[Japan 2025] Spring in Hokkaido [6 days in Sapporo, Furano, Lake Toya, Tomakomai]
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Hokkaido in April/May is the place to experience a 4-in-1 season!
❄️Snow & Sakura altogether + a lesser crowd of tourists - a dream come true!🌸
It's also the best season to drive carefreely without the treacherous snowy roads, while still being able to enjoy the snow!
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~ Quick menu ~
🚗Attractions + 🍽️Restaurants/Cafes
Hostel, Hotel, Ryokan & Airbnb
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Sapporo - Furano - Lake Toya - Chitose - Tomakomai
Quick location pins below for each day's itinerary
(click to Google Maps for your easy bookmark)
Day 1 - Sapporo
Day 2 - Sapporo
Day 3 - Sapporo / Furano
Day 4 - Furano
Day 5 - Furano / Chitose / Lake Toya
Day 6 - Lake Toya / Tomakomai
Day 7 - Chitose Airport
See below for the detailed itinerary~
Day 1 - Sapporo
4:00 pm
Landed at Chitose airport & train to Sapporo
Check in hotel @ plat hostel keikyu sapporo ichiba
6:00 pm
Dinner - soup curry @ Dashi Soup Curry おだし食堂はなれ 札幌二条市場大通公園店
It's tasty for sure, but quite pricey! Understandable as they're using top-quality ingredients, but to be honest my dull tongue can't really taste the difference - personally I found the other soup curry spots are equally tasty with lower price.
8:00 pm
Night sakura viewing @ Odori Park & Sapporo TV tower
So excited for my first sakura viewing in my lifetime!!
Day 2 - Sapporo
10:00 am
Hanami (sakura flower viewing) @ Nakajima Park
We came on the full bloom day according to the official Japan cherry blossom forecast!
Hoheikan, the eye-catching blue historical western-style building established since the Meiji era.
Pink reflection on the lake.
Free advertisement shot for Premiere Hotel XD
It's my first time seeing a Heron! (other than from the Ghibli movie XD)
There are so many photoshoots happening around including wedding/cosplay shoots. With the full bloom + sunshine, it's definitely the best day for hanami!
12:00pm
Sapporo TV tower
This is where we took the shuttle bus to our next stop - Sapporo Beer Museum.
Evidence of the bus was late XD
12:45pm
It's our first time really visiting the museum (last time it was closed for renovation). It's quite informative with many exhibits. We enjoyed the half-hour tour although we're not very studious visitors, the heritage red brick building comes with a unique atmosphere, making it a nice date spot.
Beer tasting (or rather feasting XD) @ Sapporo Beer Garden
The highlight of the tour (for us)~ We got ourselves the tasting flight of 3 pints of Sapporo beer + pairing cheese.
2:00pm
Lunch @ Sapporo Garden Grill
We walked in without a reservation, and this is the easiest one to get a seat. We registered at the reception and our name was called earlier than the estimated waiting time (1.5 hours) - it's easy to kill time around the area anyway. According to the staff, this is the option with the tastiest meat and the best price value.
We kept bombarding the staff with arigados as she led us to this heavenly window seat.
Enjoying the Genghis Khan lamb BBQ with the Sakura view.
"Sapporo Five Star", the limited blend that you could only get it here!
3:30 pm
We took a 1-hour bus there with a false hope for sakura (according to Google it's one of the best spots for hanami in Sapporo...) to be stuck with zero sakura and 100% wind and rain. It's actually quite a fun park for picnic/lying down on grass - on a sunny, bright, warm, clear day of course...
6:00 pm
Dinner @ 麺屋 竹蔵-TAKEZO- すすきの店
Instead of the famous Ramen Yokocho, we decided to give this a try since the rating is quite high on Tabelog and it doesn't need to queue given its location in a shopping mall food court. We ordered the Sapporo-style butter corn miso ramen and seared scallop ramen - both were good!
The food presentation is very elegant. Love the unique shape of bowls that looks like a sake cup.
8:00 pm
Night stroll @ Susukino
Late-night supper @ Mister Donut Susukino
Originally I wanted to get fancy parfaits but we joined the local crowd to queue for donuts instead. Almost every donut is less than 100 yen! I can understand why is it so popular now.
My favourite is Pon De Ring and I'd probably order 3 for myself next time.
Day 3 - Sapporo & Furano
9:00 am
Coffee @ Mermaid Coffee Roaster
Very polite staff who would walk you out to send you off. The coffee was nice, great selection - you could taste samples of different beans before ordering too!
10:00 am
Check out hotel
Rental car pick up @ OTS Chitose Airport
12:00 pm
Lunch @ Soup Curry Chutta (Ebetsu branch)
We queued by sitting on a bench outside the store for a bit since it's a small, homely shop with limited space and seems to be popular among the locals. Only 2 diligent staff working here - they were super busy and we waited for a while for ordering and starved for 15-20 mins before the food was served. The food is worth the wait though - so so so delicious! The signature meal of this shop is something rare to see outside - soup curry with cheese hamburg!!! I'm always a big fan of the hamburg + rice at Saizeriya - think it's a premium version haha (Sorry not sorry for comparing this to Saizeriya XD)
2:00 pm
We picked 2 indoor spots in the rainy weather~
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The Gelato flavours were quite interesting. We got Asparagus gelato out of curiosity and felt bad for not being able to finish it...it's indeed a very interesting taste XD
5:00 pm
Check in @ La Vista
Soaking in the hot onsen after a long, rainy day is the best! *´︶`*
Day 4 - Furano
9:00 am
Coffee @ RONIN coffee
We think the coffee was okay. A cozy cafe with a nice architectural design/view. A tip for visiting - free parking is at the hotel side.
11:00 am
Free outdoor public hot spring @ Fukiage Onsen
A spontaneous, last-min trip that was the highlight of the day!
We discovered this place through Google map at the cafe - outdoor, public mixed-gender onsen in the mountain? It's like a rare pokemon and can't believe it's so close by! After finishing our coffee, we went back to our hotel to grab towels/swimsuit (not daring enough to go naked like the local OG XD) before heading up the mountain. We're lucky enough that the road closure reported on Google was false - it saved us like 30-40 mins worth of time!
I can't stop yapping about how magical I found this experience to be... It's SNOW in SPRING!!!!
Driving up the snowy mountain.
There's parking with a portable washroom at the entrance, then you'll need to take a snowy, slippery road down to the onsen - I was a bit scared with my high-heeled boots but I made it down safely (slowly)!
There are two onsen available. Both of them are REALLY boiling hot...it takes time for me to get used to the temperature even just for a footbath. But the local ojisan just went into the water without hesitation - guess it's a skill!
A smaller one that could fit possibly 4 people?
A bigger one. There's a resting area with a bench. No changing room, but only a wooden fence as a cover.
The road downhill is gorgeous too.
12:00 pm
Lunch & coffee @ kaneko coffee beans KCB Farmette
Scenic, rustic little farmhouse that offers tasty and affordable specialty coffee & super filling pulled pork meal.
Almost thought we went to the wrong place. You know this place is real when you see the tractor.
The upstairs window-side seats were all taken, so we chose the little diner-style sofa booth.
We recommend ordering 1 set for 2 people. It's a well-made, tender pulled pork with a generous portion - definitely needs to be shared...
The scenic surroundings, just a ride here is actually worth it.
2:00 pm
I think this is the only time we have seen that many tourists...
Also the only rare chance we need to pay for the parking, but zero entrance fees though - think of it as a maintenance fee for the management.
The pond is bigger than I expected, but you could probably finish taking photos/enjoying the scenery in 15 minutes.
A sign at the wrong road we took near the pond... Immediately U-turn XD
A good walk on the suspension bridge to enjoy the majestic view of the "White Beard" waterfall as well as the beautiful blue river.
3:00 pm
It's an unplanned rest stop. It was fun as a brief stop for fresh air.
Bought a postcard from a local artist. Need some imagination here since the lavender has not bloomed yet...🥲
Here insert a very Suzume scene, I could almost hear the bgm.
Quite a few photo spots come with a phone stand, easy to take photos without outside help!
I found the dated Ferris wheel was quite enjoyable despite the low maintenance😆 You can tell it's old with a mini radio playing the promotional song.
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Window view on the road.
4:00 pm
The Rollercoaster road and the en route are simply breathtaking.
Somehow I didn't know this famous spot until I found it in the tourist book at the cafe - feeling grateful!
It was funny with the sign of "NO STANDING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD". But honestly it's quite safe because almost no cars pass by at this hour, especially since it's low season now.
Greenery with the snowcapped mountain - what a scene!
Just stop by the roadside and you get this view.😎
5:00 pm
Dinner - curry rice & sausages @ Yuiga Doxon
"Rustic cottage with a terrace serving meat & vegetable curries, plus homemade sausages & beer."
7:00 pm
Wind down~
Day 5 - Furano & Chitose & Lake Toya (Toyako)
10:00 am
Check out hotel
11:00 am
Lunch @ Kaiten Sushi Topical
I didn't want to have seafood since Furana's in the inner part, not near the sea at all...There should be plenty of other places in Hokkaido famous for seafood...but we just couldn't resist our craving for sushi/sashimi!!! And this turned out to be a really fresh, affordable, local favourite sushi place - so satisfied!
1:00 pm
Hanami (sakura flower viewing) @ Kuriyama Park
We were a bit too early, but it's still nice to walk/drive around to some blooming sakura here and there.
We stumbled upon a Buddhist temple that has the prettiest sakura trees ever.
3:00 pm
Last-min pitstop @ The Bird Watching Cafe
It was a scenic drive through Chitose...
I suddenly recalled the Bird Watching Cafe we wanted to go last year (for a hunt of Shimaenaga) was in Chitose as well... Literally 5-min away when I searched on google map - time for a pit stop!
The window were sparkling clean.✨
It's such a cozy place for watching cute birds doing cute things.
I wished we had more time...
Not a season to spot Shimaenaga, but there are many birds and quite a few variety!
Cute themed dessert.
After taking a bite I only realised
"ah... this is actually the angle I should take..."
4:00 pm
Check in @ Kohantei
5:00pm
Sunset view at Lake Toya
6:00 pm
Buffet dinner
8:00pm
Lake Toya fireworks at the hotel's footbath :D
Day 6 - Lake Toya, Date & Tomakomai
8:00 am
Buffet breakfast
10:00 am
Check out the hotel & morning stroll at Lake Toya
It was a gloomy, windy day. A bit chilly but still a scenic lakeview walk.
A slightly eccentric (or artsy?) sakura tree.
Chilling under the sakura trees (at the backyard of another hotel XD)
It's actually my first time realising... ah of course, seagull could swim...
Saw a family having fun feeding seagulls. Even seagulls in Japan would queue....?!
10:30 am
Coffee @ 珈琲店25番地
A small coffee shop run by an old couple. Chatting with the owner couple and the regulars was fun. Friendly and knowledgeable specialty coffee craftman who has no mercy in dissing the other cafe 😂 500 yen for a cup of specialty coffee plus 3 cups of free tasting of other beans...this is just insane!
2nd round of Coffee @ 北舟岡珈琲焙煎所
Beautiful hidden spot for coffee/sea view/train view. The coffee was okay (a wide variety of selection so maybe we just got the wrong one) but the basque cheesecake was so good - the couple beside us ordered a second serving XD
The view on the way is insanely beautiful as well.
1:00 pm
Lunch - curry ramen @ Aji no Daio Sohonten
Recommended by the cafe regular as the must-eat specialty in Tomakomai.
3:00 pm
Was struggling whether to get on a 3-hour trip (two-way) just for one spot and so happy we did. To our first hanami! 🥂
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6:00 pm
Check in @ Airbnb
8:00 pm
Super welcoming vibe (brightly lit in a windy late night with many Japanese signs/flags screaming "come in!!!" like a kombini/family mart), polite and helpful staff, high rating on Google Maps, a Hokkaido home-grown brand (famous for frying the tonkatsu in copper pots - which you can watch it live!), and I think this was actually my first time having an actual Tonkatsu in Japan - perfect choice for our last dinner of this trip!
There were different grades of Tonkatsu. We chose a higher grade + the cheapest one. Both are tasty- crispy, juicy and thick!
Their signature sauce and pickles. Not a fan of pickles, but I enjoyed grinding my own sesame seed XD The sauce, cabbage and grated radish really help with clearing your palette before munching on the fried meat again XD
Day 7 - Tomakomai & Chitose
10:00 am
Check out, return the rental car and last-minute souvenir shopping @ Chitose Airport
Standing sushi bar at the airport @ 57 Ban Sushi
We queued for 1 hour... good that we have two people so we can split up/take turns to explore the surroundings.
Order via tablet - no language barrier!
Ordered the "top pick" appetizer, which turned out to be super salty. Perhaps it would have been a good pairing with alcohol, but unfortunately, we didn't order beer.
From the picture I thought it's a dark red fish and turned out to be anko (red bean)!!! XD
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Loved all my stays in Sapporo, Furano, Lake Toya & Tomakomai.
Below are the details for reference.
*****
🩵 Hostel in Sapporo
HK$540 for 2 nights (double room), so it's HK$135 per person/night
(photos from booking.com)
👍 Can't beat this price!
👍 Central location
Just a 2-minute walk to Nijo Market, plus a few mins to Tanuki Koji shopping street and Odori Park
👍 Well-designed to fully utilise the tiny space
Many storage spaces under the bed, cloth racks, night lights, lots of bedside power outlets
(photos from booking.com)
👍 Cozy common area
A cozy lobby lounge where I used my laptop while gazing out into the rainy streets.
(photos from booking.com)
👍 Modern, stylish and artsy design
I have zero complaints about this place, just some factual downsides for a fair comparison:
👎Small space
👎No bath, shower only
👎Need to take off shoes and change into slippers before taking the lift, so it was always a little messy/chaotic around the lift area
👎No freezer, my ice cream in the fridge melted the next morning 🥲
*****
🩵 4-star hotel in Furano
HK$1,380 for 2 nights (double room), so it's HK$345 per person/night
(photos from booking.com)
👍Value
For this price (low season) you hardly believe you could get a 4-star hotel with top-tier onsen like this...rooftop outdoor hot springs + 3 different private hot springs (at no extra cost!) This is definitely a place worth staying more than one night to thoroughly enjoy the hot spring/onsen.
👍Public onsen
I'm always a fan of outdoor onsen as you get double enjoyment - visually from the spectacular view + physically soaking in the warm water while your face can feel the chilly weather.
(photos from booking.com)
Also...maybe not for guys, but the women's bathing area has a shampoo bar and I really love the Kracie sea mineral collection...this is the only one that makes my hair REALLY silky. The horse-oil collection used to be my number one, but THIS IS BETTER (I also searched up the price, it's the highest among the others hahaha)
👍 Private Onsen
First-come, first-served. Every individual/group gets to use one room for 30 mins each time. Each room has its own special highlight.
My favourite is the Ashibetsu - the Hinoki woody scent is really calming. Yamabuki comes second with a tiny window to peek into the beautiful mountain/town view (they can't see us...right?). Shirakaba's tub is the deepest, the shape allows you to sit more comfortably... Is this ergonomically designed? XD
Ashibetsu
Yamabuki
Shirakaba
You could queue outside on the bench while the room is in use. Plenty of books to grab nearby to read while waiting.
👍 Relaxation room
Spacious, breathtaking mountain view, free massage chair and manga.
The massage chair feels like a space pod.
👍 Rooftop terrace
We were lucky to check out on the day they reopened the terrace (only in summer). Great panoramic view and a chance to catch a glimpse of the running train!
A good spot for post-onsen cool down, breezy day + hot coffee = 最高です！
👍 Freebieeeeeees
Huge plus point for cheapo like me~ 😇
Free, unlimited popsicle, yakult, coffee & midnight ramen!
👍Amazing service/amenities
Staff were helpful and polite. Free change of pillows as the default ones were too soft/flat for us. Free rental of wine glasses to enjoy our Furano wine! On top of free laundry (detergent included), we even rented a nail clipper...much needed since we were in our 2nd week...😅
Supermarket sushi wasn't the greatest, but it's cheap. Forgot to take photos but the Furano cheese was REALLY good and not pricey.
👍 Room tablet to indicate the crowd status of the onsen/laundry, very useful (not sure about the accuracy though).
👍Finally the room itself - nothing spectacular, but it's cozy and with a nice mountain view. It has a sofa and a coffee table as well. Complimentary welcome treat is a cute touch, but wonder why it isn't a local Furano product 😂
👍Free parking and a convenient location to explore Furano.
👎Just for nitpicking, I guess the only issue is the parking. If the nearest parking space is full, the others are rather far from the hotel, so expect a few mins walk. Suggest dropping off your luggage at the entrance before parking.
Who cares about the distance when it's such a scenic route?
*****
🩵 4-star hotel (Ryokan) in Lake Toya
HK$1,650 for 1 night (double room, inclusive of dinner & breakfast), so it's HK$825 per person/night
👍Price
Affordable price range in this touristic area.
👍Rooftop, outdoor public onsen with a gorgeous view of Mount Yotei.
(photos from booking.com - some reviews complained about inaccurate photo representation...do note that in most places men/women bathing areas switch daily for a change of view, so that's another reason to stay longer OR just visit both morning and night)
👍Tradtional ryokan experience
Tatami & futon, yukata & haori and Japanese-style interior.
👍Lake Toya is just outside the hotel
A few steps away, you can enjoy the famous, gorgeous fireworks on the lake. Even better - you can enjoy the outdoor footbath and fireworks together!
👍Buffet dinner & breakfast
Great variety of food!
Sseveral live food stations with chefs serving freshly made food. Love the steak the most!
Had fun with the DIY food like shaved ice and Genghis Khan mini hotpot.
Breakfast
Nice view
👍Room - super spacious with seating area.
👍Convenient access
Free parking OR paid shuttle bus available.
Again, no complaints, just some points for a fair comparison:
👎Don't expect intimate, high-end service/vibe, it could be quite crowded/noisy. It seems to be a popular choice for group tour tourists.
👎Yukata in different sizes are free for grab in the lobby so it might not be 100% hygienic.
👎Slightly dated (but clean!)
*****
🩵 AirBnb in Tomakomai
HK$600 for 1 night (double room), so it's HK$300 per person/night
👍Incredible experience.
You get a glimpse into a local resident's lifestyle, stay in an awesomely designed house, get to know and chat with the host and live in a nice neighbourhood.
(photo from airbnb - shared living room & dining area)
A warm-litted, welcoming living room at night
👍Cozy room, comfy futon - had a good night sleep!
We got to use the room beside us as a lounge since there's no other guest on that day - lucky!
👍Super cute and friendly dog - a big plus for dog lovers like us! I had so much fun playing with Nana-chan haha
👍Friendly host who even played a vinyl record and made coffee for us before we departed for our early flight.
👍Very clean, you can tell the host has a high standard in housekeeping.
👍Tomakomai is a good location for catching flight the next morning at Chitose Airport (30-min drive) and cheaper than staying in Chitose.
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Hokkaido is definitely a place that puts a spell on you so you would go back again and again.
Looking forward to my next trip in Hokkaido - probably the Northern or Eastern parts!
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