Things to do · Sapporo · Japan
17 best things to do in Sapporo
17 sights and experiences ranked for a first visit, with honest notes on time, cost and crowds.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: AlphaBetaGamma, CC BY 4.0
Quick answer
The essential sights in Sapporo are Odori Park, Sapporo TV Tower and Sapporo Clock Tower. Of the 17 picks below, 6 are free, 3 work on a rainy day and 6 suit children. Allow about 4 days to see the highlights without rushing.
Key facts
- Top sight
- Odori Park
- Free sights
- 6
- Good on a rainy day
- Sapporo Beer Museum
- Time to see the highlights
- 4 days
At a glance
| Sight | Area | Time needed | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Odori Park | Odori | 1 hour | Free |
| Sapporo TV Tower | Odori | 45 minutes | Low cost |
| Sapporo Clock Tower | Sapporo Station area | 30 minutes | Low cost |
| Mount Moiwa Ropeway | Minami-ku | 1.5–2 hours | Mid-priced |
| Sapporo Beer Museum | Higashi-ku | 1–2 hours | Free |
| Nijo Market | Odori | 1 hour | Mid-priced |
| Hokkaido Shrine | Maruyama | 1 hour | Free |
| Sapporo Maruyama Zoo | Maruyama | 2–3 hours | Low cost |
| Moerenuma Park | Higashi-ku | Half a day | Free |
| Shiroi Koibito Park | Nishi-ku | 1.5–2 hours | Low cost |
| Historical Village of Hokkaido | Atsubetsu-ku | 2–3 hours | Low cost |
| Okurayama Ski Jump Stadium | Chuo-ku | 1.5 hours | Mid-priced |
| Hokkaido University campus | Sapporo Station area | 1–2 hours | Free |
| Tanukikoji Shopping Street | Susukino | 1 hour | Free |
| Ganso Ramen Yokocho | Susukino | 45 minutes | Low cost |
| Sapporo Art Park | Minami-ku | 2 hours | Low cost |
| Hitsujigaoka Observation Hill | Toyohira-ku | 1 hour | Low cost |
The 17 best things to do
Park · Odori
1.Odori Park
This 1.5 km strip of lawns, flowerbeds and fountains runs east–west through the city centre and hosts Sapporo's main events: snow sculptures in February, the lilac festival in May, beer gardens in summer and the Autumn Fest food festival in September. In warmer months, carts sell grilled corn and potatoes along the paths.
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
Viewpoint · Odori
2.Sapporo TV Tower
Built in 1957 at the east end of Odori Park, the steel tower has an observation deck at about 90 m that looks straight down the length of the park towards the mountains. Its digital clock is a city landmark.
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
3.Sapporo Clock Tower
The wooden clock tower was built in 1878 as the drill hall of the Sapporo Agricultural College, forerunner of Hokkaido University, and is one of the few buildings left from the city's pioneer era. Inside is a small museum on the college and early Sapporo.
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
Viewpoint · Minami-ku
4.Mount Moiwa Ropeway
A ropeway and a short mini cable car climb to the 531 m summit of Mount Moiwa, where an observation deck looks across the whole grid of Sapporo to Ishikari Bay. Its night view is one of the most celebrated in Japan.
Take the streetcar loop line to Ropeway-iriguchi and the free shuttle to the base station, then time your ride for sunset to see the city lights come on.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Views
- After dark
- Couples
- Iconic
- Photo spot
Museum · Higashi-ku
5.Sapporo Beer Museum
A red-brick former sugar factory and brewery tells the story of beer brewing in Hokkaido from 1876, when a government brewery opened in Sapporo. The self-guided exhibition is free, a paid tour adds tastings, and the Sapporo Beer Garden next door serves Genghis Khan lamb in large brick halls.
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
Market · Odori
6.Nijo Market
A compact block of fishmongers and small restaurants a few minutes from Odori Park selling Hokkaido crab, scallops, sea urchin and salmon roe. Its counter restaurants serve kaisendon, rice bowls heaped with raw seafood, from breakfast time.
Come for breakfast or an early lunch; many stalls close in the afternoon and the best bowls sell out.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Food
- Shopping
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Religious site · Maruyama
7.Hokkaido Shrine
Hokkaido's main Shinto shrine stands in the old forest of Maruyama Park, founded in 1869 to protect the island's settlement. The grounds fill with cherry blossom in late April or early May and with families for New Year visits.
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
Zoo · Maruyama
8.Sapporo Maruyama Zoo
Sapporo's zoo is best known for its polar bears, seen swimming through an underwater viewing tunnel, and for northern species such as Hokkaido brown bears and snow leopards. It stays open through the winter.
Visit the polar-bear building first thing, when the bears are usually most active.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Kids
- Outdoors
Park · Higashi-ku
1.Moerenuma Park
Sculptor Isamu Noguchi designed this park on a former landfill as one huge artwork, with the Glass Pyramid, the man-made Mount Moere, a sea fountain and geometric play equipment. In winter it becomes a snow park for sledging and cross-country skiing.
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
Theme park · Nishi-ku
2.Shiroi Koibito Park
The factory of Ishiya, maker of the Shiroi Koibito white-chocolate biscuits, has a European-style courtyard, a viewing gallery over the production line, a sweets museum and a biscuit-decorating workshop. It is next to Miyanosawa station on the Tozai line.
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
3.Historical Village of Hokkaido
More than 50 buildings from the 1860s to the early 20th century — farmhouses, a herring fishermen's lodge, shops and a post office — have been relocated to this open-air museum in Nopporo Forest Park. In summer a horse-drawn tram runs along the main street, replaced by a horse sleigh in winter.
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
Viewpoint · Chuo-ku
4.Okurayama Ski Jump Stadium
Built for the 1972 Sapporo Winter Olympics, the large ski jump is still used for World Cup events. A chairlift carries visitors to the top for the jumper's view down over the city, and the Sapporo Olympic Museum at the base has simulators of ski jumping and bobsleigh.
Try the ski-jump simulator in the museum before riding the lift, so you appreciate the drop from the start gate.
- Time needed
- 1.5 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Views
- History
- Kids
Park · Sapporo Station area
5.Hokkaido University campus
Just north-west of Sapporo Station, the university's large campus is open to walkers, with lawns, red-brick buildings, a bust of founding teacher William S. Clark and the Ginkgo Avenue, which turns gold in late October and early November.
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
A covered shopping arcade running for seven blocks between Odori and Susukino, with drugstores, souvenir shops, old-style kissaten coffee houses and restaurants. It is a sheltered walking route in winter and a good place to pick up Hokkaido snacks.
Use it as your covered route between Odori and Susukino on snowy evenings.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Shopping
- Rainy day
- Free
- Food
Street · Susukino
7.Ganso Ramen Yokocho
A narrow alley in Susukino lined with tiny counter ramen shops, each seating a handful of people. It is a classic place to try Sapporo miso ramen, as well as salt and soy-sauce styles, late into the evening.
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
8.Sapporo Art Park
In wooded hills in the south of the city, this cultural complex has a sculpture garden with dozens of works by Japanese and international artists set along forest paths, plus a contemporary art museum and craft workshops.
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
9.Hitsujigaoka Observation Hill
A grassy hill on the city's south-eastern edge with sheep pastures, the well-known statue of William S. Clark pointing into the distance with the motto 'Boys, be ambitious', and views over Sapporo Dome and the Ishikari plain.
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
Pick by interest
| Interest | Best picks |
|---|---|
| Art and museums | Sapporo Beer Museum, Moerenuma Park, Historical Village of Hokkaido and Sapporo Art Park |
| History | Sapporo Clock Tower, Sapporo Beer Museum, Hokkaido Shrine and Historical Village of Hokkaido |
| Views | Sapporo TV Tower, Mount Moiwa Ropeway, Okurayama Ski Jump Stadium and Hitsujigaoka Observation Hill |
| Outdoors and nature | Odori Park, Hokkaido Shrine, Sapporo Maruyama Zoo and Moerenuma Park |
| Food and markets | Sapporo Beer Museum, Nijo Market, Shiroi Koibito Park and Tanukikoji Shopping Street |
| After dark | Odori Park, Sapporo TV Tower, Mount Moiwa Ropeway and Ganso Ramen Yokocho |
| With children | Odori Park, Sapporo Maruyama Zoo, Moerenuma Park and Shiroi Koibito Park |
| On a rainy day | Sapporo Beer Museum, Shiroi Koibito Park and Tanukikoji Shopping Street |
Plan the rest of your trip
Questions travellers ask
+What is the number one thing to do in Sapporo?
Odori Park. This 1.5 km strip of lawns, flowerbeds and fountains runs east–west through the city centre and hosts Sapporo's main events: snow sculptures in February, the lilac festival in May, beer gardens in summer and the Autumn Fest food festival in September.
+What can you do for free in Sapporo?
Odori Park, Sapporo Beer Museum, Hokkaido Shrine, Moerenuma Park and Hokkaido University campus. More free things to do.
+What is there to do in Sapporo when it rains?
Head indoors to Sapporo Beer Museum, Shiroi Koibito Park and Tanukikoji Shopping Street.
+What is there to do in Sapporo at night?
Odori Park, Sapporo TV Tower, Mount Moiwa Ropeway and Ganso Ramen Yokocho are best after dark.