2020 60-Hour Trip to Hokkaido, Japan: Shiraoi, Sapporo, Furano, Biei, Asahikawa, Hakodate
Leave the bustling crowds and come to the picturesque Japanese island of Hokkaido, where there is no city noise, just pure comfort.
Day 1: Sapporo & Shiraoi. Depart Sapporo 6:38, arrive Shiraoi 8:17. Eat Shiraoi beef, visit the museum that opened in 2020. Shiraoi 12:50 → Sapporo 2:25. Rent a bicycle for city sightseeing, shopping, dinner.
Day 2: Furano. Sapporo 07:00 → Furano 09:00 → Biei 13:00 → Asahikawa 18:00. Explore the surroundings, return to Sapporo 22:00.
Day 3: Hakodate. Sapporo 06:30 → Hakodate 10:00. Sightseeing & lunch. Hakodate Airport 19:00 → Tokyo Haneda 20:30. One day shopping in Tokyo, then another day of sightseeing, then back home~
Excluding airfare and accommodation, 2000 yuan as pocket money. (As for how much to spend on shopping, it's up to you; usually people can't resist and spend 10,000 just on shopping ^^)
Shiraoi beef, seasonal crab, sea urchin, grilled Atka mackerel, crab cream croquette, ramen, soup curry, sandwiches, soft cake ♪
Depart Dalian 13:30, arrive New Chitose Airport 16:30. Depart New Chitose Airport 17:30, arrive Sapporo 18:07. Check in at a hotel near Sapporo Station. Or go to the Susukino area, which has everything for eating, drinking, and fun—one of Japan's three major entertainment districts.
Day 1: Depart Sapporo 6:38 on JR, arrive Shiraoi 8:17. A clean and tidy small rural town. Within 10 minutes on foot from the station you reach the museum—very impressive, a brand new facility opened in 2020, excellent. There is an inexpensive restaurant and a souvenir shop. The whole facility takes about 3 hours to tour, with dance performances, rowing boat performances, and short films.
Starving, of course lunch in Shiraoi means Shiraoi beef! Reasonably priced and delicious. After lunch, head straight back to Sapporo, because Shiraoi is very small and everything is within walking distance—convenient.
Depart Shiraoi 12:50 on JR, arrive Sapporo 2:25. At the station there is bicycle rental for exploring Sapporo: 1,080 yen for a full day, 540 yen after 3 PM. You don't have to return the bike to the same rental point; there are over 40 locations in Sapporo where you can drop it off.
First, take a stroll through Hokkaido University, then visit the former government office, then Odori Park. Feeling a bit tired, take a break at any coffee shop. In Sapporo, you must try soup curry at 'Rakkyo' Esta store: 'Hokkaido Chicken Soup Curry' 1,350 yen. The spiciness level ranges from 0 to 10 (11 levels total); level 3 is fine for girls. Vegetables, meat with broth, and a bowl of rice—it's super filling. Then take a 1-hour walk at Tanukikoji shopping street.
After that, I went to 'Sumiyaki Robata Kushiro' in the Nanko Building near Sapporo Susukino Station, one of Japan's three major nightlife districts. Grilled fish 1,280 yen, grilled chicken wings 630 yen, sashimi platter 1,680 yen. A charcoal-grilled Japanese restaurant recommended by locals, located on B1 of the Nanko Building in the heart of Susukino. Sashimi, grilled seafood, meat—everything you could want. Stomach full, ready for tomorrow's Furano itinerary.
Sapporo 06:35 → JR Limited Express Lilac No. 1 / transfer at Takikawa / Local → arrive Nakafurano 10:06. It's a 20-minute walk from the station to the flower fields. One-way ticket 3,940 yen—of course, use a rail pass!
* Only in summer: there is a 'Lavender Flower Fields' station. Get off there and walk 7 minutes to Farm Tomita.
Hokkaido Lavender Flower Fields at Farm Tomita. One side is all lavender, the other side has various flowers—it makes you feel this is Hokkaido's nature! Of course, have a lavender-flavored soft serve ice cream, which you can only taste here. Weekends are super crowded, so better to go on weekdays.
12:30: Lunch at the curry restaurant in the treehouse ♪ It's a 'secret base' in front of Furano Station, a 5-minute walk from Furano Station.
After a short rest, head to Biei's Blue Pond—it's incredibly beautiful. Nearby there are also gift shops with various Japanese-style souvenirs and lavender-related products. If you're too tired, you can skip Biei, but photography lovers absolutely cannot miss it.
Then it's off to Asahikawa. Since I don't have kids with me, skipping Asahiyama Zoo is fine—but if you have children, you must go. By the time we arrive in Asahikawa it's evening, so just eat, drink, and have fun. After eating and shopping, take the last train back to Sapporo.
In Hakodate, you definitely can't miss the morning market seafood bowl at the station, as well as catching live squid. Usually, one squid (catch and eat) costs around 1,500 yen. If you still have room, there's Lucky Pierrot Hamburger right across from the morning market—super cheap, big, and delicious. Strongly recommended. Then walk along the seaside to digest. You can enjoy the ships, and at night there are evening cruises with dinner (a bit pricey). Then you can buy a one-day tram pass to visit Goryokaku Park (gorgeous during cherry blossom season), then Kanamori Red Brick Warehouse. Nearby there are various slopes and churches. Finally, take the ropeway to enjoy the night view—the million-dollar night view of Mount Hakodate is worth it!
Hakodate Airport 19:00 → Tokyo Haneda 20:30. Then go crazy shopping in Tokyo and visit Disneyland—those two things alone are enough to keep you busy for days, haha. The itinerary is very tight and exciting. Hope it helps everyone.
Travelogue Directory: 1. 60-hour itinerary 2. Day 1: Shiraoi, Sapporo 3. Day 2: Furano, Biei, Asahikawa 4. Day 3: Hakodate, Tokyo. Travel info: Hotel index, guide index, ticket index, website navigation, travel index, cruise index, corporate travel index, franchise cooperation, distribution alliance, friend links, corporate gift card purchasing, insurance agency, agency cooperation, hotel franchising, destination and scenic spot cooperation, more cooperation. About Ctrip: Company info, hot topics, contact us, careers, user agreement, privacy policy, business license, security center, Ctrip content center, intellectual property, Trip.com Group algorithm announcement.
