northern zoo in Japan–Asahiyama Zoo (旭山動物園), we pulled up to the zoo and parked, then began the trek to the ticket office. We only buy three adult tickets, and kids under 13 are FREE! 

We started on the right side of the zoo. After watching the cute and funny penguins walk, we got to see the graceful seals catch fish, climb and dive in this dynamic display. Then headed to see polar bears roll in the snow to clean their fur. There is a spot you can observe the Polar bear land from the chilly water. However, we waited over one hour in line. Followed  Asahiyama Zoo’s Map  to stroll around. Overall, the zoo is clean, well maintained, and the staff are kind and helpful.

A kind and funny thing is a sign warning people to keep their distance from the hippo’s button. Hippos take feces powerfully.

• Asahiyama Zoo>>
• Access to Asahiyama Zoo>>
• Map>>

Craft Beer and Jingisukan in Asahikawa

Taisetsu Beer House (大雪地ビール館)  is only 25 minutes drive from Asahiyama Zoo. We tasted the  Asahikawa craft beers  with Hokkaido BBQ–Jingisukan (ジンギスカン, lamb BBQ). High recommend it, absolutely delicious!

• Taisetsu Beer House Official Website (Japanese)>>
• Asahikawa Craft Beer>>

Shirogane Blue Pond in Biei

Shirogane Blue Pond (白金青い池) froze and snowfall in the winter. It illuminated Shirogane Blue Pond with blue light. 

Shirogane Blue Pond Official Website (Japanese Only)>>

Accommodation in Biei

Near to blue pond,  Yumoto Shirogane Onsen Hotel (湯元白金温泉ホテル)  is famous for its natural hot spring. The outside onsen overlooking the gorge is impressive. You can hear Shirahige Waterfalls (白ひげの滝) while soaking in the outdoor bath.

The downside is the staff couldn’t speak English. Luckily my husband could talk to them in Japanese.

• Yumoto Shirogane Onsen Hotel Official Website (Japanese Only)>>

Day 5: Biei to Sapporo and Jozankei

In the morning, we had a different daytime view of Shirogane Blue Pond, and it took us about 15-20 minutes by walk.

Aluminium that has seeped into the water scatters the sunlight, causing the pond to look blue. You can see the mirror-like lake surface with the crystal blue colour, different from the nighttime view.

Shiroi Koibito Park (白い恋人パーク)

It’s like Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory world, but the Japanese edition. Magic scenery both adults and kids have fun, keep eyes for surprise detail in every corner. Especially the most popular spot for kids–Gulliver Town POKKE, Connie couldn’t help herself. 

Moreover, a mini playground, lots of fun toys and a few fun virtual games for kids charged ¥200 for 30 minutes for each kid and companion adult. It makes kids a remarkable memory.

• Shiroi Koibito Park Official Website>>
• Access>>

Hokkaido-Jingu Shrine

Hokkaido-Jingu Shrine (北海道神宮)  is glamorous and the snow added to the winter wonderland atmosphere. Most definitely worth a visit in the snowy winter.

• Hokkaido-Jingu Shrine>>

Stay a Night at Jozankei

We visited Snow candle way (Jozankei Onsen Yukitouro, 定山渓神社雪灯路) on the way to the hotel. These lanterns made by snow light up all way to the Jozankei Shrine, and it is mystical, like all your wishes will come true.

• Snow candle way Official Website>>
• Location>>

Our neighbour recommended we stay at  Jozankei View Hotel . 

He took kids to  Jozankei View Hotel  every year. Children and adults can have impressive aquatic fun in an indoor heated pool at the Water Kingdom Lagoon. Also, you can enjoy the view of falling snow while soaking in the therapeutic water at the outdoor onsen.

A buffet at the restaurant with a vast dining hall offering food is tasty. Furthermore, you can have Hokkaido ramen or pub foods at After-Bath Cafe Gosentei.

• Jozankei View Hotel Official Webstie>>
• Jozankei View Hotel Location>>

Day 6: Sapporo Day Tour

We had too much fun last night that almost late to check out. Therefore, we just stuffed our stuff into suitcases without organising and left.

As it was a bit early to check-in at  HOTEL RELIEF Sapporo Susukino , we parked our car nearby and took a train to have lunch.

Local’s Favourite Soup Curry

My husband’s best friend, who lives in Sapporo, recommended us  Soup Curry King セントラル店 . The soup was extremely flavourful and had a good amount of spices. Highly recommend it to everyone!

• Soup Curry King Official Website (Japanese Only)>>
• Directions>>

Stay at Central Sapporo

Check-in at  Hotel Relief Sapporo Susukino (ホテルリリーフ札幌すすきの) . The hotel is small but cheap and in a great location, easily accessible to the most popular places in Sapporo. 

• Hotel Relief Official Website>>
• Hotel Relief Access>>

While Connie had a nap, we repacked our luggage. The room was small, so only can open a suitcase at one time. However, it didn’t bore us much. 

Sapporo Odori Park

We Visited  Sapporo Odori Park (大通り公園)  not on the time of Sapporo Snow Festival (雪まつり) but still beautiful on its own and great to stroll around.

Sapporo Odori Park Access>>

Sapporo Clock Tower

The Clock Tower, with a small museum inside, is of great value as a historic site of Sapporo Agricultural College. However, we walked through Sapporo Clock Tower (札幌時計台) at nighttime, the museum already closed. So we took some lovely photos with the illumination. 

Sapporo Clock Tower Location>>

Sapporo Factory

Shop some excellent outdoor gear at Sapporo Factory (札幌ファクトリー), some with unique patterns made by Japanese designers.

Sapporo Factory Official Website>>

Sapporo Kaitakushi Beer brewery

Finally, we all could have some good craft beer today! Sapporo Kaitakushi Beer brewery is at the same place as Sapporo Factory but next building, easy access. But Connie got bored, and we drank a few  Sapporo craft beers  and grabbed some back to the hotel.

Sapporo Craft Beers>>

Day 7: Chitose Airport

To Start to last morning in Hokkaido for Dan and Connie, we had a long breakfast at the cafe in Hotel Relief. The pancake was soft and tasty, and the coffee was average.

After we returned the car at Chitose Airport, Dan shop some gifts at the airport, you can basically find most of the famous Hokkaido limited gifts and souvenirs here.

We said goodbye to Dan and Connie, reeled all the joyful memories in Hokkaido. I hope to see them soon somewhere or in Hokkaido again!

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Hokkaido Travel Itineraries

Hey, I’m so excited that you are planning a trip to Hokkaido! Here are some handy itineraries, tips & guides, trip inspiration , and many more for you. Enjoy!

Useful Resources

✨Planning a winter trip? Here's Winter Hokkaido Guidebook

✨Traveling to Eastern Hokkaido? Grab my Ultimate Travel Planner & Itineraries

✨Looking for places to stay? Check out my Hotel Recommendations

✨Traveling by train? Read my complete guide to JR Hokkaido Rail Pass

7-Day Hokkaido Summer Road Trip

5-Day Summer Itineraries in Eastern Hokkaido

27 Local Summer Festivals in Hokkaido

3 Autumn Itineraries in Hokkaido

3-Day Shiretoko Itinerary for Summer

3-Day Akan Itinerary for Summer

3-Day Abashiri Itinerary for Summer

Winter Hokkaido Itinerary: 7 Days for Nature Lovers & 12 Best Things to Do

12 Winter Festivals in Hokkaido: Schedules & Best Hotels Nearby

The 8 Best Ski Resort Hotels in Hokkaido

3-Day Shiretoko Itinerary for Winter

3-Day Akan Itinerary for Winter

3-Day Abashiri Itinerary for Winter

TIPS & GUIDES

The complete guide to JR Hokkaido Rail Pass

Rent a Car or Public Transportation? - How to Get Around

8 Essential Tips to Plan Your First Hokkaido Trip

20 Money-Saving Tips for a Budget Hokkaido Trip

Hokkaido Packing List for Winter & Summer Trips

Onsen & Hotels

The 8 Best Onsen Ryokan & Hotels in Eastern Hokkaido

The 8 Luxury Onsen Resorts in Hokkaido

Hokkaido Onsen Guide - the 10 Best Destinations

The 8 Best Hotels in Sapporo

The 6 Best Hotels in Furano

10 Hokkaido’s Must-Try Sweets & Snacks

The Ultimate Hokkaido Ramen Guide

The 10 Best Local Food in Eastern Hokkaido

6 Popular Hokkaido Drinks - Beers, Whisky, Wine, Shochu

INSPIRATION

5 Hidden Gems in Hokkaido for Nature Lovers

12 Spots for Autumn Colors & 3 Itineraries in Hokkaido

Top 5 Destinations in Eastern Hokkaido

The 10 Best Things to Do With Kids in Eastern Hokkaido

5-Day Budget Trip to Eastern Hokkaido Under $500

More useful resources

These e-guidebooks will save your weeks of research!

Overview of major destinations

Ready-made itineraries

Things to do, hotel reccomendations

Useful travel tips & many more

Need Expert Advice on Your itinerary?

I’M HERE TO HELP YOU!

I’ve been helping international travelers plan their dream trips to Hokkaido for the past 3 years. I’d be happy to plan your itinerary with you for Eastern Hokkaido as well as other regions.

Check out what you can ask me & why you should plan with a local expert like me.

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DIY Itinerary and Travel Guide: 10-Day Hokkaido Winter Trip

If there’s one reason why Filipinos travel to Japan or South Korea, it’s because of snow. The Philippines has no winter season making it a dream for everyone to experience the cold and freezing weather. With a flight booked to Japan during the first week of December, I decided to fly to Hokkaido. The 2-week Japan itinerary I posted previously featured Tokyo, Hakone, Kyoto, Osaka , Nara, Kobe, and Himeji on late spring. Meanwhile, this 10-day Hokkaido itinerary  on winter will cover Sapporo, Asahikawa, Hakodate, and day/short trips to Otaru, Niseko, Biei, and Noboribetsu.

DISCLAIMER : Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. If you think it will be more convenient for you to purchase these activities/passes before your trip to Hokkaido, Japan, kindly book them below. The commission I’ll get for every successful booking comes  at no extra cost to you .

THINGS BEFORE YOU GO

For Japan visa application for first timers, you can check my separate post for requirements and accredited agencies. On my second application, I added a letter of intent for a multiple-entry visa and a form from the agency. Multiple-entry visa holders can stay up to 30 days in Japan, versus the 15-day maximum stay for a single-entry visa.

Since you want to experience snow, check weather forecasts to ensure that there will be snowfall on your visit. I arrived November 29 in Sapporo and it already snowed heavily. Snow in Hokkaido might start as early as November with peaks during the month of February. With this, prepare to pack for layers of warm clothing.

Winter Clothes

Heat tech products were helpful for me; you can buy them here in the Philippines or get one when you arrive in Japan because it’s cheaper. For layers, I brought a hoodie and a The North Face jacket but they’re not really for the cold weather.

TRAVEL TIP: Winter clothes are sometimes cheaper in Japan. I bought a jacket for JPY1990 (~PHP995) and it already served my outerwear on my entire stay in Hokkaido. I survived -15C temperature with just that as my outerwear, no heat tech, and just my shirt as innerwear. Most of the establishments, trains, and buses are heated so it’s better to have just one outer layer. So if you have multiple layers, imagine the hassle of taking off and putting on all your layers.

Activities and Passes

When I had my first trip to Japan , there are several and cheaper alternatives in terms of transferring between cities. On this Hokkaido itinerary, buses are the cheapest way for inter-city travel. However, traveling from one city to another will have the bus fares pile up. With rigorous forum and blog readings, I decided to avail a JR Hokkaido Rail Pass . This helped me transfer between cities and for my checklist to be accommodated on my 10-day stay in Hokkaido.

If you’ll be availing a JR Pass from Klook, make sure to purchase at least seven days before your departure . Klook will send you the Exchange Voucher within 7 days after your confirmed booking. The one to be delivered is just the Exchange Voucher and you need to use the voucher to claim your JR Hokkaido Rail Pass on selected JR Hokkaido Train Stations. For this itinerary, a 7-day pass is enough to cover the destinations and cities on the itinerary.

How to get to Hokkaido, Japan from Manila

As of writing, only Philippine Airlines has a direct flight from Manila to Sapporo, Hokkaido. The airline flies directly to New Chitose Airport from Manila three times a week; Wednesday, Friday, and Monday.

Flying from international airports on central Japan to Hokkaido is not that cheap. In my case, I booked a flight to Narita from Manila and the return flight Narita to Sapporo cost me around PHP6000, excluding baggage fees. Local airlines like Vanilla Air and Jetstar Japan are strict when it comes to the 7-kg hand-carry. If you think you’re going beyond the limit, better purchase a baggage allowance.

BEFORE YOU LEAVE THE AIRPORT

For more convenient train and subway rides in Hokkaido, I purchased a Kitaca IC Card from Klook. The card worth JPY2000 is preloaded with JPY1500 and a deposit of JPY500. I also got a Japan sim for my open-line Huawei pocket Wi-Fi. Redemption booth for the  IC Card and the sim are located at the international arrival hall of New Chitose Airport.

HOW TO GET AROUND HOKKAIDO

Hokkaido is well connected by JR Hokkaido line operated by the Hokkaido Railway Company. With that, purchasing a JR Hokkaido Rail Pass will surely become handy and cost-saving. Visiting several destinations in Hokkaido that will require inter-city train travels will greatly maximize the JR Hokkaido Rail Pass.

Sapporo has three subway lines; Namboku, Tozai, and Toho lines. Minimum fare is JPY200 and you can use the KITACA IC Card when riding the subway. A streetcar also connects downtown Sapporo and other districts.

For Hakodate, a tram connects Yunokawa-onsen and Hakodate Dock Mae. Hakodate Bus system is also reliable and efficient. The rest of the destinations listed here are serviced by local buses that sometimes departs less frequent compared to the bus schedules of major cities like Sapporo, Hakodate, and Asahikawa.

TRAVEL TIP: Always check the bus schedules every time you arrive at the stations or bus stops. You can use this information to maximize your visit to tourist attractions. You can also ensure that you will catch the last departing bus schedule of the day.

10-Day Hokkaido Itinerary

Day 1 – 2 sapporo.

After picking up all your essentials from Klook at New Chitose Airport, take the Rapid Airport train to Sapporo Station. Train fare is JPY1070 on a non-reserved car and travel time is 37 minutes.

Sapporo adapts a grid plan for its streets and avenues making it easy to navigate. But traffic lights installed every corner sometimes stressed me, especially when I’m trying to catch a train schedule. Here’s a list of Sapporo tourist attractions you can include on your itinerary:

• Okurayama Ski Jump Stadium of 1972 Winter Olympics
• Hitsujigaoka Observation Hill
• Former Hokkaido Government
• Sapporo Clock Tower
• Sapporo TV Tower
• Maruyama Park
• Hokkaido Shrine
• Sapporo Beer Museum
• Hokkaido Historical Village (didn’t go)
• Mt Moiwa (didn’t go)

Most of the Sapporo attractions listed above are accessible via subway or streetcar. For Okurayama Ski Jump Stadium and Hitsujigaoka Observation Hill , it is recommended having the Sapporo Afternoon Bus Tour from Klook because these destinations are difficult to reach from downtown Sapporo.

Day 3 – Otaru Day Trip

Otaru is a perfect day trip from Sapporo. This port city is just a 45-minute train ride away from JR Sapporo Station for a JPY640 fare, one way. Otaru was one of the locations of the hit Kita Kita movie starring Alessandra De Rossi and Empoy Marquez. Tourists flock the quaint city for the Otaru Canal , where large vessels once unloaded by cargo ships to the warehouses near the canal.

Apart from the canal, recommended places to see in Otaru are  Sankaku Morning Fish Market , for fresh seafood such as snow and king crabs; Otaru Old Town for the the Former Temiya Line, The Bank of Japan Otaru Museum,  and Tanaka Sake Brewery ; and Marchen Square on one end of Sakaimachi Street and where you can find the Otaru Music Box Museum . For souvenir shopping, Sakaimachi Street is perfect as the main road is lined with tons of shophouses. You can find stalls selling different products from cakes, chocolates, crackers, and other souvenirs. Don’t miss the free taste in most stores!

Day 4 – Niseko Day Trip

Niseko is famous for its powdery snow and also praised as one of the prime ski resorts in Japan. But I visited Niseko because of Milk Kobo for its products and the view of Mount Yotei from its backyard. Start using your 7-day JR Hokkaido Rail Pass on this day because it will already cover the train fare worth JPY2160, per way. Be sure to hop on the earliest train leaving JR Sapporo Station at 7:14 AM.

If you have plans for skiing and tubing, then this guide doesn’t suit your goal because I didn’t intend to try these activities when I visited Niseko. Milk Kobo is known for their ice cream on quadrato cones, their cream-filled puffs, and yogurt drinks. Of course, don’t miss the dazing view of Mount Yotei from the dairy factory. Check Niseko Bus schedules and hop on one for visit ski villages such as the Niseko Village, Grand Hirafu, Hanazono, Annapuri, and Moiwa before heading back to a JR train station back to Sapporo.

Day 5 – 6 Asahikawa and Furano

Destinations on the northern part of Hokkaido such as Asahikawa and Furano are must-places to visit during spring because of its flower fields and rolling hills. Winter is not an exception to these cities. Hop on a JR train from Sapporo Station to cover the 85-minute travel to Asahikawa. The city is lesser busy compared to Sapporo or Hakodate making it perfect to walk around the major streets.

There are tons of places to see in Asahikawa but my recommendation would be Asahiyama Zoo for the penguin walk;  Tokiwa Park and Asahibashi Bridge ;  Otokoyama Sake Brewery;  and Asahikawa Ramen Village for several ramen shops offering luscious versions of ramen. If you have more hours to spare, take a train bound to Furano from Asahikawa station. Hop off at Kita-Biei Station and walk the winding road to Tree of Ken and Mary .

Day 7 – 9 Hakodate

From Asahikawa, avail the 5-hr train ride to Hakodate, with a change of train in Sapporo Station. One-way train ride on this route cost JPY13,090 on a reserved seat. A 7 AM departure from Asahikawa will cover the entire morning on the train ride. The route offers stunning mountain ranges and scenic view of Uchiura Bay. After checking in on your preferred accommodation, take a tram to downtown Hakodate. Marvel at the picturesque Kanemori Red Brick Warehouses housing several souvenir shops, beer halls, and restaurants.

Start your day with a visit to the Hakodate Morning Market to observe the trade of fresh seafood and to look for a bowl of kaisendon for just JPY500. Places of interest include Hakodate Foreign Cemetery ,  Old Public Hall of Hakodate Ward , and Former British Consulate of Hakodate . Continue to the Motomachi district for the Hakodate Orthodox Church , Hakodate Catholic Church , and Hakodate’s Saint John’s Church .

In the afternoon, visit the Hakodate Tropical Botanical Garden to see the monkeys enjoying hot baths. You can continue to Trappistine Monastery before ending the day with a cable car ride to Mt Hakodate . The sight from Mt Hakodate is considered as one of the best night views in Japan. On my stay, the ropeway was closed due to extreme winds. I just decided to scale Goryokaku Tower to witness the cityscape of Hakodate.

On your last day, stop by Goryokaku, the only star fort in Hokkaido and the main fortress of the brief Republic of Ezo. Explore the fort before heading back to Hakodate Station for your train back to Sapporo.

Day 10 – Noboribetsu

With all the tiring city walks and inter-city transfers, end the Hokkaido trip with a visit to Noboribetsu. Noboribetsu is an onsen resort known for its natural hot baths and for Jigokudani (Hell Valley) volcanic crater. There are scenic paths in Jigokudani where you can get up-close with the sulfur vents. If the paths are cleared, you can continue to Oyunuma Pond and head to the Oyunuma River Natural Foot Bath .

There are dozens of hotels offering onsen baths for walk-in guests. I had a relaxing onsen experience for a JPY1000 admission fee. If it’s your first time to experience onsen, take note that these are public and naked baths. It was a bit awkward at first but you can enjoy the comforts of the hot pools. Instructions are on English and make sure to always observe onsen etiquette when entering the bathing areas.

If you have more time and yen to spare, visit Noboribetsu Date Jidaimura.  The theme park will let you experience the Edo Period for its traditional games, activities, and street and theater ninja performances. Since ninjas are a thing during the Edo Period, you can try and learn to throw ninja stars and arrows.

DAY 11 – Depart to New Chitose Airport

Hokkaido itinerary: where to stay.

Rates for hostels in Sapporo is similar to Tokyo. You can get a bed in an 8-bed dorm for USD18 at Social Hostel 365 , the cheapest I found. For other hostel option, The Stay Sapporo Hostel is an alternative though more expensive for USD28 per night. If you’re not into shared rooms, Ibis Styles Sapporo is a great option. Their superior rooms are USD135 good for 2 adults, with breakfast.

In Asahikawa, I found a newly-opened budget hotel about a 10-minute walk from JR Asahikawa Station. RHotels Inn Hokkaido Asahikawa offers single rooms with own toilet and bath for USD28 per night, breakfast not included. For Hakodate, the cheapest I found is Tune Hakodate Hostel and MusicBal with dorm beds at USD18 per night. The only disadvantage for the hostel is its location which is a bit far from Hakodate center. Just get a bus and tram pass for you to save tons of fare to and fro the city center.

Hokkaido Itinerary:  WHAT TO EAT

Like any place in Japan, ramen is everywhere . While most ramen in central Japan are tonkotsu or pork bone broth, Hokkaido offers other versions. Sapporo is known for the miso-based (fermented soybean) ramen, Asahikawa for shoyu-based (soy sauce) broth, and Hakodate for its shio-based (salt) ramen. Recommended ramen places are Menya Yukikaze Susukino Honten (Sapporo), Ichikura Ramen (Asahikawa), and Hakodate Ramen Kamome (Hakodate).

As much as possible, I tried to look for cheaper options when during lunch or dinner time. Some of the stuff I’ve tried are the snow crab soup at Sankaku Morning Fish Market in Otaru, fish cakes at Kamaei Factory in Otaru, kaisendon in Hakodate Morning Market , and deep-fried Genghis Khan (grilled mutton). For desserts, everything that is being sold at Milk Kobo is good! When in Hakodate don’t ever skip the local food chain, Lucky Perriot , for burgers and fries served in a mug.

Sample Expenses: 10-day Hokkaido Itinerary

TRAVEL TIP: For flights, you can book for a Narita – Chitose roundtrip for PHP6000, excluding baggage allowance. This is on top of the Manila to Narita you grabbed from a seat sale. Another option is to book a non-stop flight from Manila to New Chitose Airport via Philippine Airlines for USD600 (roundtrip base fare) on Economy cabin class.

Hi. Question, since you only purchased the JR Hokkaido Pass, I’m just confirming that you only used it on your Day 1-2 trip, yes? I’m planning to purchase the whole JR Pass since I will also be travelling from Sapporo to Tokyo, would you know if that is included as well?

Thank you very much.

If you’re going to have the Sapporo to Tokyo train, you need to avail the JR National Pass. JR Hokkaido Pass doesn’t cover the Shinkansen from Hakodate. I used my JR Hokkaido Pass from Day 4-10.

For the Kitaca card, when do u use it? is it just for sapporo trams/ buses? can use for chuo bus? In your expenses, I saw that you still have transportation expenses. Meaning these transport fees cant use the hokkaido pass and kitaca card?

Haven’t tried using the Kitaca for Chou Bus. For the transportation part on my expenses, some of the city buses are not covered by the Hokkaido JR Pass while some of items indicated were transport expenses outside the coverage of the pass (I stayed 10 days in Hokkaido and pass I got only covers 7 days) so I had to plan the destinations on my itinerary properly to put the nearer cities (in terms of transfer costs) outside the JR Pass coverage and put all distant cities/attractions within the 7-day coverage to maximize the pass.

Hello! May I know how did you go to Milk Kobo? I cannot find the way on Google Maps 🙁 Which train should we hop on? Thanks!

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1500km, 10 Cities, 10 Days: Our Self-Drive Hokkaido Road Trip Experience (Itinerary Included)

A holiday trip to Japan almost always includes exploring 1 of its 4 most popular provinces: Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto, and last but definitely not least, Hokkaido . The latter is so beautiful that even the locals flock down there in droves all year round.

As such, we decided we had to make the once-in-a-lifetime trip down to Japan’s second largest island. And not just any trip – a 10-day self-drive road trip around Hokkaido .

( Sound familiar? )

Having witnessed its beauty in numerous movies and TV shows, we knew it’d be the perfect place to commemorate Jan’s recent graduation from university (hooray!).

Planning the route

Our last road trip was in Tasmania last year. Back then, I’d remarked that, at 68,401 km2 in land area, it was pretty enormous.

And then I found out that Hokkaido topped out at 83,454 km2 in land area.

We had initially considered going all backpacker, and taking public transportation from city to city across Hokkaido. However, one thing to note is that public transportation is by no means cheap anywhere in Japan. Based on our calculations, we concluded that it’d actually be cheaper to rent a car for the entire duration.

Also, our experience has proven that driving through the countryside has a huge upside: being able to go anywhere, stop anywhere, and take pictures anywhere. Like in Tasmania, we ended up chancing upon many random and hidden spots that were fantastic for photo taking. (add in example here)

There were some heart-stopping moments, for sure. Despite arriving in mid-May – well past Hokkaido’s  ever-popular ski season – we drove through a few areas that had remnants of the snow season. Here, visibility was extremely low, and the roads were slippery and windy. Still, by slowing down considerably, we managed to emerge unscathed, so don’t be put off by this. More on this episode later!

By and large, we enjoyed the mildly cold weather. Hokkaido weather has a reputation for extreme cold temperatures, especially in the east, and we had lugged a few big jackets in anticipation of that. Fortunately, mid-May is the tail-end of spring, and even in Monbetsu – the city that was furtherest east of Hokkaido – we didn’t feel too chilly.

On that note, I highly recommend the, uh, Changi Recommends pocket WiFi router   to stay connected in Hokkaido. Even when we went to the furtherest reaches of the island, we still had consistent and stable internet all the way. It’s even more value for money if you’re travelling in a group, as you can connect up to 6 devices to the router at once.

Hokkaido 10-day itinerary

10 days might seem like a lot, but it turned out to be  just  enough to hit all the major cities, and then a bit more. Here’s how our self-drive Hokkaido road trip itinerary turned out:

• Day 1 & 2: Hakodate
• Day 3: Noboribetsu
• Day 4: Sapporo
• Day 5: Otaru
• Day 6 & 7: Furano and Biei
• Day 8: Asahikawa and Takinoue
• Day 9: Monbetsu and Lake Akan
• Day 10: Reflections: Goodbye Hokkaido; Hello Tokyo!

For your convenience, I’ve also included a map of Hokkaido , with all the places we visited marked out here:

We really hope that this series of articles will help your Hokkaido road trip planning to go smoothly. Just click on any of the links to get started!

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Daniel has a serious and dangerous case of wanderlust, which turns out to be pretty handy for travel writing. As cliche as it might sound, he aspires to take his content production studio onto the road and become a digital nomad one day.

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8-Day Hokkaido Itinerary — Spring Road Trip Under S$1k

Feast on Hokkaido’s best cuisine in Sapporo, drive out of the city through breath-taking terrains, and taste some of Japan’s freshest seafood on this 8 day road trip through the best of Hokkaido — all under S$1k!

Planning a road trip in Hokkaido ain’t easy because there’s just SO MUCH to explore! Ski on powdery slopes in winter, hop around some of the most impressive flower fields in spring and try some of the best produce this region has to offer! If you’re up for an adventure in Hokkaido, here’s how you can experience them all under a S$1k budget (excld. flights)!

8D Budget Breakdown:

Accommodation: S$320.67 Food: S$349.26 Activities: S$53.48 Transport: S$188.84 TOTAL: S$912.24 Click here for detailed breakdown

*Note that this budget is for 4 pax which is the most economical for road trips especially when it comes to splitting the cost for bigger ticket items like car rental and the Hokkaido Expressway Pass. This figure might cost slightly more for 2-3 pax.

Check Flights to Hokkaido

Flight prices are not included in the budget due to seasonal fluctuations. To check the prices of flights for your specific dates of travel, use this widget below:

If you can’t see the widget above, click here to check flights from Singapore to Hokkaido instead!

Pre-trip Essentials

Connectivity:  If you’re going with a group of friends, you can get a pocket 4G WiFi (~S$5/day) to share! Just pick it up from the New Chitose Airport once you land and you’re good to go.

JR Hokkaido Kitaka IC Card: For seamless travel on public transport, get a rechargeable card (IC Card) that can be used on all public transport including JR trains, the subway and buses including the Airport Limousine bus.

If you have IC cards from other regions, like Tokyo (SUICA) , Osaka (ICOCA) , these can be used in Hokkaido too. If not, you can pre-purchase it online  (preloaded with ¥1,500) or get it at the station.

Car rental: Once you’ve had enough of the city, the best way to explore the other sights of Hokkaido is by driving. Japanese car rental sites can be a bit confusing so we  rented ours through Klook  (~S$70/day). Do note that the price does not include options like collision damage insurance (¥648/day), the Hokkaido Expressway Pass (HEP) and rental of the ETC card (¥324).

Day 1: Sapporo City

Accommodation:  Hotel MYSTAYS Sapporo Nakajima Park   — located just a 3-minute walk from Horohira Bashi Subway station.

Airport to Sapporo: The most direct route to the hotel is via the Airport limousine bus 14 to Nakajima at ¥1,030. The bus leaves every hour and the ride is about 1hr 9mins. Alternatively, the JR Airport Rail leaves about three times per hour, and only takes 37mins ¥1,070 (without reservation).

Getting around Sapporo: The key sights within the city are within walking distance. For the subway, you can use the Kitaca IC card or the 1-day unlimited subway pass for ¥830 (¥520 on weekends and public holidays).

Read also:  The Ultimate Sapporo City Guide: Top Things To Do In The Gateway To Hokkaido

Lunch at Nemuro Hanamaru Sushi

Located within the JR Sapporo station, this is perhaps one of the best places to start your trip in Hokkaido! A popular conveyor belt sushi place with quality cuts yet affordable plates ranging from ¥140 – 453, don’t be surprised to find a queue as long as 90 minutes! We arrived around 3PM and only had to wait for about 10 minutes, so do try to avoid the peak meal times.

Cost: From ¥1,200/pax (~S$15) Opening hours: 11AM – 10PM How to get there: From the JR Sapporo Station, go to the 6th floor of JR Tower Stellar Place.

*Pro-tip:  Grab some tasty baked cheese tarts from Kinotoya Bake while you’re at the station (located at the JR Station East Exit).

Check in at HOTEL MYSTAYS Sapporo Nakajima Park

Our cosy abode for the next 2 nights in Sapporo City was at  HOTEL MYSTAYS Sapporo Nakajima Park  located right outside Nakajima Park. Our room had a full view of the park where you can see locals jogging as early as 5AM.

If you’re here around mid-June, you’ll also get to catch the 100-Year-Old  Hokkaido Shrine Festival held in this park.

We got the Deluxe Family Room, which could fit the four of us comfortably but there are also comfortable rooms for two pax!

Cost: From   ~S$58/night Address:  1 Chome Minami 14 Jonishi, Chuo, 札幌市中央区 Hokkaido 064-0914, Japan How to get there: Walk 3mins from Horohira Bashi Subway station

Sapporo TV Tower

Located at the edge of Odori Park is an unmissable structure with a giant LED clock on its front. Measuring 147m, it’s the second tallest tower after the Tokyo Tower . Head up to the tower’s observatory for a 360° panoramic view of the city.

My favourite is the side of Odori Park but you can also catch sight of famous attractions like Mount Moiwa, the Sapporo Dome and even the Sapporo Beer Museum!

If you have time, check out the other historical building in the area like Akarenga Government Building (Red Brick) and the Sapporo Clock Tower . More sights around Sapporo in this comprehensive Sapporo City Guide !

Entrance fee: ~S$8 on Klook Opening hours: 9AM – 10PM How to get there: 5min walk from the Sapporo Municipal Subway Odori Station (Exit 27), or 15min walk from JR Sapporo Station (South Exit)

Suage Soup Curry for Dinner

The curry found in Hokkaido is quite different from the usual Japanese curries you find in places like Coco Ichibanya . As the name suggests, the soup curries have a lot more of a soup-like consistency and are more savoury than sweet which I personally prefer.

On the second floor of a building in the Susukino district, Suage Curry Soup and Dining is often spotted with snaking queues down the stairs during dinner — but they do move quite quickly!

The specialty here is the option to add squid ink to your curry which gives it a nice twist. There’s also the option for add-ons like cheese or egg and the choice of five spiciness levels (1 being not spicy at all, to 5 being “super spicy”). The super spicy isn’t that spicy so if you’re a regular chilli padi eater, just go for level 5.

Cost: Curries from ¥980 Opening hours: 11:30AM – 10:30PM How to get there:  5-chome Minami 4jo Nishi, Chuo-ku  |  2nd Floor ,  Sapporo 064-0804,  Hokkaido

Drinks at Susukino

Susukino can be described to be the Dotonbori of Osaka — neon-lit buildings with giant beer signs competing for your attention and streets where pedestrians from all sides cross at once. Susukino is also where all the famous bars are at.

We checked out Flair Bar ES which overlooks Susukino Street. The bar is also famous for its exciting bartending show which happens twice a night at 7:30PM and 10:30PM. Expect fast-paced choreography, liquor bottles on the verge of smashing, and a bit of fire.

Flair Bar ES Cover Charge:  ¥300/pax (drinks from ¥550) Opening Hours:   6PM – 1AM (Mon – Sat), 6PM – 11:30PM (Sun) Address:  4 Chome-16 Minami 4 Jonishi, Chuo, Sapporo, Hokkaido 064-0804, Japan

*Pro-tip:  Walk up to the bar and make a booking before dinner. The bar happens to be only 5 minutes from Suage Soup Curry.

Day 2: Sapporo

Brunch at ramen shingen.

Miso-broth ramen is Sapporo’s specialty and this small 15-seater store has obviously done something right. Arrive at 11:30AM (when the store opens) and you’ll already see a queue of 20 to 30 people. We arrived around 11AM and were one of the last of the first batch to enter so do come early as 90-minute queues here aren’t uncommon!

The menu is entirely in Japanese, but the first on the menu is spicy miso which was what we ended up having and I can almost say this is one of the best bowls of ramen I’ve ever had! The noodles have a nice springy texture and the broth is the sort you’ll want to finish every bit of.

The portions for their regular bowls (¥760) are pretty big so if you’re a small eater, you can opt for the half portion (¥540). The fried rice (¥300) is a great side to have if you still have a stomach for it!

Cost: From ¥540 Opening hours:  11AM – 1AM How to get there:  3min walk from Higashionganji-Mae Station ( Google Maps )

Shiroi Koibito Park (White Lover Park)

This fairytale-themed park 30 minutes from Odori station is created around one of Japan’s most famous white chocolate snack 白い恋人 (Shiroi Koibito) . Walk into an enchanted park with happy music on the speakers, colourful flowers all around and bubbles occasionally filling up the space.

Photo credit: Shiroi Koibito Park

For only an extra ¥540, this is the only place you can customise the tin of the biscuits with your favourite photo — available for both the 36 and 54-piece tins. You can take your photo there or bring along one from home. Great as gifts to your sweet-toothed friends.

Check out the cafe for other popular sweets, join a cookie-making class (¥972 to ¥1,296) or enjoy the scenery with a Shiroi Koibito flavoured soft serve (¥300/450) — one of my favourite soft serves ever in Japan (and that’s a lot given how good soft serves are around the country)!

Also watch out for their popular chocolate tours, especially the Premium Factory Course where the “Professor of Chocolate” will take you through a delectable, chocolate-y world.

Entrance fee: Free, ¥600 for paid area with exhibits Opening hours:  10AM – 6PM How to get there:  Take the Tozai Subway Line to Miyanowasa Station, then walk 7mins ( Google Maps )

Sapporo Beer Museum

Open since 1987, this is the only beer museum in Japan. There’s a free tour on the third floor of the building where you can read through 12 stations explaining how the beer ended up being manufactured in Hokkaido.

The explanations come in English, Korean and Chinese and have pretty interesting facts to uncover. The premium tour (¥500) includes two beers to taste but is only in Japanese.

If you went on the free tour, fret not about the beer since you’ll end up in the Star Hall on Level 1 where beer-tasting vouchers from the vending machine are available. We got the ¥600 taster set which, comes with the Sapporo Classic, Sapporo Black Label and a special Kaitakushi edition made from the original recipe.

Entrance fee: Free, or ¥500 for the premium tour Opening Hours:  11AM – 6PM, daily (last entry at 5:30PM) How to get there:  10min walk from Higashikuyakusho-Mae Station ( Google Maps ). From Sapporo station, there are 2 shuttle buses (¥210) that drops directly at the Beer Museum (North Exit Bus Stop 2, Line Number 188, or South Exit Loop Line no.88).

Sapporo Bier Garten (Beer Garden)

The last Hokkaido signature dish to try on your final night is “Genghis Khan”. I’m not entirely sure of how it got its name but it’s actually a lot like a Thai-style mookata except the ingredients are definitely a lot fresher!

Located right next to the museum, the Bier Garten has a 100-minute all-you-can-at buffet for ¥5,280, with free-flowing beer. The buffet includes a good spread of meats including Genghis Khan-style lamb, sushi, and snow crabs!!! If you only have one meal to splurge on in Hokkaido, this is our recommendation.

To reserve, call them at 0120-150-550 at least a day before! Walk-ins are available; just leave your name at the reservation counter in the Beer Museum, although the wait time sometimes goes up to 2 hours.

Cost: ¥5,280 for the all-inclusive buffet Opening hours: 11:30AM – 9PM (Last order at 8:30PM) How to get there: 15min walk from Higashikuyakusho-Mae Station ( Google Maps )

Read also: The Ultimate Sapporo City Guide: 18 Things To Do-See-Eat In The Gateway To Hokkaido

Day 3: Hakodate via Lake Toya/Noribetsu

Accommodation: Hakodate Kokkusai Hotel — located conveniently between the Hakodate Asaichi (Morning Market) and the Kanemori Red Brick Warehouse.

Car pick-up:  We left at sunrise on Day 3 so we picked up the car the day before. If you plan to leave later, the car rental shop opens at 8AM and can be collected just a short 6-minute walk from the JR Sapporo station.

*Pro-tip:  For getting around with the in-car GPS, just key in the Map Code or phone number (found on Google Maps).

Jigokudani Hell Valley

Not to be confused with the Jigokudani Snow Monkey Park in Nagano, this Hell Valley located in Noboribetsu is a 1.5 to 2.5-hour drive from Sapporo. From here, there are various easy well-paved walking trails ranging from 5 to 20 minutes. Parking here is ¥500.

Map code:  603 288 368*85

Alternatively, you can stop at the Oyunuma Brook Natural Footbath carpark. Get your feet soaked before taking on the 1.2km walking path to Jigokudani. This parking lot is free and can be identified with two tall blue statues called the Welcome Demons . From this spot, it’s only a 5-minute walk to the natural hot spring river.

Entrance fee:  Free Map code:  603 287 856*36 (Oyunuma Footbath Parking)

A 40-minute/70-minute drive (with toll/without toll) from Noboribetsu is a famous caldera, Lake Toya . The best view of the caldera is from the top of Mount Usu via the Usuzan Ropeway (~S$15) which leaves every 15 minutes.

Though, it’s really only worth the trip if the weather is sunny. If it’s cloudy, give it a miss.

There are various walking trails like the Kompirayama and Nishiyama Crater Walking Trail . You’ll be able to see some abandoned buildings damaged by the last eruption in 2000. Start from the visitor centre to grab some maps and be pointed to the start of the trail. Entrance to these trails are free.

Usuzan Ropeway Cost: From ~S$15/pax via Klook , ¥500 for parking Map code:  321 433 350*55

Lunch at Toya Marche

Toya Marche’s food isn’t life changing but the set meals are very reasonably priced compared to many of the overpriced eateries along the lake. Their specialty is in their beef dishes like Wagyu Miso Soup (¥650 comes with rice and salad) and the Toya Beef Gyudon ¥810, all turned out beyond satisfactory.

Cost: From ¥650 Opening hours: 9AM – 6:30PM Map code:  321 518 499*03

Drive from Lake Toya to Hakodate

With toll: 2.5 hours Without toll: 3 hours

Goryokaku Park

Photo credit: Prince Hotels

The star-shaped fort surrounding the park is often the icon that comes to mind when you think of Hakodate. But because of the huge area, the shape can only be seen from the top of the 107m Goryokaku Tower observatory .

That said, don’t forget to check out the park itself! It’s a popular spot during the Hanami period and you can spot locals arriving for a jog as early as 5AM.

Entrance fee:  Free for the park; ~S$9/pax for the tower via Klook Opening hours:  5AM – 7PM for the park; 8AM – 7PM for the observatory (opens 1hr later and closes 1hr earlier from Apr – Oct) Map code:  86 165 294*14 (nearest carpark)

Dinner at Unagidokoro Takahashi (うなぎ処 高はし)

Located just a street from the Goryokaku Park is a gem for Unagi lovers who don’t want to spend a bomb. There’s no English menu here but the staff are incredibly patient although we still couldn’t figure out the difference amongst the few that had pictures.

Regardless, the meal was delicious and well worth the price! Unagi sets range from ¥2,060 for the regular, ¥2,780 for the medium and ¥3,900 for the large, which can be shared amongst two. If you’re here over lunch, grab hold of their limited lunch sets that go at just ¥1,230.

Cost: From ¥2,060 for dinner Opening hours:  11:30AM – 1:45PM; 5PM – 8PM (closed on Tue) Map code:  86 165 624*63

Daimon Yokocho

Lined with more than 20 over small eateries and bars, Daimon Yokocho is a great alternative for dinner, snacks, and drinks. Each eatery only fits an average of 5-15 pax but you can find a variety of food including Genghis Khan, Chirashidon, seafood and even Squid ink gyozas (¥450/5pc) which were really good!

Opening hours: 5PM – 12AM Map code:  86 073 393*17 (Nearest carpark)

Check-in at Hakodate Kokusai Hotel

Conveniently within walking distance to both the Hakodate Asaichi morning market and the Kanemori Red Brick Warehouse , our accommodation for the night in Hakodate was at the  Hakodate Kokusai Hotel  — which was selected as one of the Top 100 hotels in Japan.

Our favourite part though was the breakfast spread up on the SkyLounge! The spread offers a wide variety of Japanese, Western and even French cuisines all of which are incredibly fresh and delicious! Arguably one of our favourite meals in Hokkaido!

Cost: From ~S$109/night Map code:  86 042 874*36

Day 4: Hakodate to Otaru

Accommodation in Otaru: Hotel Sonia Otaru  — Located one street away from the famous Otaru Canal . Some rooms even offer scenic views of the canal.

Hakodate Asaichi Morning Market

If you didn’t get breakfast from Hakodate Kokusai Hotel (you really should), the Hakodate Asaichi Morning Market opens as early as 5AM. Grab a fresh bowl of Kaisendon (~¥2,000) or check out the indoor market for popular snacks like crab crackers, dried scallop and packed Ikura you can bring home.

Look out for seasonal fruits like the Yubari melon and light pink strawberries (which are supposed to be much sweeter but also way more expensive than the red ones).

Opening hours:  6AM – 2PM Map code:  86 072 374*58

Sightsee around Hakodate

Kanemori Red Brick Warehouse.

Former British Consulate of Hakodate.

Hakodate is insanely scenic! After making a quick shopping stop at the Kanemori Redbrick Warehouse  ( Map code:  86 040 324*11) , drive over to Motomachi Park ( Map code:  86 040 561*44) , take a walk around the Renaissance style Western buildings or drive through the Hachiman Zaka Slope  ( Map code:  86 040 324*11)  — all great for photos.

Drive From Hakodate to Otaru

With tolls: 4 hours Without tolls:  4 hours 40 minutes

Pit stop for Whiskey Lovers:  30 minutes before reaching Otaru is the town of Yoichi where you will find  Nikka Whiskey Distillery . There are tours around the distillery every 30 minutes but only in Japanese.

If you don’t understand Japanese, you can walk through the eight different sections of exhibits on your own and end off with a free set of three whiskeys to taste.

Map code:  164 635 844*63

Check-in at Hotel Sonia Otaru

There are only three to four accommodation options right across the famous Otaru Canal offering an unobstructed view of the scenic canal — Hotel Sonia Otaru is one of them.

The rooms are modern, newly renovated and spacious! Other than being just a street away from the Otaru Canal, the hotel is also conveniently located a 10-minute walk to the Sankaku Fish Market (小樽三角市場) and 10 minutes from the famous dessert street where you can find famous stores like LeTao and Kitakaro.

Cost:  From ~S$113/night Map code:  493 690 528*60

Dinner at Yabuhan Soba (Otaru)

One of the best places for soba in Otaru, Yabuhan (籔半) prides themselves on quality soba grown in Hokkaido, Rankoshi (2 hours south of Otaru). The queues can be quite long, but there are English menus available along with the history of how their soba came about.

Each item on the menu comes with two options, the “Jimono-ko” type, a Hokkaido specialty and the “Namiko” which is mixed with imported buckwheat flour. It depends on your taste but the former has a bit more bite to it and the Namiko noodles tend to be softer.

Cost: ~¥850 – ¥1,550 Opening hours: 11:30AM – 2:30PM, 5PM – 8PM, closed on Tues Map code:  164 719 268*25

Day 5: Otaru to Asahikawa via Furano and Biei

Breakfast at otaru fish market.

Kaisendon with ikura, hotate, salmon and tamago for ¥1,200.

Being a port town, no trip to Otaru is complete without having your fill of freshly caught seafood on rice ( kaisendon ). The best place for a fresh bowl is, of course, the morning markets. Rinyu Asaichi (鱗友朝市) opens the earliest at 4AM but there’s another one just across the Otaru Station called Sankaku Market (小樽三角市場) and only 10 minutes from Sonia Hotel where we’re at.

*Pro-tip:  If you find the kaisendon stores too crowded within the market, check out the shops right outside which are usually less crowded, slightly cheaper, and their fish are just as fresh!

Rinyu Morning Market Opening hours: 4AM – 2PM Map code: 493 720 672*10 Sankaku Market Opening hours: 8AM – 5PM Map code: 164 719 531*33

Drive from Otaru to Furano

With tolls:  2 hours 40 minutes Without tolls:  3 hours 15 minutes

Grab some cakes and cream puffs from LeTao and Kitakaro before hitting the road!

Stop for lunch in Furano

Squid Ink Cheese for Tasting.

The Furano Cheese Special Pizza .

Furano Cheese Factory is an almost mandatory stop for cheese and ice cream lovers. Not only do you get to taste a range of cheese including squid ink and wine-flavoured cheese, there’s also a pizza restaurant with pretty decent pizzas (from ¥1,200, feeds 2-3 pax) and more than decent ice cream!

Pumpkin, cheese and asparagus-flavoured ice cream

The ice cream here is made of seasonal fruits and vegetables, so depending on when you’re around, you might spot interesting flavours like asparagus or pumpkin (¥350). Definitely worth a try, but our favourite was the classic cheese-flavoured soft serve (¥400).

Opening hours: 9AM – 5PM Map code:  550 840 171*82

Farm Tomita

This impressive vast land located in Furano has various flowers blooming from mid-May through early October every year and is absolutely free to explore!

The most famous of all is their lavender fields which go into full bloom in July but were just as stunning when we saw them around May. The greenhouse also has lavenders that bloom all year round, even through winters! Don’t forget to stop by the cafe for lavender ice cream and lavender coffee.

Entrance fee: Free Map code:  349 276 804*00

Sightseeing in Biei

30 minutes from Furano will bring you to a small town in Biei — famous for the scenic landscapes that make all the long hours of driving in Hokkaido worth its run.

If you’re a Mac user, stop by the  Shirogane Blue Pond  to see your desktop wallpaper (Lion OSx) come to life. It may not be the same shade of blue depending on the amount of sunlight (and weather over the last three days) but still really pretty nonetheless.

Map code:  349 569 814*88

Just a 5-minute drive from the Blue Pond is an easily accessible but scenic waterfall:  Shirahige Waterfall . You can park pretty close by and the viewpoint is from the top of a bridge.

Map code:  796 182 575*30

Dinner at Asahikawa Ramen Village

Ramen lovers, Asaihikawa Ramen Village is the place to be! Here you’ll find eight famous ramen stores in Asahikawa clustered together. We popped by one of the only stores that was left open and ended up in Ittetsu-an (いってつ庵) which comes with a fairly English-friendly menu ranging from ¥700 – ¥1,100.

Each ramen has the option of shoyu , shio or miso broth but we recommend getting shoyu since it’s a specialty of Asahikawa! (Miso in Sapporo, Shio in Hakodate).

Cost: Ramen from ¥700 Opening Hours: 11AM – 8PM Map code:  79 410 454*44

Check in at Art Hotel Asahikawa

Comfort Twin Room.

Located just 12 minutes from the Asahikawa station and a 5-minute walk from Tokiwa Park, we loved  Art Hotel Asahikawa  for its cosy, Scandinavian design. If it’s available, try booking one of their six Japanese-style tatami rooms that fit up to four people. The hotel also has its own onsen and spa in the basement (at additional cost).

Cost: From ~S$68/night Map code:  79 373 382*55

Day 6: Drive towards Monbetsu

Accommodation:  Monbetsu Prince Hotel — includes free access to their public Onsen in the basement of the building.

Hokkaido Ice Pavilion

Wet towels freeze into a solid net at -20°C.

Located in the town of Kamikawa (1 hour from Asahikawa) is one of the coldest places in Hokkaido; regardless of season! The Hokkaido Ice Pavillion tries to recreate a -41°C experience which is apparently Japan’s lowest record ever.

Jackets are provided, although it’s not very warm so do come prepared with sufficient clothing if you’re not very resistant to the cold!

Entrance fee:  ¥1,080 Opening hours:  9AM – 5PM Map code:  623 630 207*11

Drive to Monbetsu

The drive is approximately 1 hour 45 minutes since there are no toll roads between these two places. We didn’t spot any interesting food stops, so we grabbed some from the convenience stores to eat on the go.

Hill of Pink Flowers at the Takinoue Park

Around mid May to end of June, this 100,000 square metres of vivid pink flowers on the hill of Takinoue Park is unmissable. Located between Asahikawa and Monbetsu, this is definitely worth a pit stop!

Entrance fee: ¥500 Map code:  570 699 407*11

Seal watching at the Okhotsk Tokkari Centre

More than just a zoo-like enclosure, the Okhotsk Tokkari centre serves as a conservation centre for treating earless seals (Tokkari in the Ainu language). Five times daily, there’s an interactive feeding show where you get to see them perform simple tricks and a photo opportunity with these playful furry seals.

In the winter months from January to March, there are ice breaker cruises that leave 7 times a day from sunrise to sunset. These ships are designed to drill through the ice caps.

Entrance fee:  ¥200 (enter by dropping ¥100 coins into the unmanned gantry. There’s also a machine that changes ¥1,000 notes into coins) Opening hours:  10AM – 4PM Daily shows:  10:30AM, 11:30AM, 1:30PM, 2:30PM, 3PM Map code:  801 585 698*85

Dinner at Marutomi

For dinner, there are lots of small eateries around the Minatocho area, but we picked  Marutomi because it looked cosy and the menu was affordable. The food turned out better than expected!

Cost: Dinner sets from ¥950 – ¥1,600 Opening hours: 11:30AM – 2PM, 5PM – 9:30PM Map code:  401 358 844*41

Day 7: Drive to Lake Kussharo

Accommodation near Lake Kussharo: Yado Hanafurari   — a cosy lodge with Japanese-style tatami rooms and four adorable labrador retrievers!

Kamiyubetsu Tulip Park

Home to an extensive field of over 200 varieties of tulips, the Kamiyubetsu Park is only open from 1 May to early June. It’s pretty from just about any angle if you’re lucky to catch it in full bloom! To find out if the tulips have bloomed, check the official website for the live image replaced every day.

Entrance fee: ¥500 Opening hours:  8AM – 6PM

Lake Hop Around Kussharo and Mashu

Accommodation near Lake Shikaribetsu:  Primal Stage — basic cabin that fits up to 6 people

Lake Kussharo: Japan’s largest caldera, the best lookout point is at the  Bihoro Observatory Pass  ( Map code:  638 225 129*58 ). If you only have time for one lake lookout, this is it. There’s a flight of stairs that leads up to lookout points at two heights — the top is worth the climb!

On the other side, another interesting stop is Sunayu Beach ( Map code:   638 148 651*00).  Dip your feet for free in the natural hot spring foot bath or walk down to the lake and dig your own. Dig far enough into the sand and you’ll create your very own onsen .

Between Sunayu and Lake Mashu, take a quick stop at  Mount Iō ( Map code:  731 683 812*41)  to check out the steaming sulphurous valley. It does feel like a toned-down version of Noboribetsu’s Jigokudani but the melon ice cream here might still be worth the pitstop!

Lake Mashu:  There are three lookout points around this lake. We only made it to the  first observatory  ( Map code:   613 781 339*63) but it  can get quite crowded since tour buses tend to stop here. For lesser crowds, check out the third observatory instead ( Map code:  613 870 628*52).

Note that there’s a ¥500 parking for both the Lake Mashu observatory and Mount Iō but you only need to pay once as the ticket covers both spots.

Day 8: Lake Kussharo to New Chitose Airport

With toll: 4.5 hours Without toll: 6 hours

This day depends on the time of your flight. If you have an early morning flight, you might want to drive back to Sapporo for a night. If evening, here’s what you can check out along the way.

Lake Shikaribetsu

At 800m above sea level, Lake Shikaribetsu is the highest lake in Japan. From December to April, the lake is usually frozen over. But from January to March, you’ll find an igloo village which melts, and then gets rebuilt from scratch every year.

The water was really hot and took a while to get used to .

In summertime, this lake is also a worthy pit stop for its scenic views. Pack some lunch to have a picnic, or dip your feet into the free foot bath nearby before catching your flight home!

From Lake Shikaribetsu, it’s a 2.5-hour drive to the airport so make sure you keep track of time!

Accommodation in Hokkaido

Accommodation can easily take up a huge chunk of the budget when travelling. Although we spent most of our time outside our accommodation, it’s always nice to return to a clean cosy abode.

What we liked about the MYSTAYS Hotel Chain was that the chains are affordable yet don’t scrimp on quality and comfort. They were often in really convenient locations too. From being just a street from the scenic Otaru Canal, to being a 5-minute walk from the train station, many of our picks with MYSTAYS ended up ticking all our boxes for a good valued accommodation option.

Ready to plan your Hokkaido road trip this spring? Check flight prices now:

Anything that we missed in this Hokkaido itinerary? Let us know in the comments!

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42 comments.

Hello, great article. Can I check when were the exact dates you went to Hokkaido? I am planning a family trip to Hokkaido in late Apr – early May next year. Not sure if I will be able to see tulips then? Thanks!

Hi JT! We were there in May!

Hello, Which part of May is that? I see that you actually see both the pink moss and the sakura! Will you mind sharing as I am planning a May trip this year! 🙂

Hello! This was around end April to mid May but the forecast changes slightly every year so be sure to check before your book your flights!

Hello! For the car rental with Klook, did you settle the Hokkaido Expressway Pass, ETC Card Rental and the Collision Damage at the rental company itself? Can’t seem to find an option on those on the booking site. Thank you so much! (:

Yup we got those on the spot with the car rental company. 🙂

Thank you for the reply! Did you get charged extra for collecting the car the night before? We intend to leave during sunrise after reading through you comprehensive itinerary (: ! Thanks for the help!

Hi Darren, the car hire is based on your duration of use so yes we were charged the night before.

Ok! Thanks for the info

GREETINGS FROM SUVENSA TRAVEL & TOURS

We are pleased to inform that we are a registered travel agent in Malaysia would like to request for honeymoon package . Date suggested: 2/12/2019 -9/12/2019 No. of days: 8 days 7 nights No. of pax :2

Hi Santi, we do not organise honeymoon packages but we believe our itinerary is a good guide for travellers to follow along! 🙂

Hi Cherie, great writeup! Was actually feeling lost in my preparation before I stumbled on your article. Can I ask a couple of questions if you do not mind. 1. Car rental – the klook car rental link seems broken, can you direct me? 2. Car pick up is near where you stay? Thanks to advice, as this is my first trip to hokkaido, as well as car renting overseas 🙁

Hey Brian, thanks for the heads up on the broken link. We’ve updated the link ( http://bit.ly/2Z8EwVE ) — it’s even cheaper than what we paid previously but pick-up is now only available at Chitose Airport.

Hi, regarding the Mystay hotel, there is a price difference if I input 4 adults vs 2 adults for the deluxe family room. May I know what’s the difference between the price? Are we booking the room or the bed in this case?

Hi Cass, unfortunately we’re not too sure about this as it may be the policy of the hotel. Are you able to contact them directly?

Hi! Regarding the HEP & the ETC card, do you book online alongside with the car rental or you purchase it from the car rental store physically?

Hey Rey, we purchased ours at the rental store! Unless there’s an online promo for getting it online in advance (let me know if you’ve found one!), it’s more convenient to just get it at the store. They’ll explain to you the options and how to use it on the road.

Hi! Was it easy to rent a car and is parking easy? Is there something like parking coupons if we park nearby the tourist attraction spots?

Parking is pretty easy in Hokkaido so we didn’t have any problems. Often we do not have to pay near tourist attractions or restaurants. In town, there are parking lots with a centralised meter. You can rent a car at the place we shared in the article!

Hi there, I am now in Hokkaido following this itinerary. Some real helpful tips especially the ETC card for tolls. I got my car rental from times rental, a local car rental company. Initially the lady who speaks no English told my Husband tt no need for card just pay cash. I insisted n showed them a screenshot of the HEP card for 6 days at ¥7200 n the older colleague immediately understood what we wanted. Only for tourists. The tolls r EXPENSIVE if u dun have this card n in the first day from Sapporo to Hakodate, I think we paid like ¥6000 in tolls so we’ll worth it cos it’s unlimited for 6 days at ¥7200. They have diff prices for diff duration. Parking in all mystays are chargeable between ¥800 to ¥1200 in Hakodate, Ohtaru n Asahikawa. Public car park charges around ¥200 to 500 for 60 mins or 3 hrs. However it looks to be free at some places like the Asahikawa Ramen Village. Prince hotel car Parks r free but on a first come first serve basis.

Yes please get the ETC like what Mims said! You won’t regret it. And yup in attractions outside of town, parking is usually free.

Hi, Have anyone of you check around for “one way” car rental, e.g. pick up the car at Chitose and return at Sapporo? This would save one way of public transport between Sapporo and Chitose. Tried Times Car Rental but they don’t seems to have such service. KK

Hi KK, unfortunately we are unaware of this as well!

Managed to book a “one way” rental directly with Toyota Rent-a-Car. Pick up the car near Chitose Airport and drop off near Sapporo Station. No extra charge as long as within Hokkaido (same prefecture).

Thank you The Travel Intern for your sharing, it is very helpful.

Hi, thank you for the great post! Did you guys stay at Noboribetsu? I am looking for recommendation for Noboribetsu hotel and thinking if its worth staying at that area for 1 night as the hotel in that area are pretty costly. Await for ypur reply. Thank you!

Hi Fran, on this trip we didn’t stay overnight but on a separate trip with my family, we booked a night in a spacious Airbnb in the town of Date. It’s much cheaper than the hotels in Noboribetsu and only 30 minutes away from both Lake Toya and Noboribetsu.

Hi I am so tempted to arrange a trip to Hokkaido after viewing your blog. My only concern is the airfare. Which airline did you travel on? I am not a budget airline person.

We took Scoot because it was the only airline that flew direct from Singapore. Alternatively, SQ has a direct (but not non-stop) flight that’s codeshared with ANA for a stopover in Narita before going to Chitose.

Hello! Read your post several times over to help me arrange our own trip in May 2020. We only have 7 days with the 1st and last day spent traveling. These are the places we want to explore: Sapporo, Otaru, Furano, Biei, Monbetsu, Lake Toya or Lake Kussharo whichever is better, and Hell Valley or any sulphorous valley whichever is more convenient with our itinerary. We want to stay in as less number of hotels as possible. How do you suggest we plan the sequence of these trip and where shall we stay? Hoping for your response. Thank you!

yay! makes me so happy when people find this post useful 🙂 If you’re skipping Hakodate, there’s actually enough time to do everything else. But if you want to chill more at each place, here’s my 2 cents: – Between Lake Toya and Kussharo, I loved Kussharo a ton more! Lake Kussharo is seriously underrated. But it’s also REALLY far away from everything else and if you want to visit a sulphurous valley, Jigokudani is in Noboribetsu which is 30mins from Lake Toya. If you prefer a shorter drive, pick Lake Toya. In terms of accommodation, Lake Toya and Otaru can be visited on day trips from Sapporo, Furana and Biei are quite near so you can stay at either or Asahikawa (since it’s on the way to Monbetsu). Monbetsu is a little far away so you’ll want to book a night there. In total, 3 accommodations: Sapporo, Asahikawa and Monbetsu.

Thanks for your reply! We want to go back to Sapporo the night before we leave (day 6). On day 5, we plan to stay at Asahikawa for the night after touring Furano and Biei. From Asahikawa to Monbetsu, we plan to visit Takinoue Park, Kamiyubetsu Tulip Park, and Daisesutzan Park (or skip this if time does not permit) then be back by 6-7 pm to Sapporo and return the car to the rental place. Is this possible? So, in summary: Day 5 Furano/Biei tour – Asahikawa overnight stay. Day 6: Asahikawa – Takinoue Park, – Kamiyubetsu Tulip Park, and Daisesutzan Park (optional) – Sapporo.

Hi saw your post and amaze by how budget it can be. I always think that it cost at least 5k per person to go to hokkaido. are the road safe to drive as my son can only drive the others cant. and how easily access for car rental to be picked up.

Yes! It’s really possible 🙂 We were there in Spring so the roads were clear and easy to drive on with many pit stops for drivers to rest. The only long drive is between Sapporo/Lake Toyo to Hakodate so be sure to plan in more breaks! The car rental pick up process is quite straight forward too. Just remember to get sufficient insurance and the Highway Express Pass.

Are there lots of mountain roads during your trip? For the drive from Sapporo to Hakodate via Lake Toya/Noribetsu and from Hakodate to Otaru? I’m the only one driving in my group so I’m worried that it is not easy or safe to drive, especially if there are lots of mountainous roads.

Nope, both routes have clearly paved highways so it’s an easy drive on relatively straight roads. There’s also lots of rest stops and convenience stores in between so if you’re the only driver, just remember to stop by one so you don’t tire out — especially during the Sapporo to Hakodate drive which will take around 4 hours

Hi Cherie, very wonderful blog with so much details. As I do not drive, could you advise which cities my family of 4 could visit using public transport such as train, bus or private car hire? We intend to spend 10 days there.

Thanks Harry! Definitely visit Hakodate, Sapporo, Otaru and Furano! These are easy to get to by train!

I like your blog write-up. I will arrange one self drive trip in July 2023. Your info is very comprehensive and informative with map codes as well. Thanks a lot !

Hi, I like the write up and it is serving as the basis for my coming trip. I would like to know for accommodations, is it better to pre-book or were the occasions along the way where you guys had to book rooms on the go.

Hi Dave, we pre-booked everything before our trip! Generally the Japanese don’t like surprises! however if you need something last minute, I’m sure you can find something on one of the many OTAs too

Hello, Thank you very much for sharing your detailed itinerary with us. We are planning for our self-drive family holiday in early June for a full 11 days (excluding flight times). Where do you suggest for us to spend the additional 3 days? We prefer not to drive for more than 5 hours per day. Looking forward to receiving your advice with thanks. Best regards, Ethan

Hi Ethan! That really depends on what you would like to do! Our itinerary is quite packed so it’s possible to space it out. Alternatively you can consider some other ideas in the links here! https://thetravelintern.com/destinations/asia/japan-asia/hokkaido/

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5 Day Hokkaido Itinerary

Misty Fujii is a Canadian who moved to Osaka, Japan, in 2019 and married her Japanese sweetheart. In 2022, they had a baby and moved to Fukui for the clean country air. She is a DJ who teaches English part-time and writes to share Japan with the world. She gets excited about collecting vintage vinyl records, food from all countries, travelling, and renovating her traditional Japanese house.

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Hokkaido may be best known for its snow, but there is so much more to discover in Japan’s northernmost region. Abundant in fresh produce, boasting a unique history, and home to the indigenous Ainu people, today, the island has embraced elements of modernity while still cherishing its roots and past.

Attracting many outdoor lovers, Hokkaido has pristine nature and uninhabited wilderness. There are notable landmarks like Mt. Yōtei, also known as the Mt. Fuji of Hokkaido, national parks , markets, and festivals . 

As far as weather goes, Hokkaido experiences all four seasons , including warm and sunny summers when you can see beautiful flowers and eat sumptuous seasonal fish. However, winter is one of the best times to experience this frigid prefecture, with many attractions luring both Japanese and foreign visitors. 

Not sure where to start? Here’s a five-day itinerary to set you off on a grand adventure inside and out. 

▼Check out the best tour in Hokkaido!

Sapporo Snow Festival

Eat miso ramen at ramen alley, sapporo beer museum, bar hopping at susukino, winter activities: dog sledding, hot air balloon, skiing, shopping at ningle terrace, enjoy seafood at sankaku market, otaru canal cruise, ski/snowboarding, nijo market, shiroikoibito park, japan wonder travel tours , other articles you might be interested in, day 1: sapporo.

We begin our adventure in Hokkaido’s capital and largest city, Sapporo . Experience some of the city’s most iconic elements, such as snow, ramen, and its namesake beer. 

Attracting 2 million tourists annually, the week-long Sapporo Snow Festival is a must-see! While celebrating everything snow and ice, the festival is a brilliant show of art, culture, sports, and food. It happens in February across three prominent locations; Odori Park, Susukino, and Tsudome. You will see hundreds of ice sculptures and attractions, such as snow slides and mazes, all while gorging on regional foods from all over Hokkaido. If you need a place to stay during the festival or just want to stay in this general area, have a look at our article below!

After enjoying the Sapporo Snow Festival in Susukino, trek down an alley close to the Susukino subway station. Here you’ll find the birthplace of miso ramen on a famous yokocho street where you can fill your belly with the rich, umami noodle soup. There are many restaurants to choose from, so follow your heart and nose until you find one that strikes your fancy. You can also head here after a night of drinking, which is the liveliest time to visit. 

Learn all about the history of beer in Japan at its birthplace. Originally a brewery, the Sapporo Beer Museum is where you can find out how they make beer, and you can even participate in beer tastings. Home to one of Japan’s signature beers, there’s the Sapporo Beer Garden next door. Take the Loop 88 Factory bus from Odori Station to the museum, browse it yourself, or pay a little extra for a guided tour. 

When the sun goes down, the pulse of Sapporo’s nightlife quickens in the Susukino area. Head south from Odori Park until you find yourself among the neon lights at the intersection of Susukino Crossing. Home to cafes, bars, and izakayas, you’ll have your choice of spots to imbibe. If alcohol isn’t for you, eateries dish up delicious desserts, and restaurants serve Sapporo’s soul food of fresh mutton and meat sauce. 

Day 2: Furano

A picturesque town in central Hokkaido, Furano boasts famous lavender fields in the summer and a snowy paradise in the winter. It’s icy, so bundle up and have some fun. 

The options for winter action seem never-ending. Snow sports like skiing and snowboarding are paradise on the well-developed ski area with fresh, powdery snow that makes for ideal conditions. You can rent everything you need to hit the 950 meters of slopes with hills for beginners to advanced athletes. 

If you want to experience something different, why not try dog sledding? You can take a lesson and hit a trail with dogs racing as fast as 14-20 kilometers per hour on various routes, from relaxing to thrilling. 

Reach new heights soaring up to 1000 meters above the Furano Basin, Mt. Tokachi, and Mt. Taisetsu in a hot air balloon. Free and tethered flights are available; both are safe and make for an unforgettable experience. Riding in a hot air balloon is ideal in Furano, with its vast open fields. 

In the forests of Furano, you’ll find wood cabins where you can buy or make artisanal handicrafts. When it gets dark, the area lights up to create a dreamy landscape. Take a moment to watch the artisans at work and admire the beauty of the cottages and trees. It’s an ideal way to cap off a busy day, strolling through nature while picking up one-of-a-kind souvenirs . 

Day 3: Otaru

Next, let’s head to the port town of Otaru. Located northwest of Sapporo and en route to Niseko, it makes a perfect stop to savor local seafood and sightsee the historic cityscape. 

It’s about time to take in some of the delicious seafood that Hokkaido, particularly Otaru, is famous for. Located near Otaru Station, the market offers many kinds of cuisine like crab, scallops, salmon, and mackerel. January and February are the best times to visit when you can also try mouthwatering herring. Open daily from 8:00-17:00, you’ll get to eat some of the freshest catches from the sea nearby. You can’t go wrong getting a donburi bowl so that you can try many kinds of succulent seafood all at once. 

Take a cruise through the original gateway to Hokkaido. The Otaru Canal is the most famous sightseeing spot here, and it’s easy to understand why. Running centrally through the city, you can see historical warehouses, many of which have been converted into museums, shops, cafes, and pubs. You can enjoy the cruise during the day or night, but doing it at night when the buildings light up gives an extra romantic vibe. Stroll along the canal before or after the cruise, and you can visit any of the open buildings. 

Day 4: Niseko

More powdery fresh snow awaits in the village of Niseko . Home to brilliant ski slopes, onsen , and restaurants, Niseko is also where you’ll find Mt. Yōtei, a smaller version of Mt. Fuji. 

Mount Niseko Annupuri is reputed to be the best ski mountain in Japan , and it’s easy to see why. With breathtaking views, impeccable snow, and a peak elevation of 1308 meters, everyone can ski or snowboard here regardless of their skill level. There are easier slopes for beginners and off-piste terrain amongst the wilderness for advanced skiers. For those into extreme sports, experience the thrill of skiing right at the crater of this active volcano . Rent equipment or bring your own and hit the trails. 

Day 5: Sapporo

There was far too much to do for one day in Sapporo, so return here to finish your Hokkaido holiday. After the exciting and athletic activities in Furano and Niseko, a trip to a market and a park make for a leisurely and delicious way to wind down. 

Hit the spot where locals and visitors shop for seafood and fresh local produce. Nicknamed “Sapporo’s public kitchen,” the market spans approximately one city block. Also, it has restaurants to enjoy fresh food right away. Check out the main dining area, “Noren Yokocho,” and start your day with a delicious donburi bowl breakfast to fuel you for shopping and exploring. Take in the sights and sounds of the vendors while sampling some of Hokkaido’s most famous and delicious goods. In addition to seafood, you’ll be able to buy fruits and vegetables like melon and corn, for which the region is well known. 

Shiroikoibito isn’t just any old park; it’s a chocolate entertainment park. Revel in a sugary fantasy land that is a marriage between British and Japanese cultures. Operated by the Japanese candy manufacturer that makes the white chocolate Shiroi Koibito cookies, this is a must-see for anyone with a sweet tooth. With a chocolate factory, shop and museum, you can see how chocolate is made, make cookies and buy souvenir sweets that are famous in Hokkaido. Different tours are available to learn about chocolate and taste your way around the park. There’s no better way to end a trip than with a full belly and a sugar high. 

Hokkaido has so many things to do and see that it’s impossible to fit everything into five days. That’s all the more reason why having an itinerary is a valuable way to narrow down your plans so you can get as much done as possible. If you have something else in mind, don’t hesitate to book a one-day tour of Sapporo that you can customize to your tastes with Japan Wonder Travel.

Japan Wonder Travel is a travel agency that offers guided tours throughout Japan.  From private walking tours to delicious Food and Drink tours, we can help you organize the best tours just for you! If you want to explore Japan and learn more about the history and backstories of each area you are visiting, our knowledgeable and friendly English speaking guides will happily take you to the best spots!  In addition, we can provide you with any assistance you may need for your upcoming trip to Japan, so please feel free to contact us if you have any questions or need some help! 

▶ Tokyo Tsukiji Fish Market Food and Drink Tour Explore the most lively and popular fish market in Tokyo and try some of the local’s favorite street foods and sake with one of our friendly and knowledgeable English speaking guides! 

▶ Tokyo 1–Day Highlights Private Walking Tour (8 Hours) There’s no better way to explore an area than taking a tour with a knowledgeable local guide. You will have the chance to learn about the history and interesting background stories of Tokyo, as well as discover some hidden gems which can be hard to do without a guide.

▶ Mt. Fuji Day Trip Bus Tour from Tokyo Experience the breathtaking views of Mt. Fuji by visiting the highlights of the area on our guided sightseeing bus tour! Departing from Shinjuku in central Tokyo, you can travel comfortably to all of the best spots in the area by bus.

▶ Kyoto Private Full Day Walking Tour On this full-day private tour of Kyoto, you will be able to see the highlights of Kyoto in just one day and at the same time develop a deeper understanding of both the culture of the area and Japan as a whole.

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10-Day Hokkaido Winter Itinerary

Winter is about to come in the Hokkaido region as I feel the cold out there! Many of you probably have managed everything else for your upcoming winter trip to Hokkaido in 2023-2024 ; I mean travel plan (itinerary), hotel reservation, rail pass , flight booking, travel insurance , car rentals, buying suitable warm clothes to survive the cold weather and etc.

There are also other guys who have not planned completely yet though they are serious about taking a trip to Hokkaido. This post is written to guide those travelers who still don’t have a travel plan and have not made any hotel reservation.

Is February the month you intend to visit Hokkaido? This is without question the best time to spend a perfect winter holiday in Hokkaido, at the same time this is the coldest month of a winter season in the region.

So, if you are not accustomed to severe cold weather and don’t have decent ideas on how to stay comfy in the cold, you can read this useful post.

However, let’s get to the main point. Let me introduce a perfect itinerary for your trip. And hopefully the hotels I recommend for you here suit your travel budget.

Please note this suggested itinerary suits for ski lovers, foodies, and for those who are planning to visit Hokkaido in February to see snow festivals .

Day 1 – Chitose to Niseko

Welcome to Hokkaido! I don’t know your flight schedule but I assume you will land at New Chitose Airport before 13:00.

Please note the last bus that directly goes to Niseko from the airport is at 15:30. I want you to visit this page to see the complete timetable of the buses.

Among the five ski resorts in Niseko, Grand Hirafu is considered the most popular one. Indeed, it’s the first choice for the foreign travelers.

You can make a hotel reservation at this hotel for two night stay. If you don’t find any room there, please make reservation at Niseko Price Hotel Hirafutei .

If your budget does not suit there, search for other ones. Most of the hotels there are good and deliver you the best value for what you spend for a night or two. For night skiing Grand Hirafu ski resort is the best!

Enjoy night skiing and after this you can soak your body in an onsen.

Day 2 – Niseko

Just don’t explore Grand Hirafu, instead enjoy the atmosphere in other ski resorts such as Annupuri , Niseko Village, Hanzono , and Moiwa. You may encounter same sort of activities there but the areas are different so are the slopes.

A 2-night stay in Niseko lets you discover the other four ski resorts and provides you enough time to do a list of wonderful activities. Use the shuttle bus to get to the other ski resorts in Niseko.

In search of amazing taste of Ice cream and cookies stop at Niseko Milk Kobo . A perfect place to satisfy your stomach and this place has been rated best for your little ones.

If you are interested in skiing, snowboarding, snowmobiling, and other snow sports, and that’s for why you are in Hokkaido now, stay two nights in Niseko. Though skiing is not the only outdoor activity you are going to experience there. Indeed, you have many options!

You can hop on the lift/gondola and enjoy the surrounding beautiful snowy secrecy as it takes you to the upper elevation.

Excessive snowfall in the area creates picture-perfect landscape to be photographed. Why are you waiting for? Start your photography expedition right away.

Day 3 – Niseko to Sapporo

After check out, you are heading toward Hokkaido’s capital city – Sapporo. Check into this hotel , located near JR Sapporo Station. Staying nearby train station is highly recommended as often walking in the snow may make some trouble.

And most importantly time is important. Sometimes you have got to reach station on time to catch the early train to somewhere you want to go as part of day trip.

Even after the check out process, most of the hotels in Niseko actually let you store your luggage until your time arrives to take the bus to Sapporo. So if you have time, you may go out and walk for a while before leaving for Sapporo .

When you arrive in Sapporo, don’t waste your time but check in immediately. You should have some rest or take a nap if you wish to.

In the evening you are going to see Japan’s most famous snow festival known as the Sapporo Yuki Matsuri in Odori Park area. Marvel at the giant snow sculptures; have fun watching the live music performances and so on.

The snow festival is one of the best things you can experience in Hokkaido in Winter.

Day 4 – Sapporo to Otaru

Indeed Otaru is one of the most popular wither holiday destination in Hokkaido, especially when the port town host its annual winter event called, Otaru Snow Light Path Festival .

Just take a leisurely walk along the Otaru Canal , and you its festive atmosphere. Everything is so appealing there from small snow illuminated sculptures to snow lanterns.

Please note the festival is held in February ever year and lasts for 10 days. 

If you want you can spend a half day in Sapporo, and then make your way to Otaru. I suggest you to spend the whole evening in the festival areas.

Get back to Sapporo by train. Sleep tight tonight because tomorrow you will have to get up early in the morning for heading toward east.

Day 5 – Sapporo to Abashiri

Catch the early morning train to Abashiri from JR Sapporo Station . Inform this to hotel front desk executive before you get to sleep on Day 4, so that he/she prepares your bill and arrange your check out.

The train is about 6 hours of journey, so enjoy the ride viewing the surrounding landscapes. When you reach JR Abashiri Station, head to this hotel . The hotel itself clean and staffs are friendly.

It’s time to head to the dock where to experience Abashiri Drift Ice by a sightseeing cruise boat. This official website has got everything you need to know from timetable to fare.

So, read that page carefully. After the trip, rest of the time you can spend taking a walk around the town.

Day 6 – Abashiri to Asahikawa

If this not a solo trip and you have kids on this journey, don’t make a mistake by not visiting Asahikawa.

Many people may think there is nothing to see in downtown area, that’s a wrong a view! Most of the restaurants of the city are perfect to taste Hokkaido’s finest local cuisines.

And accommodation here is cheaper than Sapporo. Many travelers who fail to manage hotel reservation in Sapporo actually choose Asahikawa for their overnight stays as there are plenty of accommodation options.

After check out from the hotel in Abashiri, I tell you to directly head to the station and hop on the train to Asahikawa. You are going to stay there, so don’t mind checking into this hotel , its location is perfect and adjacent to JR Asahikawa Station .

Rest of the time after checking into the hotel you can roam around the city, especially experience the Asahikawa Winter Festival and Asahiyama Zoo .

Day 7 – Asahikawa to Sapporo

Check in at JR Tower Hotel Nikko Sappro . You can just leave your luggage at the hotel before checking in, and they will take care of it. No one will steal your luggage, so don’t worry at all.

You can go shopping nearby or if you think you want to have your lunch in a cool restaurant, and then head to Sapporo Beer Garden.

After that you can get back to hotel, finish your check in procedure. Why don’t you take a nap? Take it if you need it.

In the evening, you may think of visiting Mount Moiwa . Use the ropeway to get to the top from where you witness amazing views over Sapporo city. This is a kind of experience you will never forget.

Day 8 – Sapporo to Noboribetsu

There is nothing like visiting a market in the morning where tourists can taste fresh seafood of different kinds. For a perfect breakfast, you are suggested to either visit Nijo market or Curb market in Sapporo.

A list of seafood such as salmon eggs, crabs, sea urchin, and other variety can found there. And don’t hesitate to prepare your own donburi . Add toppings as much as you want, who cares!

Don’t spend more than 2 hours there because after check out you are to take the train to Noboribetsu.

Noboribetsu is known for its hot spring waters as you find variety of minerals there, said to be the best hot spring resort in Hokkaido. It would be pity if you don’t visit this hot spring resort.

The distance between Sapporo and Noboribetsu is not that much far, it takes only 2 hours of bus ride. This hotel provides a direct shuttle bus service for its customers from JR Sapporo Station bus.

So, check into this hotel and use their shuttle bus . Although that’s not a free service, it is convince and reliable. In case you don’t make a reservation there, use the train.

Spend time walking along the designated trails to Jigokudani (the hell valley). This is the must-see attraction in Noboribetsu.

If you are going to visit Noboribetsu around February 3-4, then you have a big surprise there. Noboribetsu Onsen Hot Spring Festival is held at that time.

Half naked guys gather forming two teams and fight for the glory in a Hot Water Battle. The atmosphere of the festival indeed lively despite the cold weather!

Day 9 – Noboribetsu to Chitose

The reason I tell you to stay in Chitose before you fly to home is – it’s great to stay overnight in a hotel located nearest to the Airport.

And if you are traveling to Hokkaido between January 26 and February 18, then you will be happy to participate in the Lake Shikotsu Ice Festival , held in Shikotsuko Onsen .

This post highlights Hokkaido’s greatest winter festivals, and there you will surly find useful information on Lake Shikotsu Ice Festival.

Spend your time there and don’t leave the place before the illumination takes place. Every snow structures are lit up and decorated stunningly in the evening.

Stay an overnight at Chitose Airport Hotel .

Day 10 – Chitose

Say goodbye to Hokkaido! I hope this suggest itinerary does not only tell you where to stay but also clearly explains the major attractions you ought to visit during your trip.

If you want to modify this itinerary, you can do that, no doubt. I actually had to skip one very important winter attraction of Hokkaido, Jozankei Onsen .

This little onsen town can be explored from Sapporo as a day trip. So, if you think you can manage one more day, you must visit Jozankei.

Besides, if shopping is what you like when you travel aboard, add one more day on the itinerary. Most of the shopping stores and malls are located in downtown Sapporo.

Well, if you have any question about visiting Hokkaido in winter, don’t hesitate to contact me. I will gladly try my best to solve your problem. Thank you so much.

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Hot spring bath with great views of Mt. Fuji!!!!