7 best day trips from Sapporo

Day trips compared

The day trips

35 km · About 35–45 minutes by JR rapid train

1.Otaru

A former herring and trading port with a preserved stone-warehouse canal, glass workshops, a large music-box museum and a street of sushi restaurants. In February the Otaru Snow Light Path festival fills the canal with candles.

Getting there

JR train from Sapporo Station to Otaru

Best for

Couples, First-timers, Food lovers

27 km · About 1 hour by bus

2.Jozankei Onsen

Riverside hot-spring town in a forested gorge with public foot baths, day-use baths at ryokan and walks to the Futami suspension bridge. Foliage in October is the highlight.

Getting there

Jotetsu bus from Sapporo Station

Best for

Couples, Quiet stays

50 km · About 1 hour 15 minutes by car

3.Lake Shikotsu

A deep caldera lake in Shikotsu-Toya National Park with very clear water, sightseeing boats and lakeside onsen. In winter the Ice Festival builds ice sculptures from lake water.

Getting there

Car, or bus from Chitose or New Chitose Airport

Best for

Quiet stays, Couples, Families

100 km · About 1 hour 30 minutes by train and bus

4.Noboribetsu

One of Japan's best-known onsen towns, with Jigokudani (Hell Valley), a steaming volcanic crater crossed by boardwalks, and ryokan that offer day-use baths from several different springs.

Getting there

JR limited express to Noboribetsu, then a 15-minute bus

Best for

Couples, First-timers

140 km · About 2 hours by train and bus

5.Asahiyama Zoo

Japan's best-known zoo for its enclosure design, with penguins walking through the snow in winter, a polar-bear dome and a seal tunnel. Asahikawa also has its own soy-sauce ramen style.

Getting there

JR limited express to Asahikawa, then bus

Best for

Families

140 km · About 2 hours by car or train

6.Furano and Biei

Rolling farmland famous for lavender fields at Farm Tomita in July, patchwork hills in Biei and the Blue Pond. A full day; a tour or rental car is the practical way to see it.

Getting there

Car, tour, or JR via Asahikawa or Takikawa

Best for

Couples, Families

50 km · About 1 hour 15 minutes by train

7.Yoichi Distillery

Nikka's stone-built whisky distillery, founded by Masataka Taketsuru in 1934, still fires its pot stills with coal. Guided tours end with a tasting; combine it with Otaru on the way back.

Getting there

JR to Otaru, then local train to Yoichi

Best for

Food lovers, Couples

Day-trip tips

• Leave early: most trips are more relaxed with a morning departure and a return before dinner.
• Buses get slow in heavy snow; allow extra time in winter.
• JR Hokkaido trains run from Sapporo Station to New Chitose Airport, Otaru and the rest of Hokkaido, including limited expresses to Asahikawa and Noboribetsu.
• For trips over about 150 km, an overnight stay or an organised tour saves a lot of travelling.

Questions travellers ask