FIRST time in Hokkaido

[Viper0402]

From 4 Dec to 11 Dec 2023
Hotels booked in Hokkaido as follows:
Sapporo 4N stay
Otaru 2N stay
Hakodate 1N stay

Japan itinerary is Tokyo 3N stay to Sendai 4N stay to Hokkaido 7N stay to Tokyo Shinagawa 1N stay
Flight landed in Narita, departs Haneda

Read many good recommendations on Hokkaido in this forum... but still wondering if anymore further advices for first-timer like me

 

[concreteman]

are you only going hakodate for 1 day ?

as sapporo to hakodate is a few hours and you might not have enough time to see the sights

 

[Sauron]

Sapporo 4N may be too much if you are just staying in city centre.

Maybe you want to share the places you plan to visit for better advice

 

[Viper0402]

are you only going hakodate for 1 day ?

as sapporo to hakodate is a few hours and you might not have enough time to see the sights

Will be on Shinkansen using 14-days JR Pass for this trip.
Hakodate is more like a stopover for taking Shinkansen back to Tokyo Shinagawa 1N stay for flight back to Singapore from Haneda.
Thus I plan many day trips from Sapporo to other areas around Hokkaido

 

[Viper0402]

Sapporo 4N may be too much if you are just staying in city centre.

Maybe you want to share the places you plan to visit for better advice

Planning many day trips from Sapporo... still have not finalise where exactly though have many in mind.

 

[Sauron]

Planning many day trips from Sapporo... still have not finalise where exactly though have many in mind.

Just be aware of the traveling distance and time to and fro sapporo for your day trips.

I am going in summer, also 1st time, spending 3N Sapporo and the rest of the days be moving from places to places by car

 

[naz1983]

why not make sapporo just for entry and exit for hokkaido.

there is so much nature to enjoy while sapporo is just another town even though there might be the light show and of course christmas festival at odori park

i can see that you are considering only southern part of hokkaido. might consider spending a day at noboribetsu for a hike and onsen while along the way to hakodate.

expect heavy snowfall around the period when you are there. i was there in late october and the snowfall was already building up. that might also affect your travel plans.

 

[Viper0402]

why not make sapporo just for entry and exit for hokkaido.

there is so much nature to enjoy while sapporo is just another town even though there might be the light show and of course christmas festival at odori park

i can see that you are considering only southern part of hokkaido. might consider spending a day at noboribetsu for a hike and onsen while along the way to hakodate.

expect heavy snowfall around the period when you are there. i was there in late october and the snowfall was already building up. that might also affect your travel plans.

Duly noted on Noboribetsu... thank you

 

[shadow84]

Will it snow in mid Oct in sapporo, furano, noboribetsu, toya, jozankei?

 

[Hisashiburi]

Will it snow in mid Oct in sapporo, furano, noboribetsu, toya, jozankei?

I think a bit early for snow

 

[shadow84]

I think a bit early for snow

Coz naz1983 mentioned it snowed when he was there in Oct. Hope it wun for my trip. lol

 

[RockStar9238]

From 4 Dec to 11 Dec 2023
Hotels booked in Hokkaido as follows:
Sapporo 4N stay
Otaru 2N stay
Hakodate 1N stay

Japan itinerary is Tokyo 3N stay to Sendai 4N stay to Hokkaido 7N stay to Tokyo Shinagawa 1N stay
Flight landed in Narita, departs Haneda

Read many good recommendations on Hokkaido in this forum... but still wondering if anymore further advices for first-timer like me

I also planning to go Hokkaido. May I check with u whether u drive there.? Of take their tranport

 

[Viper0402]

I also planning to go Hokkaido. May I check with u whether u drive there.? Of take their tranport

14-Days JR Pass
Public transport in Japan can get you almost anywhere, no worries

 

[RockStar9238]

14-Days JR Pass
Public transport in Japan can get you almost anywhere, no worries

Can i say that any days in Dec can see snowing?
What are the places that I should visit and how many then enough? Not intend to do skiing. But winter time anything to see?

 

[WoShiPro]

Can i say that any days in Dec can see snowing?
What are the places that I should visit and how many then enough? Not intend to do skiing. But winter time anything to see?

Should start snowing in early dec.

I will be going Hokkaido but in early march. Wanted to ski but was told not worth for me to try/learn if I only can schedule 1 day to learn as it take at least 2-3 days to learn..

I will be trying snowmobile instead.

4 days in sapporo with day trip to Otaru and Asahiyama. 2 days in hokadate and 1 day Noboribetsu onsen

 

[RockStar9238]

Should start snowing in early dec.

I will be going Hokkaido but in early march. Wanted to ski but was told not worth for me to try/learn if I only can schedule 1 day to learn as it take at least 2-3 days to learn..

I will be trying snowmobile instead.

4 days in sapporo with day trip to Otaru and Asahiyama. 2 days in hokadate and 1 day Noboribetsu onsen

Did you get private chartered?

 

[evilerniex]

14-Days JR Pass
Public transport in Japan can get you almost anywhere, no worries

actually a lot of places in hokkaido are hard to get to using public transport. need to change bus, and timing very infrequent. best to rent a car to explore hokkaido

 

[evilerniex]

btw, JR pass price increased to 80k yen for 14-day pass.
do calculate whether the trips u are taking is worth the 80k yen. coz tokyo to sapporo and back is about 52k yen. will need quite a few side trips to break even.

 

[Viper0402]

btw, JR pass price increased to 80k yen for 14-day pass.
do calculate whether the trips u are taking is worth the 80k yen. coz tokyo to sapporo and back is about 52k yen. will need quite a few side trips to break even.

Ypu're referring to the price increase in October? I'm buying in September.
Look at my itinerary again..
Anyway here's the complete one:

1) Tokyo -
Shinjuku 3N stay to Tokyo DisneySea on 29Nov, Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route 28Nov morning, and other Day trips (been to most parts of Tokyo back in 2015)

2) Sendai -
Sakunami Onsen 1N stay (mountain retreat, all meals inclusive)
Sendai city 3N stay and other Day trips. Go to Matsushima Bay

3) Hokkaido -
Sapporo 4N stay and other Day trips - 4Dec to 8Dec
Otaru 2N stay - 8Dec to 10Dec
Hakodate 1N stay - 10Dec to 11Dec

4) Tokyo final night stay in Shinagawa... flight back to Singapore from Haneda

 

[fr33d0m]

I did not find Otaru worth 2 nights. Maybe one more night at Hakodate