Everything for your trip to Hokkaido in one place: model itineraries, where to stay, anime pilgrimage, power spots, events & festivals, attractions. Open any page for access, highlights and typical dates.
🗺 2 days, 1 nightWinterHokkaido ・ 6 stops ・ December・January・February
A winter route covering snowy Goryokaku, the Bay Area illuminations and the night view from Mt. Hakodate in one night. With a stay at Yunokawa Onsen, you can take your time enjoying Hakodate, a city with plenty to see after dark.
🗺 3 days, 2 nightsSummerHokkaido ・ 9 stops ・ July
A summer route that starts with Sapporo's summer festival and continues to Asahiyama Zoo, the hills and Blue Pond of Biei, and the lavender fields of Furano. Timed for the flower season, it packs in Hokkaido's classic summer scenery.
🗺 3 days, 2 nightsHokkaido ・ 10 stops
A classic route with two nights in Sapporo, covering the city's main sights and Otaru. You can get around using only the subway and JR, making it ideal for a first trip to Hokkaido or for travel without a car.
🛏 5 neighborhoodsHokkaido
Hakodate Station Area・Bay Area & Motomachi・Goryokaku・Yunokawa Onsen・Onuma
🛏 5 neighborhoodsHokkaido
Hirafu・Niseko Village・Annupuri・Hanazono・Kutchan Station Area
🛏 6 neighborhoodsHokkaido
Sapporo Station Area・Odori・Susukino・Nakajima Park・Maruyama・Jozankei Onsen
🎬 6 placesHokkaido・Tohoku・Tokyo & Around・Kansai ・ Goryokaku-cho, Hakodate, Hokkaido・Otemachi, Aizuwakamatsu, Fukushima・Hino-honmachi, Hino, Tokyo
A romance adventure game for a female audience that portrays the Shinsengumi of the late Edo period, adding fictional elements such as demons. Four places linked to the Shinsengumi are selected for the 88 Anime Spots: Hakodate (Hokkaido), Aizuwakamatsu (Fukushima), Hino (Tokyo) and Kyoto.
🎬 4 placesHokkaido・Chubu & Hokuriku ・ Motomachi, Hakodate, Hokkaido・Uchiura, Numazu, Shizuoka・Uchiura Mito, Numazu, Shizuoka
Set in a seaside town in Numazu, Shizuoka, Love Live! Sunshine!! follows a group of high school girls who set out to shine as school idols. Numazu, the heart of the story, and Hakodate in Hokkaido are both selected for the 88 Anime Spots.
⛩️ ShrineHokkaido ・ Shosanbetsu, Tomamae District, Hokkaido
A shrine below Cape Konpira facing the Sea of Japan, symbolized by its vermilion "torii in the sea" standing at the water's edge. Hokkaido's official tourism site introduces it as a power spot where you can feel the energy of the sea breeze and rough waves.
⛰️ NatureHokkaido ・ Asahikawa, Hokkaido
A gorge where the Ishikari River flows out of the Kamikawa Basin onto the Ishikari Plain, a scenic spot shaped by strange rock formations and rushing rapids. Hokkaido's official tourism site lists it as a power spot to be visited with reverence, as a place long regarded as sacred by the Ainu.
⛰️ NatureHokkaido ・ Kiyosato, Shari District, Hokkaido
A small pond tucked away deep in a primeval forest north of Lake Mashu. Hokkaido's official tourism site lists it as a power spot, noting that the fallen trees on the bottom, which appear to form a pentagon, look like a sacred barrier protecting the pond.
⛩️ ShrineHokkaido ・ Chuo Ward, Sapporo, Hokkaido
Set in a vast forest next to Maruyama Park in Sapporo, this is the chief guardian shrine of Hokkaido. Hokkaido's official tourism site describes it as a place where the energy from Mount Moiwa and Mount Teine is said to meet, and introduces it as one of the leading power spots in Sapporo.
⛩️ ShrineHokkaido ・ Hakodate, Hokkaido
A shrine on high ground at the foot of Mount Hakodate, surrounded by a forest of Yezo spruce and other trees. Locals affectionately call it "Hachiman-san," and Hakodate's tourism guide introduces it as "one of Hakodate's leading power spots, filled with crisp, dignified air."
January–FebruaryHokkaido ・ Sapporo
Usually late January to late February (about 3–4 weeks)
2027: Jan 30 – Feb 23
January–MarchHokkaido ・ Asahikawa & Biei
Usually late January to early March (about 6 weeks)
FebruaryHokkaido ・ Sapporo
Usually early February (about one week)
2027 (77th): Feb 4 (Thu) – Feb 11 (Thu, holiday), 8 days
FebruaryHokkaido ・ Otaru
Usually about one week in early to mid-February (around the same time as the Sapporo Snow Festival)
2027: Feb 6 – Feb 13
FebruaryHokkaido ・ Asahikawa & Biei
Usually about 6 days in early to mid-February (around the same time as the Sapporo Snow Festival)
2027 (68th): Feb 6 – Feb 11
April–OctoberHokkaido ・ Noboribetsu & Lake Toya
Usually every night from late April to October 31 (about 20 minutes from 20:45)
2026: Apr 28 – Oct 31 (held nightly; currently underway)
MayHokkaido ・ Sapporo
Usually mid- to late May (about 10 days at the Odori Site, and 2 days on the final weekend at the Kawashimo Site)
JuneHokkaido ・ Sapporo
Usually Wednesday to Sunday (5 days) in early to mid-June
2027 (36th): Jun 9 (Wed) – Jun 13 (Sun), 5 days
JuneHokkaido ・ Sapporo
Usually June 14–16 (14th: eve festival, 15th: main festival, 16th: mikoshi procession)
July–AugustHokkaido ・ Sapporo
Usually late July to mid-August (the beer gardens run for about 4 weeks; Hokkai Bon Odori is held during Obon, and the Susukino Festival for 3 days in early August)
JulyHokkaido ・ Otaru
Usually Friday to Sunday in late July (3 days, with a grand fireworks display on the final night)
AugustHokkaido ・ Hakodate
Usually August 1–5 (fireworks on the first day, parades on the 2nd and 3rd)
AugustHokkaido ・ Noboribetsu & Lake Toya
Usually a Saturday and Sunday in late August (2 days)
September–OctoberHokkaido ・ Sapporo
Usually early to late September, or into early October (about 3 weeks)
2026: Sep 11 – Oct 3 (currently underway)
November–MarchHokkaido ・ Sapporo
Usually late November to mid-March of the following year (the Odori Site runs from late November to December 25)
2026: Opens Nov 20 (Odori Site until Dec 25; Ekimae-dori Site until Feb 11, 2027; Minami 1-jo-dori, Kita 3-jo Plaza, and Sapporo Station South Exit until Mar 14, 2027)
November–DecemberHokkaido ・ Sapporo
Usually late November to December 25 (about 1 month)
2026: Nov 20 (Fri) – Dec 25 (Fri)
December–MarchHokkaido ・ Asahikawa & Biei
Usually held daily from mid- to late December (once there is enough snow) until around mid-March
DecemberHokkaido ・ Hakodate
Usually starts in late November to early December and runs until December 25
2026: Dec 1 (Tue) – Dec 25 (Fri)
ZooHokkaido ・ Asahikawa & Biei
Run by the City of Asahikawa, this zoo is famous for its “behavioral exhibits,” which let animals show off their natural movements and abilities. It opens in separate summer and winter seasons, with closure periods in spring and autumn.
ZooHokkaido ・ Sapporo / Maruyama
Opened in 1951, this is Hokkaido's oldest zoo and is run by the City of Sapporo. Set next to Maruyama Park, its grounds cover about 22 hectares and are home to around 140 species of animals.
AquariumHokkaido ・ Sapporo / Tanukikoji
An urban aquarium on the 4th to 6th floors of moyuk SAPPORO, a shopping complex facing the Tanukikoji shopping arcade. Built around the concept "The Wonder of Life: Seeing the Unseen," it serves as a gateway to nature in the middle of the city and stays open until 22:00.
AquariumHokkaido ・ Otaru / Shukutsu
Located on the coast at Shukutsu in Otaru, this aquarium consists of an indoor main building and the outdoor "Marine Mammal Park," built by partitioning off part of the Sea of Japan. It operates with different dates and hours in winter, and closes from late November to early December and from late February to mid-March.
ZooHokkaido ・ Obihiro & Tokachi
A city-run zoo inside Midorigaoka Park in Obihiro. In addition to its summer season from spring to autumn, it opens on weekends and holidays from December to February for the winter season. Admission is free for junior high school age and under, and with its play area it's a family-friendly zoo.
ZooHokkaido ・ Kushiro & Akan
A city-run zoo about 11 minutes by car from Kushiro Airport. It's open year-round, so you can watch the animals in the snow in winter too. Admission is free for junior high school age and under.
ExperienceHokkaido ・ Sapporo
A confectionery theme park attached to the factory of Ishiya, the maker of Shiroi Koibito, a classic Hokkaido souvenir. It offers production line tours, sweets-making experiences, cafés, and shops, and the shops and rose garden can be used without an admission ticket. It's about a 5-minute walk from Miyanosawa Station on the Tozai subway line, making it easy to reach from central Sapporo.
ExperienceHokkaido ・ Kitahiroshima
A ballpark centered on ES CON FIELD HOKKAIDO, home of the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters, open 365 days a year. On non-game days, you can enter the stadium's outfield area for free and enjoy stadium tours, hot springs, kids' facilities, and restaurants. It's about 17 minutes from Sapporo Station to Kitahiroshima Station on the JR Rapid Airport, then about 5 minutes by shuttle bus from the station.
AquariumHokkaido ・ Noboribetsu & Lake Toya
A marine park centered on a castle-shaped aquarium, a 5-minute walk from JR Noboribetsu Station. It exhibits about 20,000 creatures of some 400 species, making it one of the largest in Hokkaido. It's easy to stop by from Noboribetsu Onsen or New Chitose Airport.
ZooHokkaido ・ Noboribetsu & Lake Toya
A zoo of Ezo brown bears on a mountaintop 550 m above sea level, about 7 minutes by ropeway from the center of Noboribetsu Onsen. More than 70 brown bears live here, and the round-trip ropeway fare is included in admission. The park also has a Brown Bear Museum and facilities introducing Ainu culture.
Park
Park
Park
Castle
Avenue & old townHokkaido ・ Shinhidaka
🌸 Typical peak: Early May – Mid May
Park
Mountain & highland
Lake
Hot spring town
Gorge
Castle
Avenue & old town🍁 Typical peakHokkaido ・ Hokkaido University, Sapporo
🍁 Typical peak: Mid Oct – Late Oct
Hot spring town🍁 Typical peak
Garden🍁 Typical peakHokkaido ・ Hakodate
🍁 Typical peak: Mid Oct – Early Nov
Park🍁 Typical peak
Lake🍁 Typical peak
Old town
Rime iceHokkaido ・ Tomamu, Shimukappu
❄ Best season: Early Dec – Early Apr
LakeHokkaido ・ Shirogane, Biei
❄ Best season: Mid Dec – Late Mar
Old townHokkaido ・ Hakodate
❄ Best season: Early Jan – Late Feb
Park & natureHokkaido ・ Tsurui
❄ Best season: Early Jan – Late Feb
CastleHokkaido ・ Hakodate
❄ Best season: Early Jan – Late Feb
LakeHokkaido ・ Akan-cho, Kushiro
❄ Best season: Early Jan – Late Mar
Drift ice & frozen lake
Hot spring townHokkaido ・ Jozankei, Minami-ku, Sapporo
❄ Best season: Late Jan – Early Feb
Drift ice & frozen lakeHokkaido ・ Abashiri & Shiretoko
❄ Best season: Late Jan – Early Mar
Drift ice & frozen lake
Lake
Drift ice & frozen lakeHokkaido ・ Notsuke Peninsula, Betsukai
❄ Best season: Late Jan – Mid Mar
Drift ice & frozen lake
♨ OnsenHokkaido ・ Noboribetsu, Hokkaido
♨ Day use Adults ¥2,500, children (age 3 to elementary school) ¥1,500, towels included (as of October 2026)
♨ OnsenHokkaido ・ Minami-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido
♨ Day use Adults (junior high school and up) ¥1,300, children (age 3 to elementary school) ¥600, free for ages 0–2 (as of October 2026)
♨ OnsenHokkaido ・ Hakodate, Hokkaido
♨ Day use ¥500, under elementary school age ¥300 (as of October 2026)
♨ OnsenHokkaido ・ Toyako, Hokkaido
♨ Day use Weekdays: adults ¥1,200, age 3 to elementary school ¥600; weekends and holidays: adults ¥1,500, age 3 to elementary school ¥750; free for ages 0–2 (as of October 2026)
♨ OnsenHokkaido ・ Kamikawa, Hokkaido
♨ Day use Adults ¥800, children ¥400 (as of October 2026)
🎆 AprilHokkaido ・ Toyako, Abuta District, Hokkaido
🎆 Usually every night from late April to the end of October (April 28–October 31 in 2026)
🎆 JulyHokkaido ・ Hakodate, Hokkaido
🎆 Usually mid-July (Sunday, July 19 in 2026)
🎆 JulyHokkaido ・ Chuo-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido
🎆 Late July (July 31 (Fri), 2026)
🎆 August
✈ CTSHokkaido ・ 5 destinations
Sapporo Station / Odori / Susukino / Otaru Station / Noboribetsu Onsen / Niseko (Hirafu)
🚄 JR
🚄 JR
🚄 JR
🚄 JR
Fastest: Approx. 3 hr 30 min–4 hr (timetable revised March 2026)
Monthly temperatures, rain and what to wear are in our weather guide.
Itineraries, intercity routes and travel passes that cover several prefectures are listed under each of them.
