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Pre-planned road trip itinerary
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Perfect daily maps
Drive Japan will provide you with daily driving maps and routes according to your preferences. You will receive 15-20 spots per day and can travel to whichever ones you choose.

This is your trip, do what YOU want to do, and Drive Japan will help you get there!

Sample itineraries and maps
~Hokkaido 3 Days~


  • Start
    New Chitose Airport
  • Finish
    Sapporo or New Chitose Airport
  • Mileage
    400km / 130km per day
  • Travel Pace
    Relaxing
  • Onsen Stay
    Max. 1 nights

Although it is a short 3-days itinerary, you can enjoy the great nature of Hokkaido by driving along the sea and in the mountains.
Daily mileage is about 130km only and you can travel at a relaxing pace.

Day 1
New Chitose Airport – Lake Toya

Start: New Chitose Airport(新千歳空港)
Finish: Lake Toya (洞爺湖)
Mileage:165km
Travel Pace: Fast

On this day, you will head to Lake Toya from New Chitose Airport via Noboribetsu.

Recommended Itinerary

1

Rental car branch at New Chitose Airport

Parking MAPCODE:

What is MAPCODE?

New Chitose Airport

9:00

New Chitose Airport is the gateway to Hokkaido. First of all, please complete the reception procedure at the rental car counter at the airport. It takes about 15 minutes by free shuttle bus to the rental car company branch.

The mileage is about 165km. There is the Hokkaido Expressway(E5) along the route, so it is recommended to use the expressway if the GPS guide it. If you depart in the afternoon, please consider skipping some spots.




45 min

2

National AINU museum and park UPOPOY

Parking MAPCODE:

545 194 763What is MAPCODE?

“Chise,” an Ainu house in the Ainu Folk Museum Upopoi

9:45

The first destination is [National AINU museum and park UPOPOY]. At UPOPOY, which opened in 2020, you can learn about the unique culture of the Ainu, the indigenous people of Hokkaido. There are also performances of unique musical instruments and dances, so don’t miss it.




30 min

3

Jigokudani(Hell Valley)

Parking MAPCODE:

603 287 235What is MAPCODE?

you can enjoy short walking at Jigokudani Hell Valley

11:15

After leaving Upopoi, head to [Noboribetsu Jigokudani]. You can enjoy short walking and see the desolate sight of sulfur vapors.
There is a restaurant on the way where you can grill Hokkaido seafood with charcoal, so it is ideal for lunch. Please refer driving map.




45 min

4

Cape Chikyu

Parking MAPCODE:

159 195 015What is MAPCODE?

From Cape Earth, you can see a panoramic view of the arcing horizon.

13:00

If you have time, stop by [Cape Chikyu].
It is an observatory where you can feel that the earth is a sphere because the horizon draws a slight arc.




45 min

5

Mt.Usu Ropeway & Showashinzan Bear Farm

Parking MAPCODE:

321 433 439What is MAPCODE?

Showa Shinzan and Lake Toya saw from the Mt.Usu Ropeway

14:45

Please drop in at [Mt. Usu Ropeway & Showashinzan Bear Farm], which is right next to Lake Toya, where you will stay for the day.
From Mt.Usu Ropeway, you can enjoy a magnificent view of Showashinzan which was suddenly made in 1944, Lake Toya, and the Pacific Ocean.
Also, there is Showashinzan Bear Ranch in the same place, so if you have children, nice visit it as well.

Right next to the ropeway station




10 min

6

Inn in Lake Toya

Parking MAPCODE:

Please head to the hotel you reserved.What is MAPCODE?

16:30

Toyako (Lake Toya) Onsen is lined with a number of hot spring inns along the south side of Lake Toya.
There are many inns where you can see Lake Toya from the open-air bath, so it is recommended to stay at one of these.

Long-run fireworks displays are held every day from May to October in the Toyako Onsen Hot Spring town area.




Driving Map For the Day
Where to stay in Lake Toya

On this day, you will stay at Lake Toya(洞爺湖). Many Onsen Ryokans are concentrated from the south to the west side of the lake.

  • Inn Type
    Most of these inns are 3 to 5-star Japanese-style Ryokans with Onsen facilities.
  • Parking
    Most inns will offer free parking.
  • Onsen
    This town is famous for Onsen and most of the inns have one. You can enjoy an open-air Onsen with a lake view.
  • Meal Plan Reservations
    There are few restaurants in this area, so be sure to make a reservation with a plan that includes dinner and breakfast.

Day 2 Lake Toya – Otaru🔒

Start: Lake Toya(洞爺湖)
Finish: Otaru (小樽)
Mileage:120km
Travel Pace: Normal

On this day, you will head from Lake Toya to Canal town Otaru.

Recommended Itinerary

1

Inn in Lake Toya

Parking MAPCODE:

🔒Book rental car or hotelWhat is MAPCODE?

8:00

The mileage is about 120km, but if you go to the highlight, Cape Kamui, it will be very long, about 200km. In that case, we recommend that you leave from 8:00 to 9:00.




10 min

2

Mt.Usu Ropeway & Showashinzan Bear Farm

Parking MAPCODE:

🔒Book rental car or hotelWhat is MAPCODE?

Showa Shinzan and Lake Toya seen from the Mt.Usu Ropeway

8:10
If you haven’t visited, please visit [Mt. Usu Ropeway & Showashinzan Bear Farm]. After that, you will head north toward Niseko while looking at the magnificent view of Mt. Yotei.
There are observatories overlooking Lake Toya and a delicious ice cream shop along the way, so stop by and proceed.

Lake Hill Farm’s ice cream is a must-try. Over 20 flavors.
Rich gelato




90 min

3

Shinsen Marsh

Parking MAPCODE:

🔒Book rental car or hotelWhat is MAPCODE?

11:10

After that, you will head to [Shinsen Marsh]. After passing Niseko, you will enter the Niseko Panorama Line, which is the best drive route in Southern Hokkaido.

Niseko Panorama Line
the Shinsen marsh.

Shinsen Marsh is at the end of the panoramic line. There is a 25-minute walk to the beautiful marshland. Autumn leaves are also wonderful.




80 min

From Shinsen Marsh to Cape Kamui, you can enjoy a winding drive along the coast with a view of the Sea of Japan and the Shakotan Peninsula.

Route 229 on the Shakotan coast toward Cape Kamui

4

Cape Kamui

Parking MAPCODE:

🔒Book rental car or hotelWhat is MAPCODE?

Cape Kamui. It takes about 40 minutes round trip from the parking lot to the end of the cape.

13:30

After that, you will head north to Cape Kamui, the biggest highlight of the day. In the olden days, the cape was considered a sanctuary forbidden to women, and the cape that stretches out into the turquoise sea is breathtakingly beautiful. Enjoy walking in the magnificent scenery.




60 min

5

Nikka Whisky Yoichi Distillery

Parking MAPCODE:

🔒Book rental car or hotelWhat is MAPCODE?

Nikka Whiskey Yoichi Distillery, created by Masataka Taketsuru, NHK’s “Massan” TV series

15:30

The final destination of the day is “Nikka Whiskey Yoichi Distillery”. You can tour the historic distillery of Japan’s leading whiskey brand.




30 min

6

Inn in Otaru

Parking MAPCODE:

Please head to the hotel you reserved.What is MAPCODE?

17:00

Otaru Canal at night

Otaru is your accommodation on this day, but most shops on Sakaimachihondori, which is the main street, close around 17:00, so you will take a walk here the next day. Instead, enjoy a stroll and Otaru sushi dinner with a spectacular night view of the canal.

You must try sushi when you come to Otaru!




Driving Map For the Day🔒

The driving map will show additional 10-20 sightseeing spots and local restaurants for the day!
You can travel freely, choosing only the spots you like!
Check pin color and MAPCODE usage.

Where to stay in Otaru

On this day, you will stay in Otaru city(小樽) which is famous for its canal and Sushi. Many inns are concentrated between Otaru Station and the canal. It is more convenient for sightseeing to stay as close to “Sakaimachi hondori street” as possible.

  • Inn Type
    Most of these inns are 3 to 4-star western-style hotels.
  • Parking
    Most inns have official parking, but the parking lot fee will be charged separately in addition to the accommodation fee.
  • Onsen
    There is no Onsen in this town and no inns have Onsens.
  • Meal Plan Reservations
    There are many restaurants in and around the hotel for dinner, so please make reservations according to your preference.

Day 3
Otaru – Sapporo or Chitose🔒

Start: Otaru (小樽)
Finish: Sapporo or Chitose (札幌or千歳)
Mileage:
To Sapporo: 70km
To Chitose Arirpot: 110km
Travel Pace:Relax

On this day, you will back from Otaru to New Chitose Airport or Sapporo.

Recommended Itinerary

1

Inn in Otaru

Parking MAPCODE:

🔒Book rental car or hotelWhat is MAPCODE?

9:00

The mileage is about 70km to Sapporo and you can travel at a relaxing pace.
If you plan to fly from New Chitose Airport on this day, please see the end of the article.




5 min

2

Otaru City

Parking MAPCODE:

🔒Book rental car or hotelWhat is MAPCODE?

Otaru Canal

9:05

First of all, please take a walk on Sakaimachihondori(境町本通り), which is the main street of [Otaru]. There are many attractions such as various sweets shops and the main building of Otaru Music Box Museum.

Otaru’s main street “Sakai-cho Hon-dori”

It is also recommended to eat famous Sushi for lunch.

If you want to go all out, you’re going to have to go out of your way to eat delicious sushi.




10 min

3

Otaru Kihinkan Aoyama Bettei

Parking MAPCODE:

🔒Book rental car or hotelWhat is MAPCODE?

11:15

We also recommend [Otaru Kihinkan Aoyama Bettei], which is about 5km north of the town of Otaru. You can see how prosperous the town of Otaru was with herring fishing.

The Aoyama Villa is called the Herring Palace. The gorgeous indoor space is a must-see.




35 min

4

Ishiya Chocolate factory(Shiroi Koibito Park)

Parking MAPCODE:

🔒Book rental car or hotelWhat is MAPCODE?

Shiroi Koibito Park is very popular with children

13:20

After that, take the expressway(E5A) to Sapporo. Just before Sapporo, there is [Ishiya Chocolate Factory (Shiroi Koibito Park)], which is the most popular chocolate museum and factory in Hokkaido. [Sapporo market outside market] is where you can buy various seafood, fruits, and souvenirs, so nice to stop by. You also can eat seafood there too.

Sapporo Wholesale Market is a cheap place to buy marine products, sweets, and other Hokkaido souvenirs.
Grilled king crab




35 min

5

Mt.Moiwayama

Parking MAPCODE:

🔒Book rental car or hotelWhat is MAPCODE?

The vast night view of Sapporo from Mt.MOIWA

15:00

Also, at dusk, [Mt. Moiwayama] is recommended. You can enjoy a vast night view from the observatory overlooking Sapporo, the largest town in Hokkaido.




35 min

6

Rental car branch at Sapporo or New Chitose Airport

Parking MAPCODE:

Please refer driving mapWhat is MAPCODE?

16:20
This concludes your Hokkaido road trip.

①Returning a car in Sapporo
When you return to Sapporo, refuel and then return the car to the car rental branch. Use the MAPCODE on the driving map for the nearest rental car stores and gas stations near Sapporo Station.
Sapporo offers a wide variety of culinary delights! For dinner, try Sapporo Miso ramen, Soup curry, Crab and Sushi.

②Returning a car at New Chitose Airport
When heading to New Chitose Airport, the distance from Sapporo is about 60 km, about 1 hour. Make sure you arrive at the car rental company branch 3 hours before your flight. You need to take the shuttle bus from the company branch to the airport. In addition, shopping area in New Chitose Airport is the best in Japan. There are restaurants where you can enjoy all kinds of Hokkaido gourmet food and countless souvenir shops, so the waiting time for your flight feels short.

New Chitose Airport has a full range of stores to enjoy even during long waits.
Sapporo Ramen Yokocho, where all of Hokkaido’s best stores are gathered.
I would love to try soup curry in Sapporo!




Driving Map For the Day🔒

The driving map will show additional 10-20 sightseeing spots and local restaurants for the day!
You can travel freely, choosing only the spots you like!
Check pin color and MAPCODE usage.

Where to stay in Sapporo or Chitose

On this day, you will stay in either Sapporo city, the capital of Hokkaido or Chitose town near the “New Chitose Airport”. Please choose the following options depending on your travel schedule.

①Staying in Sapporo
Sapporo is the largest city in Hokkaido and there are hundreds of accommodations from Sapporo Station to the Susukino area, the entertainment district. It is convenient to stay either on the south side of Sapporo Station or around “Odori Park”.

  • Inn Type
    Most of these inns are 3 to 5-star western-style hotels.
  • Parking
    Most inns have official parking, but the parking lot fee will be charged separately in addition to the accommodation fee.
  • Onsen
    There is no Onsen in this town and no inns have Onsens.
  • Meal Plan Reservations
    Because there are more than 9,000 restaurants in Sapporo, it is recommended to make reservations with a breakfast-only plan.

②Returning to New Chitose Airport
If your flight is a morning flight, staying near Chitose Airport is a good idea. There is some hotel in and around the airport.
Once you return the car, rental car company bring you to the airport by free shuttle bus.

  • Inn Type
    Most of these inns are 2 to 4-star western-style hotels.
  • Parking
    It is better to return your car first and take public transportation or a shuttle bus to these hotels.
  • Onsen
    There is no Onsen in this town and no inns have Onsens.
  • Meal Plan Reservations
    Since there are many restaurants in the airport and around Chitose Station where you can have dinner, it is recommended to book breakfast only or stay overnight.
Process
  1. Book hotels or rental car from links below.
  2. Submit the form and get “Daily driving maps” and “Parking MAPCODE” for your itinerary.
  3. Enjoy your trip without the hassle of finding parking!

Book and Get Driving Map

Please book rental car or accommodations at least one night from below links and send us the form.
We will send you daily Driving Maps with all MAPCODE for your itinerary.

Rental Car Booking

Please choose shop for pick-up and return and book at Nippin Rent-a-car website.



Why Nippon Rent-A-Car?
  • All Nippon Rent-A-Car vehicles are equipped MAPCODE compatible multilingual car navigation system (GPS) & ETC as standard.
  • You can book with a 5% discount!
  • You can rent at New Chitose Airport and return at Sapporo Station, and vice versa. The one-way charge is about JPY2000 only.
Recommended Branches for this itinerary
  • Shin-Chitose Airport Branch
    • 7:00-23:00
    • 8 min from the airport by free shuttle bus.
  • Sapporo Station Branch
    • 7:00-22:00
    • 5 min from Sapporo station north exit on foot.

Hotel Booking

You can book recommended hotels for this itinerary from below links.
We recommends hotels because of below reasons.
・Inn with parking
・Convenient location
・Middle class hotels about JPY8,000-15,000/person/night

Start Date


/ stay in Noboribetsu

Recommended Inn

Noboribetsu Onsen Dai-ichi Takimotokan


/ stay in Otaru

Recommended Inn

Hotel Nord Otaru


/ stay in Sapproro(If you need)

Recommended Inn

Toyoko Inn Hokkaido Sapporo-eki Kita-guchi

Get daily Driving Maps for this itinerary







Thank you very much! We will send you daily driving maps with MAPCODE within 2 working days.
Drive Japan team hopes you will experience a fantastic road trip and make unforgettable memory!


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FAQ

Who plans these itineraries?

All itineraries are planned by the international Drive Japan team.
About us

How much does it cost to use the service?

There is no charge for this service. Since we only make a profit from commissions from the hotel booking sites and car rental companies you book with, we can provide you with itineraries and maps for free.

What is MAPCODE?

It is a number you can input to car navigation system (GPS) instead of an address. It does not guide you to the center of the sightseeing spot but directly to the nearest parking lot. It is more accurate than Google Maps and you don’t have to spend time searching for parking anymore!

“マップコード” and “MAPCODE” are registered trademarks of DENSO Corporation.

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