My family and I are excitedly planning a trip to Japan this October. Our group includes me (25M), my mother (55F), my aunt (55F), and my sister (23F). We’re particularly looking forward to exploring Hokkaido, but we’ve realized that it’s much larger than we initially thought, and structuring our trip there has become somewhat daunting.
My mother is especially keen on experiencing the breathtaking fall colors. We all have a shared love for the outdoors, but considering my mother and aunt’s ages, we aren’t looking for anything too strenuous – light, enjoyable hikes would be ideal. We particularly like water bodies and hanging around them.
We’re hoping to allocate 5 days to explore Hokkaido(and then onwards to kyoto-3 days and tokyo-4 days), beginning our journey in Sapporo. Ideally, we’d love to spend 2-3 days enjoying light hikes during the day and relaxing at a ryokan/onsen in the evenings. Does anyone have any suggestions or recommendations for such an itinerary, or any specific places that are a must-visit, keeping our preferences in mind?
is 5 days too much for just sapporo? What onsens must i look for? we are not fans of mega corporate resorts, and would prefer low keyish places with charm
thanks!!
EDIT: sorry i forgot my draft itenieray
I was thinking
day 1: sapporo(the day after we get there technically)
day 2: drive to noboribetsu, eexplore, and overnight in a ryokan there
day 3: drive to lake shikotsu, overnight there
day 4: drive to beii, overnight there
day 5: back to Sapporo, leave next day
does this sound doable? is this a good idea for people coming to hokkaido for first time? Is this doable without renting a car and relying on public transport?
thanks!
7 comments
Loved noboribetsu for fall leaves in 2019, I think one full day is enough but two could work as well
>Is this doable without renting a car and relying on public transport?
Yes, it’s do-able. It’ll take a little more planning of course, but totally do-able. You’ll lose a little bit of time compared to driving but I don’t think it’s that much of a disadvantage. You’ve made a good choice for places to visit and it’s good pacing.
if you rely on public transportation, please note some places have a long bus interval. i went to Shirogane Blue Pond by bus from Biei Station, and the bus was like once every 2-3 hours.
How about substitute noboribetsu with jozankei ? Missing Otaru on here. At biei don’t forget about lake shiraghe
Biei is beautiful in Autumn but it could be hard to get around without a car. Rental bikes might be a possibility.
You don’t want to visit the Sapporo TV Tower, the Odori Park, the Nijo Market and Tanukikoji Shopping Street, the Hokkaido Jingu (shrine), the Mount Moiwa, and the Susukino Street?
Personal favourite is Otaru which is about 40mins from Sapporo. But I don’t think you can go wrong with your itinerary, seems rather reasonable. Only thing I’d mention is Shikotsu and Biei is technically on the different side of Sapporo, so it might be easier on the driving if you pick another place, but all things considered it’s only 3-4 hours drive so it might not be too big of an issue.