The Ultimate One Week (5-Day) Hokkaido Itinerary for the Summer

We recently spent one week in Hokkaido in the summer and it was a relaxing and nature-filled road trip through Hokkaido. Hokkaido is the perfect place to escape from the summer heat and crowds in Japan and I am here to share how we spent 5 days in Hokkaido using public transportation.

Hokkaido is not on most people’s first time in Japan itinerary since it’s not on the main island of Honshu. Most people know Hokkaido as the ski destination in the winter but Hokkaido is actually really nice to visit in the summer as well.

In terms of size, Hokkaido is the second largest island (after Honshu where Tokyo and Osaka are). Since it’s located in the most northern area of Japan, Hokkaido has a very mild summer unlike the unbearable heat you get in Tokyo and Kyoto. Therefore if you want to visit Japan in the summer, Hokkaido is the perfect place to escape from the heat.

In this one week Hokkaido itinerary, I will share with you everything we did and ate, as well as how to get around and where to stay.

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How to Get to Hokkaido

Depending on where you are coming from, you can either fly to Hokkaido or take the train.

By Flying

Hokkaido is large, and there are more than one airports. Most people fly into Sapporo (New Chitose) as that is the largest airport and there are a ton of direct flights from Tokyo everyday. The flight between Sapporo and Tokyo is less than 2 hours, making it super convenient to get to Hokkaido.

There are other airports in Hokkaido, such as Hakodate, Asahikawa and a few other ones near the north and east side of the island. Flights to these airports from Tokyo are more expensive, that is why most people fly into Sapporo.

By Train

Given the geographical location (more on that later), Hakodate is the most southern large city in Hokkaido and it is the last stop of the Shinkansen bullet trains. Therefore if you are planning to travel from Tokyo to Hokkaido by train, you will get off at Hakodate first if you take the Shinkansen before switching to other trains to Sapporo (and other parts of Hokkaido).

It took us about 5 hours to get from Tokyo to Hakodate after we landed in Tokyo in the morning, so I’d say it’s still pretty convenient!

Getting Around Hokkaido Without a Car

There are two types of people that travel to Hokkaido, ones that prefer to drive and ones that don’t want to drive. While I generally like to drive around for the flexibility, we opted to not drive this time since the trains and buses are so convenient in Japan.

We took JR trains around Hokkaido this summer since we spent most of our time in cities with a couple of day trips here and there (accessible by train). The trains were frequent enough that it suited all of our needs.

We got a 7 day JR Pass for this trip since we were taking trains around everyday (and from/to Tokyo) and it completely paid off. I always recommend using a JR calculator before you buy so you can see if you actually save money with a JR Pass or not.

However if you want more flexibility and don’t want to worry about timing the trains, then renting a car may be a better option for you.

Where to Visit in Hokkaido in the Summer

As I mentioned before, Hokkaido is large and there are different areas that people can visit in the summer. Most people however, visit 3 specific regions of Hokkaido (where the red stars are):

• Hakodate: the most southern popular destination in Hokkaido. This is the last stop for the Shinkansen bullet trains. We spent 1 and half days in Hakodate.

• Sapporo: the capital of Hokkaido and another super popular (and much larger) city that almost everyone visits when they go to Hokkaido. We spent about a full day in Sapporo and did a couple of day trips from Sapporo.

• Asahikawa: located in the middle-ish of Hokkaido, Asahikawa is known for its proximity to Daisetsuzan National Park, flower fields, hiking, waterfalls and hot springs. We only spent about a day here but would definitely recommend spending more time here if you are into nature. Ideally I would recommend spending 3 days here, especially if you have a car.

We also spent 2 days in Aomori and Sendai while making our way back down to Tokyo. This itinerary does not include Aomori and Sendai since they are technically in Honshu and not Hokkaido. But if you prefer to spend the entire 7 days in Hokkaido you certainly can, and you can always fly back to Tokyo directly from Asahikawa.

Our One Week (5 Day) Hokkaido Itinerary in Detail

• Day 1: Arrival in Tokyo -> Tokyo to Hakodate
• Day 2: Explore Hakodate
• Day 3: Explore Sapporo
• Day 4: Farm Tomita day trip + Sapporo at night
• Day 5: Otaru Day Trip + travel back to Honshu

Day 1 of 5 days in Hokkaido: Arrival in Tokyo + Hakodate

We took an overnight flight from New York City to Tokyo and landed bright and early at 5am in Haneda. After getting off the plane and going through immigration, we got our JR pass activated at the airport and seats reserved for the 8:18am Tohoku Hayabusa Shinkansen, the super fast bullet train to Hokkaido! The JR ticket booth opens fairly early (6am I believe) at the airport so we were able to get all this done after we landed!

How to get to Hakodate from Haneda Airport

There is no direct train from Haneda Airport to Hokkaido, so you will need to first make your way to Tokyo Station to catch the Shinkansen:

• Take the Tokyo Monorail Haneda Express to Hamamatsucho (19 minutes)
• Transfer to a JR train (either Yamanote or Keihin-Tohoku/Negishi Line) to Tokyo Station (6 minutes)
• Catch the Shinkansen Hayabusa Express from Tokyo Station to Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto (256 minutes)
• Transfer to the relay train to Hakodate station (15 – 25 minutes depends on the train)

In total it took us about 6.5 hours to get to Hakodate from Haneda Airport.

Where to stay in Hakodate

We stayed close to the Hakodate train station in a hotel called Tokyu Stay Hakodate. It was pretty cheap and clean and most importantly very convenient.

Located right by the water, some of the rooms do get a nice water/ mountain view which is a bonus. It’s only a few minutes walk to the Hakodate train station, the tram station and the morning market is right around the corner.

Late Lunch at Umi Murakami

Right after getting off the train, we headed straight to eat! We decided to stop by Uni Murakami which is right next to the train station since I’m a big fan of uni. Food was yummy and super fresh (as you can expect from Hokkaido).

After eating and checking into our hotel, we started officially exploring Hakodate.

Kanemori Brick Warehouse

Kanemori Brick Warehouse is about a 15 minute (900m) walk from our hotel along Hakodate Bay. It used to be a complex of warehouses (4-5 I think) ever since Hakodate Port opened in 1859 for international trade. In the present day, these warehouses have been converted to a shopping and entertainment complex.

We walked around the warehouses to take some photos before checking out all the stores inside. There is a beer hall inside as well as a wedding chapel. If you are looking to shop or just buy some souvenirs, you will see plenty of options here.

One of the most popular things to do at Kanemori Brick Warehouse (besides the beer hall) is the music box place where you can make your own music box! We didn’t make one but if you have time you totally should as it makes a unique souvenir.

While you are there, be sure to grab some yummy snack from Lucky Pierrot for its burgers and Petite Merveille, known for its cheesecakes.

Motomachi

Motomachi is a district right behind the Kanemori Red Brick Warehouse in the foothills of Mt. Hakodate. Since Hakodate was a port city that opened up for international trade back in the 1800s, a ton of foreign traders/ businessmen came to Hakodate. They built a little community near the port area, which is the present day Motomachi.

The most striking features of Motomachi are the western style houses, churches and streets. Since it’s at the foothill of the mountain, you have to walk uphill to check out the neighborhood. There are a number of streets that slope down towards the port and the bay. We essentially walked up Hachiman-Zaka Slope to access the area.

There are a few noteworthy buildings to check out in Motomachi:

• Hakodate Orthodox Church which is a Russian orthodox church famous in Hakodate
• Former British Consulate of Hakodate where you can enjoy a British afternoon tea set. You can pay to go inside and check out all the rooms
• Old Public Hall of Hakodate Ward: I personally think this is the prettiest building in the area, with its golden trim. You can pay to go inside and check out the views from its balcony
• Motomachi Park is a nice free park near all the buildings with a view of the harbor

After walking around a bit and checking out Motomachi, we took the Chachanobori Slope back down to the harbor area before walking back to our hotel area for dinner (yup we ate a lot on this trip). For dinner we went to Hakodate Dining Gaya near our hotel. Their seafood was pretty good and they are known for their seafood bowl, but overall it was quite pricey.

Day 2 of 5 days in Hokkaido: Explore Hakodate

Hakodate Morning Market & Breakfast

Start your morning off with some fresh seafood in the Hakodate morning market, a couple of minutes walk from our hotel. The morning market opens at 5am everyday in the summer and closes at noon, so it’s a great place to go early morning before you explore the rest of Hakodate.

In the market you will find tons of raw seafood and some dried seafood as well. There are also a ton of food stalls where you can get seafood bowls and other cooked seafood.

We ended up eating at Kikuyo Shokudo, another seafood restaurant nearby that specializes in uni. We got a uni and scallop bowl as well as some other food. Another famous food to get at the morning market is the Yubari Melon, a local speciality. This is no ordinary melon so it’s definitely pricier than any other melon you’ve had elsewhere.

Goryokaku Tower & Goryokaku

After breakfast, we took a tram to Goryokaku, the star shaped fort in central Hakodate. The tram (either 2 or 5) takes about 35 minutes to the fort, or you can also take a bus there.

The fort was built in a star shape to better defend Hakodate and northern Japan using cannons and guns in 1864 when Hakodate opened up for international trade. Later on this fort became a public park in 1914 and was also rebuilt in the late 1900s.

The Hakodate Magistrate’s Office is right in the middle of the fort but what you see now is a rebuilt version. Even though Goryokaku itself is free to visit, you have to buy tickets (cash only) to get in and you have to take off your shoes once inside.

Goryokaku Tower is an observation deck right next to Goryokaku that has a sweeping view of Hakodate and an aerial view of Goryokaku.

Lunch: Menchuubo Ajisai

After spending a couple of hours exploring Goryokaku and the tower, we decided to grab some food nearby. We stopped by Menchuubo Ajisai Main Branch to get ramen, there was a line but it moved quite quickly. We ordered the salt ramen on the screen before sitting down and the ramen was pretty good and not too salty!

Afternoon: Southern Hakodate

After lunch, we decided to make our way back south to Cape Tachimachi at the southern end of Hakodate. The tram took a while to get down here and we had to walk about 20 minutes from the tram station to Cape Tachimachi, including an uphill section. However it is free to visit and we were greeted with a beautiful panoramic view of the Omorihama coastline.

Many people visit during sunset but we didn’t, but the area was super windy so if you do visit later in the day be sure to bring a hat and a jacket. There is also a small cafe nearby that sells drinks and snacks in case you want to warm up.

After enjoying some nature at Cape Tachimachi, we headed back north to Hakodate Hachimangu, a Shinto shrine nestled in the forests in the foothill of Mt. Hakodate. As we climbed up to the shrine, we could see the ocean when we turned around, which was super nice and relaxing.

After the shrine, we quickly stopped by the Hakodate City Museum, a museum dedicated to the history of Hakodate as well as Gokoku Shrine, another Shinto shrine dedicated to the fallen soldiers during the Battle of Hakodate. One most striking feature of Gokuku Shrine was the red torii gate on top of the steps, which gave us a nice view of the city.

Snack & Rest

We still had some time before dinner so we decided to go back to the Motomachi area to grab some snacks (Hokkaido has a lot of yummy snacks and pastries).

The two places we tried were The Second Most Delicious Ice Cream Melon Bread in the World and cheesecake from Pastry Snaffle. The ice cream spot is known for their home-made melon pan with ice cream. The buttery and warm bread combo with the creamy ice cream was pretty delish!

Since we were still pretty jet lagged, we actually went back to our hotel to rest for a bit before heading out for our evening adventure in Hakodate.

Dinner, Mt. Hakodate & Late Night Ramen

After resting for a bit, we went to yet another izakaya for dinner near the hotel at Ikasei Daimon. We took the tram back down to Mt. Hakodate Ropeway station. You can purchase the cable car tickets online ahead of time but I would recommend you wait until you know the weather forecast since there is always a chance you can’t see the view if the weather is bad (good thing for us it was clear that night).

Besides taking the cable car, there are also buses (or you can take a taxi) to go up. But for the ultimate experience I still recommend taking the cable car since it’s not really expensive anyway.

The official website wasn’t exaggerating when they said night time is the busiest time! It was super crowded when we visited and we waited about 30 minutes for the cable car to go up. So if you are trying to visit for sunset and blue hour I would recommend going at least 30 minutes before sunset. A lot of tour buses also come around that time so you can imagine the crowd.

The ride itself is only 3 minutes and you can see the view from inside the cable car if you stand near the windows. The observation deck is 334m above sea level and there are a few different levels. The outdoor observation deck is on the top floor so be sure to wear more if you are visiting at night. If it’s way too cold you can also enjoy the view inside behind floor to ceiling glass.

Besides the view, there are also restaurants, an ice cream shop, a souvenir store and a park once you get off the cable car. We didn’t buy anything but the prices were pretty reasonable.

After visiting Mt. Hakodate, we ended the night with some delicious late night ramen at Hakodate Shio Ramen Shinano near the JR station.

Day 3 of 5 days in Hokkaido: Sapporo

On the third time it was time for us to move to Sapporo, the largest city in Hokkaido. We used Sapporo as a base for a few day trips before ending our time in Hokkaido.

We stopped by the morning market again for some breakfast before heading to the train station for our JR train to Sapporo.

How to get to Sapporo from Hakodate

The fastest way to get from Hakodate to Sapporo by public transportation was to take the JR train. The train ride took a little bit under 4 hours since there was no Shinkansen at this point. We took the 8:48 train and arrived in Sapporo at 12:41pm.

Before going to our hotel, we ended up reserving seats for a few JR trains for the next few days since we were already at the station. If you can, I would definitely recommend reserving seats during peak season at least a day or two before you travel.

How to get around Sapporo

Sapporo has fantastic public transportation which includes buses, subways and trams. We took the subway around a lot and were able to use our IC cards to pay for the fare. Google maps worked well in Sapporo for directions.

Where to stay in Sapporo

Most visitors to Sapporo stay in the Susukino area, which is central and has a lot of hotels, restaurants, shopping, and of course, is on the subway line. We stayed at Hotel Wing International Sapporo Susukino and it was really convenient to get around.

There are also a ton of other hotels in that area, so you should not have any issues finding a decent hotel.

Lunch & Nijo Market

After getting off the train and checking into our hotel, we got our first meal in Sapporo at Soup Curry King, a popular chain restaurant in Sapporo. There was a line before we sat down and this was our first time trying a soup curry, which turned out really good.

After lunch our first stop in Sapporo was Nijo Market, a popular seafood market known for its fresh seafood (such as king crab which is famous) among other things. It is a popular place to get fresh seafood meals.

Odori Park

If there is only one park to visit in Sapporo that would be the Odori Park. Famed for its snow festival in the winter and beautiful flowers in the spring and summer, Odori Park is a nice oasis in the middle of the city. There is a lot of green space in the park and it was super relaxing for me to just stroll around.

In particular Odori park has a nice fountain and the perfect view of the Sapporo TV Tower, the landmark of Sapporo. We wanted to go up at night so we didn’t do it on our first day in Sapporo.

Sapporo Clock Tower

After walking around Odori Park, we stopped by the Sapporo Clock Tower (don’t confuse this with the Sapporo TV tower)!

The Sapporo Clock Tower is a historical western building that was built in 1878. It is a cultural symbol of Sapporo as western experts came to Sapporo and helped to develop it back in the 1800s.

The building has a large clock and a bell on top hence the name. The building now houses a small souvenir shop and a museum inside dedicated to the history of Sapporo. Entrance fee is 200 yen per adult and if you are interested in how the clock works, there is a video presentation telling you the mechanics of the clock.

Suwa Shrine

Suwa Shrine is a super small but cute shrine about 15 minutes from the clock tower by the subway Toho line. The shrine itself is unremarkable but I wanted to visit since I love the colorful umbrellas and the flowers in the water.

If you like to collect goshuins then this is the place to go. Every month they have a different goshuin that you can purchase and collect. There are also charms you can get at this shrine.

Sapporo Beer Museum

If you like beer then you can’t miss the Sapporo Beer Museum. Sapporo Beer is not only famous in Japan but also around the world. The Sapporo Beer Museum is in a historical brick house that used to be the brewery. The museum shows you the history of Sapporo beer (in Japanese with English translation cards) if you are interested in learning more about their beer making.

The museum is free to visit and there are Japanese museum tours (that you can pay for). The museum also offers beer tasting for a fee. There is a beer garden next to the museum so if you are hungry you can get food there.

Tanukikoji Shopping Street

After the beer garden, we came back to the Susukino area for some shopping and food. If you are a fan of shopping then you would love the Tanukikoji Shopping Street, an arcade mall that has everything from food, souvenirs, clothes, tax free shopping, and pharmacies. In fact the layout and atmosphere reminded me a lot of Shinsaibashi-Suji Shopping Street in Osaka.

The shops are open from morning to night and since it’s covered, you can expect a lot of people at night in all sorts of weather. The street is long so it can take you quite a while to explore. Between mid July and mid August, Sapporo has a summer festival (which we missed) but during the festival you can actually see some of the festivities at Tanukikoji Shopping Street.

Dinner: Daruma 7.4

After eating seafood and ramen for the past couple of days, you shouldn’t be surprised that we were craving some meat! After a search on tabelog (the Japanese yelp), we decided to try this Jingisukan specialty restaurant to get some grilled mutton.

I would highly recommend getting a reservation if you don’t want to wait, or you can always try to go early for a shorter line.

Day 4 of 5 days in Hokkaido: Farm Tomita & Sapporo

We spent most of the day traveling back and forth between Sapporo and Farm Tomita, known for their lavender field as well as other flowers. If you are visiting Hokkaido in the summer, you absolutely cannot miss the lavender fields.

How to reach Farm Tomita from Sapporo with public transportation

The most tricky part of our itinerary today was to figure out how to catch the train from Sapporo to Farm Tomita.

There are several different options when it comes to taking the train from Sapporo to Farm Tomita, but you will need to do some research to get the timing right. But in general it takes about 2-3 hours to get to Farm Tomita from Sapporo, so you will need to leave fairly early.

• Furano Lavender Express: this is a limited train that departs Sapporo Station at 7:41am in the summer month only. It takes about 2 hours to get to Furano Station, where you will need to switch to a local train to Naka-Furano Station.
  
  Once you arrive at Naka-Furano station, you will need to walk 10 minutes to Hokuseiyama Lavender Field, then another 11 minutes to Farm Tomita (so total a 20 something minute walk from the station to Farm Tomita).

• JR Lilac train + Scenic train (the route we took): this combination takes slightly longer than the Lavender Express train but it minimizes walking. We took the JR Lilac train from Sapporo to Asahikawa Station at 8am then transferred to the scenic Furano Biei Norokko Train to Lavender Farm station. We reserved seats on this Norokko train a few days before to ensure we could get a seat.
  
  The Norokko train is a scenic train with seats facing a huge window with view of the local scenery. The Lavender Farm station is a summer only station and it’s only a few minutes walk to the farm.

For more information on both the Lavender Express train and the Norokko scenic train, you can check the JR website.

There are also buses you can take as well as a lavender farm tour (together with Blue Pond) if you prefer to relax and not worry about transportation. If we didn’t have a JR pass I totally would’ve taken this tour since it includes the Blue Pond and lunch.

What to do at Farm Tomita

When you first enter the farm you should take a photo of its map, as it shows you all the different fields.

Farm Tomita occupies a large area and is made up from various different flower fields and houses. Besides the iconic lavender fields, you will find other fields with different flowers. You can spend hours just walking around the different fields and hills.

Other popular things to do at Farm Tomita is to eat the lavender soft serve as well as the delicious Hokkaido melon. If you walk along the “main road” in the middle of the farm, you will also see all these different houses, which includes cafes, galleries, museums, gift shops, etc.

I would recommend eating lunch at Farm Tomita before heading back (or to your next destination).

Cost of Farm Tomita

The most amazing thing is that Farm Tomita is free to visit. You can literally just walk right in!

After spending a few hours at Farm Tomita, we decided to go back to Sapporo the same way we came. However if you have a car, I would actually recommend driving to the Blue Pond, which is only 30 minutes away.

We didn’t end up going because it takes over an hour and half by train. If you were to stay overnight in Asahikawa then you can consider visiting both the farm and the pond in one day using public transportation though.

Dinner: Ramen Horyu in Sapporo

After getting back to Sapporo we headed directly to dinner, another very popular ramen spot in Susukino.

One thing that sets Horyu apart is that this ramen shop is Muslim friendly, meaning there is no pork or alcohol used in their ramen or any other menu items. They are known for their miso ramen as well as the “Genghis Khan” miso ramen, which has halal lamb (in the photo above). The potstickers we got were made from fish instead of pork!

There was a line when we got there but I read that if you go before 5:30pm there is usually no line.

Sapporo TV Tower

The last stop of the day was the Sapporo TV Tower. If you remember from earlier that we didn’t go up the TV shower on the previous day, that is because I always prefer night view over day time views from these observation decks! There is just something about seeing the city with all the lights on.

If you are like me and you like city views, then the Sapporo TV Tower is a must-visit. The tower is iconic and was built in 1957 and the observation deck is about 90 meters tall so you can have a nice panoramic view of Sapporo.

You can buy tickets online but I would recommend waiting till the day before so you know what the weather will be like. When we visited there was a line to go up (all these observation decks were super popular at night). The elevator ride was quite short to go to the top and we were greeted with an enclosed observation deck with a 360 degree view of the city.

Note that this observation deck is quite old so you won’t have the floor to ceiling glass like Azabudai Hills observation deck in Tokyo. The observation deck is also quite small, so it can be crowded when there are a lot of people (like when we visited).

Since the Sapporo TV Tower is next to the Odori Park, you can have a super nice aerial view of the park. If you visit in the winter, you will be able to see the snow festival down at the park.

There is actually another higher observation deck in Sapporo called JR Tower T38, which is on the 38th floor of a commercial building connected to the Sapporo JR train station. Compared to the Sapporo TV Tower, you can expect less people.

Day 5 of 5 days in Hokkaido: Otaru Day Trip

On our last day in Hokkaido, we took a day trip to Otaru before heading back down to Aomori, which is the most northern part of Honshu (the island that Tokyo and Osaka are on). So we checked out of the hotel in the morning and caught a super early train to Otaru and stored our luggage there before we started exploring.

Otaru is a port city known for its beer, canal, traditional merchant street, museums, distillery and music boxes. It is one of the most visited places in Hokkaido due to its proximity to Sapporo and ease of getting to.

How to get to Otaru from Sapporo

There are numerous trains that go from Sapporo station to Otaru station every hour and the ride takes about 46 minutes.

We took the JR Hakodate line at 7:05am from Sapporo station and got to Otaru Station at 7:51am.

Sankaku Market

Sankaku Market is a seafood market only a few minutes walk from the Otaru station, so of course this was our first stop in Otaru.

The market used to be outdoors but now it’s all indoors, with most stalls selling seafood and a couple of restaurants. If you want fresh seafood for breakfast then be sure to grab something here like what we did.

But personally after seeing seafood markets almost everyday during our one week in Hokkaido, I wasn’t too impressed with this market in particular.

Canal Street

Walking east towards the water you will finally arrive at the famous Otaru Canal, an actual canal that was built in 1923 and was used to transport goods to the warehouses on its shore using small boats.

Nowadays, all the warehouses have been converted to shops, museums, and restaurants and the canal has become one of the most popular tourist attractions in Otaru. The walk along the canal is not too long, but you will probably be spending more time exploring the different museums and stores.

If you are coming from the Otaru train station, then you are kind of in the “middle” of the canal. I would recommend walking north then coming down south if you want to explore the whole thing. Or you can just walk south like what we did if you are short on time.

Since we visited in the summer, we didn’t witness the famous Otaru Snow Light Path. If you do visit in the winter, at night you will see the path near the canal all lit up, making it a super pretty and magical experience.

Denuki Koji

Denuki Koji is a building complex made up of various small alleyways and stores/ food stalls. We didn’t visit during lunch hours but if you do, you can certainly eat here but I heard prices are definitely higher.

The main draw for me was the narrow alleyways, the traditional decor, and the free observation deck which has a nice view of the canal from above. In addition, there is a famous statue in the middle of it called “Udatsu Kozo”, so be sure to grab a photo of it.

Sakaimachi Hondori Street

As you continue to walk south along the canal, you will eventually come to a shopping area after the canal ends.

Sakaimachi Hondori is a popular shopping street in Otaru known for its western style buildings along with the numerous restaurants, shops, and museums. You can spend a couple of hours just walking down this street, grabbing food, shopping and going into the museums.

After walking around a bit, we decided to check out LeTao, a super popular (and touristy) pastry shop in Hokkaido. The cafe is on the second floor and there are a variety of cakes and drinks on the menu.

Another place we had a quick lunch at was 小樽海鮮あか・あお・きいろ, a seafood restaurant known for its super fresh seafood bowls. Prices were reasonable and they also have fried chicken and beef bowl.

Museum of Venetian Art & Music Box Museum

While we were in Sakaimachi, we checked out another couple of popular museums.

The Museum of Venetian Art is a multi-story museum that showcases Venetian style culture. The exhibitions include a gondola that was ridden by Princess Diana, different rooms with Venetian style decorations and furniture and Venetian glass.

No photos are allowed inside the museum which is why you won’t find any online.

Another museum we stopped by was the Music Box Museum, the largest music box museum/ store in the world. There are 3 stories in the main building and there are also side buildings with antique music boxes and exhibits that you can check out. There is also a handicraft studio that you can literally go and make the most unique music box yourself.

I had never seen so many different types of music boxes and the designs were mind blowing.

As we were exploring Sakaimachi Hondori, we accidentally came across Shussemae Hiroba, a beautiful street with colorful Japanese umbrellas hanging overhead.

Other things to do in Otaru

Since we had to catch a train from Otaru to Aomori before 2pm, we had to go back to the station for our 6 hour ride down to Aomori. But if you have more time in Otaru, here are a few things I would highly suggest:

• Art Base: A complex with 4 different museums, including the Stained Glass museum, Nitori Museum of Art, House of Western Art and Former Mitsui Bank Otaru Branch.

• Otaru Tenguyama Ropeway: a 5 minute gondola ride to the top of Mt. Tengu for a sweeping view of Otaru and the bay.

• Herring Mansion: a mansion that was the home of successful fisherman now converted to a public museum showcasing the fishing equipment and photos from before. The museum also has an amazing view

• Nikka Whisky Yoichi Distillery: famous distillery in Otaru that offers tours and also whisky tasting

Other things you can do in Hokkaido in the summer if you have more time

Our Hokkaido itinerary mostly centered around the Hakodate and Sapporo area, but Hokkaido is way more than that. There is a lot of amazing nature throughout the huge island, so if you are a nature person, you may want to spend more time in the national parks rather than in the cities like we did.

If I were to visit Hokkaido in the summer again, I would consider renting a car to have more flexibility and do an even more in-depth exploration of the island. But based on my research, here are some of the things to consider if you like nature (or have more time) in Hokkaido:

• Shikotsu Toya National Park: a popular national park very close to Sapporo. It is known for its two beautiful lakes: Lake Toya and Lake Shikotsu. Within the national park, there is also Niseko (famous for winter ski resorts), Mount Yotei (a famous volcano) and hot spring onsen towns. A friend of mine stayed near Lake Toya and the view was incredible.

• Asahikawa area: As mentioned before, Asahikawa area is in the middle of Hokkaido and it is a great base to explore the surrounding area, which includes the lavender farms, Asahiyama Zoo, winery, Shirogane Blue Pond, Ginga Waterfall, and Daisetsuzan National Park, Hokkaido’s largest national park. There are a lot of onsen towns in this area as well, so you can enjoy your days hiking and relaxing in hot springs.

• Unkai Terrace: Everyone visits Unkai Terrace (via cable car) to see the natural phenomenon of cloud sea at sunrise in the summer. Although a long wait for the cable car at ungodly hours, if you are lucky enough to catch the view then it’s all worth it!

• Higashimokoto Shibazakura Park: Located all the way in northern Hokkaido, this park is famed for its pink flower fields in the spring (in mid-May). Besides flowers, there are also other activities such as go kart, fishing, etc.

• Akan-Mashu National Park: Another beautiful national park in eastern Hokkaido, famed for its 3 lakes, volcano, onsens, and hiking.

Is one week enough for Hokkaido?

No, I don’t think one week is enough to explore Hokkaido! The more I read about Hokkaido, the more I realize how much there is to see and do there in the summer.

Of course if you are not a nature person and only want to get a taste of Hokkaido, I think one week is a good amount of time, as you can see some cities and some nature scenery.

But if you are big on nature, then I would recommend spending 10 days to 2 weeks in Hokkaido to cover some of the national parks I mentioned above while also seeing the major cities in Hokkaido.

Best Japan Travel Booking Sites

If you found this Japan 10 day itinerary useful, please take a look at some of the best sites for booking hotels, tours and other activities in Japan.

Some of these sites have affiliate links where we make a small fee when you book something (at absolutely no cost to you). Thank you for your support to allow me to continue to provide high quality and useful travel information to readers like yourself.

Best hotel booking sites for Japan: Agoda or Booking <- can print out confirmation in multiple languages
Best eSim for Japan. If you are from the US and have T-mobile, you can use free international roaming and won’t need an eSim or Sim card for Japan.
Best tour booking site for Japan. I recommend booking on Klook because many times the official Japanese websites for attractions won’t take your credit card (I know because we tried).
Best food review site for Japan: anything above a 3 is good! This is way more accurate than Google Maps reviews
Best Apps to check Japan train and bus schedules and routes: Google Maps, Japan Transit Planner or Japan Travel
Best no-fee ATM card for Japan: Charles Schwab, Wise, Revolut
Best travel insurance for Japan: this or this

World Nomads provides travel insurance for travellers in over 100 countries. As an affiliate, we receive a fee when you get a quote from World Nomads using this link. We do not represent World Nomads. This is information only and not a recommendation to buy travel insurance.

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Other Japan Travel Guides From Me

To help you plan your first trip to Japan, be sure to check out other resources below:

• Tokyo Mario Kart
• 10 day Japan itinerary
• 2 Days in Tokyo for First Time Visitors
• How many days in Tokyo: Complete Tokyo Itinerary for 2 – 7 days
• Tokyo to Kamakura Day Trip Guide
• Best Tokyo Attraction Pass to Save Money
• 30 Unique Things to do in Tokyo
• 2 Day Kyoto itinerary
• Best Hotel near Mt. Fuji
• One Day Osaka Itinerary
• Arashiyama Travel Guide
• How to get to the Kyoto Bamboo Forest
• Osaka to Miyajima and Hiroshima Day Trip Guide
• Yamadera (Rissyaku-ji) day trip guide

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