February Japan Trip Planning - Hokkaido, Kyoto and Tokyo
My wife and I are planning a Japan trip for late January - February 2027. We have a basic structure and some refundable hotels booked but looking to get some thoughts from the community on any tweaks to the plan that could improve it. This will be our first time in Japan, we will be meeting up with some friends for the Niseko portion but the rest we be just us. 23 nights, 12 in Hokkaido with a focus on snowboarding and rest largely split between Kyoto and Tokyo.
Wed 1/27 - Travel
Fly out of SFO at 10:30AM -> Sapporo
Thu 1/28 - Arrive Sapporo
Land ~2:30 PM -> train to Sapporo -> check into Washington Hotel -> easy dinner maybe at Sapporo Beer Garden/ early night
Fri 1/29 - Furano
Early morning 7/11 run -> Pick up rental Subaru ~7 AM at Nippon Eki Mae branch -> drive to Furano -> snowboard from arrival until close -> check into Furano Hotel -> dinner
Sat 1/30 - Furano
Full snowboard day -> Ningle Terrace after dark -> dinner in Furano
Sun 1/31 - Furano -> Niseko
If great snow then 1/2 day snowboard otherwise easy morning -> drive to Niseko -> groceries / explore along the way -> check into Niseko cottage -> Dinner in Hirafu
Mon 2/1 - Sat 2/6 - Niseko Area
Meet up with friends, flexible days based on snow/weather:
~4 snowboarding days at Niseko
~1 snowboarding day at Rusutsu
~1 non-ski/exploration day: Lake Toya + Noboribetsu Jigokudani + nice onsen like Dai-ichi Takimotokan or Noboribetsu Sekisuitei
Feb 3rd is Setsubun festival in Japan - look into local events, Noboribetsu day maybe good for this
Sun 2/7 - Otaru -> Sapporo
Ta-Q-Bin Snowboard gear to Tokyo hotel -> Drive Niseko to Otaru -> potentially Mt. Tengu/Tenguyama ropeway if clear -> Otaru sightseeing + sushi/seafood -> Snow Light Path after dark -> drive to Sapporo -> return rental car -> check into Susukino Airbnb
Mon 2/8 - Sapporo
Sapporo Snow Festival -> Odori Park -> Susukino ice sculptures -> ramen / soup curry / jingisukan
Tue 2/9 - Sapporo -> Kyoto
Fly to Kyoto/Osaka area -> check into Cross Hotel Kyoto -> explore Kawaramachi / Pontocho / Gion -> dinner
Wed 2/10 - Fushimi Inari + Uji
Fushimi Inari very early -> Uji ~9:30 -> matcha/tea ceremony experience -> possibly Nintendo Museum if we get tickets -> relaxed Kyoto evening
Thu 2/11 - Nara + Osaka
Day trip to Nara -> Nara Park / Tōdai-ji / explore -> continue to Osaka -> Namba/Dotonbori + dinner + late night drinks -> back to Kyoto
Fri 2/12 - Higashiyama + Gion
Kiyomizu-dera -> Sannenzaka/Ninenzaka -> Higashiyama -> Gion -> tea/food/shopping -> Pontocho evening
Sat 2/13 - Arashiyama + Central Kyoto
Early Arashiyama -> temples/river/bamboo area -> back toward central Kyoto -> Nishiki Market / shopping / flexible afternoon & evening
Sun 2/14 - Kyoto -> Tokyo
Flexible short Kyoto morning -> Late morning Shinkansen to Tokyo -> Drop bags at Gate Hotel in Asakusa -> Explore Sensō-ji / Asakusa rest of the day
Mon 2/15 - Shibuya / Harajuku
Meiji Jingu -> Harajuku -> Shibuya -> shopping / food / possibly Daikanyama or Shimokitazawa
Tue 2/16 - Tsukiji + Ginza + Shinjuku
Tsukiji Outer Market for breakfast -> Ginza -> Seiko Museum -> Ginza shopping/wandering or rest at hotel -> Shinjuku around 4–5 PM -> Omoide Yokocho/Kabukicho -> dinner -> Golden Gai/drinks
Wed 2/17 - DisneySea
Full day at Tokyo DisneySea
Thu 2/18 - Tokyo Flexible Day
Ueno/ Tokyo National Museum/Yanaka + Akihabara or Nakano Broadway + Shimokitazawa or teamLab/Odaiba (TBD)-> Send main bag and snowboards to airport -> final Tokyo night
Fri 2/19 - Tokyo -> Hakone
Check out of hotel -> travel to Hakone -> sightseeing before check-in (Owakudani / Lake Ashi) -> check into ryokan -> private bath/sauna -> kaiseki dinner
Sat 2/20 - Hakone -> Home
Japanese breakfast -> relaxed morning -> other sights on Hakone loop as time allows (open air museum) -> travel to Narita -> fly out 9PM