Hokkaido is the northern island of Japan which relish glimpse of serene beauty and unparallel natural landscape. Fertile land, deep forests and aqua beauty is deeply embedded in this city and makes it a great place to visit and experience the enchanting environment. Breezy and awesome summer with colourful and charming spring time and chilly-snowy winters embellishes this city most perfectly.
1.Visit to Sapporo Snow Festival
Sapporo Snow festival is an event which every visitor must attend if they are travelling during winters. This festival usually held in February where around 300 of sculptures are made from snow and during night time these sculptures gets additional artificial light that illuminates the entire city immensely. Along with snow sculptures this event is also famous for snow slides, skiing, snow domes and ice bars which hits maximum of visitors and it is also a world renowned festival for being unique in its own kind. Along with unbelievable snow sculptures, visitors can enjoy number of locale food such as sea food, corn, potatoes and dairy products.
Information:
- Genre: Snow Festival
- Area: Sapporo Japan
- Location: Sapporo, Odori Park and Satoland
- Date: February
- Time: 24 hours open
- Website: www.snowfes.com
2.Must try- Exotic Sea Foods at Morning Market
Hokkaido is naturally surrounded by the cold and clean water which is a great producer of delicious sea food. It is also considered to be as a wonderland of sea foods especially crab, and visitors get the opportunity to taste freshly caught and prepared sea food which no other place offer usually. High end restaurants or local market, no place is untouched by the local cuisine. Hakodate Morning Market represents a lavish selling of freshly caught sea foods along with line of restaurants that offer delicious and palatable sea food. Crabs, sea urchin and salmon eggs are the sheer attraction.
Information:
- Genre: Hakodate Morning Market (Hakodate Asaichi)
- Area: Hokkaido, Japan
- Location: Hakodate, market area covers about four city blocks
- Timings: In summer (5 am to noon)
- In winter (6 am to noon)
- Access: Few steps distance from JR Hakodate Station
- Website: www.hakodate-asaichi.com
3.Snow Skiing in Furano
If snow is your love and you desire to slide on the snow, then this small town well deserve your visit. It attracts visitors from cross country too. This ski area offers a suitable snow powder for other snow activities like snow boarding, dog sledding, snow rafting etc. The Ski Resort is well equipped with all the essentials and is amicable too. Laded with all possible facilities, skiers admire surroundings and environment as it is low crowded and it facilitates their pleasure of skiing faster and flawless.
Information:
- Genre: Skiing
- Area: Furano-ishi, Hokkaido, Japan
- Location: Furano Ski Resort
- Timings: Late Novemeber to early May 8:30to 19:30
- Access: Three kms from west of Furano
4.Hot Spring Bath at Noboribetsu Onsen
Visit to Hokkaido is a sheer waste if you do not immerse yourself in hot spring natural water and add a zing of relaxation and warmth to your body. Hokkaido is blessed with number of hot springs and Noboribetsu is one among the best of them. Spectacular scenes and stunning surroundings describes this place in the most perfect way and visitors who seeks soft views with rejuvenating experience, bath in hot spring is must to try.
Information
- Genre: Hot Bath
- Location: Between Otaru and Sapporo
- Timings: Day Time
- Access: Train ride is recommended and convenient too.
5.Sapporo Horse Back Riding for Sightseeing
Source: Sapporo Horseback Riding
Sapporo is a beautiful place embedded with extreme natural beauty and horse back riding is just an option to immerse in the beauty of nature. Riding through the city on a horse back gives an immense and unforgettable pleasure. Tourists lure this activity a lot and it is centre of attraction for locals even too. Steven’s Stable is highly famous to assist you in horse back riding along with an instructor.
Information:
- Genre: Sightseeing
- Location: Kobetsuzawa, Sapporo
- Access: 20 minutes away from JR Saporo Station. Meet up also place gets communicated
- Sightseeing Duration: 3 courses – 60 mins (30 min area+30 min trekking), 90 mins (30 min area+60 min trekking), 120 mins (30 min area+90 min trekking)
6.Beer Garden- Sapporo Odori
Beer flows in the veins of Hokkaido people during summers when beer makers from all over the Japan unite at a destination and lay stalls to overwhelm visitors with unique beer manufactures in their distilleries. This fantastic event bustles up the entire town with locals and visitors with loads of excitement and happiness. This event is must to visit for all visitors and taste the local drinks.
Information:
- This event held from mid- July to mid August at Sapporo Odori Park.
- Genre: Event
- Location: Odori Park, Sapporo Tanukikoji Shopping District, Susukino District 5-Chome to 11-Chome
- Timings: 12:00-21:00, 16:00 onwards (Saturday and Sunday)
- Access:
- Telephone: 011-281-6400 (Sapporo Summer Festival Executive Committee)
- Website: http://www.sapporo-natsu.com
7.Enjoy the Wild nature- Shiretoko National Park
Hokkaido is a rich island with numerous activities to indulge in, but the immense pleasure of nature’s beauty can best be experience in to the woods of national parkland. Abide with hot springs, lakes, mountains; variety of wild animals and adventurous activity, visit to the Shiretoko National Park is must for each traveller. Pristine wild beauty of this place promises to blow you away. Volcanic backbone is the prime attraction of hikers but soft trails are rewarding too. Two visitor centres are available to acquaint visitors with the surroundings and hiking trails. Shiretoko is a peninsula, also named as ‘Ainu’, means “the end of the world”. It is also declared as the World Heritage Site.
Information:
- Genre: National Park
- Location: Shiretoko, nearest station is Shari
- Access: Only Bus facility is available and that is limited too
- Guidance: Guide buses are available by Shari Bus to take visitors to the hot spot.
8.Penguin March, Asahiyama Zoo
Source: Peguin March, Asahiyama Zoo
Who does not want to have a look at the rarely found penguins? Moreover, if you get the chance to observe their activity from different perspectives very close to your sight, never miss it. Asahiyama Zoo is the largest yet unique in its presentation of animals where animal lovers get the opportunity to see them very close to themselves. Polar bears, pandas, penguins, water animals and penguins are a great attraction here and the penguin march sight is undoubtedly mesmerizing.
Information:
- This zoo is located in the city Asahigawa, and the pleasant sight of Penguin march can be enjoyed during winter.
- Genre: Zoological Garden
- Location: Asahikawa, Hokkaido
- Timings: Late April to Mid October 09:30-17:15 (entry until 16:00)
Mid October to early November 09:30-16:30 (entry until 16:00)
Mid November to early April 10:30-15:30 (entry until 15:00)
- Closed: New Year
A Few days in summer and winter
- Entry Fess: 820 yen
- Access: 40 minutes away from Asahikawa Station by bus.
- Website: http://www5.city.asahikawa.hokkaido.jp/asahiyama
9.Pleasure of Lake Toya
Lake Toya is a great tourist spot as it boasts number of scenic spots with superb temperate climate. During summer an array of activities like water bike, rowboat or motorboat entertain its visitors and during winter skiing or surrounding mountains makes the visit worth-while. Over the lake from April to October fireworks display is the attraction of the spot. Be it any season, Lake Toya is a place that can refresh and relax the mind, and promises to entertain it’s visitors with utmost satisfaction.
Information:
- Lake Toya is situated in Shikotsu-Toya National Park which holds great mountains, pleasant surroundings along with volcanic mountains.
- Genre: Lake Toya
- Location: Shikotsu-Toya National Park
- Access: 20 minutes away from Toya Station. Taxi ride is also available.
10.Ramen Noodles at Ebisoba Ichigen
Noodles are the most famous and delicious food of Hokkaido, that every visitor must try out. Restaurants are full of palatable dishes but the reputation of Ramen is par excellence. Pre reservation is necessary to dine at this restaurant; else you might miss the chance of tasting the local noodle dish. This restaurant offers 3 categories in soup which represents diverse taste and consistency. A shrimp based ramen noodles holds the capacity to enchant you with the very first sip.
Information:
- Genre: Noodle Soup
- Location: Susukino and New Chitose Airport, Sapporo
- Timings: 11:00-21:00 (Susukino)
10:00-21:00 (New Chitose Airport)
- Holidays: Wednesday (Susukino)
None (New Chitose Airport)
Serene Beauty, relaxing environment, splendid beauty, enchanting atmosphere, it is the real description of Hokkaido Island in Japan. Travelers must visit this place to complete their trip to Japan.
