Hello! I’m just looking for some feedback on my itinerary. I have a lot of free time recently and I wanted to take a somewhat cheaper trip to Japan this time. I know that I’m missing the cherry blossom season in Hokkaido, but I avoid golden week at least.
My main stay is going to be in Sapporo. I booked an AirBnB for the entire trip. I will probably move the two Hakodate days together and book a 1 night stay there so that I don’t have to do the train ride twice. This will also safely allow me to do the ropeway at night. I was going to book the 7 day Hokkaido rail pass to hit all of these locations, but on second thought, I might want to do a 14 day JR pass and then visit Sendai for the cherry blossoms. Is this worth it? I could stay overnight again due to the long train ride.
I know that I have those 4 blank Sapporo days (not including the rest days), but if I add Sendai, that would take two days. It also gives one day of rest prior to leaving and 1 extra day to revisit anything that I may have missed.
03/29
* Arrive at HND at 14:00
* HND to CTS at 19:00
* Arrive at CTS at 20:30
* Take the train to Sapporo station
03/30
* Rest/Explore
03/31
* Rest/Explore
04/01
* Fushimi Inari Shrine (morning or midday)
* Hokkaido University
04/02
* Sapporo Zoo (maybe)
* Fushimi Inari Shrine (dusk)
* Asahiyama Memorial Park (night)
04/03
* Nakajima Park
* Tanukikoji Shopping Street
* Odori Park
* JR Tower Observatory T38
04/04
* Shiroikobito Park
04/05
* Sapporo TV Tower
* Pokemon Center
* Sapporo Beer Museum (maybe)
04/06
* Nopporo Forest Park
04/07
* Take the train and visit Otaru
* Otaru Canal
* Naruto Honten
* Wing Bay Otaru (add to another day?)
* Explore the glass shops
04/08
* Sapporo
04/09
* Sapporo
04/10
* Activate rail pass (swap days if it’s too early)
* Take the train to Hakodate
* Hakodate Morning Market
* Hachimanzaka
* Visit Lucky Pierrot
04/11
* Take a train to Furano
* Visit Kashitsukasa Shinya for Furano Yukidoke Cheesecake
* Cheese Ramen Karin
* Visit Ningle Terrace at night
* Last train is at 20:30 PM
04/12
* Take the train to Noboribetsu
* Noboribetsu Aquarium
* Take the Donan bus to Noboribetsu Spa
* Jigokudani
* Oyunuma
04/13
* Take a train to Asahikawa
* Heiwa Dori Shopping Street
* AEON Mall
* Kaguraoka Park
* Asahikawa Ramen Village
* Maybe a bus to the zoo?
04/14
* Take a train to Farm Tomita
* Take a train to Biei
* Take the Dohoku bus to Shirahige Falls
* Visit the Shirogane Blue Pond
04/15
* Take a train to Furano
* Visit Asahigaoka Park
* Visit Furano Delice for the Double Fromage and Furano Milk Purin
* Check out Furano Cheese Factory
04/16
* Take a train to Hakodate
* Hakodate Park
* Fort Goryokaku
* Cape Tachimachi
* Visit Hakodate Beer
* Hachimanzaka (night)
* Mt. Hakodate ropeway (night)
* Last train is at 18:36 PM
04/17
* Sapporo
04/18
* Sapporo
04/19
* Flight is at 10:30 CTS
* Flight is at 16:20 HND
1 comment
You’d have to check what the Sakura blooming forecast looks like for 2023, but if it lines up with your dates Hirosaki Castle in Aomori is gorgeous. Kakunodate was also really nice.
– [Aomori/Akita: Cherry Blossoms and Samurai History using the 5-day JR East Tohoku Pass](https://www.reddit.com/r/JapanTravel/comments/nahtfk/chasing_cherry_blossoms_in_aomori_and_samurai/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf)