Getting around · Sapporo · Japan
Getting around Sapporo
Public transport, passes, airport connections and when a car makes sense.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Quick answer
Central Sapporo is compact and easy to navigate thanks to its numbered grid. Three subway lines, a streetcar loop and long heated underground walkways between Sapporo Station, Odori and Susukino make it practical even in heavy snow. No for the city, where subways and walkways cover everything.
Key facts
- Main way around
- Metro
- Airports
- CTS, OKD
- Need a car?
- No
- Travel pass
- Kitaca and other IC cards
Ways to get around
Metro
The Namboku, Tozai and Toho subway lines run on rubber tyres and cross at Odori; the Namboku line links Sapporo Station, Odori and Susukino in a few minutes.
Nationwide IC cards such as Suica and Kitaca work on the subway, streetcar and JR trains.
Walking
Chi-ka-ho, the underground pedestrian space from Sapporo Station to Odori, and the Pole Town and Aurora Town malls on to Susukino let you walk about 2 km under cover.
Tram
The single streetcar loop line runs from Odori through Susukino to the Mount Moiwa ropeway stop and back, a useful link for the night view.
Bus
City buses and Jotetsu buses reach places off the subway, such as Jozankei, Moerenuma Park and Okurayama.
Buses get slow in heavy snow; allow extra time in winter.
Train
JR Hokkaido trains run from Sapporo Station to New Chitose Airport, Otaru and the rest of Hokkaido, including limited expresses to Asahikawa and Noboribetsu.
Taxi
Taxis are plentiful outside stations and hotels and are useful on cold nights or with ski gear.
Tickets and passes
Kitaca and other IC cards
JR Hokkaido's IC card, and other nationwide cards such as Suica, cover the subway, streetcar and JR trains around Sapporo.
Subway one-day ticket
A day of unlimited subway rides, with a cheaper weekend and holiday version (the Donichika ticket).
Hokkaido Rail Pass
A JR Hokkaido pass for foreign visitors covering trains across the island, useful if you combine Sapporo with Hakodate, Asahikawa or Furano.
From the airport
New Chitose Airport is about 45 km south-east of the city; the JR Rapid Airport train reaches Sapporo Station in about 40 minutes, and airport buses run to hotels in Odori and Susukino in roughly 70–90 minutes. Okadama Airport, closer to the centre, handles a small number of regional flights.
Do you need a car?
No for the city, where subways and walkways cover everything. A car helps in summer for Furano, Biei and Shikotsu-Toya National Park; winter driving on snow and ice needs real experience.
Reaching the day trips
| Destination | Travel time | How |
|---|---|---|
| Otaru | About 35–45 minutes by JR rapid train | JR train from Sapporo Station to Otaru |
| Jozankei Onsen | About 1 hour by bus | Jotetsu bus from Sapporo Station |
| Lake Shikotsu | About 1 hour 15 minutes by car | Car, or bus from Chitose or New Chitose Airport |
| Noboribetsu | About 1 hour 30 minutes by train and bus | JR limited express to Noboribetsu, then a 15-minute bus |
| Asahiyama Zoo | About 2 hours by train and bus | JR limited express to Asahikawa, then bus |
| Furano and Biei | About 2 hours by car or train | Car, tour, or JR via Asahikawa or Takikawa |
| Yoichi Distillery | About 1 hour 15 minutes by train | JR to Otaru, then local train to Yoichi |
Questions travellers ask
+Do you need a car in Sapporo?
No for the city, where subways and walkways cover everything. A car helps in summer for Furano, Biei and Shikotsu-Toya National Park; winter driving on snow and ice needs real experience.
+How do you get from the airport to Sapporo?
New Chitose Airport is about 45 km south-east of the city; the JR Rapid Airport train reaches Sapporo Station in about 40 minutes, and airport buses run to hotels in Odori and Susukino in roughly 70–90 minutes. Okadama Airport, closer to the centre, handles a small number of regional flights.
+What is the best way to get around Sapporo?
Metro: The Namboku, Tozai and Toho subway lines run on rubber tyres and cross at Odori; the Namboku line links Sapporo Station, Odori and Susukino in a few minutes.