Hi all! I’m feeling like a broken record but thought it’d be helpful to get guidance on if the below is too ambitious just given the distance and trains. The days I’ve asterisked are where things are up in the air. I’m ok with not doing Abashiri
Open to your recommendations and thanks in advance!
2/8 Day 1: Arrive HND 5pm, Flight to CTS 8:15pm, Check in Sapporo hotel \~11pm
2/9, 2/10 Day 2-3: Sapporo Snow Festival, Mt Moiwa, Sapporo Beer Factory, soup curry, ramen alley, walk around etc
\*\*2/11 Day 4: Check out, activate JR rail pass. Train to Asahikawa, penguin festival, craft beer. Evening train to Abashiri
\*\*2/12 Day 5: Abashiri ice breaker cruise, museums
\*\*2/13 Day 6: Morning train back to Sapporo, Otaru half day trip, return to Sapporo or stay overnight in Otaru
\*\*2/14 Day 7: Noboribetsu onsen, overnight here?
\*\*2/15 Day 8: Train to Hakodate overnight here?
\*\*2/16 Day 9: Return to Tokyo on train
2/20: fly home.
This will be my third trip to Japan so I really wanted to explore Hokkaido which is new to me, have already done the main things in Tokyo and western Japan
1 comment
Here are some spots I can recommend in Otaru. Highly recommend spending a night to enjoy more of the restaurants and see the canal at night.
– [Cafe Bar and Apartment Stone and Iron](https://www.booking.com/Share-o221Sg)
– We stayed 1 night here booking the entire apartment and loved it. Super cool old stone warehouse that’s been updated. Highly recommend but you will need to walk up a flight of stairs.
– The [farm to table restaurant](https://maps.app.goo.gl/haLYugBjZ7QsHmsK8?g_st=ic) here is very, very good too. In daytime it’s a cafe with excellent coffee but at night you can order a full dinner. We messaged on Booking after reserving the apartment to make a reservation for dinner the night of our stay.
– [Naruto Main Shop: Best Chicken Ever!!!](https://maps.app.goo.gl/ytLHgK42k7Fx3pKQ7?g_st=ic)
– [Otaru Tap Room](https://maps.app.goo.gl/xhweiPCAr7f4kATC6?g_st=ic)
– [Have coffee/cake surrounded by glass lanterns. Try to go in a weekday if possible as it’s very popular and there will be long lines on the weekends.](https://maps.app.goo.gl/oxe1idPfGTr63EN38?g_st=ic)
– [Otaru Blue Grotto Cruising: We didn’t have time to do this but if the weather is good could be fun.](https://httos://maps.app.goo.gl/QhH4xxpCXBZXRa7w7?g_st=ic)
– [Otaru Stained Glass Museum](https://www.nitorihd.co.jp/otaru-art-base/en/stained-glass-museum/)
In Sapporo we liked:
– [Milk Mura: Ice Cream Bar where you drizzle flavored liqueurs over ice cream. Open late for dessert after dinner.](https://maps.app.goo.gl/XekmEyGaXRBo2TUZ6?g_st=ic)
– [Ganso Ramen Yokocho (Alley)](https://maps.app.goo.gl/goEBUXv8zhMDWp9XA?g_st=ic)
– [Suage+ for Soup Curry](https://maps.app.goo.gl/T7EtRgBTBnpDETZf7?g_st=ic)
If you want to do a day use onsen in Noboribetsu I liked [Dai-Ichi Takimotokan.](https://httos://maps.app.goo.gl/hjbWy8ufS3RPMCsw6?g_st=ic) It’s huge and you could spend a lot of time here. There’s an indoor swimming pool side too if you have swimsuits. Tattoos are not allowed.