Where should you go in Sapporo, Otaru and Hakodate?
Walk in Odori Park for city scenery, or along Otaru Canal for old harbour warehouses and waterfront views. Choose Sapporo TV Tower to see Odori Park from above, or Goryokaku Tower for the star-shaped fort. Take a confectionery factory tour at Shiroi Koibito Park or explore the former ferry’s onboard displays at Mashu-maru. Visit the Botanic Garden on an outdoor opening day and Mount Hakodate Ropeway on an operating day.
Attraction fees, hours and access
Odori Park
大通公園
Walk through the city centre or take a break before or after the TV Tower. The park stretches east to west; decide whether to stay near the tower at the east end or walk further west according to your schedule and energy.
- AdmissionPark walks are free. Events and purchases at stalls cost extra.
- Opening hoursThe areas available for walking may change during events.
- Getting thereLeave Odori subway station at street level. For the tower, head towards the park’s east end.
Sapporo TV Tower
さっぽろテレビ塔
After an Odori Park walk, go up Sapporo TV Tower to see the paths you just followed and the city centre from above. For Sapporo’s night view, visit the deck in the evening.
- AdmissionAdmission costs JPY 1,200 for visitors of senior high school age and above and JPY 600 for primary and junior high school pupils. Preschool children enter free.
- Opening hoursThe tower opens from 09:00 to 22:00, with last admission to the deck at 21:50. Hours may change for events. Notices list a full closure on 11 November 2026 and 1 January 2027.
- Getting thereFrom Odori subway station, follow Aurora Town to entrance 27 and the tower. Enter on the 1st floor and buy a deck ticket on the 3rd floor. From a park walk, head to the tower at the east end.
Sapporo Clock Tower
札幌市時計台
Visit inside Sapporo Clock Tower for old photographs, Sapporo Agricultural College material and clock mechanism displays. The building is compact, and you can also choose just an exterior photograph. For an indoor visit on a regular opening day, arrive before last admission at 17:00. Check official notices for evening openings.
- AdmissionAdmission costs JPY 350 for adults and JPY 150 for university students with student ID. Senior high school pupils and younger enter free; junior and senior high school pupils should bring student ID.
- Opening hoursRegular hours are 08:45–17:10, with admission until 17:00. For evening-opening dates, check the official notice for hours and available areas. The Clock Tower closes on 1–3 January.
- Getting thereThe Clock Tower is about a 5-minute walk from Odori Station’s City Hall-side exit. From JR Sapporo Station, follow the underground pedestrian walkway towards Odori and leave through exit 9; the stated walk is about 10 minutes from JR. The Clock Tower and TV Tower can be combined in a city-centre walking day.
Official Clock Tower admission, fees, opening and closing timesOfficial Sapporo Clock Tower exhibition guideOfficial Sapporo Clock Tower evening-opening noticeFacility’s station exit information
Shiroi Koibito Park
白い恋人パーク
If you have seen Shiroi Koibito confectionery on your travels in Japan, visit its official Sapporo park to see how it is made. Factory tours and exhibitions are in the paid area; gardens and shopping areas can be visited without an admission ticket. Confectionery-making activities cost extra, with registration and advance reservation arrangements varying by activity.
- AdmissionAdmission to the paid area costs JPY 1,200 for visitors of senior high school age and above and JPY 600 for children aged 4 through junior high school. Children aged 3 and under enter free. Gardens and shopping do not require a ticket; activities cost extra.
- Opening hoursThe park usually opens from 10:00 to 18:00, with last entry to the paid area at 16:30. Follow official notices for special opening dates.
- Getting thereFrom Odori, take the Tozai Line towards Miyanosawa · 宮の沢 and get off at the final stop. The train ride takes about 16 minutes and the walk to the park about 7 minutes. Waiting and travel from your hotel to the station are extra. For the paid area, buy admission at the park’s ticket centre.
Fees and ticketsOfficial Shiroi Koibito Park facility list and factory tourKorean visitor guideAccess
Hokkaido University Botanic Garden
Botanic Garden, Hokkaido University北海道大学植物園
For walks among trees and flowers near Sapporo Station from spring to autumn, visit Hokkaido University Botanic Garden. It offers a different setting from city streets or the university campus. Mid-to-late May brings alpine flowers and lilacs; other seasons offer their own flowers or autumn leaves. This paid facility is separate from the campus. The outdoor garden is accessible only on open days between 29 April and 3 November.
- AdmissionAdmission costs JPY 420 for visitors aged 16 and above and JPY 300 for ages 7–15. Children aged 6 and under enter free.
- Opening hoursThe outdoor garden opens from 09:00 to 16:30 between 29 April and 30 September, with admission until 16:00. From 1 October to 3 November, it opens from 09:00 to 16:00, with admission until 15:30. It closes on Mondays, or the following day if Monday is a public holiday. The outdoor garden is closed from 4 November to 28 April. The glasshouse is currently closed to visitors, so it cannot be used as a winter alternative.
- Getting thereThe garden’s main gate is about a 10-minute walk from JR Sapporo Station’s south exit. Use it during the outdoor opening season.
Otaru Canal
小樽運河
By day, photograph the old waterfront warehouses at Otaru Canal; in the evening, see the gas lamps and warehouse lights reflected in the water. Decide whether to return to Sapporo after the daytime view or stay later around your return train. For dinner and a walk without rushing, consider a night in Otaru. A paid boat cruise is a separate choice.
- AdmissionYou do not need a cruise ticket to walk along the canal. A paid boat cruise is optional and separate.
- Opening hoursShops and cruises have different hours from the walking path. Plan dinner around your chosen restaurant’s opening days.
- Getting thereTake a JR train from Sapporo towards Otaru and get off at Otaru Station. The canal is about a 10-minute walk away. Return from Otaru on a Sapporo-bound JR train.
Goryokaku Tower
五稜郭タワー
Visit the tower’s observation deck to see star-shaped Goryokaku from above. A park walk and the paid tower visit are separate options.
- AdmissionAdmission costs JPY 1,200 for adults, JPY 900 for junior and senior high school pupils and JPY 600 for primary school pupils. Preschool children enter free.
- Opening hoursThe tower opens daily from 09:00 to 18:00, with ticket sales until 17:50. Exterior works are scheduled until 15 November 2026, with a notice stating the tower remains open.
- Getting thereTake a Yunokawa-bound tram from Hakodate Station to Goryokaku-koen-mae, then walk about 10 minutes to the tower. Buy deck tickets at the 1st-floor counter. This is different from travelling to JR Goryokaku Station. Yunokawa · 湯の川 / Goryokaku-koen-mae · 五稜郭公園前
Fees and hoursOfficial Goryokaku Tower works and continued-opening noticeAccess
Mount Hakodate Ropeway
Mt. Hakodate Ropeway函館山ロープウェイ
From the summit, look over Hakodate and the sea on both sides. The ropeway ride takes about 3 minutes, with ticketing and boarding queues extra. In cloudy or windy weather, check visibility and service operation first.
- AdmissionFor visitors of junior high school age and above, tickets cost JPY 1,800 return or JPY 1,200 one way. Child tickets cost JPY 900 return or JPY 600 one way. Ages 0–2 enter free. For preschool children aged 3 and above, one child per adult travels free; a second child pays the child fare. This route uses a return ticket.
- Opening hoursFrom 1 October to 19 April, services start at 10:00, with the last ascent at 20:30 and last descent at 21:00. From 20 April to 30 September, the last ascent is at 21:30 and last descent at 22:00. Same-day change notices take priority.
- Service suspensionServices are suspended from 20 October to 8 November 2026. Remove the ropeway and summit visit from two-day B, three-day B and five-day B during this period. The summit observation deck itself is listed as open 10:00–21:00, but alternative transport to the summit is excluded from these routes.
- Getting thereFrom Hakodate Station, take tram route 2 towards Yachigashira · 谷地頭 or route 5 towards Hakodate-Dock-mae · 函館どつく前 and get off at Jujigai. Walk uphill for about 10 minutes to the lower station, allowing time to go slowly or rest. Ticket machines are on the 1st floor and the boarding lobby on the 3rd floor. If the hill is difficult, separately consider a bus actually serving the lower station or a taxi.
Fares and timesOfficial service suspension noticeAccess mapLower ropeway station floor guideTram guide
Kanemori Red Brick Warehouse
金森赤レンガ倉庫
Visit Kanemori Red Brick Warehouse for food or shopping during a harbour walk. To use the ropeway as well, travel from the waterfront warehouses to the lower station uphill.
- AdmissionGeneral browsing is free. Meals, shopping and performances cost extra.
- Opening hoursThe tourism guide lists daily hours of 09:30–19:00. Check special opening dates for your chosen shops. Kanemori Yobutsukan is closed for electrical works on 9–12 November 2026. Official information says BAY Hakodate and Hakodate History Plaza remain open, so check which building you intend to visit.
- Getting thereThe warehouses are about a 5-minute walk towards the waterfront from Jujigai tram stop.
Hakodate City tourism guideOfficial Kanemori partial closures in November 2026
Hakodate City Seikan Ferry Memorial Museum Mashu-maru
Hakodate Seikan Ferry Memorial Museum Mashu-maru函館市青函連絡船記念館摩周丸
Board Mashu-maru to see the old ferry’s wheelhouse and onboard displays. The ship is moored near Hakodate Station; entry and movement inside involve stairs.
- AdmissionAdmission costs JPY 500 for adults and university students and JPY 250 for primary, junior and senior high school pupils. Preschool children enter free.
- Opening hoursMashu-maru opens from 08:30 to 18:00 between April and October, with admission until 17:00. From November to March, it opens from 09:00 to 17:00, with admission until 16:00. The facility lists 31 December–3 January as its regular closure period; any special opening is announced annually. Ship inspections, cleaning, repairs and bad weather may cause temporary closures.
- Getting thereFrom JR Hakodate Station, walk northwest towards Hakodate Bay. When you see a ship on your left with an ivory upper hull and blue lower hull, follow the waterfront towards it. Climb the stairs in the building beside the ship to the boarding entrance on the 2nd floor. The facility gives about 4 minutes on foot from the station; allow extra time from your hotel to the station and for climbing stairs. There is no lift or escalator.
Fees, last admission and closuresFacility notices for the dayStation-to-boarding-entrance route
Frequently asked questions
Does Mount Hakodate Ropeway operate in October?
It is suspended for maintenance from 20 October to 8 November 2026. Weather or inspections can change operation on other days too. A ropeway suspension does not mean the entire mountain is closed, but check dated bus services and road restrictions separately if using a bus or taxi.
Can I follow the Botanic Garden itinerary in winter?
No outdoor garden walk is available in winter, and the glasshouse is currently closed to visitors. For a four-day trip, choose the route with Otaru Canal and Shiroi Koibito Park instead. The one-night Otaru and three-night Sapporo route does not include a winter replacement for the garden on day 3.
Hours and feesMain gate and accessOfficial Sapporo winter walking guideTrain and service information for your travel date
Official sources and dates checked
- Official service suspension notice ·
- Sapporo tourism guide ·
- Fees and opening hours ·
- Getting there ·
- Facility’s station exit information ·
- Fees and tickets ·
- Korean visitor guide ·
- Access ·
- Hours and fees ·
- Main gate and access ·
- Official Hokkaido tourism guide ·
- Fees and hours ·
- Access ·
- Fares and times ·
- Access map ·
- Lower ropeway station floor guide ·
- Hakodate City tourism guide ·
- Fees, last admission and closures ·
- Station-to-boarding-entrance route ·
- Facility notices for the day ·
- Tram guide ·
- Train and service information for your travel date ·
- Official Sapporo winter walking guide ·
- Official Clock Tower admission, fees, opening and closing times ·
- Official Goryokaku Tower works and continued-opening notice ·
- Official Kanemori partial closures in November 2026 ·
- Official Shiroi Koibito Park facility list and factory tour ·
- Official Sapporo Clock Tower exhibition guide ·
- Official Sapporo Clock Tower evening-opening notice ·