24 Best Places to Visit in Hokkaido: Japan's Beautiful Northern Island

If you're planning a trip to visit Hokkaido but only plan to eat seafood and an Alaskan crab buffet, that wouldn't really be worth the trip. Hokkaido isn't just about food — it also has many other interesting places to visit. As a large island at the northernmost point of Japan, it has cool weather all year round, along with natural scenery worth seeing at least once in your life. If you want to try soaking in an onsen hot spring, Hokkaido has that too. So what does this region have to offer? Take a look at the must-see attractions in Hokkaido — Japan's northern island — and dive into a snowy land full of nature.

If you're looking for Sapporo accommodation, check out this post.

1. Otaru Canal Area, Otaru

Originally, Otaru was a small port that was very lively in the early 20th century. But as transportation developed and became more modern, the port town gradually lost its importance, leaving only a small herring fishing village. Because of the beauty of this place, the authorities transformed it into a tourist attraction by turning the old seafood warehouses into restaurants and a museum that tells the story of the area, and by installing old-style lamps along the street that runs beside the Otaru Canal, adding a romantic touch.

Hours

Open daily, 24 hours, and free admission.

2. Fort Goryokaku, Hakodate

Fort Goryokaku, also known as the five-pointed star fort, is located in Hakodate. It got this nickname because, seen from above, the fort is shaped like a five-pointed star. It was built in the final years of the Edo period to defend against the threat of Western powers. At the center of the fort stood the office of the governor who administered Hokkaido during the shogunate era. Once it was no longer in use, the buildings were restored and the grounds turned into a public park, where the cherry trees bloom in May (since Hokkaido is Japan's northernmost island, it warms up later than elsewhere, so the cherry blossoms also bloom later than in the rest of Japan). Fort Goryokaku also has the 90-meter Goryokaku Tower, built in 2006, which offers a panoramic view around the fort. At the base of the tower are souvenir shops, restaurants, and an exhibition about the fort's history.

Access
Take streetcar line 2 or 5 from Hakodate Station to Goryokaku Koen Mae (10 minutes, ¥230), then walk north for about 750 meters, roughly 10 minutes.

3. Jozankei Onsen, Sapporo

Jozankei Onsen is located in Shikotsu-Toya National Park, not far from central Sapporo. It's popular with both tourists and locals who enjoy soaking in an onsen, thanks to its easy access and beautiful scenery, earning it the nickname "Sapporo's living room." Many ryokan are located around the onsen, and bathing costs only ¥1,000–1,500. If you'd rather not bathe, you can soak just your feet for free.

4. Hokkaido Ice Museum

Hokkaido Ice Museum, also known as Hokkaido Ice Pavilion, is an experiential museum themed around ice and cold. The museum is kept at -20°C year-round. If you visit in winter, you can see ice stretching as far as the eye can see, experience extreme cold down to -41°C, and try the ice slide. There's also a new zone called Earth Garden that opened in 2022, and many other facilities have been renovated so families can enjoy the museum all day, including rides for both children and adults.

Address: 40 Sakaemachi, Kamikawa-cho, 078-1733

5. Furano Flower Field, Furano

Lavender has been grown widely in the Hokkaido region for more than half a century. Flower fields of various sizes can be found throughout Furano, drawing visitors who come to admire their beauty. The lavender is in full bloom from mid-July to early August, and continues blooming into mid-August. There are also many other flowers in other seasons: poppies and lupins in June, lilies in July, and sunflowers, salvia, and cosmos from August to September.

The best spot to view the lavender is Farm Tomita, which has beautiful scenery backed by Mount Tokachi and is free to visit. Near the flower fields there are also cafes and shops selling lavender products.

Hours
Open daily and free to enter, with hours that vary by season, roughly 9:00 AM–5:00 PM.

Access
From June to mid-October, take the JR Furano Line or the Furano-Biei Norokko trains to Lavender Batake Station (20 minutes from Furano, ¥230, or 35 minutes from Biei), then walk another 5–10 minutes.

6. Shiroi Koibito Chocolate Factory, Sapporo

Shiroi Koibito is a famous Hokkaido souvenir that most travelers know well: a butter cookie filled with white chocolate, made by the Ishiya company, which opens its factory to visitors. Inside, you can watch every step of the cookie-making process up close, and there are also other treats like cupcakes, soft-serve ice cream, and chocolate. If you'd like to try making cookies yourself, the factory also offers short workshops.

Access
Take the Tozai Subway Line westbound from Odori Station to Miyanosawa Station (15 minutes, ¥280), then walk about another 10 minutes.

7. Hakodate Factory - Red Brick Warehouse District

Hakodate Factory, also known as the Hakodate Bay Area or the Red Brick Warehouse District, is located in Hakodate. It's a top shopping spot in the city — whatever you're looking for, you're sure to find it here, since there's so much on offer. It's similar to Sapporo Factory, with shops selling glassware and music boxes, restaurants, a beer garden, and souvenir shops. From the back, you can enjoy sea views and see the red brick warehouse area as well.

Access
Take the streetcar to Jujigai, then walk about 5 minutes toward the Red Brick Warehouses, along the road that runs behind them.

8. Asahiyama Zoo, Asahikawa

Asahiyama Zoo is one of Hokkaido's top attractions and a must-see for visitors. It's popular because it offers viewpoints different from a typical zoo — for example, walking through a glass tunnel to watch penguins swim, or through a glass snow dome to see polar bears in their habitat. The zoo's biggest highlight is watching the penguin parade walk along a snow path, viewable up close with nothing in the way.

Access
Take bus number 41, 42, or 47 from Asahikawa Station to Asahiyama Zoo (40 minutes, ¥440 one way). Buses run twice an hour.

9. Mount Moiwa Viewpoint, Sapporo

Mount Moiwa is located southwest of Sapporo. It's a spot for viewing the city at night (viewing starts after sunset). To reach the summit, you need to take a ropeway and then a cable car. Don't miss eating at the restaurant "The Jewel," where the food is delicious and you can also enjoy a sweeping view of Sapporo.

Access
Take Sapporo's only streetcar line from Susukino to Ropeway Iriguchi Station (25 minutes, ¥170), then take the free shuttle bus to the ropeway station below (5 minutes, departing every 20 minutes). Or walk just 5 minutes from the Ropeway Iriguchi streetcar stop to the Mount Moiwa ropeway station.

10. Mount Hakodate Viewpoint, Hakodate

Mount Hakodate Viewpoint is ranked among the top three most beautiful viewpoints in Japan. Climbing the 334-meter mountain, you get a wide view of Hakodate surrounded beautifully by mountains and sea. It's worth visiting both during the day and again at night, since each time of day offers a different kind of beauty.

11. Sapporo Beer Museum, Sapporo

Many beer lovers will be familiar with Sapporo Beer. But did you know this is the oldest beer brand in Japan, and became so popular that it's now exported and sold worldwide? This led to the creation of the Sapporo Beer Museum, which tells visitors about the beer's history. After the tour, you get to try a free beer tasting.

12. Aoiike (Blue Pond), Biei

Aoiike Blue Pond is located in Biei, not far from the Tokachi mountain range. What makes this pond stand out is its bright blue color in summer; in winter, the water turns blue-green, beautifully contrasting with the snow on the tree branches. The water changes color because it contains a large amount of aluminum oxide, which reflects sunlight to appear bright blue or blue-green depending on where you stand and how the sunlight hits it.

13. Hachiman-Zaka Slope

Hachiman-Zaka Slope is a slope that runs downhill to the sea below. Looking from this point, you'll see rows of trees lining both sides of the road, with a view of Hakodate Port, the sea, and the mountains on the opposite shore ahead. Thanks to its beautiful scenery, it's a popular filming location for movies and commercials. In summer, the trees are bright green, but in winter, once the leaves fall and snow arrives, the trees are decorated with lights for the famous Hakodate Light Up festival.

14. Matsumae Former Castle Town

Matsumae Former Castle Town is located west of Cape Shirakami, the southernmost point of Hokkaido, just 20 kilometers from the Tsugaru Strait and Aomori. This old town is home to several great attractions, the most famous being the hilltop viewpoint, the site of Matsumae Castle (also called Fukuyama Castle), surrounded by lush nature.

15. Furano Ski Area, Furano

Furano Ski Area draws many visitors who come specifically to ski here, beyond just sightseeing and dining. Furano Ski Area was once used for world-class competitions, so it has both gentle slopes for beginners and steep slopes for experts. Other snow activities, such as dog sledding, are just as appealing.

16. Sapporo TV Tower, Sapporo

Sapporo TV Tower is a broadcasting tower in Sapporo that stands 142.7 meters tall, located on the east side of Odori Park. What makes it worth visiting is that visitors can go up to a viewing area 90 meters above the ground, and festivals are held around it throughout the year.

17. Mount Yotei, Niseko

Mount Yotei, often known as the "Fuji of Hokkaido," is located in Niseko, Hokkaido. It earned this nickname from its perfectly conical shape, just like Mount Fuji, though it's shorter — hence its other nickname, "Little Fuji." The mountain is one of the most famous sights in the town, but Niseko has more to offer than just Mount Yotei: it's also well known as a ski resort town. The ski areas are located around the mountain at Niseko Annupuri, or Niseko United, just outside the town, divided into four zones: Annupuri, Niseko Village, Grand Hirafu, and Hanazono, all of which are excellent.

18. Cape Soya, Wakkanai

Cape Soya is located northeast of Wakkanai, Hokkaido, about 30 kilometers from the city center. Cape Soya is known as the northernmost point of Japan. The highlight of visiting this cape is the triangular Northernmost Point Monument, along with a statue of Mamiya Rinzo, a famous Japanese explorer from the late shogunate era who surveyed Sakhalin Island. It's another must-visit attraction in Wakkanai.

19. Abashiri Drift Ice Cruise, Abashiri

Abashiri drift ice is one of Hokkaido's special sights, worth experiencing at least once in your life, if you visit between January and March. Drift ice is usually found only around the Arctic Ocean. Watching the ice alone wouldn't be as fun, though — you should also ride an icebreaker boat to take in the surrounding scenery. It's called an icebreaker because, when the boat hits the ice sheet, the ice splits apart so the boat can keep moving. Boats run 4–5 times a day, so if you want to take this exciting drift-ice cruise, be sure to check the schedule beforehand.

20. Noboribetsu Onsen, Noboribetsu

Noboribetsu Onsen is said to be the best hot spring in Japan, with as many as 9 different types of hot spring water (some say 11), each with different minerals — such as sulfur springs, salt springs, and sodium bicarbonate springs. To bathe here, choose a hotel that offers the type of spring you like; day-bathing costs from ¥700 to ¥2,500 (overnight stays cost more).

21. Niseko Ski Resort, Niseko

Niseko is a town in Hokkaido with many long-term visitors and tourists, as it's considered one of the best places for skiing thanks to its soft, powdery snow that cushions falls. English is widely used around town, and there are hot springs where you can soak while wearing a swimsuit. The ski area has four resorts offering accommodation and ski equipment rental, with rental costs ranging from ¥3,000 to ¥8,000.

22. Lake Akan

Lake Akan is a volcanic lake within Akan National Park, with a 26-kilometer shoreline surrounded by dense forest. It's also home to marimo, a rare species of round green algae.

Access: Lake Akan is about 75 kilometers north of Kushiro. Buses run 3–4 times a day between Kushiro Airport and the lake.
Or rent a car — it takes 90 minutes to reach Lake Akan, and just 1 hour to reach other lakes within the national park, such as Lake Mashu, Lake Kussharo, and Kawayu Onsen.

23. Shiretoko Peninsula

Shiretoko Peninsula is a significant region that Japanese people take pride in — it's been a World Heritage Site since 2005. It's also a natural habitat for wildlife such as seals, bears, eagles, and many others.

Access: From the Bus Terminal, walk about 650 meters to reach the ticket building on the left, then walk through the tunnel to the pier, another 200 meters.
Boats touring the Shiretoko Peninsula depart from Utoro. The pier is behind Oronkoiwa Rock, near the town center.

24. Jigokudani (Hell Valley), Noboribetsu

Jigokudani (Hell Valley) gets its name from its sulfurous hot springs, which send steam rising constantly through the valley. Despite the name, the valley is beautiful and well worth a visit. There are walking paths that climb the hillside to view the scenic hot springs and mud pools, so it's no surprise that film crews from several countries have chosen this as a filming location.

Access
Jigokudani is located north of Noboribetsu Onsen. Walk about 5 minutes from the Noboribetsu Onsen bus terminal.

How to Get to Hokkaido

By plane: Fly to New Chitose Airport (CTS), which is near Sapporo.

By train: You can take the Shinkansen (bullet train) to Hokkaido, which takes about four and a half hours from Tokyo.

By bus: Long-distance bus routes to Hokkaido are available, usually taking about 20 hours from Tokyo to Sapporo.

By car: You can drive or rent a car to cross over to Hokkaido via the Seikan Tunnel, or routes such as Hakodate-Honshu-Oiwake or Kuromatsunai-Honshu-Oiwake.

Where to Stay in Hokkaido

Sapporo
This is the main city many travelers choose to stay in, as it's the largest city in Hokkaido, known for its delicious food, lively nightlife, and its annual snow festival.

Niseko
If you're going skiing, this is where most people book their stay, as it's a popular ski destination known for its powdery white snow. There are several ski resorts here, plus plenty of summer activities like hiking, golf, and hot springs.

Furano
If you want to visit the flower fields, stay here for 1–2 nights. It's known for its lavender, lily, and other flower fields, and it's a bit farther out from Sapporo.

Asahikawa
Asahikawa is Hokkaido's second-largest city, with a zoo, museums, and a long history and culture. It's a good place to stay and explore.

Hakodate
Hakodate is a port city at the southern tip of Hokkaido, famous for its night views of the city, especially the view from the top of Mount Hakodate.