Need help for Hokkaido

[brightzstarz]

Hi all,

I'll planning to do a 8-9 days self-drive trip to Hokkaido with my siblings and parents this coming October. Main aim is to admire the autumn foliage, go onsen, eat and do some shopping.

It'll be our first trip there so am wondering which are the must-see places? Also, any suggestions as to which places to go for the autumn foliage? Is Hakodate worth going? I've not booked the air tickets yet so i'm not sure if it'll be easier to do a round trip (fly to and from Sapporo) or will it make more sense to fly into another airport (eg Hakodate), drive up and leave from Sapporo?

Thanks!

 

[Entropy]

for starters...
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2014.html#hokkaido

 

[wongkc]

Hi all,

I'll planning to do a 8-9 days self-drive trip to Hokkaido with my siblings and parents this coming October. Main aim is to admire the autumn foliage, go onsen, eat and do some shopping.

It'll be our first trip there so am wondering which are the must-see places? Also, any suggestions as to which places to go for the autumn foliage? Is Hakodate worth going? I've not booked the air tickets yet so i'm not sure if it'll be easier to do a round trip (fly to and from Sapporo) or will it make more sense to fly into another airport (eg Hakodate), drive up and leave from Sapporo?

Thanks!

round trip if u want to stay around sapporo and travel back and fro... not my preference...

prefer fly in and out from different airports so that i dun back tracked and waste travelling time...

u can fly into hakodate then fly off from chitose... along the way u can get all those things u wanna do...

eat seafood at hakodate morning market...
onsen ard lake toya or noboribetsu
shopping at sapporo...

travel along this route should be ok for 7-8 days trip...

 

[brightzstarz]

Thanks Entropy and wongkc for your replies.

I've done some research and have come up with a rough itinerary.
Appreciate any comments/suggestions! eg where else to visit
Thanks!

Day 1 Fly into Hakodate
Motomachi
Mt Hakodate Night Viewing
Overnight Hakodate
Do i need to rent a car to travel around Hakodate? But i guess it may be easier collecting the car after arriving at the airport so that i can travel straight to Noboribetsu on day 2?

Day 2 Hakodate - Noboribetsu
Hakodate morning market – breakfast
Drive to Noboribetsu
Jigokudani
Overnight Noboribetsu

Day 3 Noboribetsu – Otaru
Lake Toya
Jozankei/Houheikyo Dam
Yoichi (if staying overnight at Otaru)
Which is a better location for staying overnight? Otaru or Jozankei?

Day 4 Otaru – Asahikawa
Sakaimachi
Furano Farm Tomita
Blue Pond
Biei
Asahikawa
Is the plan for this day too packed?


Day 5 Asahikawa
Asahidake
Anything else i can do on this day? Will going to Asahidake take up an entire day?


Day 6 Asahikawa - Sounkyo
Day 7 Sounkyo – Sapporo
Day 8 Sapporo
Day 9 Sapporo - Singapore

 

[wongkc]

Thanks Entropy and wongkc for your replies.

I've done some research and have come up with a rough itinerary.
Appreciate any comments/suggestions! eg where else to visit
Thanks!

Day 1 Fly into Hakodate
Motomachi
Mt Hakodate Night Viewing
Overnight Hakodate
Do i need to rent a car to travel around Hakodate? But i guess it may be easier collecting the car after arriving at the airport so that i can travel straight to Noboribetsu on day 2?

Yes you should collect car after arriving at airport... since most car rental shops are near the airport area... and you can use the car to travel...


Day 2 Hakodate - Noboribetsu
Hakodate morning market – breakfast
Drive to Noboribetsu
Jigokudani
Overnight Noboribetsu

The drive to Noboribetsu need at least 3 hours... longer if take breaks in btw... quite doable if you go straight to Jigokudani... then go hotel check in...


Day 3 Noboribetsu – Otaru
Lake Toya
Jozankei/Houheikyo Dam
Yoichi (if staying overnight at Otaru)
Which is a better location for staying overnight? Otaru or Jozankei?

I think Otaru would be a better choice... less travelling...


Day 4 Otaru – Asahikawa
Sakaimachi
Furano Farm Tomita
Blue Pond
Biei
Asahikawa
Is the plan for this day too packed?

Think too pack... it is going to be a long journey... we took abt 5 hours from sapporo to asahikawa... but with 2 breaks in btw... U need to cut back on some activities... October maybe Asahikawa will be having some mix snow/rain condition... so drive cautiously and expect delay on highways...


Day 5 Asahikawa
Asahidake
Anything else i can do on this day? Will going to Asahidake take up an entire day?

Whether it takes up to 1 day is depending on how extensive you want to cover... you can go to the zoo if you got time but October no penguin walk yet... and zoo you will need at least 2-3 hours to cover most of the exhibits... and they close pretty early i think 4pm or 5pm...


Day 6 Asahikawa - Sounkyo
Day 7 Sounkyo – Sapporo
Day 8 Sapporo
Day 9 Sapporo - Singapore

Actually i would suggest you to go Sapporo after Otaru... From Sapporo to Asahikawa... There is an airport at Asahikawa to fly back to Haneda/Narita... so you do not need to backtrack back to sapporo...

 

[James Tang]

Thanks Entropy and wongkc for your replies.

I've done some research and have come up with a rough itinerary.
Appreciate any comments/suggestions! eg where else to visit
Thanks!

Day 1 Fly into Hakodate
Motomachi
Mt Hakodate Night Viewing
Overnight Hakodate
Do i need to rent a car to travel around Hakodate? But i guess it may be easier collecting the car after arriving at the airport so that i can travel straight to Noboribetsu on day 2?

Day 2 Hakodate - Noboribetsu
Hakodate morning market – breakfast
Drive to Noboribetsu
Jigokudani
Overnight Noboribetsu

Day 3 Noboribetsu – Otaru
Lake Toya
Jozankei/Houheikyo Dam
Yoichi (if staying overnight at Otaru)
Which is a better location for staying overnight? Otaru or Jozankei?

Day 4 Otaru – Asahikawa
Sakaimachi
Furano Farm Tomita
Blue Pond
Biei
Asahikawa
Is the plan for this day too packed?


Day 5 Asahikawa
Asahidake
Anything else i can do on this day? Will going to Asahidake take up an entire day?


Day 6 Asahikawa - Sounkyo
Day 7 Sounkyo – Sapporo
Day 8 Sapporo
Day 9 Sapporo - Singapore

Just some comments only (all these are situational)

1. May or may not need to drive in Hakodate and you can take Shinkansen to noboribetsu. However, please also check rope way closure for Hakodateyama (not a problem if you are driving though). Taxi up and down and go around JiuJiKai will cost you around 7000-8000 yen depending on traffic.

2. Your itinerary is quite rush for the last few days, then again maybe it's just me

 

[Hinana]

Just some comments only (all these are situational)

1. May or may not need to drive in Hakodate and you can take Shinkansen to noboribetsu.

Shinkansen??

 

[brightzstarz]

Thanks everyone for the replies.
I've made some changes to the itinerary.

Any recommendations on accommodation?
Also, i'll like to do some fruit picking and visit a sake distillery. Any suggestions on where i can do these?

Day 1 Fly into Hakodate
Rent Car
Motomachi
Mt Hakodate Night Viewing
Overnight Hakodate

Day 2 Hakodate - Noboribetsu
Hakodate morning market – breakfast
Lake Onuma
Jigokudani
Overnight Noboribetsu

Day 3 Noboribetsu – Otaru
Lake Toya
Jozankei/Houheikyo Dam
Overnight at Otaru

Day 4 Otaru – Asahikawa
Sakaimachi
Overnight at Asahikawa

Day 5 Asahikawa
Mount Asahidake
Sounkyo
Overnight at Asahikawa
Am i able to do both asahidake ropeway and sounkyo in 1 day?

Day 6 Asahikawa - Sapporo
Biei
Blue Pond
Furano Farm Tomita
Overnight at Sapporo

Day 7 Sapporo
Day 8 Sapporo
Day 9 Sapporo - Singapore

 

[deodorant]

Your Day 5. To me there isn't any real reason to do both ropeways, since you already doing asahidake then don't bother with sounkyou.

Anyway my hokkaido autumn trip report here if you interested http://look-see-eat.blogspot.sg/2015/11/hokkaido-autumn-guide-sapporo-moiwa-curb-market-ramen.html

It's a different direction from you though, I started in Sapporo and ended in Hakodate.

Deo's Travel, Food & Cooking adventures: http://look-see-eat.blogspot.sg/ HardwareZone Forums app

 

[Grampa]

How's the trip TS? I'm planning to to do the same itinerary

 

[everyoneonlybetsgpool]

going to hokkaido next month