JojoAh, the good old days. It all began that afternoon when we received our long-awaited offer letters from Waseda University in Tokyo. Excitement quickly turned into action – we decided to embark on a pre-exchange adventure to Hokkaido before commencing our five-month program.
This post will share the highlights of our Hokkaido journey, complete with a 7-day itinerary, accommodation recommendations, and budget tips. I’ll also share some of the stunning photos I captured during our travels. We believe that an unforgettable trip doesn’t always require extravagant spending. We found that indulging in good food and comfortable stays in Hokkaido was achievable without breaking the bank.
Also read: 8 Must-Know Japanese Words to Survive a Trip to Japan
Our Hokkaido itinerary
Image credit: Shao Hua
By my good friend Shao Hua. He was also the photographer (and the driver, yes he is the all-in-one travel friend you need). Feel free to skip the itinerary and scroll down for pictures!
Image credit: Jun Ohashi | Unsplash
| Itinerary | Remarks | |
| Day 1
Sapporo |
Singapore Changi Airport – Tokyo Narita Airport – Free and Easy in Sapporo | We had dinner at this ramen shop らーめん信玄南６条店, but do try their fried rice (yes, fried rice in a ramen shop), you’ll be surprised! |
| Day 2
Sapporo |
Hokkaido University – Shiroi Koibito Park – Tanuki Koji Shopping Arcade | Cheap and good food is available in the school canteen. |
| Day 3
Otaru |
Otaru Sogo Museum Unga Kan – Otaru Music Box Museum – Ume no Oto Character House (Totoro) – Otaru Canal and Shopping Arcade | There are quite some unique food stalls/restaurants and handicrafts stores along the street beside the canal, do check them’ up! |
| Day 4
Hakodate |
Mt. Hakodate | We missed the sunset, but still, the enchanting night view was worth the visit. |
| Day 5
Hakodate & Toya |
Hakodate Morning Market – Strolling along Lake Toya – Showa-shinzan Bear Ranch – Lake Toya Summer Firework (28/04~31/10, 8.45PM~9.05PM) | Every seafood lover should visit the Hakodate Morning Market without any excuse. Please leave the bear ranch out of your itinerary as we have a feeling that the bears are not well taken care of based on what we saw. |
| Day 6
Noboribetsu |
Noboribetsu Date Jidaimura – Noboribetsu Jogokudani (Hell Valley) – Onsen | Highly recommend Date Jidaimura, a history theme park highlighting the Edo Period. There are games, shows and exhibitions, you can easily spend one whole day in the theme park. Oh, onsen is a must-do when you come to an onsen town like Noboribetsu. |
| Day 7
Tomamu |
Tomamu Hoshino Resort*: Summer /Winter *Some activities are available for pre-booking. |
Well basically, the resort is the only place you can go in Tomamu. But fret not, this resort is huge, and there are tonnes of activities and facilities – you’ll never be bored. |
| Day 8
Tomamu & Furano |
Unkai Terrace (Sea of Clouds)** – Breakfast Buffet – Tomita Farm and other Furano Flower Farms – Stargazing outside our hostel **Only available from Mid May to Mid-October |
Awesome dinner at Yuiga Doxon Omelette Curry Rice, so far the best Japanese curry rice I’ve ever had! |
| Day 9
Furano |
Rokugou Viewing Platform – Furano Jam Garden – Anpanman Shop – Furano Winery – Trick Art Museum | It was drizzling the whole day so we tried to stay indoors. Do visit the Rokugou Viewing Platform for the most picturesque views in Hokkaido. |
| Day 10
Biei & Asahikawa |
Biei Shikisai-no-Oka and Alpaca Farm – Asahikawa Ramen Village – Free and Easy in Asahikawa | Only go to the Ramen Village if you have time because I personally think there is nothing really special there. Recommend Toriton Kaiten Sushi for dinner. Toriton is a chain restaurant which never compromises on quality, try their sashimi and you’ll know! |
| Day 11
Asahikawa |
Asahiyama Zoo | Definitely worth spending one whole day in the zoo! Just, scroll down for detailed descriptions and yes, pictures! |
| Day 12
Chitose |
Hokkaido New Chitose Airport | Before you judge us for spending one day in an airport, hear me out: there is an open-air bath in the airport! And many more things to do within the premises. |
| Day 13
Chitose |
Hokkaido New Chitose Airport – Tokyo Narita Airport | Last-minute souvenir shopping at the airport. |
Day 1: Sapporo
It is the lucky day for a foodie like myself to have found the best fried rice in a ramen shop.
Image credit: Shao Hua
Image credit: Shao Hua
Day 2: Sapporo
The canteen food at Hokkaido University was unexpectedly good and affordable. While Shiroi Koibito Park is a great place to take tonnes of Instagram-worthy pictures, their signature ice cream was so-so for the price. I can’t believe we felt homesick already on the second day of our trip when we had our dinner at a Singaporean (/Malaysian) restaurant – the food was good but different from home still.
Image credit: Shao Hua
Image credit: Shao Hua
Image credit: Shao Hua
Image credit: Shao Hua
Image credit: Shao Hua
Day 3: Otaru
The surrounding European architecture didn’t make us feel like we were in Japan. I thought I might save a bit in Otaru (which is another paradise for seafood lovers) as I am not a big fan of sashimi, but I ended up spending more on my bunny musical box. No regret though! It is cute and fluffy and the best part is, it plays Disney’s “Wish Upon A Star”!
Also read: Sakura Season in Japan: Perfect Cherry Blossom Spots for that Instagram-Worthy Shot
Image credit: Shao Hua
Image credit: Shao Hua
Image credit: Shao Hua
Image credit: Shao Hua
Image credit: Shao Hua
Day 4: Hakodate
Five hours on the train before we reached Hakodate. We bought one-day tickets to wander around the city on the tram. Later we spent our evening on Mount Hakodate for the gorgeous sunset and the spectacular night view.
Image credit: Shao Hua
Image credit: Shao Hua
Day 5: Hakodate & Toya
Woke up early to indulge our stomachs at Hakodate Morning Market. The market is famous for its lively atmosphere and fresh seafood, not to mention the super sweet and delicious Hokkaido corn. We were lucky to catch the limited edition vintage tram before we left Hakodate.
We made our way to Toya in the afternoon. The place is a famous tourist spot but it was not crowded at all as it is far away from the cities in Hokkaido. I took my first try on onsen – not as comfortable as I had expected, probably because the surrounding temperature was not low enough for me to appreciate the hot spring. (I fell in love with onsen when winter approached.)
Image credit: Shao Hua
Image credit: Shao Hua
Image credit: Shao Hua
Image credit: Shao Hua
Day 6: Noboribetsu
As one of the leading onsen towns in Japan, Noboribetsu has this strong eggy smell of sulphur. However, once we were used to the smell, we did not notice it anymore. Date Jidaimura is a must-visit Edo period theme park in Noboribetsu, for the huge variety of shows and activities it offers, all in one place and one ticket (pricy in my opinion but definitely worth it).
Image credit: Shao Hua
Image credit: Shao Hua
Image credit: Shao Hua
Image credit: Shao Hua
Image credit: Shao Hua
Image credit: Shao Hua
Image credit: Shao Hua
Day 7: Tomamu
After almost a week of backpacker inns and youth hostels, we finally stayed in a legit (and luxurious) hotel room, where everything – from the bed to the view – was just simply perfect, not to mention the amazing Japanese hospitality. By the way, the resort’s outdoor onsen was AWESOME!
Image credit: Shao Hua
Image credit: Shao Hua
Day 8: Tomamu & Furano
Woke up at 3 a.m. to catch the sunrise on the mountain via the resort’s ropeway; and slept in after the complimentary luxurious breakfast buffet – a morning well spent.
We reached Furano in the afternoon and were really excited to visit the flower farms. The scenery was awesome in the summer with seas of blooming blossoms. We tried the famous lavender ice cream – which later became my favourite Japanese dessert – as compensation for missing the romantic lavender season.
Image credit: Shao Hua
Image credit: Shao Hua
Image credit: Shao Hua
Image credit: Shao Hua
Also read: 7 Absolutely Breathtaking Sites in Japan You Never Knew Existed
Day 9: Furano
It was drizzling the whole day so we tried our best to stay indoors. The scenery was not disappointing at all despite the gloomy weather.
Image credit: Shao Hua
Image credit: Shao Hua
Image credit: Shao Hua
Image credit: Shao Hua
Day 10: Biei & Asahikawa
On our way to Asahikawa, we found an alpaca farm by accident and well, there was no reason to not meet these beautiful creatures. We did not have any specific destinations in mind so we spent the late afternoon and evening wandering around the city, took some purikura (print club photos) and had some sushi before we headed back to the hostel for a good night’s sleep.
Image credit: Shao Hua
Image credit: Shao Hua
Day 11: Asahikawa
A day well spent at Asahiyama Zoo! So far my favourite zoo in Japan and in the whole world. The entrance fee was surprisingly cheap (600 JPY) given the quality of the zoo.
The zoo and the cages were designed in a way that maximizes the interaction between the animals and the visitors while everyone’s safety is guaranteed. The entire compound was clean and did not have a bit of the unpleasant smell that one would expect in a typical zoo. We had a feeling that the animals were well taken care of – they were clean and so were their habitats.
Image credit: Shao Hua
Image credit: Shao Hua
Image credit: Shao Hua
Day 12 & 13: Chitose & Back to Tokyo
We spent our last two days in Chitose. We explored New Chitose Airport and wandered around the city to hunt for Japanese delicacies for the rest of the time – our legs were too soared for another packed day.
Also read: 28 Japanese Food and Cool Souvenirs You Must Buy from Hokkaido
Phew. Guess you are too tired for another chunk of words after this extremely long (and useful) post. Well, so am I. Be sure to bookmark this ultimate guide as a motivation for you to plan that long-awaited trip to Hokkaido. Y.O.L.O.
