I love visiting Hokkaido, the beautiful countryside of Japan. This was my second trip to Hokkaido and I decided to go on a tour this time, which was nice because I was able to visit places I did not get to see during my first visit. We arrived in Sapporo in the early evening and stayed at the Air Terminal Hotel, which is conveniently located in the New Chitose Airport. Here is our 5-day itinerary!
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DAY 1: SHIRAOI & DATE
We spent our first day in Shiraoi and Date. We visited UPOPOY (National Ainu Museum and Park), Mother’s +, Date History and Culture Museum and stayed one night at Dai-Chi Takimotokan.
SHIRAOI
UPOPOY (National Ainu Museum and Park)
Our first stop was at UPOPOY, National Ainu Museum and Park, where you can learn about the Ainu, the indigenous people of northern Japan.
MOTHER’S +
Next we went to Mother’s + where you can shop for fresh eggs and baked goods. Their cream puffs are a must!
SHIRAOI BEEF YAKINIKU LUNCH
We had a yakiniku lunch at Tokuji Farm Restaurant Kanto where they serve delicious Shiraoi wagyu beef.
DATE
DATE HISTORY AND CULTURE MUSEUM
At Date History and Culture Museum, we learned about dye using indigo and made our own indigo dyed handkerchief. We also got to see a sword forging demonstration, where they create a sword from a solid piece of steel.
WHERE TO STAY: DAI-ICHI TAKIMOTOKAN
We stayed one night at Dai-Ichi Takimotokan. There are many onsens for you to enjoy. The Grand Bath overlooks Jigokudani and is open 24 hours a day. It includes a number of baths with different mineral spring waters, such as sulfur spring (for chronic skin problems), Glauber’s salt spring (for high blood pressure), salt spring (for severe cold), and baking soda spring (smoothes the skin). We also enjoyed the hotel’s delicious dinner buffet dressed in a Yukata, provided by the hotel. The hotel is a 5-minute walk to the Jigokudani hot springs.
DAY 2: NOBORIBETSU & TOYAKO
We spent day two in Noboribetsu and Toyako. We visited Jigokudani, Wakasaimo Honpo, Shikotsu Toya National Park Silo Observation Deck, Lake Farm Hill, and stayed one night at The Lake View Toya Nonokaze Resort.
NOBORIBETSU
Noboribetsu is a small quaint town located southwest of Sapporo known for its onsens. There are specialty shops and restaurants but most of them do not open until about 10 a.m.
JIGOKUDANI
Jigokudani is a volcanic crater with boiling sulfuric hot springs, volcanic steam plumes, and beautiful hiking paths. It is located right above Noboribetsu town.
WAKASAIMO HONPO
We made a quick stop at Wakasaimo Honpo Noboribetsu for some confectionery sweets.
TOYAKO
SHIKOTSU TOYA NATIONAL PARK SILO OBSERVATION DECK
The Silo Observatory has beautiful panoramic views of Lake Toya, Nakajima Island, Mt. Usu, and Mt. Showa Shinzan.
KANI GOTEN – FISH MARKET & SEAFOOD RESTAURANT
We enjoyed a delicious salmon teppanyaki lunch and crab at Kani Goten, a fish market and seafood restaurant.
LAKE FARM HILL
At Lake Farm Hill, we learned how to make ice cream using rich Hokkaido cream.
WHERE TO STAY: THE LAKE VIEW TOYA NONOKAZE RESORT SPA
We stayed one night at The Lake View Toya Nonokaze Resort. See post here.
DAY 3: SOBETSU & SAPPORO
Day three was spent in Sobetsu and Sapporo. We visited Mt. Usu Ropeway, Showa Shinzan Bear Ranch, Hoheikyo Dam, and stayed at Sapporo Grand Hotel for the last two nights.
SOBETSU
MT. USU ROPEWAY
We started our day at Mt. Usu, an active volcano that erupts every 30 years. The last eruption was in 2000. We took the Mt. Usu Ropeway to the observation deck, which offers views of Lake Toya and Showa Shinzan.
From there it was a short walk, about 135 steps, to the second observation deck with views of the ocean and Mount Usu’s largest crater.
SHOWA SHINZAN BEAR RANCH
The bears at Showa Shinzan Bear Ranch were very entertaining. You can purchase apples at the front counter and cookies in vending machines to feed the bears.
SAPPORO
HOHEIKYO DAM
Hoheikyo Dam was created for irrigation, hydroelectricity, and to control flooding. It is also known for its beautiful fall foliage.
DEN – JAPANESE BUFFET DINING
We enjoyed a delicious dinner buffet at DEN – Japanese Buffet Dining, which included seafood, shabu shabu, yakiniku, and more.
WHERE TO STAY: SAPPORO GRAND HOTEL
We spent the last two nights at Sapporo Grand Hotel, located in the center of Sapporo and a short walk from Sapporo station.
DAY 4: TOBETSU, OTARU & SAPPORO
We spent day four in Tobetsu, Otaru, and Sapporo. We visited Royce’ Cacao & Chocolate Town, Otaru, Tanaka Sake Brewing Kikkogura, and Sapporo Beer Garden.
TOBETSU
ROYCE’ CACAO & CHOCOLATE TOWN
We visited Royce’ Cacao & Chocolate Town where we did a short tour and made our own chocolate bar. It was a fun experience.
KAISENDON LUNCH
We had lunch at Kitanogurume, in Sapporo, where we were served a Kaisendon (fresh seafood over rice). They also have a seafood market downstairs of the restaurant.
OTARU
Otaru is a port city known for its glasswork, music boxes, and sake distilleries. In the 1980s, the warehouses were transformed into museums, shops, and restaurants, souvenir shops, cafes, and boutiques. Most shops close at around 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.
SAPPORO
Sapporo, the largest city on the island, is the capital of Hokkaido and Japan’s fifth largest city. It is also one of the nation’s youngest major cities.
TANAKA SAKE BREWING KIKKOGURA
At Tanaka Sake Brewing Kikkogura, we did a tour and learned about sake, followed by sake tasting.
SAPPORO BEER GARDEN
On our last evening in Hokkaido, we had a delicious BBQ dinner at Sapporo Beer Garden, where we were served wagyu and lamb. I did not realize I was eating lamb until our tour guide mentioned it after our dinner. I usually do not like lamb but the lamb we were served was very delicious.
DAY 5: SAPPORO
Our last day was spent in Sapporo. We visited the Sapporo Olympic Museum then did some shopping at AEON Mall Sapporo Hassamu.
BREAKFAST AT HOTEL
We started our day with a delicious Japanese breakfast at the hotel, Sapporo Grand Hotel.
SAPPORO OLYMPIC MUSEUM
We visited the Sapporo Olympic Museum, where the 1972 Winter Olympics was held, and took the gondola to the top of the ski jump to enjoy the beautiful city view.
AEON MALL SAPPORO HASSAMU
On our way to the airport, we had lunch and did some shopping at AEON Sapporo Hassamu. We were amazed with our lunch we bought at the food court. We got this meal for ¥680, which came out to $4.54 at the time we visited. It was delicious!
We departed from New Chitose Airport, which is a great place for last minute shopping. It is just like a mall with many shops and restaurants. If you plan to shop, bring an empty carry on or duffel bag. It will sure come in handy!
GETTING TO HOKKAIDO
Our flight to Hokkaido included a layover in Tokyo. We flew to Haneda International Airport then took a connecting flight to New Chitose Airport in Hokkaido. If you are flying to Hokkaido on an international flight and have a layover like we did, you will need to go to the domestic check-in counter once you arrive. At Haneda International Airport, once you are checked in, you will need to catch a shuttle to the terminal you will depart from.
TRANSPORTATION IN HOKKAIDO
For this Hokkaido trip, we were on a tour so all of our transportation was by bus. We were told that some locations are not accessible by train so you will need a car or taxi for transportation.
For more places to visit in Hokkaido, see my other 5-Day Hokkaido Itinerary below!
Happy Travels!
BK Travel Collage 