For two days, should you choose Sapporo or Hakodate?
Stay a night in Sapporo for park walks and city views, or in Hakodate for night scenery between two seas and views of the fort. The Sapporo route uses New Chitose Airport; the Hakodate route uses Hakodate Airport. On departure day, allow for airport travel and departure formalities first. Sightsee only if you can still reach the airport by your airline’s advised time.
Choose a 1 night, 2 days itinerary
Sapporo’s city sights and views
Choose this route for parks and observation decks in central Sapporo. It avoids travelling far to another city on your airport days.
Sapporo’s city sights and views →1 night, 2 days BHakodate night views and Goryokaku
Stay one night near Hakodate Station, see the mountaintop night view on day 1 and Goryokaku from above on day 2. This route suits a short trip through Hakodate Airport focused on those two sights.
Hakodate night views and Goryokaku →Sapporo’s city sights and views
Choose this route for parks and observation decks in central Sapporo. It avoids travelling far to another city on your airport days.
Day 1 | Odori Park and TV Tower after arrival
On arrival day, walk in Odori Park and look over central Sapporo from the TV Tower. Reduce sightseeing after a late arrival and visit the Clock Tower the following morning.
- For international arrivals: 2nd-floor arrivals hall → 2nd-floor connecting passage towards the domestic terminal
After immigration and baggage collection, follow the connecting passage towards the domestic terminal. For a domestic arrival, skip this step and start with the route down from the domestic terminal to the JR station.
- Domestic terminal → New Chitose Airport Station, basement level 1
Follow JR signs down to New Chitose Airport Station on basement level 1. The airport guide shows the escalator and lift routes from the domestic terminal’s 2nd floor.
- New Chitose Airport Station → Airport train towards Sapporo → JR Sapporo Station
Take an Airport train towards Sapporo and get off at Sapporo Station. The adult one-way non-reserved fare used here is JPY 1,230; check the official fare or station display for your travel date. Reserved seats in car 4 cost extra.
- JR Sapporo Station → Namboku Line Sapporo Station → Odori Station
Go to Sapporo Station on the Namboku Line and take a train towards Makomanai. Get off one stop later at Odori and walk to the east side of the park.
- Odori Station → Walk on the east side of Odori Park
Explore the east side of Odori Park, where the TV Tower stands, for a walk through the city centre.
- East side of Odori Park → Choose a ticket at the TV Tower’s 3rd-floor counter
Enter the tower on the 1st floor and go to the ticket counter on the 3rd floor. A separate observation deck ticket costs JPY 1,200 for an adult. If you can also visit the Clock Tower indoors the next day, compare the JPY 1,300 combined ticket. Read the sales and validity dates in the cost notes below before buying.
- TV Tower ticket counter, 3rd floor → Visit the observation deck, then return towards the park
After buying your ticket, visit the observation deck and come back down. Last admission is 21:50. Skip the deck on inspection days. If you bought a combined ticket, keep the Clock Tower portion for the next day.
- Returning to an Odori hotel: from Odori or Susukino → Odori Station → hotel
After dinner in Odori, walk to your hotel. From Susukino, take the Namboku Line one stop towards Asabu · 麻生 to Odori, then walk to your accommodation.
- Returning to a Sapporo Station hotel: from Odori or Susukino → Namboku Line Sapporo Station → hotel
Take the Namboku Line towards Asabu. Sapporo is one stop from Odori or two from Susukino. Use the exit recommended by your hotel and walk there.
Dinner: after the TV Tower, choose Odori or Susukino according to your route back to the hotel. Pick the restaurant and mealtime to suit your base. Meals are excluded from the subtotal. Skip arrival-day sightseeing if you land late. Leave only the Clock Tower and airport journey for the final day; do not add the TV Tower then. If you cannot see both attractions, choose separate tickets for the places you will visit.
Day 2 | Clock Tower, then New Chitose Airport
On the final day, visit the Clock Tower indoors before travelling to New Chitose Airport.
- From a Sapporo Station hotel to the Clock Tower → JR Sapporo Station → underground pedestrian walkway exit 9
Walk from your hotel to JR Sapporo Station, follow the underground pedestrian walkway towards Odori and leave through exit 9. The Clock Tower is about 10 minutes on foot from the JR station; the hotel-to-station walk is extra. Continue from the exit to the tower.
- From an Odori hotel to the Clock Tower → Exit towards City Hall → Clock Tower
Walk from your hotel towards City Hall. From the City Hall-side exit of Odori Station, the Clock Tower is about 5 minutes away. The walk from your hotel to that station exit is extra.
- Clock Tower entrance → Show or buy a ticket, then visit indoors
The Clock Tower opens at 08:45 and closes on 1–3 January. Show your combined ticket if you have one; otherwise buy a separate adult ticket for JPY 350.
Official Clock Tower admission, fees, opening and closing timesFees and opening hours
- Clock Tower to the airport: via Sapporo Station → JR Sapporo Station
Head from the Clock Tower to JR Sapporo Station. If you left bags at your hotel, collect them first and allow that extra time before travelling to the airport.
- Clock Tower to the airport: via Odori → Namboku Line Odori Station → Sapporo Station
Walk from the Clock Tower to Odori Station, collecting hotel-stored bags first if needed. Take the Namboku Line towards Asabu for one stop, get off at Sapporo and continue to the JR station.
- JR Sapporo Station → Train to New Chitose Airport → airport station
Take a train bound for New Chitose Airport and get off at the final stop. Train waiting and travel from the airport station to departures are separate from the ride time.
- 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 departure, go to your airline’s counter. For an international departure, continue along the passage towards the international terminal.
Airport guide to JR accessOfficial New Chitose Airport floor maps · as of 2026-09-17
- For international departures: domestic terminal, 2nd floor → 2nd-floor connecting passage → international terminal
Follow the 2nd-floor passage towards the international terminal. Leaving the station does not mean you have reached international departures, so allow time to walk between terminals.
- International terminal, 2nd floor → Departures and airline counters, 3rd floor
Follow departures signs up to the 3rd floor and go to your airline’s counter. Follow the airline’s guidance for your travel date on how much time to allow for check-in, baggage drop, security and departure immigration.
Do not add the TV Tower to the final day if you missed it on arrival. If you will not visit both attractions, compare separate tickets instead of the combined ticket.
Included: Clock Tower and TV Tower: JPY 1,550 + JR airport return journey: JPY 2,460
Extra costs: The subtotal excludes flights, accommodation, meals, luggage storage, shopping and Sapporo subway fares. Airport JR costs use a non-reserved one-way fare of JPY 1,230; check the official fare or station display for your date. The reserved-seat supplement for Airport train car 4 is excluded. Attraction costs use standard separate admission tickets.
If you visit both the Clock Tower and TV Tower within the combined ticket’s sales and validity dates, the adult total is JPY 1,300 for the ticket + JPY 2,460 for non-reserved JR airport return travel = JPY 3,760. Both attractions sell the combined ticket, and it can be used the next day within its validity. A ticket bought on 31 March 2027 cannot be used on 1 April. Skip the relevant visit on Clock Tower closed days or TV Tower inspection days; compare separate tickets if visiting only one. Skipping the TV Tower removes its separate JPY 1,200 admission fee from the standard subtotal.
Official Clock Tower admission, fees, opening and closing timesFees and opening hoursOfficial JR access and timetablesStandard JR fares
Hakodate night views and Goryokaku
Stay one night near Hakodate Station, see the mountaintop night view on day 1 and Goryokaku from above on day 2. This route suits a short trip through Hakodate Airport focused on those two sights.
Day 1 | Arrive in Hakodate and see the night view
Look over the city and sea on both sides from Mount Hakodate on the first day. After travelling into the city from the airport, time your ascent around ropeway services and sunset.
- Hakodate Airport arrivals hall → Airport bus stop 2
After collecting your bags, leave through an exit near arrivals and go to stop 2. Check the route number and destination for Rapid route 8 towards Hakodate Station.
Hakodate Bus: airport to stationOfficial airport bus-stop timetable
- Airport bus stop 2 → Rapid route 8 → Hakodate Station
Take the Rapid route 8 service checked for your travel date and get off outside Hakodate Station. The direct ride takes about 25 minutes, with an adult one-way fare of JPY 500. Waiting is excluded from the ride time.
Hakodate Bus: airport to stationOfficial airport bus-stop timetable
- Tram stop outside Hakodate Station → Tram route 2 or 5 → Jujigai
After leaving the airport bus, go to the tram stop. Take a tram towards Yachigashira or Hakodate-Dock-mae and get off at Jujigai. The adult one-way fare is JPY 250.
- Jujigai tram stop → Ropeway lower station
Walk uphill for about 10 minutes to the ropeway’s lower station. If the ropeway is suspended, walk about 5 minutes from Jujigai towards the waterfront and explore Kanemori Red Brick Warehouse. Return from Jujigai on a tram towards Yunokawa and get off at Hakodate Station.
Access mapOfficial service suspension noticeHakodate City tourism guide
- Ropeway lower station → Buy tickets on the 1st floor → boarding lobby on the 3rd floor
Buy an adult return ticket for JPY 1,800 on the 1st floor, then go up to the 3rd-floor boarding lobby. Check service operation, the last descent and your return tram for the date of your trip.
- Lower station, 3rd floor → Ropeway → summit station
Follow staff instructions, take the ropeway and get off at the summit. The ride takes about 3 minutes; ticketing and queues need extra time.
- Summit station → Night views from the observation deck
Enjoy the view over Hakodate and the sea. Finish your visit in time for the last descent and return tram you checked earlier.
- Summit station → Descending ropeway → lower station
Take the ropeway back down. There can be queues, so do not plan to stay until just before the last descent.
- Lower station → Walk back to Jujigai tram stop
Follow the same route back to Jujigai. Leave time to catch the tram returning to the station.
- Jujigai tram stop → Tram towards Yunokawa → Hakodate Station
Take a tram towards Yunokawa and get off at Hakodate Station. The adult one-way fare is JPY 250. Eat near the station, then return to your hotel.
If a late arrival means you cannot catch Rapid route 8, look up another airport transport option. Skip the first evening’s night view rather than moving it to departure-day evening.
Day 2 | Goryokaku in the morning, then the airport
Visit Goryokaku Tower when it opens at 09:00, then travel to Hakodate Airport.
- Tram stop at Hakodate Station → Tram towards Yunokawa → Goryokaku-koen-mae
Take a tram towards Yunokawa and get off at Goryokaku-koen-mae. The adult one-way fare is JPY 270.
- Goryokaku-koen-mae tram stop → Goryokaku Tower entrance
Walk about 10 minutes from the tram stop to the tower. Allow for this walk after leaving the tram.
- Goryokaku Tower → Buy tickets on the 1st floor, then visit the observation deck
After the 09:00 opening, buy an adult ticket for JPY 1,200 on the 1st floor and look over the star-shaped fort. Finish in time for your airport bus.
- Goryokaku Tower → Walk back to Goryokaku-koen-mae tram stop
Return the same way to Goryokaku-koen-mae. Include the walk from the tower to the tram stop in your schedule.
- Goryokaku-koen-mae → Tram → Hakodate Station
Take a tram towards Yachigashira or Hakodate-Dock-mae and get off at Hakodate Station. The adult one-way fare is JPY 270. Collect any bags left at your hotel before going to the airport bus stop.
- Bus stops outside Hakodate Station → Airport-bound bus stop 3
Go to stop 3 outside the station and check the route number and destination for airport-bound Rapid route 8.
Hakodate Bus: station to airportOfficial station-front bus-stop timetable
- Stop 3 outside the station → Rapid route 8 → Hakodate Airport
Take the airport-bound Rapid route 8 service you chose in advance and get off at the airport. The direct ride takes about 25 minutes and costs JPY 500 for an adult. Allow extra time for waiting, road delays and departure formalities.
Hakodate Bus: station to airportOfficial station-front bus-stop timetable
- After arriving at Hakodate Airport → Your airline’s departure counter
Follow departures signs to your airline’s counter. Follow the airline’s guidance for your travel date on deadlines for check-in, baggage drop, security and international departure immigration.
Check with: your airline’s airport counter and check-in deadline information
Goryokaku Tower opens at 09:00. Skip final-day sightseeing if you cannot finish in time for the airport bus.
Included: Goryokaku Tower and return ropeway: JPY 3,000 + Rapid route 8 return: JPY 1,000 + return trams over two days: JPY 1,040
Extra costs: The subtotal excludes flights, accommodation, meals, luggage storage and shopping. Changing the visiting order or travel sections changes transport costs. Attraction costs use standard separate admission tickets.
If maintenance or strong winds stop the ropeway, replace the first day’s summit night view with a walk around the warehouses. Without the ropeway, but using the same transport above, the subtotal is JPY 3,240 for one adult. These figures use Rapid route 8. If you switch to the shuttle after checking the actual service, boarding stop and applicable date, add JPY 200 for each one-way shuttle journey.
Fees and hoursFares and timesAirport guideTram fares · revised 2025-12-01Official service suspension noticeHakodate Bus: airport to stationHakodate Bus: station to airport
Frequently asked questions
Can you sightsee on day 2 before a morning flight?
For a morning flight, skip day-2 sightseeing and go to the airport. Choose your airport train or bus around the airline’s advised arrival time. If your hotel is storing luggage, also allow time to collect it.
Official JR access and timetablesOfficial Clock Tower admission, fees, opening and closing timesFees and hoursHakodate Bus: station to airportOfficial station-front bus-stop timetable
Official sources and dates checked
- Official service suspension notice ·
- Sapporo tourism guide ·
- Fees and opening hours ·
- Getting there ·
- Facility’s station exit information ·
- Standard JR fares ·
- Fees and hours ·
- Access ·
- Tram fares · revised 2025-12-01 ·
- Fares and times ·
- Access map ·
- Lower ropeway station floor guide ·
- Hakodate City tourism guide ·
- Official JR access and timetables ·
- Airport guide to JR access ·
- Subway route map ·
- Airport guide ·
- Tram guide ·
- Official Clock Tower admission, fees, opening and closing times ·
- Hakodate Bus: airport to station ·
- Hakodate Bus: station to airport ·
- Official airport bus-stop timetable ·
- Official station-front bus-stop timetable ·
- Official New Chitose Airport floor maps · as of 2026-09-17 ·