Hokkaido Sapporo 6-Day Trip｜City Tour, Jozankei Hot Springs & Furano-Biei Light-Up

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[Travelogue] 2026 Hokkaido Sapporo 6-Day Trip — Sapporo City, Jozankei Onsen, Hokkaido Light-Up (Furano Fairy Hill & Biei Blue Pond) One-Day Tour

A Complete Record of Exploring Sapporo City, Soaking in Jozankei Onsen, and Visiting Furano Fairy Hill & Biei Blue Pond Light-Up Tour

I had been working at my new job for almost half a year and just finished a project. Since I had never been to snowy Japan, I decided to take a trip to Hokkaido in mid-March.

Preparation Before Departure

Plan

• Day 1: After arriving in Sapporo, head straight to Jozankei Onsen for an overnight stay

• Day 2: Return to Sapporo City to visit attractions

• Day 3: Otaru, Otaru Aquarium

• Day 4: KKday Hokkaido Illumination Tour \| Furano Elf Hill & Biei Blue Pond & Shirahige Waterfall One-Day Tour \| Departure from Sapporo

• Day 5: Shopping and Hokkaido University

• Day 6: Head to the airport for departure

Line

Flight — China Airlines

• 🛫 03/15 Departure CI130: TPE Taoyuan International Airport T2 08:35 (actual delay 3 minutes) -> CTS New Chitose Airport, Hokkaido 13:15 (actual delay 7 minutes)

• 🛬 03/20 Return Flight CI131: CTS New Chitose Airport 14:20 (actual delay 8 minutes) -> TPE Taoyuan International Airport 18:15 (actual arrival 3 minutes early)

Price: NT $24,356 per person

*Because the snow season is not over, prices remain high. Returning on Friday is better since weekends are even more expensive…

Sapporo Station <-> Jozankei Round-Trip Bus Ticket

https://jozankei.jp/tw/news/newaccess/

There are many JR trains from New Chitose Airport to Sapporo Station, and since the flight arrival time is uncertain, I didn’t buy tickets in advance. To get to Jozankei Onsen, you can only take a bus. According to the latest transportation information as of December 2025, there are three route options:

1. [Reservation Required] [About 60 minutes] Sapporo Station → Take Kappa Liner Bus → Jozankei Onsen.
   Click here to view the timetable

2. [No reservation required] [About 70 minutes] Sapporo Station → Makomanai Station → Bus → Jozankei Onsen.

3. [No reservation needed] [Approx. 120 minutes] New Chitose Airport → Airport Bus (Hokuto Kotsu) → Makomanai Station → Jozankei Onsen.

Route (1) — かっぱライナー号 / Kappa Liner is the most direct and convenient. After checking the schedule, the 4:00 PM departure (limited to autumn and winter) leaves plenty of time after landing, passing immigration, and taking the JR to Sapporo Station. So I booked online in advance (foreigners can also book!).

Outbound Trip Sapporo Station -> Jozankei:

https://www.jotetsu.co.jp/bus/kappa_liner/index.html

• Note that the trips marked in red only operate in autumn and winter. The buses departing from Sapporo Station at 16:00 and 17:00 only go as far as the Jozankei Bus Terminal.

Return Trip Jozankei -> Sapporo Station:

https://www.jotetsu.co.jp/bus/kappa_liner/index.html

• For the return trip, I planned to check out at 11:00 and stroll around the hot spring street before heading back, so I booked the 13:15 departure (boarding at Shiraito Falls at 13:31) bus.

Reservation Method:

1. Go to the official reservation website and register as a member

• Email / Taiwan phone number OK.

• Be sure to remember your account and password, as the e-ticket is activated online directly for the driver to verify.

1. Choose to purchase the かっぱライナー号 / Kappa Liner round-trip or one-way ticket

1. Number of Guests

1. Select the departure date and flight (flight times are shown as departure from Sapporo)

1. Choose the boarding and alighting locations for the outbound trip

Boarding and alighting stops can be referred to in the chart below:

https://www.jotetsu.co.jp/bus/kappa_liner/index.html

Our hotel is closer to (2) Shiraito Falls/白糸の滝/Shiraitonotaki, so we booked to get off at this stop.

Later, I found out you can continue riding the loop and get off at (7) Jozankei Onsen Higashi 2 Chome / 定山渓温泉東2丁目 stop, which is right in front of the hotel.

1. Select the return date and departure time (departure times are based on the departure station), as well as the boarding and alighting locations

2. Complete payment online with credit card

Price: ¥2,920 JPY/adult.

You will receive an email confirmation once your reservation is successful. No need to exchange tickets; simply activate your ticket online on the ticket website and show it to the driver.

eSIM

Also purchased a 5G unlimited data eSIM on KKday. This time in Hokkaido, the signal was only lost once deep in Biei’s mountains; otherwise, it worked fine. I specifically chose a plan that supports ChatGPT for easy information lookup.

• KKday Purchase: Japan eSIM｜Docomo / KDDI / SoftBank / Rakuten｜ Supports ChatGPT and Gemini

• The eSIM must be activated in an area with internet access; it is best to activate it in Taiwan before boarding the plane at the airport

Price: NT $343/6 days, unlimited data (subject to fair usage policy)

Visit Japan

Please refer to the previous article and complete the registration in advance. Now, the immigration inspection and customs inspection use the same QR code.

Accommodation

03/15–16 (1 night) — Jozankei Yurakusoan ゆらく草庵 Japanese Onsen Hotel

3 Chome-228–1 Jozankeionsenhigashi, Minami Ward, Sapporo, Hokkaido 061–2301 Japan

Located at the entrance of Jozankei Onsen Street.

Price: ¥52,150 JPY — 1 night double room / includes a rich Japanese breakfast / with private hot spring bath / non-smoking (Hollywood Twin Room with Tatami — Non-Smoking)

03/16–20 (4 nights) — Keio Prelia Hotel Sapporo / 京王プレリアホテル札幌 / Sapporo Keio Prelia Hotel

4 Chome-11–1 Kita 8 Jonishi, Kita Ward, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060–0808 Japan

Located about a 5-minute walk from the back exit of Sapporo Station.

Price: ¥58,389 JPY — 4 nights in a comfortable queen room/non-smoking.

Fun

KKday One-Day Tour: Hokkaido Illumination Tour ｜ Furano Elf Hill & Biei Blue Pond & Shirogane Waterfall One-Day Tour ｜ Departure from Sapporo

Hokkaido Illumination Tour ｜ Furano Elf Hill & Biei Blue Pond & Shirahige Falls One-Day Tour ｜ Departure from Sapporo

• [Leisurely 11:50 Departure Plan B] March & April 2026 \| Daytime Furano Elf Hill & Christmas Tree & Shirahige Falls & Nighttime Blue Pond Illumination (No Shikisai-no-Oka)

Price: NT $1,807 per person.

KKday — 【 Official Sale】Otaru Aquarium Admission Ticket, Hokkaido (Instant Use / Valid Within 30 Days After Purchase)

【Official Sale】Hokkaido Otaru Aquarium Ticket (Instant Use/Valid Within 30 Days After Purchase)

• Features include outdoor harbor enclosures, numerous performances, and a penguin parade tour in winter.

Ready! Set! Go!

Seat selection and online check-in can be completed three days before departure to speed up the process.

Day 1 (03/15) — Arrive in Sapporo, Hokkaido; Check-in at Jozankei Onsen Hotel

05:00 Airport Transfer Departure

05:35 Airport Transfer Arrive at TPE Taoyuan International Airport Terminal 2 (T2)

Allocated to the far corner, the counter only opened at 06:10.

Activate the Japan eSIM during your free time.

06:40 Completed check-in + baggage drop-off + security screening

Check-in and baggage drop might have been quick because we arrived early. Although there were many people at immigration, the process moved fast. We cleared immigration around 06:40.

Leisurely having breakfast Zzzzz.

07:30 Waiting and Walking Around — D6 Boarding Gate

There is still some time before boarding, so first go to D1 for a free massage chair (tokens can be obtained from nearby shops).

07:50 Ready to board

08:38 Flight departure TPE -> CTS

The flight was on China Airlines’ newer aircraft, the Airbus A330–300. The space was quite ample, and the in-flight entertainment system was well-equipped.

The food was just… so-so.

Flight time: about 3 hours 50 minutes, with a small snack served.

13:22 Plane lands TPE -> CTS

14:10 Completed Immigration and Luggage Claim

The immigration process was quite fast, but I waited a long time for my luggage. I’m not sure if it was because there were too many people (all seats were sold out).

Follow the signs for “Domestic Terminal, JR Line” all the way from the airport.

After arriving at the other building’s lobby, go down to B1F to reach the JR station. (If using the escalator, you need to take a bit of a detour.)

Timetable

14:29 Take the Rapid Service from New Chitose Airport Station to Sapporo Station

https://www.jrhokkaido.co.jp/global/chinese/travel/airport.html

• Sapporo <-> New Chitose Airport takes about 33 - 41 minutes; IC cards like Kitaca, Suica, PASMO can be used without queuing at ticket machines, with 163 trips per day, very frequent.

• 5 sections non-reserved seats, 1 section reserved seats

You can enter the station directly with a Suica card, but I wanted to get change, so I still bought a ticket with coins.

15:06 Arrive at Sapporo Station

• Used the restroom and bought some food, then continued walking to bus stop 27.

15:15 Head to Sapporo Station Bus Stop No.27 (Kappa Line Boarding Point)

15:25 Arrive at Sapporo Station Platform 27 (Kappa Line Boarding Point) and wait for the bus

Exit Sapporo Station Front Station, turn left, then turn right at the next intersection, and you will see it. There is a red building behind.

• Japanese service is reliable; here, staff will also confirm that you are going to Jozankei and have a reservation.

16:00 Departure to Jozankei Onsen

• Show the activated mobile booking website to the staff for direct boarding.

• Since this is a sightseeing bus, you can simply hand your suitcase to the staff to be stored in the luggage compartment.

• The drive takes about 50 minutes. By mid-March, there is little snow in the city, but some snow remains in the suburbs.

16:50 Arrive at Jozankei Onsen (2) Shiraito Falls stop

• The Kappa Line bus design features the mascot of Jozankei Onsen — the Kappa.

• Show the e-ticket to the driver again when getting off and inform them you need to get your luggage

• Get off the bus and walk straight across the street to reach the hot spring hotel where we will stay today!

17:00 Arrive at Jozankei Yurakusoan ゆらく草庵 Japanese Onsen Hotel

Very traditional Japanese style, the entire hotel is made of wood. Upon entering the lobby, there is tatami flooring where you need to change shoes and put them in the shoe cabinet.

• 房間很大有獨立的廁所、私人衛浴/湯屋、客廳跟床；厲害的是雖然是傳統木造榻榻米但是整體維護的非常好， 沒有任何髒髒舊舊或是霉味的感覺 。
• 也有公共的私人湯屋可以使用 (有好幾間，沒人就可以進去)

18:00 Head Out for Dinner

The hotel offers half-board, but we booked a plan with only breakfast; we went out to find food.

18:10 Kita no Kuni｜Jozankei Manseikaku Hotel Milione 3rd Floor

The hot spring town mostly offers accommodation with meals, so there are few restaurants outside. We ended up walking to the 3rd-floor izakaya of another hotel, 万世閣, for dinner.

• First Drink: Draft Sapporo Beer

• Ate pork cutlet rice and the specialty fried crucian carp (quite tasty)

19:30 Return to hotel for hot spring bath and rest

• Fortunately, there were many convenience stores along the way, so I stopped by FamilyMart to buy a late-night snack for the evening.

Although it stopped snowing, it still gets very cold after sunset. After a busy day, I returned to the hotel early to soak in the hot spring and rest.

Day 2 (03/16 Mon) — Jozankei Onsen Street, Sapporo City Attractions

09:00 Have breakfast

I happened to get a window seat, and the view outside was very beautiful.

Breakfast was very hearty: mainly rice/vegetable rice, miso soup, (1) steamed pork with vegetables in the middle, (2) cold salmon — can be heated with the alcohol lamp and aluminum foil in the middle, (3) tamagoyaki.

11:00 Checkout and Store Luggage, Walk Around Jozankei Onsen Town Nearby

There was still some time before the return bus at 13:31, so I took a walk around the entire Jozankei Onsen area.

11:10 Jozankei Shrine

The entire shrine was frozen under heavy snow.

11:30 Kappa Family’s Wishing Hand Bath

Wash your hands briefly.

The slope beside leads down to the Onsen Park.

11:40 Jozan Gensen Park

The park has a public foot bath and a hot spring source where you can boil water and cook eggs.

If you want to try cooking onsen eggs, you can cross the bridge to the opposite side at ㈱Jozankei Bussankan Central Store to buy onsen eggs, cook them, and then bring them back to the store to eat.

12:00 Passing by ふる川果日 J.glacée

Continuing uphill, I passed a bakery with freshly baked apple croissants. I bought one to try, and it tasted good.

12:15 Passing by Iwato Kannon Hall

After passing here, continue forward and then down to return to the starting hotel.

You can imagine how heavy the snow was before; even the suspension bridges over the creek were frozen with snow and ice!

12:30 Walk back to the hotel

There was still some time, so we continued to visit the nearby Shiraito Falls.

You need to take a detour downhill; unfortunately, bad news—it was also closed due to being frozen with snow and ice.

13:10 Return to the hotel to pick up luggage

13:15 Arrive at (2) Shirogane Shirahige Falls Bus Stop (opposite side from arrival)

Our bus departs from the starting station at 13:15 and is expected to arrive at Shirahige Falls stop at 13:31. The waiting time is boring, so we stepped on the snow to pass the time.

13:40 Board the bus back to Sapporo Station

• Show the electronic ticket to the driver once when boarding and once when getting off.

14:50 Return to Sapporo, check in at Keio Prelia Hotel Sapporo : 京王プレリアホテル札幌 : Sapporo Keio Prelia Hotel

• 飯店很新、設備齊全，房間算大。
• 地點在後站比較不熱鬧，要走一小段、札幌站也沒藥妝店； 相較之下大通站周邊比較熱鬧。

Around 15:20, got ready and headed out again. Skipped lunch, planning to have an early dinner near Odori Park.

15:30 Yodobashi

On the way from the hotel to the JR/subway station, there is a Yodobashi (with a McDonald’s behind it). I stopped by to check out the capsule toys.

16:10 Arrive at Susukino Station

Take the train to Susukino Station to get ready for Sapporo’s famous “lamb” BBQ.

16:15 Genghis Khan Daruma Main Store Start Eating

• Ordered two signature dishes, one regular meat, steamed rice, and draft beer (large size… a bit too big).

• The meat was very delicious, with no gamey taste at all, and the texture was very tender.

• Eating this much costs about 700 TWD per person.

The restaurant is small, but there are other branches nearby. By the time we finished eating around 5:00 PM, there were already many people waiting outside.

17:00 Susukino Station Intersection

After eating, I slowly walked back to Odori Station, intending to visit the Sapporo TV Tower. On the way, I passed by Sapporo’s most famous crossroads.

17:15 Stop by Tanukikoji to browse Gachapon and Don Quijote shops 狸小路順便逛逛扭蛋、唐吉訶德

Here is a whole MEGA building of Don Quijote.

17:41 Sapporo TV Tower

18:30 Sapporo TV Tower Night View

Stayed at Sapporo Tower until about 18:30 and came down after enjoying the night view.

You can also collect stamps while gathering postcards.

18:40 PARCO Sapporo Shopping

Right outside the TV Tower, the next intersection leads to Parco Sapporo store. Let’s go shopping.

20:30 Buy convenience store late-night snacks and return to the hotel to rest

Dinner was eaten early, so I had to eat more for a late-night snack; I bought convenience store instant noodles, skewers, fried chicken, and strawberry fruit wine (very tasty) along with Hokkaido The Sapporo Bar Story collaboration whiskey chocolate ice cream (it really has an alcoholic flavor and is quite delicious).

Day 3 (03/17 Tue) — Jozankei Onsen Street, Sapporo City Attractions

09:30 Leave the house

Buy a McDonald’s breakfast to eat in the car.

10:00 Board at Sapporo Station to Otaru Station

The result was a local train, very crowded with no seats available, making it impossible to eat on the train.

10:42 Arrive at Otaru Station

You can tell many people have come to Otaru by looking at the crowd.

10:45 Otaru Station

Exit Otaru Station from the front, cross the street, and the bus stop is on the right. Wait directly at platform 3 for the 10 Otaru Aquarium Line:

Image source: Google Map - K T (torute)

• 10 Otaru Aquarium Line: It is almost direct and takes about 20 minutes to reach Otaru Aquarium.

• 11 Shukutsu Line: Not direct, also takes about 30 minutes.

11:10 Arrive at Otaru Aquarium

Simply show the online purchased 【Official Sale】Hokkaido Otaru Aquarium Ticket (Instant Use/Valid Within 30 Days After Purchase) QR Code at the counter to enter directly.

Otaru Aquarium Custom Map

• The Ferris wheel is closed during winter. It is outside the aquarium area and needs a separate ticket.

• Although Otaru Aquarium is small, it has a rich variety of species and is well maintained; there are many shows, making the overall experience quite good.

• The red line marks the penguin walking route

Opening hours vary by season. Please refer to the official website.

After entering, turn right and go down — Marine Mammal Park

There is only an escalator going uphill here; the downhill is quite shaky.

All outdoor performances are here:

• Seal Show: Started performing at 11:20 when I arrived

• Sea Lion Show (Giant Sea Lion): 11:40

• Penguin Picnic: 12:00

• Penguin activity: Not seen

• Walrus Feeding Explanation: Not seen

11:40 Hokkaido Lion Show

Arrived early and stood in the front row, the Hokkaido sea lion is really huge!

Seal

After watching the show, next door is the seal pool, where each seal looks very relaxed.

You can buy fish to feed and interact with the seals and sea lions, but it’s limited and some pools do not allow feeding, so please check the signs.

12:00 Penguin Walk

The complete route is shown by the red line in the above image, ending at the penguin pool for a bubble bath.

After watching the seals, I went to the penguin walking route. There is a white line on the floor; stand outside the line and wait for the penguins to pass by. I stood at the corner here (the spot where the person is in the photo above).

It’s a little penguin, somewhat like the Nankan penguin.

Eventually, you will reach the penguin pool to soak in the water:

Also check out other indoor animals: (seals, walruses)

After watching, move towards the Dolphin Pavilion:

Outside the dolphinarium, there is also a small penguin pool:

12:40 Nankai Sea Lion + Dolphin Show

After finishing, return to the main building to visit the marine life in the city:

The species are also quite diverse.

Japan’s Oldest Asian Small-Clawed Otter:

This otter is quite old and moves slowly and unsteadily, so please do not disturb it as it enjoys its twilight years.

After visiting the souvenir shop, we returned to the bus stop where we arrived to wait for the bus.

14:00 Take the bus back to Otaru Station

14:20 Return to Otaru Station

Walk along Ekimae Odori Avenue towards Otaru Canal.

Near the end of the street, you can see the LeTAO Canal Store:

Here, they sell souvenirs as well as ice cream desserts, ready-to-eat foods, and a café ルタオ小樽運河店 三番庫カフェ .

The cookies were quite tasty, but the other tin box with dried strawberry chocolate was a bit too sweet.

14:40 LeTAO Otaru Canal Store Third Warehouse Cafe Lunch

Randomly ordered a pasta dish to fill up, plus a dessert set (the cake was delicious).

16:00 Stroll along Otaru Canal

After eating, continue walking to the Otaru Canal and stroll along it, heading towards the Otaru Steam Clock.

There are many small shops, souvenir stores, and glassware shops near the Otaru Steam Clock.

Bought many cookie souvenirs here, especially Rokkatei, which can only be found in Hokkaido.

Must-buy at Rokkatei — Rum cookies (short shelf life, taste better chilled), liqueur chocolates (contain real alcohol)

There is a Kitaichi Glass Outlet on the way that sells Hokkaido local sake and offers free tastings.

Bought a bottle of muskmelon liqueur to take home.

Thick texture with cantaloupe pulp and a strong cantaloupe flavor. It’s better to add ice cubes and soda water for drinking.

17:10 Walk to the end of the street to Otaru Steam Clock

It’s approaching evening, so we started heading back.

18:10 Return to Otaru Station

Missed the 18:00 express bus from the airport to Sapporo, so I took a random slower bus back.

19:00 Return to Sapporo Station

19:30 Savoy Sapporo Station Kitaguchi Hokkaido Soup Curry

There is a highly rated soup curry place near the hotel that offers takeout (perfect for when you’re too tired). Bought it back to the hotel to eat.

The ingredients are very fresh, and the curry flavor does not overpower them. It is light and delicious.

Late night snack was a convenience store hot dog + cantaloupe liqueur (pretty good) + Yakult 1000 reduced sugar version, to replenish probiotics (actually drink it every day, just too lazy to take photos).

Day 4 (03/18 Wed) — KKday Hokkaido Illumination Tour ｜ Furano Fairy Platform & Biei Blue Pond & Shirogane Waterfall One-Day Tour ｜ Departure from Sapporo

We chose the Relaxed 11:50 Departure Plan B, but the return will be quite late, expected to arrive back at Sapporo Odori Station at 21:40.

Meeting point: Odori Subway Station Exit 31. You will receive a pre-trip notification email the day before with the contact details of the guide/driver.

• 11:50 is the departure time, please arrive by 11:40

• 11:50 is the departure time, please arrive by 11:40

• 11:50 is the departure time, please arrive by 11:40

10:00 Leave for Odori Station

10:30 Head to the nearby Komeda’s Coffee Odori Nishi 2-chome Branch for breakfast

• Order a drink and get a free meal bun + a la carte fried shrimp burger

Because the journey is long, I wanted to conserve more energy.

Around 11:30 Arrive at Odori Subway Station Exit 31 and wait for the bus at the park

The day tour almost always gathers around this park area. Make sure to confirm with the guide that you are in the correct group, or you might get on the wrong bus.

11:40 The driver appears, board the vehicle

Last time, I joined a large group tour with a bus driver and guide for the “KKDAY Takachiho One-Day Tour: Takachiho Shrine, Takachiho Gorge, Amano-Iwato Shrine, Amano-Yasugawara.” This time, I joined a small group of six people with only a driver-guide. The advantage is that fewer people make moving around faster.

First, the highway, then entering the mountain road deep in the forest—it’s really quite far.

Travel time to the first attraction: about 1 hour 50 minutes.

13:30 Furano Forest Elf Terrace - Daytime

There is a tourist center here with restrooms, and right behind it is the Furano Ski Resort.

Furano Forest Elf Terrace is a wooden boardwalk in the forest, featuring many small cabins selling handmade goods. The area is small and takes less than 10 minutes to walk around; in winter, you can see snowy scenery during the day and illuminated night views in the evening.

Photography is prohibited both at the store entrance and inside.

Bought a wooden crescent moon handmade souvenir

Since we arrived early, we stayed here for 50 minutes.

14:20 Depart for ハーブガーデン富良野 (HERB GARDEN FURANO)

Drive time: about 30 minutes.

Rest stop (shopping station) itinerary, no forced sales, the ice cream inside is delicious!

Stay for about 30 minutes.

15:40 Arrive at Biei Station

Biei Station Very small and quite quiet nearby, mainly for taking photos, using the restroom, and buying some food nearby to take on the road for dinner.

There is a 7–11 and a bakery nearby to choose from.

Bought a bread and convenience store ready-to-eat meal for dinner on the road.

Stay for about 50 minutes.

16:30 Depart for Biei Christmas Tree

About a 10-minute drive, roadside attraction.

16:40 Arrive at Biei Christmas Tree

Each season offers different scenery. Today features a snowy landscape with the sunset faintly visible.

Stay for about 20 minutes.

17:00 Depart for Shirahige Falls

About a 30-minute drive, a bridge sightseeing spot.

17:30 Arrive at Shirahige Waterfall

Looking down from this pedestrian iron bridge, you can see the frozen Shirohige Waterfall.

Stay for about 20 minutes.

As evening approaches, the weather is cold; the bridge surface is icy, so walk carefully.

17:50 Depart for Shirogane Blue Pond

About a 5-minute drive.

17:55 Arrive at the last attraction Shirogane Blue Pond

Stay for about 30 minutes, there is a visitor center restroom.

Walk up from the parking lot to see the Blue Pond.

is a tranquil spot where the frozen, silent pond reveals a hint of life through shifting light and shadow.

18:30 Return Odori Subway Station Exit 31

Travel time: About 2 hours and 30 minutes, with a rest stop around 20:00 for everyone to use the restroom.

20:55 Arrive at Odori Subway Station Exit 31

Overall, it was similar to my previous experience with “KKDAY Takachiho One-Day Tour: Takachiho Shrine, Takachiho Gorge, Amano-Iwato Shrine, Amano-Yasukawara”: it was mostly a quick bus tour. Visiting these spots on your own is quite troublesome since the route is half highway and half mountain roads through unpopulated areas (it feels like there could be many bears). This time, with a small group and a driver speeding, we returned to the city earlier than expected.

21:30 Return to Sapporo Station

After walking around near Odori Station, I headed back to Sapporo Station. Most of the food places were already closed.

Sapporo Tsunagu Yokomachi

I checked and found there was a night market near the station still open, so I walked over to take a look. Anything would do, just to grab a bite.

Randomly picked a place with grilled skewers (mainly grilled eel) to start with a little.

This place is only open until March. I originally wanted to eat chicken wings but ended up choosing the wrong restaurant.

22:30 Return to the hotel

Still a bit hungry after eating, went to a nearby convenience store to buy some late-night snacks to eat back at the accommodation.

Seicomart sells some items that Lawson, 7-Eleven, and FamilyMart do not have.

Day 5 (03/19 Thu) — Shopping and Hokkaido Shrine

10:00 Head out for breakfast at McDonald’s

• McGriddles Pancake Sandwich (not sold in Taiwan) — Bacon, cheese, and egg with a sweet and salty honey flavor

• Strawberry Cheesecake Pie (later also sold in Taiwan) — strawberry jam + cheese

10:00 Odori and Tanukikoji continue browsing capsule toys and shopping at Don Quijote

There’s not much to shop at Sapporo Station; there are more things to explore here.

Twisted a fire alarm and some interesting capsule toys.

13:30 Return to Sapporo Station hotel to drop off items, continue shopping and eating at department stores

For lunch, I casually had chirashi sushi and soba noodles from the department store.

LE LABO Le Labo Sapporo Daimaru Store

Quick glance at Le Labo 2026 / Sapporo purchase prices:

• 50ml ¥31,350 same as 2025 Tokyo price

Shopping and strolling, then depart around 15:00 to Hokkaido Shrine.

From Sapporo, take the Namboku Line to Odori Station, then transfer to the Tozai Line to Maruyama Koen Station. The ride takes about 30 minutes.

15:40 Arrive at Maruyama Park Station

If you go early, you can first take a seat at the nearby famous Hokkaido seafood conveyor belt sushi Toriton .

Exit Maruyama Park Station at Exit 3 and walk straight towards the park; Hokkaido Shrine is inside.

Distance: about 850 meters / 15 minutes

Just cross the street, and you’ll reach the park entrance:

When you arrange to meet a friend at Maruyama…

Me: Maruyama Park 💁

First, walk through Maruyama Park (there is still a lot of snow here), and you will see the entrance to the shrine torii gate:

15:50 Jingu Chaya

Continue walking and you will pass Jingu Chaya. First, have some Hokkaido milk ice cream.

Rich and delicious.

No eating inside the shrine grounds; finish eating at the teahouse before leaving.

16:15 Hokkaido Shrine

Worship: Throw a 5 yen coin (symbolizing connection) -> Bow twice -> Clap twice -> Make a wish -> Finish with one bow

Bought two omamori (charms). The special one is the traffic safety charm, which can be hung inside a car and comes with a sticker that can be placed on a motorcycle, bicycle, or helmet.

16:30 Leave Hokkaido Shrine

Walking slowly back from the shrine and park to the subway station, getting ready to have dinner near Sapporo Station.

17:20 Passing by Sapporo Hokkaido Government Office Red Brick Building

Just passing by, mainly heading to Sapporo Mitsui next door for yakiniku:

17:30 Yakiniku Bar Tamura Yakiniku (Grilled Meat)

Let’s try Hokkaido Wagyu beef.

Ordered Hokkaido beef set + salad + beer + drink + cold noodles, total about NT$3,100; the wagyu is fatty and melts in your mouth, the steak is also very good, but the most impressive is the beef tongue, which is very chewy and tasty.

19:00 Sapporo Tokyu Department Store

After eating, head to the last stop, Tokyu Department Store.

There are also toys and capsule toys upstairs.

20:00 Return to Sapporo Station

The department store is about to close, so let’s take one last look around.

Sapporo Station — Sandwich Workshop Sandria

On the way back to the hotel, I bought sandwiches from a vending machine near the JR station that always had many people lining up every day.

Limited to two per person. I bought one pork cutlet for a late-night snack and a potato egg salad for tomorrow’s breakfast.

22:30 Last Night’s Late-Night Snack in Sapporo

Had strawberry wine and Hokkaido milk ice cream on the first day.

Day 6 (03/20 Fri) — New Chitose Airport, Return Trip

10:00 Wake up and have breakfast in the room

After eating and packing up, we checked out and headed straight to the airport.

11:05 Waiting for the bus at Sapporo Station

11:19 Take the train from Sapporo Station to New Chitose Airport

Rapid Airport 68 Rapid New Chitose Airport, 38 minutes

12:00 Arrive at New Chitose Airport

JR New Chitose Airport, Domestic Terminal Lobby

Take the subway up to the 1st floor lobby where there are many food options and souvenirs. If you haven’t bought enough, you can shop here as well.

Heading back… retracing the route from the way here

12:17 Arrive at the International Terminal Lobby

Assigned to the check-in counter at the far edge, and you have to walk 165 meters to reach:

Hokkaido Bird: Long-tailed Tit (Aegithalos caudatus):

12:22 Arrived at the check-in counter

There were many people on-site, and fewer used online check-in. Therefore, be sure to complete seat selection and online check-in at least three days before the return trip to save queuing time.

There is also a Don Quijote store here for last-minute shopping before check-in:

13:03 Check-in and luggage drop-off completed

13:17 Completed security check and immigration inspection

Airport security in Japan is stricter; if you wear boots, you must take them off for the X-ray.

13:20 Browse While Waiting for the Flight

There is a food street where you can eat. I only bought some bread, fried chicken, and melon ice cream as snacks.

The first floor has a whole row of souvenir shops where you can buy almost anything; however, there are fewer boutique stores.

There are also some souvenirs on the second floor.

14:30 Completed boarding

Same as the flight there, it’s a new Airbus plane with spacious seats and updated entertainment facilities.

15:00 Departure, Goodbye — Sapporo

The airplane meal was just average:

18:15 Land at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport

19:15 Immigration + Baggage Claim, Head Home to Rest

This time, the luggage took forever to arrive…

Thank you for reading

Thank you for reading this far and experiencing the various sights of Hokkaido together. See you at the next destination!

Free WiFi Onboard

This flight offers full in-flight WiFi service from China Airlines, allowing you to message and chat with friends.

If you have AdGuard DNS or similar DNS ad-blocking services installed on your phone, you need to go to Settings -> General -> VPN & Device Management -> Restrictions & Proxy Servers -> DNS -> and change it back to Automatic.

Otherwise, you won’t be able to connect to the onboard WiFi.

Loot

• Sapporo Agricultural College (milk cookies) and grilled corn snacks (puffed) are also good.

Toys

• Twisted railroad crossing, signal lights, car keys, fire alarm, Don Quijote mascot, Japan team jersey

• Wooden handmade musical instrument bought at Furano Fairy Hill

For any questions or feedback, feel free to contact me.

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