Summary
- Start
New Chitose Airport or Sapporo Station - Finish
New Chitose Airport or Sapporo Station - Mileage
Total 400km
100km per day - Travel Pace
Relaxing - Onsen Stay
Max. 2nights - Recommended Seasons
Dec,Jan,Feb,Mar,Apr
This itinerary takes 4 days to circle south and central Hokkaido.
Due to short daily mileage and by staying consecutive nights in 1 city, you can travel at a relaxing pace.
In winter, the sun sets by 4-5 pm, so arrive at your inn before dark!
If you want to stay in Sapporo after the road trip, you can return the car not to the airport but to Sapporo. Walking and the subway are more convenient for sightseeing in Sapporo.
Chitose Airport/Sapporo – Niseko/Lake Toya(Sample)
Start: New Chitose Airport or Sapporo(新千歳空港or札幌)
Finish: Niseko or Lake Toya (ニセコ/洞爺湖)
Mileage:
To Lake Toya: 160km
To Niseko: 205km
Travel Pace: Fast
On this day, you will head to Lake Toya from New Chitose Airport via Noboribetsu.
1
Rental car branch at New Chitose Airport or Sapporo
Parking MAPCODE:
9:00
New Chitose Airport is the gateway to Hokkaido. First of all, please complete the reception procedure at the rental car counter at the airport. It takes about 15 minutes by free shuttle bus to the rental car company branch.
The mileage is about 160-205km. There is the Hokkaido Expressway(E5) along the route, so it is recommended to use the expressway if the GPS guide it. If you depart in the afternoon, please consider skipping some spots.
60 min
2
National AINU museum and park UPOPOY
Parking MAPCODE:
545 194 763What is MAPCODE?
10:00
The first destination is [National AINU museum and park UPOPOY]. At UPOPOY, which opened in 2020, you can learn about the unique culture of the Ainu, the indigenous people of Hokkaido. There are also performances of unique musical instruments and dances, so don’t miss it.
45 min
3
Jigokudani(Hell Valley)
Parking MAPCODE:
603 287 235What is MAPCODE?
11:45
After leaving Upopoi, head to [Noboribetsu Jigokudani]. You can enjoy short walking and see the desolate sight of sulfur vapors.
There is a restaurant on the way where you can grill Hokkaido seafood with charcoal, so it is ideal for lunch. Please refer driving map.
60 min
4
Cape Chikyu
Parking MAPCODE:
159 195 015What is MAPCODE?
13:45
If you have time, stop by [Cape Chikyu].
It is an observatory where you can feel that the earth is a sphere because the horizon draws a slight arc.
60 min
5
Mt.Usu Ropeway & Showashinzan Bear Farm
Parking MAPCODE:
321 433 439What is MAPCODE?
15:45
Please drop in at [Mt. Usu Ropeway & Showashinzan Bear Farm], which is right next to Lake Toya, where you will stay for the day.
From Mt.Usu Ropeway, you can enjoy a magnificent view of Showashinzan which was suddenly made in 1944, Lake Toya, and the Pacific Ocean.
Also, there is Showashinzan Bear Ranch in the same place, so if you have children, nice visit it as well.
10 min
6
Inn in Lake Toya
Parking MAPCODE:
Please head to the hotel you reserved.What is MAPCODE?
17:30
There are 3 recommended area for this day. If you would like to stay snow resort for ski and snow activities, either Niseko or Rusutsu is recommended. If you don’t plan to do skiing, Lake Toya is recommended. Please refer below “Where to stay” part.
The driving map will show additional 10-20 spots for the day! You will travel only to your favorite spots.
Check pin color and MAPCODE usage.
On this day, you will stay at Lake Toya(洞爺湖). Many Onsen Ryokans are concentrated from the south to the west side of the lake.
- Inn Type
Most of these inns are 3 to 5-star Japanese-style Ryokans with Onsen facilities. - Parking
Most inns will offer free parking. - Onsen
This town is famous for Onsen and most of the inns have one. You can enjoy an open-air Onsen with a lake view. - Meal Plan Reservations
There are few restaurants in this area, so be sure to make a reservation with a plan that includes dinner and breakfast.
Niseko/Lake Toya – Niseko/Lake Toya 🔒
Start:Niseko or Lake Toya (ニセコ/洞爺湖)
Finish:Niseko or Lake Toya (ニセコ/洞爺湖)
Mileage:
From Lake Toya: 100km
From Niseko or Rusutsu Ski Resort: 0km
Travel Pace: Relaxed
On this day, you will stay in Niseko or Lake Toya for the second consecutive night.
1
Inn in Lake Toya/Niseko
Parking MAPCODE:
10:00
If you are staying at Lake Toya on this day, the mileage is 100km. If you are staying at Niseko or Rusutsu Ski Resort, you don’t need to drive.
60min
2
Niseko or Rusutsu Ski Resort
Parking MAPCODE:
11:00
Please enjoy winter sports in [Niseko or Rusutsu Ski Resort] on this day. In Niseko or Rusutsu, you can enjoy a wide range of activities such as skiing, snowboarding, snowmobiling, snowshoeing, snow rafting, horseback riding, and smelt fishing.
(Reference site)
Niseko
Rusutsu
60min
3
Inn in Lake Toya
Parking MAPCODE:
Please head to the hotel you reserved.What is MAPCODE?
16:00
Spend your second night at Lake Toya relaxing while enjoying the hot springs.
The driving map will show additional 10-20 spots for the day! You will travel only to your favorite spots.
Check pin color and MAPCODE usage.
On this day, you will stay at Lake Toya(洞爺湖). Many Onsen Ryokans are concentrated from the south to the west side of the lake.
- Inn Type
Most of these inns are 3 to 5-star Japanese-style Ryokans with Onsen facilities. - Parking
Most inns will offer free parking. - Onsen
This town is famous for onsens and most of the inns have one. You can enjoy an open-air onsen with a lake view. - Meal Plan Reservations
There are few restaurants in this area, so be sure to make a reservation with a plan that includes dinner and breakfast.
Niseko/Lake Toya – Otaru 🔒
Start: Niseko or Lake Toya (ニセコ/洞爺湖)
Finish: Otaru (小樽)
Mileage:130km
Travel Pace: Normal
On this day, you will head from Niseko or Lake Toya to Canal town Otaru.
1
Inn in Lake Toya
Parking MAPCODE:
9:00
The mileage of this day is normal about 130km. But we recommend to leave the hotel at 9:00.
10 min
2
Mt.Usu Ropeway & Showashinzan Bear Farm
Parking MAPCODE:
🔒Book rental car or hotelWhat is MAPCODE?
9:10
If you haven’t visited, please visit [Mt. Usu Ropeway & Showashinzan Bear Farm]. After that, you will head north toward Niseko while looking at the magnificent view of Mt. Yotei.
There are observatories overlooking Lake Toya and a delicious ice cream shop along the way, so stop by and proceed.
90 min
3
Fukidashi Spring Water Park
Parking MAPCODE:
🔒Book rental car or hotelWhat is MAPCODE?
12:30
Next you will head to [Fukidashi Spring Water Park] with the famous water that springs from Mount Yotei. A tremendous amount of water is springing out, and you can put water in your bottle and take it the hotel if you like.
90 min
4
Nikka Whisky Yoichi Distillery
Parking MAPCODE:
🔒Book rental car or hotelWhat is MAPCODE?
15:00
The final destination of the day is “Nikka Whiskey Yoichi Distillery”. You can tour the historic distillery of Japan’s leading whiskey brand.
40 min
5
Inn in Otaru
Parking MAPCODE:
Please head to the hotel you reserved.What is MAPCODE?
16:40
Otaru is your accommodation on this day, but most shops on Sakaimachihondori, which is the main street, close around 17:00, so you will take a walk here the next day. Instead, enjoy a stroll and Otaru sushi dinner with a spectacular night view of the canal.
The driving map will show additional 10-20 spots for the day! You will travel only to your favorite spots.
Check pin color and MAPCODE usage.
On this day, you will stay in Otaru city(小樽) which is famous for its canal and Sushi. Many inns are concentrated between Otaru Station and the canal. It is more convenient for sightseeing to stay as close to “Sakaimachi hondori street” as possible.
- Inn Type
Most of these inns are 3 to 4-star western-style hotels. - Parking
Most inns have official parking, but the parking lot fee will be charged separately in addition to the accommodation fee. - Onsen
There is no Onsen in this town and no inns have Onsens. - Meal Plan Reservations
There are many restaurants in and around the hotel for dinner, so please make reservations according to your preference.
Otaru – Sapporo or Chitose🔒
Start: Otaru (小樽)
Finish: Sapporo or Chitose Airport (札幌or千歳)
Mileage:
To Sapporo: 70km
To Chitose Arirpot: 110km
Travel Pace:Relaxing
On this day, you will back from Otaru to New Chitose Airport or Sapporo.
1
Inn in Otaru
Parking MAPCODE:
9:00
The mileage is about 70km to Sapporo and you can travel at a relaxing pace.
If you plan to fly from New Chitose Airport on this day, please see the end of the article.
5 min
2
Otaru City
Parking MAPCODE:
🔒Book rental car or hotelWhat is MAPCODE?
9:05
First of all, please take a walk on Sakaimachihondori(境町本通り), which is the main street of [Otaru]. There are many attractions such as various sweets shops and the main building of Otaru Music Box Museum.
It is also recommended to eat famous Sushi for lunch.
10 min
3
Otaru Kihinkan Aoyama Bettei
Parking MAPCODE:
🔒Book rental car or hotelWhat is MAPCODE?
11:15
We also recommend [Otaru Kihinkan Aoyama Bettei], which is about 5km north of the town of Otaru. You can see how prosperous the town of Otaru was with herring fishing.
35 min
4
Ishiya Chocolate factory(Shiroi Koibito Park)
Parking MAPCODE:
🔒Book rental car or hotelWhat is MAPCODE?
13:20
After that, take the expressway(E5A) to Sapporo. Just before Sapporo, there is [Ishiya Chocolate Factory (Shiroi Koibito Park)], which is the most popular chocolate museum and factory in Hokkaido. [Sapporo market outside market] is where you can buy various seafood, fruits, and souvenirs, so nice to stop by. You also can eat seafood there too.
35 min
5
Sapporo Beer Museum
Parking MAPCODE:
🔒Book rental car or hotelWhat is MAPCODE?
15:00
If you have time, please stop by the Sapporo Beer Museum. This is the only beer museum in Japan, where you can experience the history of Hokkaido’s development and the thoughts of their predecessors who poured their passion into brewing Japanese beer.
35 min
6
Rental car branch at Sapporo or New Chitose Airport
Parking MAPCODE:
Please refer driving mapWhat is MAPCODE?
16:20
This concludes your Hokkaido road trip.
①Returning a car in Sapporo
When you return to Sapporo, refuel and then return the car to the car rental branch. Use the MAPCODE on the driving map for the nearest rental car stores and gas stations near Sapporo Station.
Sapporo offers a wide variety of culinary delights! For dinner, try Sapporo Miso ramen, Soup curry, Crab and Sushi.
②Returning a car at New Chitose Airport
When heading to New Chitose Airport, the distance from Sapporo is about 60 km, about 1 hour. Make sure you arrive at the car rental company branch 3 hours before your flight. You need to take the shuttle bus from the company branch to the airport. In addition, shopping area in New Chitose Airport is the best in Japan. There are restaurants where you can enjoy all kinds of Hokkaido gourmet food and countless souvenir shops, so the waiting time for your flight feels short.
The driving map will show additional 10-20 spots for the day! You will travel only to your favorite spots.
Check pin color and MAPCODE usage.
On this day, you will stay in either Sapporo city, the capital of Hokkaido or Chitose town near the “New Chitose Airport”. Please choose the following options depending on your travel schedule.
①Staying in Sapporo
Sapporo is the largest city in Hokkaido and there are hundreds of accommodations from Sapporo Station to the Susukino area, the entertainment district. It is convenient to stay either on the south side of Sapporo Station or around “Odori Park”.
- Inn Type
Most of these inns are 3 to 5-star western-style hotels. - Parking
Most inns have official parking, but the parking lot fee will be charged separately in addition to the accommodation fee. - Onsen
There is no Onsen in this town and no inns have Onsens. - Meal Plan Reservations
Because there are more than 9,000 restaurants in Sapporo, it is recommended to make reservations with a breakfast-only plan.
②Returning to New Chitose Airport
If your flight is a morning flight, staying near Chitose Airport is a good idea. There is some hotel in and around the airport.
Once you return the car, rental car company bring you to the airport by free shuttle bus.
- Inn Type
Most of these inns are 2 to 4-star western-style hotels. - Parking
It is better to return your car first and take public transportation or a shuttle bus to these hotels. - Onsen
There is no Onsen in this town and no inns have Onsens. - Meal Plan Reservations
Since there are many restaurants in the airport and around Chitose Station where you can have dinner, it is recommended to book breakfast only or stay overnight.
Unlock MAPCODE & Maps
We provide “Travel Kit” to make your journey much more attractive.
- Get “Hidden Gems” info along this itinerary
- Maximize travel time by parking MAPCODE for all spots
- Discover local delicacies with Restaurants List
Car Booking
Rental Car Booking
Please rent a car with below “Rentalcars.com” link.
- The abundant number of rental cars
- Price comparisons with several major car rental companies
- Free cancellation
Pick-up & Drop-off Location Guide
- New Chitose Airport
The main international airport in Hokkaido. Recommended for Pick-up.
If you arrive after 14:00, consider staying overnight around the airport or in Sapporo and departing the next morning.
It takes 1 hour to Sapporo station by train. - Sapporo City
The capital and biggest city in Hokkaido. Most car rental shops are located around Sapporo Station.
Important reminder for renting a car
- GPS(Car Navigation System)
MAPCODE from Drive Japan navigates you precisely to the parking lot. GPS from major car rental companies(Nippon, ORIX, Nissan, Times) are always MAPCODE compatible. However, if you are renting a car from another company, we recommend that you check with the rental company after making a reservation, just to be sure. - One-way Rental
You can rent at New Chitose Airport and return at Sapporo Station, and vice versa. Normally, the one-way charge is about JPY2000 only. - Child Seat
In Japan, the use of a child safety seat or baby seat is mandatory for children under 5 years old.
Be sure to request one from “Extras”. - Snow Tire
If you travel from the beginning of November to the end of April, you must book a car with snow tires. It should be installed without requests from rental car companies in Hokkaido, but if you are concerned, you can double-check with them after making a reservation.