Hokkaido is renowned as one of the most beautiful winter destinations in the world. With its stunning natural beauty and picturesque landscapes, Hokkaido is a must-visit for any travel enthusiast. Hokkaido has something for everyone, whether you are a nature lover, a winter sports enthusiast, or simply looking for a peaceful getaway. The island is famous for its winter wonderland, and with good reason.
We know why you’re here, so let’s dive straight into the itinerary. We have put together a 7-day itinerary that will take you through some of the most beautiful and iconic spots in Hokkaido. From skiing on some of the world’s best slopes to experiencing the local culture, our itinerary covers it all. Each day is designed to give you the most authentic Hokkaido experience, whether it’s visiting hot springs or indulging in the local cuisine.
Day 1 – Checking into Sapporo
The nearest international airport to downtown Sapporo is the New Chitose Airport (CTS). I recommend taking the JR Rapid Airport train from the airport to Sapporo because it is affordable (JPY 1150) and fast (38 minutes). The trains also depart from the airport every 12 minutes during the day. I find this website HyperDia extremely useful for route searching in Japan because it can show both the fastest and the cheapest route.
Regarding accommodation, I highly recommend to stay in downtown Sapporo for convenience. Ideally you would want to stay near a Sapporo Municipal Subway station so that you could easily travel to and from Sapporo JR station. Most of the popular shopping locations are located between Sapporo JR station and Susukino subway station. The cost between hotels and airbnb wasn’t a big difference so it is up to your preference. We chose to stay at Susukino because it was near to Tanukikoji Shopping Street and only found out when we were there that Susukino is a red-light district. However there is nothing to worry about because Japan is a safe, low-crime rate country and there were plenty of people walking along the streets even at night.
Day 2 – Skiing at Sapporo Teine
We chose to ski at Sapporo Teine because it was close to downtown Sapporo where we stayed at (they have snowboarding too). Also, it was the best option for us as a day trip because we did not want to stay overnight at a ski resort which stretches our budget. There are multiple ways to reach Sapporo Teine but we chose the BIGRUNS Bus Pack since it included a round trip bus ticket from/to downtown Sapporo as well as an 8 hour lift/gondola pass. It was convenient because they have many pick up points in downtown Sapporo and one of them was just a few minutes walk from the hotel where we stayed. There are two Ski Centers at Sapporo Teine, Olympia and Highland. I recommend that you drop off at the Highland Ski Center to get your rental equipment because there are less people. Don’t worry if it is your first time skiing because there is a beginner’s trail from the Highland Ski Center which brings you to the Olympia Zone, you can download the detailed map here.
The first thing to do when you reach Sapporo Teine is to obtain your rental equipment and store your belongings into the coin-operated lockers. To save time, I recommend that you make a reservation for your desired rental equipment in advance. Do not wear a normal winter coat while skiing because it is not designed for this purpose, you should rent a ski jacket if you do not have one. If you have made a reservation, you just need to show them the QR code and they will provide you with the rental equipment according to the size which you entered during the reservation to try on. After you are happy with the gear you received, you can proceed to the coin-operated lockers to store your belongings. Besides the lift pass, you might also want to bring along some cash/card and your phone to take photos. The locker even comes with a small door which you can open anytime to retrieve items without forfeiting your locker.
There is a food court like restaurant at both the Olympia and Highland Ski Center for you to eat and rest. There is even a cafe at the summit of Mt. Teine, but note that this cafe only accept cash and not card for any purchases. You can take the gondola which brings you from the Olympia Ski Center to the Highland Ski Center, and then the Summit Express lift which brings you to the summit. If you are a beginner, look out for the signs on the beginner’s trail when coming down from the summit. If it is your first time skiing, I strongly recommend that you master the basics first before going to the summit because the beginner’s trail there is not as gentle as you might think. You should minimally know the wedge technique (making a triangle) to control your speed and direction. Just watch some online videos to get yourself mentally prepared if you do not intend to go for ski lessons.
If you bought the BIGRUNS Bus Pack, remember to be on time for your evening bus ride back to downtown Sapporo. Luckily, returning the rental equipment is no hassle at all, you can even bring home the ski pass as a souvenir. Just remember to allocate sufficient time to change out of your rented gear as well as to walk to the BIGRUNS bus stop.
For dinner back in downtown Sapporo, we had Soup Curry which is a distinctive regional delicacy found in Hokkaido. We didn’t eat at GARAKU because the queue was too long for us and we didn’t make a reservation in advance. We managed to eat at another restaurant called Soup Curry Yellow which had a shorter queue when we arrived. We were lucky again because the queue started to get longer afterwards. Please take note that this restaurant only accepts cash and not card. Soup Curry is different from your typical thick Japanese Curry because it is a flavorful light curry broth with vegetables/meat/seafood and served with rice.
Day 3 – Asahiyama Zoo & Shirahige Waterfall
We wanted to go to Asahiyama Zoo to walk with the penguins and also to Biei to see the Shirahige Waterfall even though they were almost two and the half hours of drive away from downtown Sapporo. We were reluctant to rent a car for this journey because of the unpredictable winter weather along this particular route and we did not have experience driving in winter. Luckily there are many tours available for visiting these places from Sapporo. We took the tour from Klook which offered multiple pick up points in Sapporo. In between the journey to Asahikawa, the tour bus will stop at a service area for toilet break, there are also shops there where you can purchase food.
The first stop is Asahiyama Zoo where the penguins will come out for their morning walk at a designated time. 2 words, cuteness overload:
There is also enough time to visit the other animals in the zoo. Besides that, we were really amazed by the beautiful, light and fluffy snow everywhere. It is truly a winter wonderland with unbelievable breathtaking scenery. Remember to be back onto the tour bus on time because the next stop is lunch! There is also a souvenir shop beside the restaurant where you can purchase the famous Hokkaido Horse Oil, which is very effective in keeping your skin moisturized during the dry winter.
The next destination after lunch is the Shirahige Waterfall in the town of Biei. Remember to wear your scarf, hat and gloves because it is going to be cold here due to strong winds. You can get the best views of the waterfall from the Blue River Bridge.
Our last stop before heading back to Sapporo was Ningle Terrace. It is a unique and charming shopping complex located in the popular ski resort town of Furano. The complex is designed to resemble a small European village, with beautifully crafted wooden buildings and twinkling lights that create a cozy and magical atmosphere. There is a variety of locally-made crafts, including pottery, glassware, and textiles, that make for excellent souvenirs and gifts. Do take note of the time to be back on the tour bus because it is a long journey back to Sapporo. Nonetheless the tour bus will might a quick stop at a service area for toilet in between the journey.
Day 4 – Otaru
Otaru is also a must-visit destination in Hokkaido because it offers a unique blend of historical and cultural attractions, natural beauty, and delicious cuisine. It can be done as a day trip because Otaru is just 30 mins away from Sapporo JR station via the JR Rapid Airport train (JPY 750).
The first place to visit once you reach Otaru train station is Sankaku Market (Triangle Market). It is a famous seafood market located right beside the train station. It is known for its wide variety of fresh seafood, including crab, salmon, sea urchin, scallops, and squid. You can purchase seafood and have it prepared on the spot by the market’s vendors. This market is an indoor alley and was rather crowded when we arrived before noon. The queue was quite long at the popular Takinami Shokudo restaurant, thus we exited the market at the end of the alley and had our Kaisendon (fresh seafood rice bowl) at Syokudo and Teishoku restaurant instead.
After lunch we went to Sakaimachi Dori Shopping Street by walking approximately 1 kilometer. This street is a popular tourist destination known for its unique shops and charming atmosphere. The street is home to a variety of shops selling local crafts, souvenirs, and food, as well as galleries showcasing the work of local artists. We highly recommend getting the round-shaped glass soy sauce bottle here because it is designed so that the sauce will not drip out of the container after pouring. You should also visit LeTAO, a famous confectionery shop known for its delicious cheesecake and chocolate. Another popular highlight is the Otaru Music Box Museum where you will see a vast collection of music boxes. If you’re looking for a great deal, be sure to stop by this cafe, Gin no Kane Ichigokan, which is directly opposite of the music box museum – they give out a free cup with every cake set order! However take note that they have a limited number of cake set orders everyday. We were lucky enough to clinch the last set on that day!
Our last stop in Otaru before heading back to Sapporo was the Otaru Canal. The canal was originally built in the early 20th century as a means of transporting goods to and from the city’s thriving port. Today, the canal is famous for its picturesque beauty and historic significance. It is lined with old brick warehouses and buildings that have been converted into restaurants, shops, and other tourist attractions. You can take a leisurely stroll along the canal’s promenade, enjoying the scenic views and taking in the charming atmosphere of this historic district.
Day 5 – Sapporo Snow Festival & Shopping
The main reason for coming to Hokkaido in early February was to see the Sapporo Snow Festival. Be sure to check out the latest dates of the festival here, it is only held once a year. We first went to the Susukino Site where there were dozens of beautiful ice sculptures on the street. The amount of detail put into sculpting them were just incredible!
Then we went to the Odori Site which was situated in Odori Park, near to Odori Station. There were snow sculptures of various sizes and themes, ranging from small snow figures to enormous creations that tower over the crowds. This site stretched across a few streets so it took us a while to visit all the sculptures.
We dedicated the rest of the day to shopping because we were going to leave Sapporo the next day. There were shopping malls everywhere from Sapporo to Susukino: Sapporo ESTA, Daimaru Sapporo, APIA, Sapporo PARCO, Aurora Town, PIVOT, Sapporo Mitsukoshi etc. If you are looking for UNIQLO or GU, it is at PIVOT. If you are looking for MUJI, it is at Sapporo PARCO where you can also have a tea break at nana’s green tea.
Our final place to shop was at Tanukikoji Shopping Street. This street is approximately 1.5 kilometers long and is lined with more than 200 shops, restaurants, and entertainment venues. You can find a wide variety of goods for sale, including traditional Japanese crafts, clothing, souvenirs, electronics etc. There is a MEGA Don Quijote store here which is multistory massive but the long queue was too intimidating for us so we got our souvenirs from Hokkaido Gifts Tanukiya instead. There are also many cosmetic shops in this street with a huge variety to meet your needs.
Day 6 – Car Rental, King Crab, Lake Toya
This day was definitely on the pricey side for us, but we decided to go ahead anyway because it will be an unforgettable experience. We rented a small car (JPY 9250) from Budget Car Rentals using Tabirai’s website in advance and picked it up near Kitajunijo subway station. We chose this company because it allowed us to drop off the car at the airport the next day, they also assured us that all their cars are fitted with snow tires during winter (safety first). The car renting experience was incredibly professional, we were educated on the traffic and rental rules through some videos. After inspecting the car, we drove back to our hotel to load our luggage into the car.
The first place we drove to was Marusantei Main Store, which is right beside the Sapporo morning market, to try their King Crab and Hairy Crab. We didn’t go for the crab buffets in Sapporo because they were not that cheap too and would not be as fresh. This store had multiple water tanks filled with live seafood and they pulled the crabs out of the water right in front of us for selection. The lightest King Crab they had was a whopping 2.9 kg which cost JPY 37,700 (JPY 13,000 per kg). We watched in awe as the chef skillfully dismantled the King Crab and we were then guided into the store to sit down while they barbecued it. No words can describe the heavenly taste of the thick juicy crab meat. We also ordered a hairy crab (steamed) which is much smaller in size and cost JPY 3,200, because we wanted to taste the kani-miso which is accumulated in the shell, it makes a good dipping for the King Crab meat too. We became too full and couldn’t finish everything on the spot so they kindly packaged it up with ice packs for us to take away. If you are a light eater, we strongly suggest having at least 3 people present for this meal.
Next was to set off to Lake Toya which is slightly more than 2 hours drive away. We took the toll free National Route 230 which passes by Mt. Sapporo and Rusutsu and leads us directly to Lake Toya. It was a pleasant driving experience for us that day because visibility was good, the roads were clear of ice/snow and the views were great, especially when Lake Toya is in sight.
Our 1 night stay at Lake Toya was with The Lake Suite Ko No Sumika which costs JPY 40,800. We felt that it was worth it because of the beautiful lake view, magnificent dinner/breakfast and even a private open-air hot spring in the room. You will also get to witness fireworks if you’re there at the right time. If you do not plan to drive, they also have a free shuttle bus from Sapporo.
Day 7 – New Chitose Airport
We checked out of our hotel after breakfast and drove towards New Chitose Airport to catch our afternoon flight. We decided to take National Route 453 and Route 16 instead of the E5 expressway to avoid tolls. The views on this route were quite scenic too. It took us around 1.5 hours to reach the petrol station in Asahicho in Chitose because we needed to return the car with a full tank. After that it took us just a couple more minutes to drive to Budget Car Rentals to return the car. Then we took the free shuttle bus provided by them to go New Chitose Airport! P.S. There is a food court on the 3rd floor of the Domestic Terminal if you are looking for one.
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Thank you so much for your kind words! I’m thrilled to hear that you found the article informative and that it was worth your time. I really appreciate your support and encouragement. Have a great trip!
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Thank you so much for your kind comment! I’m delighted to hear that you find my travel blog engaging and enjoyable. Cheers!