Three days: where should you spend the middle day?
With two nights in Sapporo, visit Otaru Canal on day 2. With two nights in Hakodate, see the night view and Goryokaku on separate days. Choose your airport train or bus first on the final day, then use any remaining time for nearby sights.
Choose a 3 days, 2 nights itinerary
Stay in Sapporo and spend a day in Otaru
Visit Otaru Canal for a day without changing your Sapporo hotel. See the TV Tower in Sapporo on departure day.
Stay in Sapporo and spend a day in Otaru →3 days, 2 nights BHakodate harbour and Goryokaku
Stay two nights near Hakodate Station and see the night view and Goryokaku on separate days. Choose this for more time on lunch and park walks around Goryokaku. Visit the warehouses on the final day only if airport travel time allows.
Hakodate harbour and Goryokaku →Stay in Sapporo and spend a day in Otaru
Visit Otaru Canal for a day without changing your Sapporo hotel. See the TV Tower in Sapporo on departure day.
Day 1 | Clock Tower and Odori Park after arrival
Explore Sapporo’s past at the Clock Tower and walk in Odori Park on day 1. Visit Otaru Canal on day 2; see the TV Tower on the final day only if there is enough time before your airport journey.
- New Chitose Airport Arrivals → JR signs in the Domestic Terminal
For an international arrival, complete immigration and baggage collection, then take the 2nd-floor walkway to the Domestic Terminal. For a domestic arrival, start by following JR signs inside your terminal.
- Domestic Terminal → New Chitose Airport Station on basement level 1
Follow JR signs down to New Chitose Airport Station on basement level 1. Travel between terminals and train waits are excluded from the train ride time.
- New Chitose Airport Station → JR Sapporo Station
Take an Airport train towards Sapporo and get off at Sapporo Station. Reserved seats add a seat charge to the non-reserved fare.
- Sapporo Station → Namboku Line towards Makomanai → Odori Station
Take the Namboku Line towards Makomanai and get off one stop later at Odori. From an Odori hotel, walk from the station area towards the Clock Tower.
- Odori Station exit on the City Hall side → Clock Tower → park and dinner
Walk about 5 minutes from Odori Station’s City Hall-side exit and visit the Clock Tower interior first. If standard last admission at 17:00 has passed, see the exterior only. Walk in the east end of the park and have dinner in the city centre. Check official notices separately for evening-opening hours and the areas accessible then.
Facility’s station-exit guideClock Tower official admission: fees, opening and last entrySapporo tourism guideAdmission and opening hoursSapporo Clock Tower official evening-opening notice
- Odori Station → Namboku Line towards Asabu → Sapporo Station hotel
To return to a Sapporo Station hotel, take the Namboku Line towards Asabu from Odori.
The Clock Tower’s standard hours are 08:45–17:10, with last admission at 17:00. It closes on 1–3 January. Skip the interior if you arrive after last admission. The final day is for the TV Tower followed by the airport; don’t add the Clock Tower.
Ticket choice: if you can visit the Clock Tower interior on day 1 and the TV Tower on day 3, compare the JPY 1,300 adult combined ticket at the Clock Tower counter. Check date-specific operations and time for your departure procedures first. Don’t buy the combined ticket if you’ll skip either attraction. See the cost section below for sales, validity and the combined-ticket subtotal.
Day 2 | Otaru Canal walk and return to Sapporo
- Sapporo Station → JR Otaru Station → canal
Take a JR train towards Otaru. The canal is about 10 minutes’ walk from Otaru Station.
Hokkaido official tourism guideTrain services for your travel date
- Otaru Canal and station area → Walk, lunch and return-train check
Walk along the canal and choose lunch nearby or around the station. If staying until evening, check restaurant hours alongside JR departures back to Sapporo.
Hokkaido official tourism guideTrain services for your travel date
- Otaru Station → JR Sapporo Station → hotel
For the return, board towards Sapporo at Otaru Station. A paid canal cruise is not included in this itinerary.
Train services for your travel dateHokkaido official tourism guide
Day 3 | TV Tower, then New Chitose Airport
See the city from the TV Tower before travelling to New Chitose Airport on the final day.
- From a Sapporo Station hotel to the tower → Namboku Line Sapporo Station
Use your hotel’s exit and walking directions to reach Sapporo Station on the Namboku Line. Distinguish the subway station from JR Sapporo Station.
Check with: your booked Sapporo Station hotel for the walk to the Namboku Line station
- Namboku Line Sapporo Station → Towards Makomanai → Odori Station
Take a train towards Makomanai and get off one stop later at Odori. Continue with the station-to-tower route below.
- From an Odori hotel to the tower → Odori Station and Aurora Town
Use an entrance near your hotel and head towards Odori Station and Aurora Town.
Check with: your booked Odori hotel for the walk to Odori Station and Aurora Town
- Odori Station and Aurora Town → Prepare your ticket on the TV Tower’s 3rd floor
Leave through exit 27, enter the nearby tower and go to the 3rd-floor ticket counter. Show the combined ticket bought on day 1, or buy an individual adult ticket for JPY 1,200.
- TV Tower, 3rd floor → Observation deck, then back towards Odori Station
See the city and park from the observation deck, then return towards exit 27. Finish in time for your airport-bound JR train.
- TV Tower and Odori → Same hotel and JR Sapporo Station
Take the Namboku Line towards Asabu from Odori one stop to Sapporo, then walk to the JR station. Collect bags at an Odori hotel before boarding the subway, or at a Sapporo Station hotel after getting off. Include the luggage-collection trip in your airport travel time.
- JR Sapporo Station → Airport train towards New Chitose Airport → airport station
Take the New Chitose Airport train confirmed for your date and get off at the terminus. The adult one-way non-reserved fare is JPY 1,230; check official fares or on-site displays for your date. Reserved seats in car 4 carry an extra charge.
- New Chitose Airport Station, basement level 1 → Domestic Terminal, 2nd floor
Follow airport signs up to the Domestic Terminal’s 2nd floor. For a domestic flight, continue to the domestic procedures below; for an international flight, use the 2nd-floor connecting walkway.
Airport JR access guideNew Chitose Airport official floor map, as of 2026-09-17
- Domestic departures: Domestic Terminal, 2nd floor → Airline counter and security
Go to your booked airline’s counter. Follow its date-specific deadlines for check-in, baggage drop, security and reaching the gate.
Check with: your airline for domestic departure counters and procedure deadlines
- International departures: Domestic Terminal, 2nd floor → 2nd-floor connecting walkway → International Terminal
Follow the 2nd-floor connecting walkway towards the International Terminal. Allow separately for walking between terminals after leaving the airport station.
- International Terminal, 2nd floor → 3rd-floor Departures
Follow departure signs to the 3rd floor. Check your airline’s counter location in the airport guide for your date.
- International Terminal, 3rd floor → Airline counter and international departure procedures
Go to your booked airline’s counter. Follow its date-specific advice for check-in, baggage drop, security, departure immigration and reaching the gate.
Check with: your airline for international departure counters and procedure deadlines
The TV Tower opens at 09:00. Do not move Otaru to departure day. Skipping an attraction or changing tickets changes your actual cost.
Included: Clock Tower and TV Tower JPY 1,550 + return airport JR fare JPY 2,460 + return Otaru JR fare JPY 1,600
Extra: Flights, accommodation, meals, luggage storage, shopping and Sapporo subway fares. Check date-specific non-reserved JR fares for the airport and Otaru on the official fare table or on-site display. For reserved seats in Airport train car 4, check separate seat charges and booking conditions. Standard attraction costs use individual tickets.
If the combined ticket applies, the subtotal is JPY 5,360 per adult: Clock Tower and TV Tower combined ticket JPY 1,300 + return airport JR fare JPY 2,460 + return Otaru JR fare JPY 1,600. The same exclusions above, including city subway fares, apply.
The combined ticket is sold on the TV Tower’s 3rd floor and at the Clock Tower from 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2027. It is valid from purchase until 31 March 2027. A ticket bought at the Clock Tower on day 1 can be shown at the TV Tower on day 3.
Use this alternative subtotal only if you can visit both attractions within that period. Do not retrospectively apply the combined price after buying individual tickets on day 1. For skipped visits or closures, recalculate using the tickets and transport sections actually used.
Clock Tower official admission: fees, opening and last entryAdmission and opening hoursJR official access and timetablesJR standard fares
Hakodate harbour and Goryokaku
Stay two nights near Hakodate Station and see the night view and Goryokaku on separate days. Choose this for more time on lunch and park walks around Goryokaku. Visit the warehouses on the final day only if airport travel time allows.
Day 1 | Arrive in Hakodate and see the night view
See Hakodate’s night view and Goryokaku’s star-shaped fort on different days. Plan the first day’s summit visit around ropeway operations and your arrival time.
- Hakodate Airport Arrivals → Airport bus stop 2
After collecting your bags, use an exit near Arrivals and go to stop 2. Check the station-bound express route 8 timetable for your date.
Hakodate Bus: airport to stationAirport stop official timetable
- Airport stop 2 → Outside Hakodate Station
Take express route 8 towards Hakodate Station and get off outside the station. The direct ride takes about 25 minutes and costs JPY 500 for adults. Waiting and traffic delays are extra.
- Outside Hakodate Station → Jujigai tram stop
From the station, take a tram towards Yachigashira or Hakodate Dock-mae and get off at Jujigai.
- Jujigai tram stop → Ropeway lower station
Walk uphill for about 10 minutes to the lower station. On suspension days, stay below and choose a harbour walk.
- Lower station, 1st floor → 3rd-floor boarding lobby
Buy a return ticket on the 1st floor and go to the 3rd-floor boarding lobby. Adult return tickets cost JPY 1,800; allow separately for ticketing and boarding queues.
- Lower station, 3rd floor → Summit observation deck
Take the ropeway to the summit station and see the city and sea from the observation deck. The ride takes about 3 minutes. Finish in time for the last downward ride and return tram.
- Summit station → Lower station
Take the ropeway down to the lower station. Leave time for queues rather than staying until just before the last ride.
- Lower station → Jujigai tram stop
Walk back down the hill along the same route to Jujigai tram stop.
- Jujigai tram stop → Hakodate Station and the same hotel
Take a tram towards Yunokawa, get off at Hakodate Station and return to your hotel. Use the same tram direction after the harbour walk on ropeway suspension days.
Check ropeway maintenance suspension dates in the attraction information below and official notices. If suspended, replace the summit visit with a harbour walk about 5 minutes towards the waterfront from Jujigai. Return on a tram towards Yunokawa from Jujigai.
Day 2 | Goryokaku, lunch and a park walk
- Outside Hakodate Station → Goryokaku-koen-mae tram stop → tickets on the tower’s 1st floor
Take a tram towards Yunokawa to Goryokaku-koen-mae. Walk about 10 minutes to the tower, then buy tickets at its 1st-floor counter.
- Goryokaku Tower → Lunch → park walk
After the tower view, walk towards Goryokaku Park and have lunch nearby. Return to the Goryokaku-koen-mae stop where you arrived. If lunch and the walk take longer, recheck your return tram time.
- Goryokaku-koen-mae tram stop → Tram to Hakodate Station → hotel
At the same Goryokaku-koen-mae stop, board towards Yachigashira or Hakodate Dock-mae. This is a different place from JR Goryokaku Station. Get off at Hakodate Station and return to your hotel.
Day 3 | Warehouses if time allows, then airport
If time allows before your flight, explore the harbour warehouses before travelling to Hakodate Airport.
- Outside Hakodate Station → Tram to Jujigai → warehouse walk and shopping
Take a tram towards Yachigashira or Hakodate Dock-mae from Hakodate Station, get off at Jujigai and walk about 5 minutes towards the waterfront. Warehouse shops open from 09:30; visit after that and plan shopping or meals around the time needed for airport travel.
Tram guideHakodate City tourism guideKanemori official partial facility closure in November 2026
- Jujigai tram stop → Tram towards Yunokawa → Hakodate Station
Return to Jujigai, take a tram towards Yunokawa and get off at Hakodate Station. Collect bags stored at your hotel first, then go to airport-bound stop 3 outside the station.
- Stop 3 outside Hakodate Station → Express route 8 → Hakodate Airport
Take the airport-bound express route 8 selected for your date. The direct ride takes about 25 minutes and costs JPY 500 for adults. Allow separately for waiting, traffic delays and airline procedures.
Hakodate Bus: station to airportStation stop official timetable
- After arriving at Hakodate Airport → Your booked airline’s departure counter
Follow airport departure signs to your airline’s counter. Follow the airline’s date-specific deadlines for check-in, baggage drop, security and international departure immigration.
Check with: your airline’s airport counter and departure-procedure deadlines
Warehouse shops open from 09:30. Skip the visit if the return trip won’t fit your airport bus. Removing the tram return journey that day reduces the subtotal by JPY 500.
Included: Goryokaku Tower and return ropeway JPY 3,000 + return express route 8 JPY 1,000 + return trams over three days JPY 1,540
Extra: Flights, accommodation, meals, luggage storage and shopping. Changing the visit order or transport sections also changes fares. Attraction costs use standard individual admission.
Tram costs combine JPY 1,040 for return journeys on days 1 and 2 with JPY 500 for Jujigai on departure day. If the ropeway is suspended, take the harbour walk instead; attraction admission is then only JPY 1,200 for the tower. Keeping the listed transport gives a subtotal of JPY 3,740 per adult. The displayed subtotal uses express route 8. After checking actual services, stops and applicable dates, switching to the shuttle adds JPY 200 for each one-way journey replaced.
Admission and hoursFares and hoursAirport guideTram fares, revised 2025-12-01Official suspension noticeHakodate Bus: airport to stationHakodate Bus: station to airport
Frequently asked questions
Does the Sapporo subway day pass cover Otaru and the airport?
No. The subway day pass and Donichika are valid only on Sapporo’s subway. These itineraries use JR for the airport and Otaru, with separate fares.
Official day passJR official access and timetablesJR standard fares
Do I change hotels on the Otaru day-trip day?
No. Stay in Sapporo throughout. Take JR to Otaru Station, walk about 10 minutes to the canal and return towards Sapporo from the same station. For an evening stay, check restaurant hours and return trains for your date together.
Hokkaido official tourism guideJR official access and timetablesTrain services for your travel date
Official sources and dates checked
- Official suspension notice ·
- Sapporo tourism guide ·
- Admission and opening hours ·
- Getting there ·
- Facility’s station-exit guide ·
- Hokkaido official tourism guide ·
- JR standard fares ·
- Admission and hours ·
- Access ·
- Tram fares, revised 2025-12-01 ·
- Fares and hours ·
- Access map ·
- Lower station floor guide ·
- Hakodate City tourism guide ·
- JR official access and timetables ·
- Airport JR access guide ·
- Subway route map ·
- Airport guide ·
- Tram guide ·
- Train services for your travel date ·
- Official day pass ·
- Clock Tower official admission: fees, opening and last entry ·
- Kanemori official partial facility closure in November 2026 ·
- Hakodate Bus: airport to station ·
- Hakodate Bus: station to airport ·
- Airport stop official timetable ·
- Station stop official timetable ·
- New Chitose Airport official floor map, as of 2026-09-17 ·
- Sapporo Clock Tower official evening-opening notice ·