Hokkaido, self-drive

An 8-day Hokkaido self-drive covering Sapporo, Otaru, Cape Kamui, Yoichi, Lake Toya, Biei/Furano, Asahikawa and the trip home.

8 days / 7 nights
Self-drive
June 2026

An 8-day Hokkaido self-drive covering Sapporo, Otaru, Cape Kamui, Yoichi, Lake Toya, Biei/Furano, Asahikawa and the trip home.

Cape Kamui's gate can close in bad weather

Cape Kamui's gate closes on the day in strong wind or unsettled weather. After 1 June it's open 08:00–18:30 (last entry 17:30). Always check the Shakotan Tourism Association's same-day info before you set off (Day 3).

12026-06-23

Sapporo

Land at New Chitose, pick up the car and settle into the Airbnb, then a first Sapporo night — ramen, Odori Park and a late-night parfait.

Meeting time
07:00
Arrive at the airport, check in and have breakfast.
09:10FlightCX580 Hong Kong → New Chitose
Cathay PacificCX580HKG 09:10 → CTS 14:55
16:30Booked
Pick up car (Times Rent a Car)
Map
17:00DriveSet off for the Airbnb (take route E5)
48.9 km~55 min
Map Route
18:00Stay
Check in — Airbnb
12-chōme-1295-24 Minami 4 Jōnishi, Chuo Ward, Sapporo, Hokkaido 064-0804
Map
18:30Food & Market
Dinner — ramen
Ramen Gantetsu Yokocho
Map Sumitas Park, Minami 5-jō Nishi 5-chōme Trust Park Sapporo Susukino 5·2 (Cheapest) Susukino Round1 parking
19:30Sightseeing
Odori Park, Tanukikoji, Clock Tower
Map
21:00Food & Market
(Expect a queue) Late-night parfait option 1 — Parfait, Coffee, Sake, Sasaki
Map More info
(Expect a queue) Late-night parfait option 2 — Parfaiteria PaL
21:00
Info: https://yoru-parfait-gaku.com/parfait/shop-info/ Map: https://maps.app.goo.gl/mY8aW1Y2tnLrPCCP9
Late-night parfait option 3 — ice-cream bar (has alcohol)
21:00
Milk Mura Map: https://maps.app.goo.gl/exiFGQtDq4Z14G9m7
22:00Sightseeing
24hr supermarket
Map

22026-06-24

Sapporo + Otaru

A slow morning at the seafood market, a couple of shrines, Royce Chocolate Town and the beer museum, then sukiyaki before driving over to Otaru.

10:00
Meeting time
10:00Stay
Check out
10:00DriveDrive to the market
3.8 km~10 min
Map Route
10:15Food & Market
Sapporo Seafood Market / Crab Market
Market entrance If the entrance is full, park near here Crab Market Sapporo Seafood Market
11:30DriveSet off for Hokkaido Shrine
2.4 km~10 min
Map Route
11:40Sightseeing
Hokkaido Shrine
Stay around 1 hour
Map Entrance parking
12:30DriveDrive to the shrine
5.8 km~15 min
Map Route
12:45Sightseeing
Suwa Shrine
Map Shrine parking
13:00DriveSet off for Royce Chocolate Town
16.4 km~30 min
Map Route
14:00Sightseeing
Visit Royce Chocolate Town
Stay around 2 hours
Map
16:00DriveDrive to the Beer Museum
15.7 km~30 min
Map Route
16:30Sightseeing
Sapporo Beer Museum / Ario Sapporo mall (may not have time, may skip)
Park at the entrance Sapporo Beer Museum Ario Sapporo
17:00DriveDrive to Zen — sukiyaki (park at Marutomo Parking Lot)
3.1 km~10 min
Map Route
17:30Food & Market
Dinner — Zen, sukiyaki
Booked
Map Marutomo Parking Lot Tabelog
19:00DriveDrive to the Otaru Airbnb
39 km~60 min
Map Route
20:00Stay
Check in — Ancient Folk House HOKUSAI
4-chōme-2-1 Inaho Otaru, Hokkaido 047-0032
Map Airbnb booking link
20:30Sightseeing
Walk around the Otaru Canal / Otaru Music Box Hall
21:00Food & Market
Washoku Kitchen Mikami (izakaya) (if needed)
Closes at midnight
Map
21:00Sightseeing
Could hit a supermarket (about a 12-min drive)
Can buy stuff for the next morning's breakfast
Map

32026-06-25

Cape Kamui + Otaru

Early start out to Cape Kamui and the Shimamui coast for the walk and sea-urchin bowls, back to Otaru for the shopping street and the night view from Mt. Tengu.

07:45
Meeting time
Before setting off, always check the Shakotan Tourism Association's same-day info
07:45
After 1 June, Cape Kamui's gate is open 08:00-18:30, last entry 17:30. If the wind is strong or the weather is unsettled the gate closes for the day, so always check the Shakotan Tourism Association's same-day info before you set off.
07:45DriveDrive to Cape Kamui
66.8 km~75 min
Map Route
10:00Sightseeing
Walk around Cape Kamui
About 40 minutes round trip
11:00Food & Market
Lunch — Ushio or Misaki
Limited-time red bafun sea-urchin rice bowl Park outside
Misaki Ushio
12:00Food & Market
Kamui Banya — blue soft-serve ice cream (opens 11:20)
Map
12:10DriveDrive to Shimamui Coast
~20 min
Map Route
12:30Sightseeing
Walk around Shimamui Coast
From the Shimamui Coast parking lot, the coastal 'Shakotan Cape Nature Trail' lets you tour a series of lookout points. Doing all three viewpoints is about 4 km round trip, and some stretches are steep, so hiking gear is recommended. From the start it's about 15 minutes to the first viewpoint, the 'Shakotan Cape Lighthouse Lookout'. Another 30 minutes' walk reaches the 'Kasadomari Lookout'. From there another 15 minutes brings you to the final lookout at 'Jorokko Rock'.
More info
14:30DriveDrive to Otaru
~90 min
Route
16:30Sightseeing
Otaru Sakaimachi Shopping Street
Kitaichi Glass · LeTAO · Music Box Museum
Map LeTAO Main Store Kitaichi Glass Otaru Sakaimachi Shopping Street Music Box Museum
18:00DriveDrive to Mt. Tengu
9.6 km~17 min
Map Route
18:30Sightseeing
Up Mt. Tengu for the night view
Map Mt. Tengu parking
19:30Food & Market
Dinner option 1 — pork trotters
Map Airbnb
19:30Food & Market
Dinner option 2 — Wakadori Jidai
Map Airbnb
19:30Food & Market
Dinner option 3 — Otaru Yakiniku Sanshiro Main Store
Map ASAHI PARK Otaru Garden
19:30Food & Market
Dinner option 4 — Washoku Kitchen Mikami (izakaya)
Map ASAHI PARK Otaru Garden

42026-06-26

Yoichi + Lake Toya

Breakfast and the Nikka whisky distillery in Yoichi, then over to the Lake Toya resort for the onsen and the evening fireworks.

09:00
Meeting time
09:00Stay
Check out
Agoda booking link
09:00DriveDrive to Yoichi
~30 min
Route
09:30Food & Market
3Bird — breakfast
Map
10:20Booked
Nikka Whisky Yoichi Distillery
Reserved by David Must arrive 10 mins before the tour starts (starts 10:30)
Map Official website
12:00Food & Market
Lunch — grab-and-go in the car or eat in
Depends
Pan do coro Bakery Kakizaki Shoten supermarket, 1F Yoichi CoCo Crepe (French crêpes)
13:00DriveDrive to The Lake View Toya Nonokaze Resort
92.5 km~120 min
Map Route
15:30Stay
Check in — The Lake View Toya Nonokaze Resort
Arrive early and you can pick an earlier dinner slot
Map Agoda booking link Online write-up
17:00Food & Market
Hotel dinner (pick the earliest, or by 18:00 at the latest)
Map
20:30Booked
20:45 fireworks festival (see whether to take the boat?)
(~20 mins)
21:30Relax & Spa
Onsen time
Map

52026-06-27

Biei + Furano

A long drive up to the flower farms — Farm Tomita, Shikisai-no-Oka and the Blue Pond — then sushi and beer in Asahikawa.

10:00
Meeting time
07:30Food & Market
Hotel breakfast (10:00 check-out, eat as early as possible)
Map
10:00Stay
Check out
Airbnb booking link
10:00DriveDrive to Furano farm
~240 min
Map Route
11:30Food & Market
Lunch at the midpoint — TBC
14:30Sightseeing
Farm Tomita & Tomita Melon House
Stay around 1.5 hours
Farm Tomita Car Park Farm Tomita Tomita Melon House
16:00DriveDrive to Shikisai-no-Oka
16.4 km~20 min
Route Shikisainooka Parking Lot
16:20Sightseeing
Shikisai-no-Oka
Stay around 30 minutes
Shikisai-no-Oka
17:00DriveDrive to the Blue Pond
15.7 km~20 min
Map Route
17:30Sightseeing
Blue Pond
Stay around 15 minutes
Map Aoiike Parking Lot
17:45DriveDrive to Toriton conveyor-belt sushi
36.1 km~40 min
Map Route
18:20Food & Market
Dinner — Toriton conveyor-belt sushi
Asahikawa Genghis Khan (mutton BBQ) Daikokuya Asahikawa Gochome branch
Map Parking lot outside
19:30DriveDrive to the Airbnb
7.5 km~12 min
Map Route
19:45Stay
Check in — Home in Asahikawa
Map Airbnb booking link
20:00Food & Market
Yeasters (Freehouse The Yeast) (buy beer)
Map
22:00Sightseeing
MegaCenter TRIAL (24hr)
Map

62026-06-28

Mt. Asahidake + Asahikawa

Up Mt. Asahidake (or Ueno Farm) in the morning, ramen for lunch, then the zoo, some shopping and eel for dinner in Asahikawa.

08:00
Meeting time
08:00
Breakfast (buy breakfast ahead of time)
08:00DriveDrive to Mt. Asahidake
46.4 km~60 min
Map Route Parking lot
09:00Sightseeing
Option 1 — Mt. Asahidake — short hike — Sugatami Pond — Jigokudani (Hell Valley)
Around 1 hour walk
Map In-depth Hokkaido: ropeway across the high-altitude Asahidake volcano and the stunning Blue Pond
09:00Sightseeing
Option 2 — Ueno Farm (The Gnomes' Garden)
Stay around 1.5 hours
Map
10:00DriveDrive to lunch
47.1 km~70 min
Map Route
11:30Food & Market
Lunch — Ramen-ya Tenkin, Yojo branch (closes 8pm)
Park outside
Map
13:00Sightseeing
Asahikawa Asahiyama Zoo
Stay around 3 hours
Map
17:00Food & Market
Snack & dessert — 'napping chick' pudding
Map
17:30Sightseeing
Asahikawa Heiwadori Shopping Park
Map
18:30Food & Market
Dinner — Unagi Kadowaki
Eel
Map Nearby
20:00Sightseeing
AEON Mall (closes 10pm)
Map
22:00Food & Market
Late-night bite — grilled skewers (closes 2am)
Map Nearby

72026-06-29

Asahikawa + Sapporo

Breakfast and the design center in Asahikawa, the long drive back to the Mitsui Outlet, then check in at Susukino and soup curry for dinner.

09:30
Meeting time
10:00Stay
Check out
Agoda booking link
10:00Food & Market
Breakfast — rawlaw by voreas
Map
11:00Sightseeing
Asahikawa Design Center
Stay around 1.5 hours
Map
12:30DriveDrive to Mitsui Outlet Sapporo Kitahiroshima
150 km~120 min
Map Route
14:00Sightseeing
Mitsui Outlet Sapporo Kitahiroshima
Late lunch there & shopping
Map
17:00DriveDrive to FAV LUX Sapporo Susukino
15.7 km~30 min
Map Route
17:30Stay
Check in — FAV LUX Sapporo Susukino
Map Agoda booking link
19:00Sightseeing
Dinner — Soup Curry GARAKU
Map
20:00Sightseeing
Free time

82026-06-30

Sapporo

Check out, a last bit of shopping, then return the car and fly home on CX581.

10:00
Meeting time
10:00Stay
Check out of the hotel
Map
10:00Food & Market
Breakfast — TBC
11:00Shopping
Shopping
13:00DriveDrive to the airport
~60 min
Route
14:00Booked
14:00 return the cars
14:30Booked
Arrive at the airport
16:30FlightCX581 New Chitose → Hong Kong
Cathay PacificCX581CTS 16:05 → HKG 20:55

Pick up car (Times Rent a Car)

Check in — Airbnb

Dinner — ramen

Odori Park, Tanukikoji, Clock Tower

(Expect a queue) Late-night parfait option 1 — Parfait, Coffee, Sake, Sasaki

24hr supermarket

Check out

Sapporo Seafood Market / Crab Market

Hokkaido Shrine

Suwa Shrine

Visit Royce Chocolate Town

Sapporo Beer Museum / Ario Sapporo mall (may not have time, may skip)

Dinner — Zen, sukiyaki

Check in — Ancient Folk House HOKUSAI

Walk around the Otaru Canal / Otaru Music Box Hall

Washoku Kitchen Mikami (izakaya) (if needed)

Could hit a supermarket (about a 12-min drive)

Walk around Cape Kamui

Lunch — Ushio or Misaki

Kamui Banya — blue soft-serve ice cream (opens 11:20)

Walk around Shimamui Coast

Otaru Sakaimachi Shopping Street

Up Mt. Tengu for the night view

Dinner option 1 — pork trotters

Dinner option 2 — Wakadori Jidai

Dinner option 3 — Otaru Yakiniku Sanshiro Main Store

Dinner option 4 — Washoku Kitchen Mikami (izakaya)

Check out

3Bird — breakfast

Nikka Whisky Yoichi Distillery

Lunch — grab-and-go in the car or eat in

Check in — The Lake View Toya Nonokaze Resort

Hotel dinner (pick the earliest, or by 18:00 at the latest)

20:45 fireworks festival (see whether to take the boat?)

Onsen time

Hotel breakfast (10:00 check-out, eat as early as possible)

Check out

Lunch at the midpoint — TBC

Farm Tomita & Tomita Melon House

Shikisai-no-Oka

Blue Pond

Dinner — Toriton conveyor-belt sushi

Check in — Home in Asahikawa

Yeasters (Freehouse The Yeast) (buy beer)

MegaCenter TRIAL (24hr)

Option 1 — Mt. Asahidake — short hike — Sugatami Pond — Jigokudani (Hell Valley)

Option 2 — Ueno Farm (The Gnomes' Garden)

Lunch — Ramen-ya Tenkin, Yojo branch (closes 8pm)

Asahikawa Asahiyama Zoo

Snack & dessert — 'napping chick' pudding

Asahikawa Heiwadori Shopping Park

Dinner — Unagi Kadowaki

AEON Mall (closes 10pm)

Late-night bite — grilled skewers (closes 2am)

Check out

Breakfast — rawlaw by voreas

Asahikawa Design Center

Mitsui Outlet Sapporo Kitahiroshima

Check in — FAV LUX Sapporo Susukino

Dinner — Soup Curry GARAKU

Free time

Check out of the hotel

Breakfast — TBC

Shopping

14:00 return the cars

Arrive at the airport