Hi hi, I will travel to Japan on mid to late September and land in NRT, and planning to go straight to Hokkaido via train for sightseeing and culinary trip.
I have some questions and I hope you can give me some perspectives:
\-Is Hokkaido worth to go in September for 3-4 nights? (considering the journey length from Tokyo).
\-Should I go straight for Sapporo and make it a base for the whole trip or stay at Hakodate for 1 night? Is there anything interesting to do in Hakodate?
\-I want to go to Farm Tomita but I understand the Lavender season will be over already, so is Furano worth a daytrip from Sapporo at that time?
\-Is Yubari Melon still available to buy on September?
\-Can I hope to see autumn foliage in Daisetsuzan at that time of the year?
\-Any other tips?
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If, in the end, the time is not ideal, I’m thinking of going to Chugoku or Kyushu instead, and reserve Hokkaido for Winter trip in the future.
Thank you!!
7 comments
September may be nice. I went to Hokkaido in late October/Early November and had some good foliage. Higher up like Daisetzusan September/October probably better.
3-4 days is short. I would recommend flying using the domestic travel fares. Is cheaper, faster, and more convenient if you are already at NRT.
Hakodate mountain view is nice. I didnt spend much time there. Depends on what your interests are.
if you’re landing in NRT / HND before 3PM, i would suggest taking a domestic flight to CTS as that would maximize your time.
This year (in Feb) we did our stay in Sapporo and then took the train down to Hakodate for an overnight stay and then continued down to Tokyo on the train.
I was thinking of doing this, so looking forward to seeing responses/suggestions!
I’m planning on flying from Hiroshima to Sapporo the second week of November, so I sure hope so.
Love the idea of Kyushu then Hokkaido for winter
I went to Hokkaido in mid Oct. Landed in a Narita, then took a separate domestic flight to New Chitose airport. I would recommend a flight over the train.
3-4 nights will let you do things around Sapporo. But you would probably need more time if you wanted to see other areas (will need to rent a car).
Weather was fairly cold in mid October. I’d expect it to be warmer in September but probably a good idea to have a jacket or some warmer tops.
Will you have the JR pass? It’s cheaper (and way faster) to fly, especially if you’re concerned about time.
That being said, Hakodate is beautiful, and I would definitely prioritize that over Farm Tomita at that time of year. The view from Mt. Hakodate is one of the best city views in Japan.
Also, if you’re thinking of doing Hakodate, Sapporo, and Daisetsuzan within 4 days… it’s doable maybe but Hokkaido is absolutely huge and those are in such different areas of Hokkaido.. better to stick to the Sapporo area and check out Otaru, Noboribetsu, and things around Sapporo.
TL;DR Hokkaido is 100% worth a visit but you might want to focus your itinerary a bit more 🤷🏻♀️