We are going to be in Japan from April 28th through May 8th, total of 10 nights. We want to focus primarily on Hokkaido as that is the last region we have never visited before. Considering three possible itineraries, but would also like feedback if there’s anything we’re majorly missing or haven’t properly thought through. All itineraries start out the same for the first 3 nights and basically the same last night (staying in Tokyo before our return flight):
NEX from Narita to Tokyo, spend the night near Tokyo Station
Shinkansen direct Tokyo to Hakodate
Spend 2 nights in Hakodate. (Morning market, Goryokaku, Mt. Hakodate Ropeway, Tachimachi Cape)
Itinerary 1:
Rent a car in Hakodate and drive to Shikotsu-Toya National Park.
2 nights in the Noboribetsu area. (Onsen, Lake Toya, Lake Kuttara, Lake Shikotsu, Jigokudani, etc.)
2 nights in Asahikawa. Likely see Biei, hard maybe on driving to Cape Soya as a day trip.
Return car in Sapporo.
2 nights in Sapporo. Day trip to Otaru.
Train back to Tokyo. Spend night near Tokyo station.
NEX to Narita for our flight.
Itinerary 2:
Rent a car in Hakodate and drive to Shikotsu-Toya National Park.
2 or 3 nights in the Noboribetsu area. (Onsen, Lake Toya, Lake Kuttara, Lake Shikotsu, Jigokudani, etc.)
Return car in Sapporo.
2 or 3 nights in Sapporo. Day trip to Otaru.
(Maybe) Fly to Wakkanai for Cape Soya. Overnight in Wakkanai.
Either fly back to Sapporo and take train to Tokyo, or fly to Hanada and take train to Tokyo from Hanada. Spend night near Tokyo station.
NEX to Narita.
Itinerary 3:
Train from Hakodate to Noboribetsu.
1 or 2 nights in Noboribetsu, using bus/taxi to get around. Feel this limits what we can do a lot more than if we had a car, so wouldn’t hit up as many spots.
Homebase in Sapporo for remaining 4 or 5 nights. Possible day trips to Otaru, Biei, Asahikawa, Cape Soya as able using trains/public transit. Again, if we do Cape Soya on the last day, may consider flying to Wakkanai/back to Hanada.
Train back to Tokyo, spend night near Tokyo station.
NEX to Narita.
So really our main debates are between renting a car or not for Hakodate to Sapporo, how many places to “home base” and for how many nights, and whether or not we can justify the trip to Cape Soya just to hit the northernmost point (we live at the southernmost point of the continental US, so it’s a bit of a brag more than anything to go to the northernmost point of Japan.) The only other main debate is if we should really go direct to Hakodate, or stop and spend one night in one of the cities along the route, most likely Sendai or Aomori.
by awestover89