Hokkaido Itinerary Check

Hi all,

We will be heading to Hokkaido from 29th June (arriving 8am) - 4th July (departing 8pm) and we will be renting a car to get around Hokkaido. This is a tentative itinerary that we have come up with and we would love some suggestions:

(Our interest: would like to look at scenic views, nature-related)

29th June: Lake Shikotsu, Noboribetsu, Lake Toya
30th June: Sapporo
1st July: Daisetsuzan National Park (probably do some hiking)
2nd July: Furano/Biei
3rd July: Lake Akan, Lake Kussharo, Lake Mashu
4th July: Travel back to New Chitose


We are mainly travelling budget but we would like to have a ryokan experience (for one night) so we would greatly appreciate if anyone can give us a value-for-money ryokan recommendation in any of the abovementioned areas.

Also, we are open to tweaking our itinerary. On hindsight, it appears that we are visiting too many lakes. Wouldn't mind suggestions to places like waterfalls and mountains, etc.

The plan looks tight and although you can reach all the places on the list you will find yourself behind the wheel most of the time with very little time for actually sightseeing.

One day for both Noboribetsu and Toya-ko is already very full, so consider skipping Shikotsu-ko. Lake scenery is more beautiful in Toya and Shikotsu is more suitable for an autumn visit for koyo. May not be considered as serious hiking but in Noboribetsu the trail between Jigokudani and Oyunuma as well as the Natural Footbath would be nice for a walk. In Toya hiking trails are also possible on top of Usu-zan.

Not sure if you can include it with only 1 day in Sapporo but Otaru is considered by many to be a must for any visit to Hokkaido.

Depending where you want to go in Daisetsuzan National Park, hiking opportunities abound in places like Asahidake or Sounkyo. Besides taking the ropeway and chain-lift up Kurodake in Sounkyo you can go for the twin falls of Ginga no Taki and Ryusei no Taki as well.

With just 1 day in the Furano/Biei region you have to choose carefully what to take in. We drove around the region for 3 full days and still hadn�ft seen all we wanted to see. July is flowering season and there are many beautiful flower sites in Furano whereas Biei offers the most beautiful countryside scenery in the whole of Hokkaido, IMO. Going from Biei to Shirogane Onsen will let you take in 2 more waterfalls, Shirogane Fudou Falls and Shirohige Falls. Also enroute is beautiful Aoiike Blue Pond.

Noboribetsu is a popular onsen destination in Hokkaido but if you are going to Akan-ko, though not cheap highly recommended is Tsuruga Akan with its beautiful rotenburo. Not far from Akan is the small but scenic Onneto-ko. On the eastern shore of Kussharo-ko worth a photo stop are Kotan Onsen, Ikenoyu Onsen and especially Sunayu Onsen where you can dig your own onsen pool by the shore. On the way to the observatories of Mashu-ko Iou-san is worth a visit. Beautiful Kaminokoike Pond is also worth a slight detour while in the Mashu area. The only concern is whether you can take in all in just a short 1-day visit in the Akan National Park.

If you are staying in Akan in July 3 and flying out on July 4, note that it would be a long 3.5 to 4 hrs drive from Akan to New Chitose Airport. BTW, to go to Akan it is a shorter drive from Sounkyo than from Furano/Biei.

Wow, William, that was really detailed. Thank you for your reply!

One day for both Noboribetsu and Toya-ko is already very full, so consider skipping Shikotsu-ko. Lake scenery is more beautiful in Toya and Shikotsu is more suitable for an autumn visit for koyo.

Alright, we will take Shikotsu out then! I forgot to mention but we were also planning to visit Mt Tarumae on the first day. How about Mt Tarumae and Noboribetsu on the first day. And Lake Toya (in the morning) and Otaru on the second day.


July is flowering season and there are many beautiful flower sites in Furano whereas Biei offers the most beautiful countryside scenery in the whole of Hokkaido, IMO.

For Furano, we are thinking of heading to Farm Tomita to see the lavender farm. As for Biei, the only thing I've heard about is the Blue Pond, which you already mentioned. Which other places in Biei do you recommend us to stop by?


Thank you so much for your valuable input thus far :)

Couldn't comment on Mt Tarumae as we haven't been there, but with the latest arrangement there is no time for Sapporo then.

Farm Tomita is indeed the most popular site in Furano, but don't miss out its sister farm Lavender East which is solely devoted to lavender and is only open during the month of July. Another highly worthwhile lavender site is Shikagoe lavender garden, the only lavender field with the beautiful Kanayama-ko lakeside view as a backdrop.

There are many worthwhile sites in the Furano and Biei region. Too busy (and too lazy) to list them out as it would be a long list. Take a look at an old post below for some general suggestions, and hope that the information is not too out-dated.

http://www.japan-guide.com/forum/quereadisplay.html?0+64502

Thanks for your help, William!

Hm. Lake Mashu, Kussharo and Akan in one day seems a bit rushed.
I did it, but only to arrive at Lake Akan in the evening and spend the next 2 days there.

You can read more about my Hokkaido itinerary here:
http://zoomingjapan.com/travel/hokkaido-in-summer/