Hokkaido in May

[proton91]

Hi all, will be travelling to Hokkaido in May (May 11 - May 22).

This is a honeymoon trip and wife will also be 15 weeks pregnant then - hence want to take it easy. Will also be renting a car for the trip.

1) My high level itinerary is as below - would appreciate some feedback on whether I have spaced the destinations properly. Specifically, am I spending too many days in Hakodate and Sapporo? Are there other places I can explore (e.g. the Eastern side)?

2) Car rental - does it make sense to pick the car up at Chitose Airport and return it at Sapporo? If I want to pick up and drop the car at the airport, how can I plan this trip better to justify using the car for the entire trip? Since wife is pregnant, I am also thinking of lessening walking / public transport as much as possible.

11-May Toya (Landing at 830am and driving to Toya straight)

12-May Hakodate

13-May Hakodate

14-May Hakodate

15-May Niseko

16-May Asahikawa

17-May Asahikawa

18-May Biei / Furano

19-May Sapporo

20-May Sapporo

21-May Sapporo

22-May 10:30 am departure flight

 

[purpleberry]

Hakodate for 3 days is a bit overkill unless you find something interesting to fill up. Most probably I will be skipping it for my trip.

 

[thwysg]

Hmm two nights in Hakodate is good enough and why two nights in Asahikawa? Niseko in May? Are you heading there to do outdoor activities? You can actually increase the number of days in Sapporo. More things to walk, see and relax.

But it’s so close to your travel dates, wouldn’t your lodging already been settled?

 

[saffronsatire]

Not sure your exact itinerary but two nights in asahikawa quite boring. It's not a very lively place. Previous trip, first night i only reached late afternoon. The streets were quite dead, most ppl were at aeon mall.

Not sure what time sun sets but you might want to reach around dinner, if you're not going to the zoo or what. Then next day go furano and biei. By second night, i was quite bored, took a train to the ramen village area to eat gyu kaku.

 

[proton91]

Not sure your exact itinerary but two nights in asahikawa quite boring. It's not a very lively place. Previous trip, first night i only reached late afternoon. The streets were quite dead, most ppl were at aeon mall.

Not sure what time sun sets but you might want to reach around dinner, if you're not going to the zoo or what. Then next day go furano and biei. By second night, i was quite bored, took a train to the ramen village area to eat gyu kaku.

I guess I will reduce Asahikawa to 1 night then. Did you stay a night in Furano / Biei as well?

 

[sbl2560]

Hi all, will be travelling to Hokkaido in May (May 11 - May 22).

This is a honeymoon trip and wife will also be 15 weeks pregnant then - hence want to take it easy. Will also be renting a car for the trip.

1) My high level itinerary is as below - would appreciate some feedback on whether I have spaced the destinations properly. Specifically, am I spending too many days in Hakodate and Sapporo? Are there other places I can explore (e.g. the Eastern side)?

2) Car rental - does it make sense to pick the car up at Chitose Airport and return it at Sapporo? If I want to pick up and drop the car at the airport, how can I plan this trip better to justify using the car for the entire trip? Since wife is pregnant, I am also thinking of lessening walking / public transport as much as possible.

11-May Toya (Landing at 830am and driving to Toya straight)

12-May Hakodate

13-May Hakodate

14-May Hakodate

15-May Niseko

16-May Asahikawa

17-May Asahikawa

18-May Biei / Furano

19-May Sapporo

20-May Sapporo

21-May Sapporo

22-May 10:30 am departure flight

Coastal drive from Hakodate to Matsumae is scenic. Still possible to catch some late blooming Sakura at Matsumae. Check the day to day report in May for Sakura.

 

[saffronsatire]

I guess I will reduce Asahikawa to 1 night then. Did you stay a night in Furano / Biei as well?

I didn't stay overnight in furano / biei. 2nd night was also at jr inn asahikawa.

 

[oceanicmanta]

@proton ... my trip report for one of my May Hokkaido trip is here :

https://forums.hardwarezone.com.sg/japan-271/trip-report-hokkaido-22-31-may-2017-a-5726485.html

hope this can be of some use ...

Personally, I feel East Hokkaido has a lot more to offer. I have not been to Hakodate though.

Niseko and the area around Mt Yotei is quite nice / picturesque, even in May.

I think your dates may be too early for Shibazakura flowers, but can still check the dates.

 

[proton91]

@proton ... my trip report for one of my May Hokkaido trip is here :

https://forums.hardwarezone.com.sg/japan-271/trip-report-hokkaido-22-31-may-2017-a-5726485.html

hope this can be of some use ...

Personally, I feel East Hokkaido has a lot more to offer. I have not been to Hakodate though.

Niseko and the area around Mt Yotei is quite nice / picturesque, even in May.

I think your dates may be too early for Shibazakura flowers, but can still check the dates.

I am trying to see how I can fit in Eastern Hokkaido. Seems like the period I am visiting - Furano / Biei might not be ideal. However, I read that Kamiyubetsu Tulip Park / Takinoue Park / Higashimokotoshibazakura Park will be better, so trying to fit this in.

Based on feedback from everyone, I am trying to tweak the high-level itinerary:

Option 1:
11-May Hakodate
12-May Hakodate
13-May Toya
14-May Noboribetsu
15-May Obihiro (worth it to stay a night here to break the travelling to the next destination? If not, what is a good place for the 1 night break)
16-May Abashiri / Kitami
17-May Asahikawa
18-May Sounkyo
19-May Sapporo
20-May Sapporo (day trip to Otaru)
21-May Sapporo
22-May Departure

Option 2:
11-May Hakodate
12-May Hakodate
13-May Toya
14-May Noboribetsu
15-May Obihiro
16-May Abashiri / Kitami
17-May Abashiri / Kitami
18-May Asahikawa
19-May Sapporo
20-May Sapporo
21-May Sapporo
22-May Departure


Thinking of spending one night each in Toya (13 May) and Noboribetsu (14 May) for the onsens, but am ok if just 1 night in either place, if it can free up the itinerary for the remaining days.

From 13 / 14-May on, is the current plan to reach the Eastern areas doable??

Would appreciate any advices!

 

[thwysg]

I am trying to see how I can fit in Eastern Hokkaido. Seems like the period I am visiting - Furano / Biei might not be ideal. However, I read that Kamiyubetsu Tulip Park / Takinoue Park / Higashimokotoshibazakura Park will be better, so trying to fit this in.

Based on feedback from everyone, I am trying to tweak the high-level itinerary:

Option 1:
11-May Hakodate
12-May Hakodate
13-May Toya
14-May Noboribetsu
15-May Obihiro (worth it to stay a night here to break the travelling to the next destination? If not, what is a good place for the 1 night break)
16-May Abashiri / Kitami
17-May Asahikawa
18-May Sounkyo
19-May Sapporo
20-May Sapporo (day trip to Otaru)
21-May Sapporo
22-May Departure

Option 2:
11-May Hakodate
12-May Hakodate
13-May Toya
14-May Noboribetsu
15-May Obihiro
16-May Abashiri / Kitami
17-May Abashiri / Kitami
18-May Asahikawa
19-May Sapporo
20-May Sapporo
21-May Sapporo
22-May Departure


Thinking of spending one night each in Toya (13 May) and Noboribetsu (14 May) for the onsens, but am ok if just 1 night in either place, if it can free up the itinerary for the remaining days.

From 13 / 14-May on, is the current plan to reach the Eastern areas doable??

Would appreciate any advices!

I hope you do know that your wife is not suitable for hotsprings due to the high temperatures of the water.
http://www.ludiwenquan.com/article_503.html

Asahikawa is more interesting during the snow festival, other than that it’s a quiet town, minus the different ramen stalls and Asahikawa Zoo.

Noboribetsu to Obihiro? That’s a long drive.

 

[wongkc]

U do know that pregnant women is best advised to avoid raw seafood right?

gonna exercise a lot of self restrain during the trip if ur wife is a sashimi lover...

 

[James Tang]

Beginning of second trimester eh? Not suitable for onsen and avoid eating too much of raw fish (best avoid)

Your option 1 looks better to me cause no matter what, Otaru looks beautiful any seasons....

For your Toya day, you can walk along the lake, or drive to Usu-san/Showa shinsan (live volcano with steam coming out)... and take ropeway up... fantastic view from there.... (since can't really enjoy onsen)

 

[swordspirit]

if u haven buy the air ticket. Can consider fly in to hakodate instead and fly out from chitose..

 

[proton91]

Thanks guys! Certainly will be mindful of the onsen and raw food.