Self drive Hokkaido(summer)

[yumiko33]

Can help review my itinerary below n give advice/recommendations?

Thurs --> reach NRT morning, fly to chitose , public transportation to Sapporo , visit shiroi koibito factory, odori park , dinner at Sapporo , check in hotel

Friday --> pick up car at Sapporo, drive to furano , visit the farms , evening drive to asahikawa ramen village , check in hotel @ asahikawa

Saturday --> drive to biei n visit the tress, patchwork fields, blue pond , drive back to asahikawa @ lunch and go to the zoo , evening drive to otaru, dinner and stay at otaru

Sunday --> music box museum , drive to lake toya , see uzuzan craters, rope ways , check in hotel @ lake toya, sunset at lake toya , hanabi at night

Monday --> drive to noboribetsu (hell valley) , lunch , drive to chitose airport , return car at 6.30pm , flight at 8.30pm to fly back NRT

Tuesdays --> go Fuji Q highland , stay at Tokyo

Wednesday --> tour ard Tokyo , get to NRT by 6pm to check in (flight at 8pm)


Above is our plan. Any suggestions or comments ?
Thanks !

 

[nicholaslee]

why so rush

Save Fuji Q highland for next trip and spend extra day at Hokkaido!

 

[Satki General]

I think your Sat itinerary is too cramp liao! No time then skip the zoo bah

 

[cheefarn]

Can help review my itinerary below n give advice/recommendations?

Thurs --> reach NRT morning, fly to chitose , public transportation to Sapporo , visit shiroi koibito factory, odori park , dinner at Sapporo , check in hotel

Friday --> pick up car at Sapporo, drive to furano , visit the farms , evening drive to asahikawa ramen village , check in hotel @ asahikawa

Saturday --> drive to biei n visit the tress, patchwork fields, blue pond , drive back to asahikawa @ lunch and go to the zoo , evening drive to otaru, dinner and stay at otaru

Sunday --> music box museum , drive to lake toya , see uzuzan craters, rope ways , check in hotel @ lake toya, sunset at lake toya , hanabi at night

Monday --> drive to noboribetsu (hell valley) , lunch , drive to chitose airport , return car at 6.30pm , flight at 8.30pm to fly back NRT

Tuesdays --> go Fuji Q highland , stay at Fuji ???

Wednesday --> visit five five lakes half day , get to NRT by 6pm to check in (flight at 8pm)


Above is our plan. Any suggestions or comments ?
Thanks !

Gosh its way too rush liao. Is there any reason why u wanna chiong Tokyo at the same time ?

Rem, Hokkaido is a big place. It takes awhile to travel from one area to another. Yes generally there is little to zero traffic over there, but u need to know that their speed limit is low... 50-60km/h on most small roads, and nothing more than 100km/h on highways. And their traffic police are damn efficient. Yes we are all tempted to speed when you're the only soul for the next 2 km front and rear, but do that and their police will be behind u in no time.

IMHO, scrap the Tokyo part and stay at Hokkaido for another day or 2.

Eg, your Sat iternary... it takes over 4-5 hrs to drive from Asahikawa to Otaru via the tolled highways. It will be well into the night by the time u arrive at Otaru.. and as I've said before, Hokkaido pple tends to sleeps early. Most tourist attractions/shops closes at 5pm and many eateries closes at 7pm.

You will arrive at a near deserted Otaru on Sat night... Total waste of time and effort.

 

[slipperss]

sat is too rush le. asahikawa to biei need time, then asahikawa to asahiyama zoo also need time.

 

[yumiko33]

Hmm sat yes we plan to drive to otaru n stay the night there (all because we don't want to drive from asahikawa to lake toya straight the next day )
So sat night we will not do anything at otaru but check in hotel n rest and minimize driving next day.

For Tokyo, my main aim is to visit Fuji q for their roller coaster. So flying back the night before n intending to stay rad shinjuku to catch the bus there.

Last day maybe change to tour add Tokyo before going to airport at night.

 

[yumiko33]

sat is too rush le. asahikawa to biei need time, then asahikawa to asahiyama zoo also need time.

Read that it take 30-40 to reach biei. Thought it would be possible if we start biei early morning n finish by lunch ? Then the zoo may only take like 2-3hrs to visit?
After which we will drive to otaru to check in hotel n sleep....

If biei really takes a whole day to complete, then maybe will consider skipping the zoo and head straight to otaru to end the day.

 

[cheefarn]

Read that it take 30-40 to reach biei. Thought it would be possible if we start biei early morning n finish by lunch ? Then the zoo may only take like 2-3hrs to visit?
After which we will drive to otaru to check in hotel n sleep....

If biei really takes a whole day to complete, then maybe will consider skipping the zoo and head straight to otaru to end the day.

U will need more than 3 hrs to see the zoo properly. The zoo is not really big, but they do house a lot of cold climate animals, esp Hokkaido wild life that its a real eye opener.

I spent close to 5 hrs during my last visit last May. Great weather to walk ard... 8c that day.. LOL

Also your planning leaves u with zero leeway in case any unexpected issues crop up. You will be surprised how much time u will need to take to exit from small roads to main roads. An ideal case of 3 hrs drive usually would take ard 3 hrs 15-20 mins in reality.

Otaru may be a touristy town but its charming enuf to explore the place on foot for the whole day IMHO. Just park your car at your hotel and explore on foot.

Otaru street parking machiam Beach Rd area... its very difficult to find any parking lots there... And expensive too.

I still wish u can modify your iternary. You can very well find yourself in a deserted Otaru when u arrive there.. really no point ya.

 

[socrates]

Its way too rush and I think you are trying to squeeze in too much in a short time. Should just spend all the time in Hokkaido because there is much to do and see.