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Hokkaido in Summer: Our 7-day Itinerary, Hotels & Road Trip Guide

July 29, 2026
Travel

Why Hokkaido in Summer? Discovering a Different Side Beyond the Snow

Besides the weather, we were surprised by how different Hokkaido feels without the snow - endless green landscape, colourful flower field, dramatic coastlines, and scenic countryside roads and attractions that are only accessible during the warmer months. *roadtrip is the way to go* And of course the amazing fresh seafood and dairy product!

We heard that many Japanese locals actually choose to travel to Hokkaido to escape the heat because major cities like Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto can be unbearably hot and humid. In contrast Hokkaido has cooler and more refreshing weather due to it's geography.

Winter and summer has completely different travelling style in Hokkaido, some attractions only accessible or best to visit from June - August. (We skipped some places because of this, thanks to our driver!)

After experiencing Hokkaido in summer for ourselves, and with helpful recommendations from our driver who knows the area well, we will be sharing our complete summer itinerary, route planning, must-visit places, and hotel stays.

Where we visited :
Sapporo → Sapporo City → Cape Kamui & Otaru → Furano & Biei → Sapporo Outskirts → Noboribetsu → Sapporo Airport

Accommodation

Throughout the week we stayed in 3 different accommodations, from modern city hotel to a spacious Airbnb and finally a traditional onsen ryokan.

July 14 - 16 : Sapporo

🏨 Hotel Emion Sapporo

Very strategic location, just a short walk from JR Sapporo Station. Makes exploring the city easy without needing a car. Everything is within walking distance - restaurant, shopping, metro stations.

Things To Note:

• Around 5–7 mins walk from Sapporo Station
• Convenience stores attached to the hotel at the lobby
• New and spacious
• Walking distance to Odori Park and Susukino
• Public Onsen
• Coin Laundry
• Good variety of breakfast and was super delicious too (Japanese + western)

Cost about ¥12,000 – ¥25,000 per night

Overall: very good 👍

📍Checkout On Google

July 16 - 19 : Sapporo

🏨 Airbnb in Toyohira Ward, Sapporo

We decided to booked an Airbnb just a little outside of the touristy area, Toyohira Ward is a quieter residential neighbourhood while still being conveniently connected to central Sapporo.

3 rooms in total, perfectly fit 8 of us.
Room 1 : 1 queen bed with attached bathroom
Room 2 : 3 single bed with attached bathroom
Room 3 : 4 single bed with attached bathroom

Things To Note:

• Ideal for big group and longer stays
• Spacious, comfortable and modern unit
• Washing machine
• Restaurants, convenience store, supermarket nearby

💰 Cost about ¥8,000 – ¥20,000 per night

Overall: very good 👍

📍Checkout On Airbnb

July 19 - 20 : Noboribetsu Onsen Town

🏨 Yumoto Noboribetsu

We wanted to end our trip with a traditional Japanese onsen experience, and Noboribetsu is one of Japan's most famous onsen town. This is one of the best stay we've stayed so far on our trip!

Things To Note:

• Large natural hot spring baths with different minerals / temperature (there's also a small outdoor bath)
• Traditional tatami bed style room (advise to book early, we booked quite late and got one of the smoking room)
• Walking distance to Hell Valley (Jigokudani)
• Traditional Kaiseki Dinner served in the room (highly recommend adding this!)
• Karaoke room (pay extra)

💰Cost about ¥25,000 – ¥50,000 per night (include dinner)

Overall: Love it!

📍Checkout On Google

Itinerary

We arrived late on 14th, so only started the tour on 15th.

🚗 July 15 : Sapporo City

Day 1 : Exploring Sapporo City & It's Iconic Landmarks

Most of the famous attractions like Odori Park, Historical Red Brick Building and Clock Tower were only walking distance from the hotel. The rest like Nijo Market, Susukino and Tanukikoji Shopping Street can also be reach via foot or the train. So we didn't need car service at all. But booking a car service is also convenient if you prefer.

The goal was checking out flowers at Odori Park. But on our way there we also passed by a few of the iconic landmarks.

1. Sapporo's largest shopping mall Sapporo Stellar Place & JR Tower for some quick shopping before heading to Odori Park. There were over 600 combined stores and has a direct connection from Sapporo Station.

2. Red Brick Building and Clock Tower . Don't miss these historical landmarks! They were free to visit as well.

Red Brick Building was built in 1888 during Meiji era. Used as government headquarters for decades, until it's turned into a cultural heritage site now. If you're not a big fans of history, go for the gardens, shops and cafes nearby. When we were there there were many food trucks selling coffee, donuts, and other snacks, it was super nice walking around the compound while enjoying a coffee.

Only a 5min away, we reached the Clock Tower. Built around 1878, it's one of the oldest building in Sapporo. The clock was installed in 1881, imported from US, and has been ticking ever since. The tower introduced western-style education to Hokkaido during Meiji era.

Another 5-7 min away, we arrived at Odori Park . The colourful flowers immediately caught our attention. It was so beautiful, best place for a relaxing walk and rest.

We were surprised by how big the park actually is, it's approximately 1.5km stretching from the northern to the southern districts of the city. Best part is you also got the most beautiful view of Sapporo TV Tower too!

Then we make our way to Nijo Market for lunch. One of Sapporo oldest seafood market serving a variety of fresh locally caught seafood.

This market was smaller compared to Tokyo's Tsukiji Market. And by the time were arrived most of the shops were closing. So we eventually settled on Donburi Chaya The food was good, but we wished the portion was bigger though.

📍Checkout Link On Google

After lunch we walked to Tanukikoji Shopping Street and Susukino .

Tanukikoji Shopping Street is one of Hokkaido's oldest shopping arcades. There's more than 200 shops, restaurants, and cafés.

Then we head to Susukino, Hokkaido's largest entertainment district and one of Japan's best-known nightlife areas, think of Tokyo's Shinjuku Kabukicho or Osaka's Dotonbori. And don't miss taking a picture with Nikka Whisky "King of Blenders" billboard!

When in Hokkaido there's 2 things you need to try - aside from seafood, it's their dairy product. We found Queen's Soft Cream Cafe just nearby, and they serve a variety of flavour too. Try their dairy with melon one!

📍Checkout Link On Google

🚗 July 16 : Sapporo - Cape Kamui - Otaru

Day 2 : Discovering Hokkaido’s dramatic coastline, scenic views & charming port town

Cape Kamui wasn't on our original itinerary, it was recommended by our driver. It ended up being one of the highlights of our Hokkaido trip, and we're so glad we didn't miss it. It was absolutely breathtaking! My 4 y/o absolutely loved it. We recommend visit during the warmer months when the hiking trail is open. While the cape isn't exclusive to summer, winter weather might restrict the access to the trail.

📌 Approximately 2 hr 30 min drive from Sapporo. Recommend to prepare some snacks as there's not much restaurants along the way

Otaru Sakaimachi was much hotter than we expected in summer. Although we enjoyed exploring the town, we think Otaru is one of those places that's even more beautiful in winter. Nevertheless we still enjoyed checking out the shops and alley. Tried Butter Corn Ramen at Ramen Misora . We were super hungry after the hike.

📍Checkout Link On Google

Don't miss glass making workshop, we arrived late and unable to join (last appointment usually before 5pm). It's kid's friendly too!

🚗 July 17 : Sapporo - Farm Tomita - Shirogane Blue Pond + Shirahige Waterfall + Ningle Terrace

Day 3 : Chasing summer flower fields, colourful landscapes & nature spots

Farm Tomita is Hokkaido's most famous flower farm. It's famous for being one of the first lavender fields in Furano. Another hot day, but the flowers were breathtaking, super colourful. Because it was so hot everyone was hiding from the sun, perfect excuse to try their Lavender + Melon soft serve. Visit early in the morning or later in the afternoon if possible to avoid the midday sun.

📌 Lavender fields (peak bloom: mid to late July)

Heading towards Biei we arrived at Shirogane Blue Pond . Famous for its unique colouration. Depending on the weather and the season the aluminum-rich volcanic minerals can change the water from tiffany blue to a deep green turquoise. We didn't stay too long there as there were too many people gathering for pictures.

Shirogane Waterfall or "White Beard Waterfall", the streams flows through the rocks looks like an old man's white beard. While it isn't as grand or powerful as some of Japan's more famous waterfalls, but it's worth stopping by since it's only a few min drive from the blue pond.

Ningle Terrace this is a charming shopping village created by the New Furano Prince Hotel. The name "Ningle" comes from a character in the stories of Japanese author Sō Kuramoto, a tiny forest elves believed to live quietly in the woods. We recommend coming in the evening where the lights create a more magical feel.

The drive was 2 hours back to Sapporo. Overall it was a 4-5 hours driving, so we were pretty exhausted for the day.

🚗 July 18 : Shiroi Koibito Park - Hill of the Buddha - Mt. Moiwa Ropeway

Day 4 : Exploring unique architecture, chocolate factory & peaceful spiritual landmarks

We visited Hokkaido's famous butter cookie theme park Shiroi Koibito Park the whole design was very european inspired. - beautiful gardens, chocolate-themed attractions, cafés, and a factory where visitors can watch the cookie-making process.The factory was under renovation so we didn't get to check it out. But we thoroughly enjoyed our time there despite light rain. Recommend to spend 2-3 hours here if you also want to do some shopping.

Hill of the Buddha was simply magnificent. Highly recommend to visit. It is located within Makomanai Takino Cemetery. The statue was completed in 2015, the Hill of the Buddha was designed by world-renowned Japanese architect Tadao Ando. Instead of displaying the statue in the open, Ando designed a circular hill covered with around 150,000 lavender plants, leaving only the Buddha's head visible from outside. We paid extra to visit the lavender field, and it was worth it despite the rain. Somehow it made the place feel even more peaceful and serene.

Due to the rain we weren't able to catch Mt. Moiwa Ropeway to see the view of Sapporo city. So we asked the driver to dropped us off at Tanukikoji Shopping Street again, a free and easy evening to end the day.

🚗 July 19 : Lake Shikotsu - Noboribetsu Date Jidaimura - Noboribetsu Onsen

Day 5 : From crystal-clear lakes to Edo-era culture & relaxing onsen experience

Lake Shikotsu is Japan's second-deepest lake, with a maximum depth of 363 metres.Because of its depth, the lake rarely freezes completely, even during Hokkaido's harsh winters. It was another rainy day, so we didn't manage to see the clear view of the lake. But it was nice for a morning stroll.

Heading to Noboribetsu Date Jidaimura we were surprised how much fun we had here.This is a historical theme park that recreates a town from Japan's Edo Period (1603–1868), they have many show, performances and Ninja maze. We only caught 1 show, and had to leave due to the sudden rain. Otherwise we would've spent 2-3 hours here. Super entertaining for both kids and adults. I think we had more fun than my 4 y/o in the end.

After checking into our ryokan in Noboribetsu Onsen Town , we spent the evening relaxing and soaking in the onsen before dinner was served in our room. After dinner we went to the town for a walk, and then ended the night with a karaoke in our hotel. Super fun yet relaxing way to end the day.

🚗 July 20 : Jigokudani (Hell Valley) - Lake Toya - Lake Hill Farm - New Chitose Airport

Last Day : Exploring volcanic landscapes, scenic lakes & Hokkaido’s famous dairy treats

One of the best things about staying in Noboribetsu Onsen is that Hell Valley is within walking distance., a famous attraction and the source of the town's renowned hot springs. After that we went back to the hotel for a last onsen, then checked out.

Our flight was at the evening, so the driver recommended 2 places before driving us to New Chitose Airport. Lake Toya created by volcanic eruptions approximately 110,000 years ago, the lake is known for its calm waters and the four forested islands - Nakajima Islands that sit at its centre. We did some last minute shopping there and had our lunch.

Only a few minutes a way we arrived at Lake Hill Farm a popular dairy farm and café near Lake Toya, surrounded by blooming flowers, it was a nice place to hang out before we head to the airport.

🚗 Why We Chose a Private Car Service

Many people thought it's easier if they can use public transport or self-drive in Hokkaido. Unlike Tokyo or Osaka, Hokkaido is very big, and most of the attraction is very far apart. Public transport is less reliable, so we still prefer booking a private car service with Hippo Travel who handled most of our Japan trip.

💡 Local Recommendations We Wouldn't Have Found Ourselves
Some of our favourite places, including Cape Kamui and Lake Hill Farm, weren't even part of our original itinerary. Based on the season, weather, and our travel route, our driver recommended adding these stops

💡 Flexible Itinerary
Unlike joining a fixed tour, having a private driver meant we could adjust our plans as we went, even on the day itself. Let's say; If the weather wasn't suitable for an outdoor attraction, we could easily switch to another destination. Or if we finished exploring earlier than expected, we could make an extra stop nearby. Or if we needed to make some stops at convenience store or toilet during long drive Definitely make the whole trip more relax.

💡 Learning About Hokkaido
Throughout the journey, our driver shared interesting stories about Hokkaido's history, local culture, and fun facts that we wouldn't have learned otherwise.

🚙 Licensed Private Car Booking
📍 Custom Itinerary Planning
🏨 Hotel Arrangement
📌 Restaurant and Ticket Reservation

📍Hippo Travel Japan IG
📍Hippo Travel Japan Website

Hokkaido is truly underrated during summer, we hope through this blog many people will realize how it's also a perfect summer spot to travel to. Thank you for being here, I'll share more about trips like this in the future. Follow along if you're interested in content like this! See you again 🙂

Coming Soon! Follow our adventure 😊

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