Hokkaido 7 Days Itinerary-C

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 of this day is about 130km, so you can travel at a relaxing pace. If you can leave by about 13:00, you can go to Noboribetsu while sightseeing at some spots. However, if the drive departs in the afternoon, please consider skipping some spots.

９：４０
The first destination of this trip is [Lake Shikotsu]. It’s 30km west of the airport and you can enjoy a drive through the beautiful woods.

In addition to enjoying a walk or boating at Lake Shikotsu, we recommend delicious cream puffs.

１２：００
You will arrive at the “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.

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The biggest highlight of the day is Noboribetsu Jigokudani, which is also the place to stay. A desolate spectacle where sulfur vapor blows out spreads out. The walking path is 600m and you can walk in about 10 minutes.
It’s a 5-10 minute walk from the Noboribetsu Onsen Inn to the entrance of Jigokudani, so it might be a good idea to check in and take a break before heading there.

If you have time until sunset, you can enjoy other interesting strolling spots.

If you walk about 20 minutes from Jigokudani, you will arrive at [Oyu-numa], where steam is coming out of the swamp. Blue is very beautiful.
If you walk for another 15 minutes from there, you will arrive at [Oyunuma River Natural Footbath]. As the name suggests, this is a rare place where the stream flowing from Oyunuma has become a natural footbath. If you go there, please bring a towel.

“Noboribetsu” where you stay on this day is a famous hot spring that represents Hokkaido. Please relax and heal the tiredness of the first day.

The mileage is a long distance of about 230km. About 150km of this is an expressway. There are many attractions in Hakodate, so we recommend that you leave from 8:00 to 9:00, especially if you stay in Hakodate only for one night.

９：００
If you didn’t walk in Jigokudani yesterday, why not get up a little early and enjoy a walk in the morning?
It is about a 5-10 minutes walk from most of the inns in Noboribetsu Onsen to the entrance of Jigokudani. The walking path itself is 600m, and you can walk in about 10 minutes.

Also, it is a 5-minute drive to [Oyunuma] near Jigokudani, so it is recommended to stop by when you leave Noboribetsu.

Oyunuma　Parking Lot MAPCODE: 603 288 875

１０：５０
The first destination of this trip is [Cape Chikyu].
It is an observatory where you can feel that the earth is a sphere from the horizon that draws a slight arc.
It’s a very pleasant observatory, but if you want to spend a lot of time in Hakodate, please consider skipping it.

After this, you will take the Hokkaido Expressway(E5) for a long-distance drive along the Eruption Bay.

１３：００
[Yakumo Parking area(To Hakodate)] is highly recommended for a break.

It is a very pleasant parking area overlooking the Eruption Bay and the grasslands that spread from the hill.
From here, you can walk to restaurant “Harvester Yakumo”, where you can enjoy delicious fried chicken and pizza at a historic restaurant that was opened as an experimental farm for KFC(Kentucky Fried Chicken).

After lunch, you will head to Hakodate again on the expressway. It takes 2 hours to get to Hakodate, so please take a break on the way.

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If you arrive in Hakodate while it is bright, we recommend the Red Brick Warehouse.

If you have time, we recommend taking a walk in Motomachi, Hakodate, where old Western-style buildings are lined up on the cobblestone slopes.

The night view seen from Mt. Hakodate is one of the three major night views in Japan and it is wonderful

If you visit Mt. Hakodate between 17: 00-22: 00, please use the ropeway as parking for general vehicles is restricted.
You can drive to the top of the mountain after 22:00, so it’s a good idea to check in at the hotel and have dinner first. However, please drive carefully as you will be driving on a narrow mountain road in the dark.

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The mileage is a little long, about 170km including 125km of expressway driving.

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You will get up early on this day and visit [Hakodate Morning Market]. Breakfast will consist of fresh seafood such as famous squid, sea urchins, and crab is the best.
It is also okay to visit on foot from your inn if possible.

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[Hakodate Red Brick Warehouse] is also nearby, so if you haven’t been there yet, please stop by.

１１：５０

After that, you will head to [Onuma National Park]. The small islands floating in the swamp are connected by 18 bridges, and you can enjoy a very pleasant walk. You can also enjoy a 30-minute tour boat, rental boat, and cycling. There are several recommended restaurants around Onuma Park, so please enjoy lunch before taking a walk.

１５：３０

After Onuma Park, it is a 2-hour drive on the expressway. The final destination of the day is “Mt. Usu Ropeway”. From the ropeway, you can enjoy a magnificent view of Showa Shinzan, which was created in 1944, Lake Toya, and the Pacific Ocean.
There is also Showa Shinzan Bear Ranch in the same place, so if you have children, please visit it as well.

１７：００

On the south side of Lake Toya, there is the Toyako Onsen Hot Spring town, where a number of hot spring inns are gathered.
There are many inns where you can see Lake Toya from the open-air bath, so it is recommended to stay at one of them.

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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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

１７：００

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.

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The mileage is about km 160 to Furano. Although you can drive most of the part by expressway, it is a long distance and the travel pace will be fast.

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First thing in the morning, please go to places in Otaru city that you couldn’t go to the day before. For parking in Otaru, please use the hotel where you stayed or [Otaru City Parking (小樽駐車場)].
In Otaru city, you will be sightseeing on foot. Here are some spots you will be interested to visit: the area around the “Otaru Canal” and the “Sakaimachi-dori shopping street” are the main areas.

After this, you will need to take a long drive to Furano, so please finish your tour of Otaru by noon at the latest and head to your next destination.

●[Otaru Canal] is a symbol of the city and a must spot. You can also have a fantastic and romantic time on a popular canal cruise.
●[Canal Plaza] (Otaru City Tourist Product Plaza)—Otaru is known as the city of glass, and representative works of art will be displayed in the Canal Plaza.
●[Denuki Koji]—A food stall village located at the Asakusabashi crossing of the Otaru Canal. You can climb the symbolic fire tower for free, and you can also see the beautiful Otaru Canal and the Otaru sea.
●[Taisho Glass Hall Main Store] displays and sells hand-made glass, mainly Japanese-style glassware.
●[Kitaichi Glass No. 3 Building] is a renovated stone warehouse that was built as a fishery warehouse and is designated as an Otaru Historic Building. The store offers a wide variety of glass products, from everyday glasses and tableware to accessories that are perfect for gifts.
●[Night Light] is installed at the “Marchen Crossroads” and is a reproduction of the wooden lighthouse on the hill in Nobukacho, Otaru City during the Meiji period.
●The [Steam Clock] installed in front of the Otaru Music Box Museum ticks the time with white smoke and a steam whistle every 15 minutes.

●The 3-story brick building [Music Box Museum] is a music box specialty store that boasts a large number of items.

１２：３０

Next, you will head to [Ishiya Chocolate Factory (Shiroi Koibito Park)], which is well-known as a museum and factory of “White Lover Chocolate”.

Near the Shiroi Koibito Park, there is [Sapporo market outside market], where you can buy various seafood, fruits, and souvenirs, so nice to stop by. If you haven’t had lunch yet, it is also a good place to have a fresh seafood lunch.

１５：００

After that, take the expressway (E5) to Asahikawa direction. It is about 130 km from Sapporo to Furano and takes about 2 hours. There are not many spots to see and take the expressway(E5). It is a long journey and please take a rest at Service Area (SA) along the expressway.
Your next destination is [Sandantaki Falles]. The waterfall proceeds in three stages (the name translates to a three-tiered waterfall) with rock formations creating interesting contrasts and a background of lush green forest adding even more depth. You can enjoy the autumn-colored leaves too.

１６：３０

[Ningle Terrace] is recommended. You can buy various works by local artists such as crafts and accessories at the log houses lined up in the woods.

It opens till 20:45 so it is also okay to visit after dinner.

１７：４０

Furano has a limited number of shops that are open until late at night. It is recommended to include a supper when booking the inn or to go to the inn after having supper.

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The mileage on this day is about 80km, so you can travel comfortably.

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Furano has many attractions. First of all, you will head to the [Furano Marche]. This is a vast and diverse facility, but we especially recommend the shops and cafes that offer freshly made sweets and freshly baked bread. How about a slightly late breakfast with freshly baked delicious bread?

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Next, you will visit the very popular [Farm Tomita]. Lavender from mid-July to early August is very famous, but at other times, various flowers such as poppies and lupines bloom, and you can fully enjoy it from mid-April to mid-October.

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After that, you will head to [Mt. Tokachi Bogakudai Observatory]. This observatory is located at the bottom of Mt. Tokachi and you can look down, and see Furano town’s panoramic scenery. It is a very good spot to see autumn-colored leaves.

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Next, you will head to [Shirahigenotaki Falls]. You can see a lot of bluish water around here, and the Biei River where this Shirahige Waterfall flows down is one of the typical “blue rivers”. The waterfalls descend in dozens of thin threads and can be viewed from the Blue River Bridge.

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The last stop of the day is the famous [Blue Pond]. It has become known worldwide for being used as a wallpaper for Mac on Apple Computer.

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Furano has a limited number of shops that are open until late at night. It is recommended to include a supper when booking the inn or to go to the inn after having supper.

９：００

The mileage is about 140km. Depending on your fright schedule, you might skip some sightseeing sites we recommend here.

９：１５

Your first destination of the day is [Farm Tomita] if you haven’t been there. Lavender from mid-July to early August is very famous, but at other times, various flowers such as poppies and lupines bloom, and you can fully enjoy it from mid-April to mid-October.

１１：００

Next, you will head to [Sandantaki Falles]. The waterfall proceeds in three stages (the name translates to a three-tiered waterfall) with rock formations creating interesting contrasts and a background of lush green forest adding even more depth.You can enjoy the autumn-colored leaves too.

１３：３０

Hokkaido is known for its delicious ice cream. It might be a good idea to drop by [Kacha Ice Cream & Restaurant]. Find and enjoy your favorites from various flavors of ice cream. If you haven’t had lunch yet, you can also enjoy kiln-baked pizza and curry.

If you are traveling in June and July, [Roadside Station Yubari Merodo] is another ideal spot for a break. You can enjoy seasonal Yubari melons at a reasonable price there.

１５：００
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, 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.