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Destination guide

Hokkaido

Japan's northern island feels like a different country: wide open farmland, volcanoes and national parks, with the lightest powder snow in the world in winter and lavender fields in summer.

Facts checked October 2026

Best for
Skiing, summer nature, seafood
Days to allow
4–7
Base
Sapporo (Niseko for skiing)
From Tokyo
Fly Haneda–New Chitose, ~1 h 35 min

Winter or summer?

  • Winter (December–March): world-class skiing at Niseko, Furano and Rusutsu, with the deepest powder from mid-January to mid-February. Sapporo's Snow Festival fills the city with giant ice sculptures in early February (4–11 February 2027).
  • Summer (late June–August): no rainy season and comfortable temperatures when the rest of Japan swelters. Furano's lavender peaks around mid-July.
  • Autumn: the earliest leaves in Japan, from late September in the mountains to early or mid-November in Sapporo.

Sapporo

  • Odori ParkA long green strip through the centre, home to the Snow Festival in February and beer gardens in summer. The White Illumination runs from 20 November 2026 to 14 March 2027.
  • SusukinoThe nightlife district — and the place for Sapporo's miso ramen.
  • Sapporo Beer MuseumJapan's oldest beer brand, with a tasting hall and jingisukan (grilled lamb) restaurants next door.
  • Mt MoiwaA ropeway to a night view over the city.
  • Nijo MarketCrab, sea urchin and salmon-roe bowls for breakfast.

Beyond Sapporo

  • OtaruA canal town of old stone warehouses, glassworks and sushi, 30–40 minutes by train from Sapporo.
  • Furano and BieiRolling patchwork farmland and lavender at Farm Tomita (free) in summer. Biei's Blue Pond is lit up at night from 22 October 2026 to 21 April 2027.
  • NisekoJapan's best-known ski resort, with powder, views of the volcano Mt Yotei and a lively international village. The 2026–27 season opens on 28 November; peak season runs 24 December–28 February.
  • Shikotsu-Toya National Park and NoboribetsuCaldera lakes and one of Japan's most famous hot-spring towns, with a steaming "Hell Valley".
  • Shiretoko and the eastRemote, wild and worth a separate trip: brown bears, drift ice in February, and a UNESCO-listed peninsula.

Getting there and around

  • Fly from Tokyo Haneda to New Chitose (about 1 h 35 min); flights run roughly every half hour. The Rapid Airport train reaches Sapporo in 33–40 minutes (¥1,230).
  • By train from Tokyo takes around eight hours via the Hokkaido Shinkansen to Hakodate — a scenic option with the JR East–South Hokkaido Pass, but not a fast one. The Shinkansen extension to Sapporo isn't expected until the late 2030s.
  • Around Hokkaido, distances are big. Trains link the main towns; for Biei, Furano and the national parks a hire car helps — UK licence holders need a 1949-convention International Driving Permit, which has to be obtained in the UK before you travel.

Hokkaido introduced an accommodation tax of ¥100–500 per person per night in April 2026; Sapporo and some resort towns, including Kutchan (Niseko), add their own.

What to eat

  • Miso ramen — Sapporo's rich, buttery signature.
  • Jingisukan — lamb and vegetables grilled on a dome-shaped skillet.
  • Seafood bowls — crab, uni (sea urchin), salmon roe and scallops.
  • Soup curry — a Sapporo invention, spicy broth with big chunks of vegetables.
  • Dairy — the soft-serve ice cream is famously good.

Sources