Free things to do · Sapporo · Japan
6 free things to do in Sapporo
Sapporo without the ticket prices: sights, walks and views that cost nothing.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Quick answer
You can fill at least 2 days in Sapporo without paying an entry fee: Odori Park, Sapporo Beer Museum, Hokkaido Shrine and Moerenuma Park are all free. Hotel prices can triple during the Snow Festival; staying in Susukino or Nakajima Park, or arriving after it ends, saves a lot.
Key facts
- Free sights in this guide
- 6
- Low-cost extras
- 8
- Cost level
- Moderately priced
- Lowest hotel prices
- March–April and November
Free sights and experiences
Park · Odori
1.Odori Park
Walk the length of the park from the TV Tower westwards; the Snow Festival sculptures are best seen after dark when they are lit.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Iconic
- Free
- Kids
- Outdoors
- After dark
Museum · Higashi-ku
2.Sapporo Beer Museum
Book dinner at the beer garden next door and try Sapporo Classic, a lager sold only in Hokkaido.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- History
- Food
- Rainy day
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Religious site · Maruyama
3.Hokkaido Shrine
Walk from Maruyama-Koen station through the park and continue to the zoo or the Mount Maruyama trail.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- History
- Outdoors
Park · Higashi-ku
4.Moerenuma Park
Rent a bicycle at the park entrance in summer; the grounds are large, and the walk to the top of Mount Moere gives views over the city.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Art
- Architecture
- Kids
- Outdoors
Park · Sapporo Station area
5.Hokkaido University campus
Visit in autumn for the ginkgo trees, and eat lunch at one of the campus cafeterias, which are open to the public.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Outdoors
- Couples
- Photo spot
Street · Susukino
6.Tanukikoji Shopping Street
Use it as your covered route between Odori and Susukino on snowy evenings.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Shopping
- Rainy day
- Free
- Food
Free sights by area
| Area | Free sights | Time needed |
|---|---|---|
| Odori | Odori Park | 1 hour |
| Higashi-ku | Sapporo Beer Museum and Moerenuma Park | 1–2 hours + Half a day |
| Maruyama | Hokkaido Shrine | 1 hour |
| Sapporo Station area | Hokkaido University campus | 1–2 hours |
| Susukino | Tanukikoji Shopping Street | 1 hour |
Worth a small ticket
Viewpoint · Odori
Sapporo TV Tower
Go up in the early evening during the Snow Festival or the White Illumination for the view of the lit park below.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Low cost
- Views
- After dark
- Iconic
Historic site · Sapporo Station area
Sapporo Clock Tower
It takes only a few minutes from the outside; the best photo is from the raised viewing spot across the street.
- Time needed
- 30 minutes
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Architecture
- Iconic
Zoo · Maruyama
Sapporo Maruyama Zoo
Visit the polar-bear building first thing, when the bears are usually most active.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Kids
- Outdoors
Theme park · Nishi-ku
Shiroi Koibito Park
Reserve a slot for the biscuit-making workshop if you are travelling with children; it fills at weekends and in holidays.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Kids
- Rainy day
- Food
Museum · Atsubetsu-ku
Historical Village of Hokkaido
Combine it with the Hokkaido Museum in the same forest park for a full day on the island's history.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Architecture
- Kids
Street · Susukino
Ganso Ramen Yokocho
Come early in the evening to avoid queues, and pay at the ticket machine or counter as each shop directs.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Low cost
- Food
- After dark
Gallery · Minami-ku
Sapporo Art Park
Visit between late spring and autumn, when the sculpture garden paths are clear of snow and the woods are green.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Art
- Outdoors
- Off the beaten path
Viewpoint · Toyohira-ku
Hitsujigaoka Observation Hill
Go in June and July when the lavender is out and sheep graze the slopes.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- Views
- Outdoors
- Photo spot
More ways to save
- Hotel prices can triple during the Snow Festival; staying in Susukino or Nakajima Park, or arriving after it ends, saves a lot.
- The weekend Donichika subway ticket pays for itself after three or four rides.
- Lunch sets at soup-curry and seafood restaurants cost much less than the same food at dinner.
- Odori Park, Hokkaido Shrine, Moerenuma Park, the university campus and the beer museum's exhibition are free.
- Convenience stores and supermarkets sell good Hokkaido onigiri, dairy and bakery items for cheap breakfasts.
Questions travellers ask
+Is Sapporo expensive to visit?
Sapporo is moderately priced for most visitors, but 6 of its best-known sights are free, which makes a tight budget workable.
+What is the best free thing to do in Sapporo?
Odori Park: Walk the length of the park from the TV Tower westwards; the Snow Festival sculptures are best seen after dark when they are lit.