The island of Hokkaido has so much to see and do in the winter that planning a holiday can be a bit overwhelming. Where should you go? What should you do? Here’s the 7-day itinerary that I followed on my trip to Sapporo which I highly recommend with a lot packed in but short travel times and still loads of time to relax.
When should you go?
We went to Sapporo in January about 2 weeks before the famous snow festival. I felt that this was ideal because we got to see a lot of the snow festival sculptures being built or completed but without the crowds. It was also extremely snowy in January, which for me was perfect because I wanted to see lots of snow.
Day 1
Arrive and explore Sapporo a little.
Arrive, check into your hotel, go for a walk around, and find something yummy to eat. Travel days tend to be tiring, so instead of booking anything big or crazy for the first day, just get yourself oriented with where you’ll be staying, enjoy the snow in Sapporo, and have a delicious meal.
We stayed at the Best Western in Sapporo, so we spent the evening walking around Odori park and found a yummy bar to have dinner and barbecue snacks at. If you’re arriving on a weekend night, try to reserve a spot in a restaurant so you aren’t disappointed.
Note: We picked up Ninja Wifi with Klook at the airport before taking the train to Sapporo, and I’d highly recommend doing the same. Having wifi throughout our trip made finding our way around and Googling things on the fly so easy.
Day 2
Go get a bird’s eye view of Sapporo using the Mt. Moiwa Ropeway.
Grab some breakfast and then head over to Mt. Moiwa. We took a tram from central Sapporo to Mt. Moiwa. Google Maps is very accurate in Sapporo, so we used Google Maps to find our way.
You can pay the fare with exact change as you’re leaving the tram. There are change machines on the trams if you don’t have exact change with you.
At Mt. Moiwa, we took the first cable car of the day at 10:30 am. Catching the first cable car up the mountain felt like a good idea because there was only a very small crowd and when we got to the top, we felt like we had the place to ourselves. The views are spectacular, and there are a few temples and hikes in the area, although I wouldn’t recommend the hikes in winter unless you come very prepared because the snow can make it treacherous. But it’s a beautiful place to snap some photos, take in the views, trudge around in the snow, and enjoy nature.
Check out a fish market and eat sushi.
From Mt. Moiwa, we went to Nijo Market for lunch and had some sushi. There were plenty of restaurants to choose from, so it’s really easy to find something yummy.
Do some shopping!
After that we spent several hours walking around Tanukikoji Shopping Street. There are lots of interesting shops, so it’s easy to lose track of time here.
As I mentioned before, if you’re traveling on a weekend, then I recommend booking a table at a restaurant in advance for dinner if you can. A lot of places can be reserved through Google Maps. I wasn’t aware of how busy popular restaurants could get on the weekend. We tried to find something in the Susukino district, but got turned away from quite a few restaurants because we didn’t have a reservation. In the end we lucked out and found a yummy barbecue place with a free table, but if you want to avoid the hassle of walking around looking for a place to eat, then reserve in advance.
Day 3
Rent a kimono and take some stunning photos.
On Day 3 we did a kimono rental experience which we booked on Klook and which I highly recommend! You can rent the kimonos and take photos yourself or you can even hire a private photographer for a few hours, which is what we did. It was so much fun, and one of the highlights of our trip!
After getting our photos taken in the snow at a bunch of famous sights around Sapporo, we found a ramen restaurant and warmed ourselves up with a nice steaming bowl of noodles.
Explore a huge technology shop!
In the evening we went to Yodobashi Camera Multimedia Sapporo to do some electronics shopping. This electronics shop is enormous and if you’re into technology, you have to stop by.
This day for us happened to be a weekday, so it was very easy to pop into a restaurant and be seated. There are so many yummy places to eat in Sapporo that you really can’t go wrong. Also, a cheap option in Japan for meals are convenience stores. If you’re looking to save money, dinner from 7-Eleven can be a good option.
Day 4
Go to Noboribetsu and soak in the hot springs.
We checked out of our Sapporo hotel early and took the train to Noboribetsu. You can use Google Maps to check exactly how to go to Noboribetsu, but typically a train takes about 2 hours and costs about ¥3000-¥5000. When you arrive at the train station, you take a short bus ride from the station to the hot springs area, which only cost ¥350. Every other tourist will be doing the same thing, so its pretty easy to follow the crowds.
When we got to Noboribetsu, we checked into our hotel, the Adex Inn.
The most famous hot spring hotel in Noboribetsu is Dai-ichi Takimotokan, and if you have the money to stay there, I’m sure it’s an incredible experience. We tend to travel on a budget, so we stayed at Adex Inn, which, although it is a little run-down and dingy, I’d highly recommend and here’s why.
Adex Inn guests have free 24-hour access to the Dai-ichi Takimotokan onsen, which is an incredible value for money. Adex Inn is a cheap hotel, and while the hotel itself is definitely “you get what you pay for” this awesome perk makes it worth-it. If you opt to visit Dai-ichi Takimotokan onsen as a “day visitor,” then you’re stuck visiting at the same time as all of the other day-tourists, which can make the experience more crowded and less pleasant. But if you’re staying at Dai-ichi Takimotokan or Adex Inn, you can visit in the early morning or late at night when no one else is there.
We spent the evening soaking in the onsen and taking in the snowy vista.
There aren’t too many restaurants in Noboribetsu so you can either book something beforehand, try your luck at the door of a restaurant, or grab some convenience store grub. We didn’t leave the onsen until late at night, so it was a 7-Eleven meal for us, which is honestly not a complaint.
Day 5
Enjoy the onsen and see Hell Valley.
We got up early to spend more time in the onsen. There were even fewer visitors in the early morning than at night. I spent about an hour in the outdoor hot spring with snow falling on my face, listening to the sounds of nature, and there wasn’t another soul in sight.
After you’re sufficiently warmed up, go on a chilly walk to Hell Valley.
The earlier you get there, the better. It definitely gets crowded the later it gets because that’s when the tour buses arrive. We went right when we got out of the onsen as the sun was rising and had the place to ourselves. Later we went back with our cameras, and even though it was fun to see tourists slipping and sliding everywhere, it was definitely a challenge to get a good photo without a crowd of other people on either side.
In the afternoon we took a train back to Sapporo and checked back into our same hotel from earlier in the week.
Day 6
Head to Moerenuma Park in Sapporo for some sledding.
Moerenuma Park is about an hour outside of central Sapporo by bus and offers a great opportunity to go sledding!
*Note: The bus station for Moerenuma Park is not particularly close to the entrance. It took us about 15 minutes to walk from the bus stop to the park, which isn’t super easy in the snow even though there is a sidewalk opposite the bus stop. If you want to be dropped off directly at the park entrance, opt for a taxi. If you opt for the bus, use Google Maps to check the times and stops.
Moerenuma Park has a huge distinctive pyramid with some exhibits inside, some vending machines, central heating, and a place to rent snow equipment. It was 300 yen to rent a sled.
The hill for sledding is huge! Don’t underestimate how steep and fast the hill can be from the top. If you’re not used to sledding, do a few test runs from lower down on the hill before heading all the way up to avoid a painful wipe out.
But I had a blast! We stayed for hours and when we were finally too tired to climb the hill anymore, we went back to the pyramid to dry off and get some hot drinks from the vending machines.
After that you can walk around the park and take in the gorgeous scenery. Moerenuma Park is easily an all day activity. I recommend bringing some snacks, so you can stay as long as possible.
Day 7
Do some shopping and sight-seeing in Otaru.
Otaru is easy to get to from Sapporo and the train ride is quite beautiful, passing right along the coast for part of the journey.
Otaru is a cute fishing village that definitely caters to tourists in a nice way. There are lots of souvenir shops and interesting restaurants. Tons of beautiful old buildings mean there are lots of great places to stop and snap a picture too.
It isn’t a very big town. If you’re walking fast, you can probably see all the famous tourist areas in an hour or two, so this is definitely the type of town you should take your time at in order to really enjoy it. Really stop and smell the roses. Sit down for coffee at a cafe and people watch, or pop in and out of shops, making it a point to get a nice souvenir for all of your friends and family back home. Don’t rush, take your time, and soak up the snowy, bustling atmosphere.
*Note about the weather!: Because the train to Otaru passes along the coast, give this town a miss if the weather is looking particularly grim. There was a snowstorm the day we went and all of the trains were canceled back to Sapporo. We lucked out and got on one of the last trains out of town, but loads of tourists were stuck in Otaru overnight, which would have been pretty disastrous for us because our flight was early the next morning, so keep an eye on the weather.
Here’s a shortened version of my recommended 7-day Sapporo Itinerary.
- Arrive in Sapporo and explore the area where you’ll be staying.
- Go up Mt. Moiwa Ropeway, eat sushi at Nijo Market, and explore Tanukikoji Shopping Street.
- Rent a kimono and have a photo shoot.
- Go to Noboribetsu and try Dai-ichi Takimotokan onsen.
- Enjoy the hot springs some more and check out Hell Valley before heading back to Sapporo.
- Spend the day sledding at Moerenuma Park.
- Visit Otaru, buy souvenirs, and spend your last day leisurely exploring this picturesque village.
