r/Hokkaido

Hey guys,

at the moment im planning a roadtrip for 15 days (12 Minus Sapporo) in Hokkaido in early to late february.
Our plan is to rent a car and drive to each destination. We want to use the cities as bases for nearby activities that are reachable by car.

Im a fairly experienced driver so weather should not be a problem.

We are aware that taking mountain passes or coastal roads are not the best ideas and maybe even are closed. But nice scenery is still important to us.

Sapporo- Monday 8th to Wendsday 11th
Snow fest, daytrip to otaru and enjoy the city.

Niseko - Wendsday 11th to Saturday 13th
Rent a car.
Skiing and maybe explore the surrounding cities (Rusutsu, Kutchan).

Obhirio - Saturday 13th to Sunday 14th
Stop in Noboribetsu for a little Hinking and Onsen
Obihiro for a stop so we dont have to drive that much and late.
Maybe here is a better alternative?

Kushiro-shi - Sunday 14th to Tuesday 16th.
Use as base for activities, e.g. Crane Observatory
Some Recomendations maybe?

Shari or Abashiri - Tuesday 16th to wendsday 18th
Stop at Tsubetsu Pass and Hot springs on the way
Use as base for activities and daytrip to shiretoko national park. (if Roads are not closed)

? - Wendsday 18th to saturday 20th
Still to decide

Asahikawa - Saturday 20th to monday 22th
Explore city, use as base for daytrips to e.g. Biei, ningle terrace

Sapporo - Monday 22th to Tuesday 21th
Relax, fly back home

My fear is that we either are to long at some spots because there is nothing to do or we are to short on some stop because there is to much.

Beside Sapporo we are flexible on the dates.
We decided on Niseko for the first stop so we have a good chance of powder snow compared to the end of february.

Thanks in advance!

First time visitors and travelling with a 6 year old. Considering giving up Kyoto to visit Hokkaido instead.

Hi everyone. I am about to visit Hokkaido for the first time ever as a solo traveler, and I will be staying with a family in Sapporo (homestay). I am hoping to receive some input from the host family, but in the meantime... Could you give me your opinions?

About me: I am fluent in English and more or less N2 in Japanese. I lived in Japan for a couple years a decade ago, but I was so broke I didn't really get to do anything that came with a price tag. I am now coming back as a tourist with a decent budget, but I still don't have particularly expensive taste. I don't usually drink alcohol, but I will gladly have a glass for the sake of socializing - so if you happen to know of a place where locals have some miraculous interest in chatting with tourists let me know. Alright, here it is:

• Sept 29 (Tue): land at New Chitose airport at 12:45. Have a late ramen lunch at the airport. Hang out with family for the rest of the day.
• Sept 30 (Wed): 7:30 breakfast at Nijo Market (recommended stores are 魚や がんねん or 丼兵衛 二条市場店). Walk towards Sapporo Station to see the clock tower and sign up for a guided tour of Red Brick Building. 13:00 Head back towards Odori park to enjoy Sapporo Autumn Fest. Check out Tanukikoji Shotengai in the afternoon. Back home for dinner.
• Oct 1 (Thu): visit of Upopoi (opens at 9). Depending on return time, either have dinner at home or stop downtown (jingisukan / curry soup).
• Oct 2 (Fri): visit of Otaru. Breakfast at 三角市場 Sankaku Market, walk along the canal, check out Ukiyo-e museum. Walk through main street, check out tachinomi near station before heading back.
• Oct 3 (Sat): guided bus tour of Lake Toya, Noboribetsu, Niseko.
• Oct 4 (Sun): keeping this day free for your recommendations. Feel free to suggest going farther, just know that I will be either relying on public transport or have to sign up for an organized tour.
• Oct 5 (Mon): Potential repeat of Nijo market for breakfast. 9:00 start heading towards Shiroi Koibito Park. Lunch at なごやか亭 near the park. Then, Hokkaido Jingu. For this day, I am trying to figure out if I should hike Maruyama park, or go directly to Mt. Moiwa for city views at sunset (or both! If it's doable!)
• Oct 6 (Tue): return flight

Thank you for your interest. よろしくおねがいします！

Planning a Hokkaido trip for October 8^(th) - 20^(th) (chasing fall colors)

Rough route: Sapporo (2n) → Otaru via (with Cape Kamui) (2n) → Furano/Biei/Asahikawa (3n) → Toya or Noboribetsu (2n) → Hakodate (2n) → fly to Tokyo

Renting a car from Sapporo and dropping it in Hakodate. Would be great if someone could help answer:

>1. Currently have 2 nights around the Toya/Noboribetsu area, thinking of basing in just one and doing the other as a day trip since they're only about 40 min apart by car. Trying to decide which one to actually sleep in. From what I've read so far:

Noboribetsu: Jigokudani, some of the better onsen ryokans on the island, the lit-up night walk through the valley

Toya: calmer lake, Nakajima Island cruise, maybe still catching the fireworks cruise if it runs that late in October

Has anyone done both and has a strong opinion on which is worth waking up in vs which is fine as a quick stop? Also open to hotel recs for whichever ends up being the base.

>2. Itinerary check - other items I'd welcome suggestions on:

Otaru: Have currently two nights here - planning to cover Cape Kamui one day and take the other day at a relaxed place in Otaru itself than staying in Sapporo.

Furano/Biei/Asahikawa: Which would be the ideal base? Thinking of a farm/airbnb in Furano right now.

Hakodate: Currently have flight booked out from Hakodate thus will be dropping car there itself. Would cutting one night from Hakodate to increase elsewhere be better? On lookout for any other less explored places in Hokkaido - love countryside, parks, forests (ruled out East hokkaido because of the increased travel/ car time).

Thanks in advance.

Hello!

My wife and I have just arrived in Hokkaido for the second half of our honeymoon.

We just the first half in Osaka and Kyoto spending time in a variety of places such as city centers, food markets, landmarks (arashiyama, shrines etc), Japan Universal, Wazuka Tea Farm. While we did have a great experience being the first time in Japan, we definitely felt we fell for some tourist traps.

Unfortunately for the both of us, we had planned to do the bulk of our research shortly before the trip, our respective workplaces have had record busy seasons and we were not able to (we booked last minute because wedding planning was a bit crazy haha).

For Hokkaido, we are staying:
- 2 nights Sapporo
- 3 Nights Furano
- 2 Nights Niseko

We would really appreciate if anyone can recommend where the locals get the following things

It should be noted we are big time foodies so trying the local fare is a high priority

We also want to avoid not just tourist traps but touristy areas all together if possible. It would be much preferred if places could be recommended in neighbourhoods where locals hang out vs tourist areas:

Food
- ice cream, milk, yogurt, cheese etc, we know the dairy scene is huge
- coffee and bakeries
- Jingisukan
- Soup curry
-Sapporo Miso Ramen (Rich and Thick Broth)
- Hakodate Shio Ramen (Light and clear Broth)
- Asahikawa Shoyu Ramen (in between)
- All Seafood, donburi, uni (sea urchin), inure (salmon roe), and Ika (squid)

Night Life
- bars, speak easies
- karaoke
- any other recommended shows you might know of being in town
- any other night life activity you would recommend
- music bars

Land Marks
- any landmarks you can think of to provide a unique experience
- hiking we’re planning a mix of Mt Yotei and Daisetuzan. Any tips for these places would be nice

Any and all help is much appreciated!

Edit: added food from my bookmarked list

We're 3 senior, looking into flying from CTS to Tokyo and going straight to Mount Fuji area for 2-3 days before returning to Tokyo. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Haven't booked anything yet. Am concerned if the travel from Sapporo to Mt Fuji in 1day is doable. Also any recommendatiins for ryokan in Hakone/Mt Fuji area? Thanks in advance!

I’m wanting to take a trip to Sapporo and the surrounding area December 31st- January 7th about. I know lots of things will be closed because of the holiday but I was wondering how much things are closed (especially restaurants) so that way I know what to expect. I’m from the USA so I don’t have a very good idea of what to expect.

My wife and I are making plans for a vacation to Hokkaido sometime in the next year or so. We don't want to spend all our time in the towns and cities, and are even willing to do some camping here and there. We're from Alaska, and over the years I've beachcombed quite a collection of glass fishing floats. One of my dreams is to find one in Japan. Is there a particular area of Hokkaido I can focus my efforts for this goal? I'm not asking for anyone to reveal their beachcombing "spots", but just a general idea. For example, I'm guessing the western side of the island isn't ideal for what I'm looking for? Anything else I should keep in mind on this subject? Beach access? If I was lucky enough to find a float, do I just take a picture and move along, or can I keep it? TIA.

What type of men’s shoes should I wear in the snow-covered cities of Hokkaido?

I’ll be spending quite a bit of time walking around in the snow, so I’m wondering what type of footwear would be practical…warm, waterproof, good grip, and comfortable enough for walks.

I have a pair of high winter boots that I used years ago in Europe, but I find it cumbersome to put them on and take them off all the time, and it would be extremely warm indoors.

Any recommendations or tips?

Thanks. 🙏