Where should you go in Sapporo, Otaru, and Hakodate?
Walk through Odori Park for a downtown stroll or Otaru Canal for old warehouses and waterfront scenery. Choose Sapporo TV Tower to look down over Odori Park, or Goryokaku Tower for the star-shaped fort. See how cookies are made at Shiroi Koibito Park and explore exhibits aboard the former ferry Mashu-maru. Visit the botanical garden on an outdoor opening day and the Mt. Hakodate Ropeway on an operating day.
Admission, hours, and directions
Odori Park
大通公園
Stop here for a downtown walk or a break before or after visiting the TV Tower. The park stretches east to west; choose the eastern section by the tower or a longer walk west based on your schedule and energy.
- AdmissionWalking in the park is free. Events and purchases cost extra.
- HoursEvents may change which sections are open for walking.
- Getting thereTake the subway to Odori Station and head above ground. For the TV Tower, walk toward the eastern end.
Sapporo TV Tower
さっぽろテレビ塔
After walking through Odori Park, head up the TV Tower to see the streets you just explored from above. Visit the observation deck in the evening for city lights.
- AdmissionAdmission costs JPY 1,200 for high school students and older and JPY 600 for elementary and junior high school students. Preschool children enter free.
- HoursThe tower opens from 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., with last observation-deck admission at 9:50 p.m. Hours may change for events. Full closures are announced for November 11, 2026, and January 1, 2027.
- Getting thereFrom Odori Station, follow Aurora Town to Exit 27. Enter the tower on the first floor, then buy your observation-deck ticket on the third floor. If you are already in the park, head to its eastern end.
Sapporo Clock Tower
札幌市時計台
Head inside for historic photos, exhibits about Sapporo Agricultural College, and the clock mechanism. This small building also works as an exterior photo stop. For a standard daytime visit, arrive before the 5:00 p.m. admission cutoff. Check official notices for evening openings.
- AdmissionAdmission costs JPY 350 for adults and JPY 150 for college students with student ID. High school students and younger enter free; junior and senior high school students should bring student ID.
- HoursRegular hours are 8:45 a.m.–5:10 p.m., with admission until 5:00 p.m. Check official notices for evening hours and which exhibits are accessible. The tower closes January 1–3.
- Getting thereIt is about a five-minute walk from an Odori Station exit toward City Hall. From JR Sapporo Station, follow the underground walkway toward Odori and use Exit 9; the published walking time from the JR station is about 10 minutes. You can combine the Clock Tower and TV Tower in one downtown walking day.
Official Clock Tower admission, hours, and last entryOfficial Sapporo Clock Tower exhibitsOfficial Sapporo Clock Tower evening-opening noticeFacility guide to station exits
Shiroi Koibito Park
白い恋人パーク
If you have seen Shiroi Koibito cookies during your travels, visit their official park in Sapporo to see how they are made. Factory viewing and exhibits are in the paid area; the garden and shopping areas do not require an admission ticket. Cookie-making activities cost extra, and registration or advance-booking requirements vary by activity.
- AdmissionAdmission costs JPY 1,200 for high school students and older and JPY 600 for children ages 4 through junior high school. Children ages 3 and younger enter free. The garden and shopping areas do not require a ticket. Activities cost extra.
- HoursThe park usually opens from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., with last admission to the paid area at 4:30 p.m. Follow official notices for special operating days.
- Getting thereFrom Odori Station, take the Tozai Line toward Miyanosawa · 宮の沢 and get off at the last stop. The ride takes about 16 minutes, followed by a seven-minute walk to the park. Allow extra time for the train wait and the walk from your hotel to the station. Buy paid-area tickets at the park's ticket center.
Admission and ticketsOfficial Shiroi Koibito Park facilities and factory viewingVisitor information in KoreanAccess
Botanic Garden, Hokkaido University
北海道大学植物園
For a walk among trees and flowers near Sapporo Station from spring through fall, visit Hokkaido University's botanical garden. It offers a different setting from the city streets or university campus. Alpine plants and lilacs bloom around mid- to late May, with seasonal flowers and fall foliage at other times. This is a separate paid facility from the campus; the outdoor garden is accessible only on opening days from April 29 through November 3.
- AdmissionAdmission costs JPY 420 for ages 16 and older and JPY 300 for ages 7–15. Children ages 6 and younger enter free.
- HoursFrom April 29–September 30, the garden opens 9:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m., with admission until 4:00 p.m. From October 1–November 3, it opens 9:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m., with admission until 3:30 p.m. It closes Mondays, or the following day if Monday is a public holiday. The outdoor garden closes November 4–April 28. The glasshouse is also currently closed to visitors, so it is not a winter alternative.
- Getting thereThe garden is about a 10-minute walk from JR Sapporo Station's south exit. Use the main gate during the outdoor opening season.
Otaru Canal
小樽運河
Visit during the day for photos of the old waterfront warehouses, or stay into the evening to see gas lamps and warehouse lights reflected in the water. Check your return train before deciding how late to stay. An overnight stop in Otaru gives you more time for dinner and an evening walk. Paid canal cruises are optional.
- AdmissionYou do not need a cruise ticket to walk along the canal. A paid boat cruise is an optional extra.
- HoursShop and cruise hours differ from the walking route. Plan dinner around the opening days and hours of your chosen restaurant.
- Getting thereTake a JR train from Sapporo Station to Otaru Station, then walk about 10 minutes to the canal. For the return, take a JR train toward Sapporo from Otaru Station.
Goryokaku Tower
五稜郭タワー
Head up the observation tower for a view of Goryokaku's star-shaped fort. Walking in the park and visiting the paid tower are separate options.
- AdmissionAdmission costs JPY 1,200 for adults, JPY 900 for junior and senior high school students, and JPY 600 for elementary school students. Preschool children enter free.
- HoursThe tower opens daily from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.; ticket sales end at 5:50 p.m. Exterior work is scheduled through November 15, 2026, with the tower remaining open.
- Getting thereFrom Hakodate Station, take a tram toward Yunokawa and get off at Goryokaku-koen-mae. Walk about 10 minutes to the tower and buy your observation-deck ticket at the first-floor ticket counter. This route is different from traveling to JR Goryokaku Station. Yunokawa · 湯の川 / Goryokaku-koen-mae · 五稜郭公園前
Admission and hoursOfficial Goryokaku Tower construction and opening noticeAccess
Mt. Hakodate Ropeway
函館山ロープウェイ
From the summit, you can look down over Hakodate and the sea on both sides of the city. The ropeway ride takes about three minutes; ticket purchases and boarding waits take additional time. Check visibility and operating status first on cloudy or windy days.
- AdmissionRound-trip fares are JPY 1,800 for junior high school students and older and JPY 900 for children. One-way fares are JPY 1,200 and JPY 600, respectively. Ages 0–2 ride free. For preschool children ages 3 and older, one child per adult rides free; additional children pay the child fare. These itineraries use a round-trip ticket.
- HoursFrom October 1–April 19, service begins at 10:00 a.m., with the last uphill departure at 8:30 p.m. and the last downhill departure at 9:00 p.m. From April 20–September 30, the last uphill departure is at 9:30 p.m. and the last downhill departure is at 10:00 p.m. Same-day notices take priority.
- Service suspensionService is suspended October 20–November 8, 2026. Omit the ropeway and summit visit from the two-, three-, and five-day B itineraries during this period. The summit observation facility itself is listed as open 10:00 a.m.–9:00 p.m., but these itineraries do not include alternative transportation to the summit.
- Getting thereFrom Hakodate Station, take tram route 2 toward Yachigashira · 谷地頭 or route 5 toward Hakodate-Dock-mae · 函館どつく前 and get off at Jujigai. The lower ropeway station is about a 10-minute uphill walk. Allow time to walk slowly or take breaks. Ticket machines are on the first floor, and the boarding lobby is on the third. If the hill is difficult for your group, separately check available buses to the lower station or a taxi.
Fares and hoursOfficial service-suspension noticeAccess mapLower-station floor guideTram information
Kanemori Red Brick Warehouse
金森赤レンガ倉庫
Stop by the waterfront warehouses for a harbor walk, a meal, or shopping. If you also plan to ride the ropeway, you will need to head uphill from the waterfront to the lower station.
- AdmissionGeneral browsing is free. Meals, shopping, performances, and other purchases cost extra.
- HoursTourism information lists 9:30 a.m.–7:00 p.m., open daily. Check special hours for individual stores. Yobutsukan is closed for electrical work November 9–12, 2026. Official notices say BAY Hakodate and Hakodate History Plaza remain open, so check which building you plan to visit.
- Getting thereGet off the tram at Jujigai and walk about five minutes toward the waterfront.
Hakodate city tourism informationOfficial Kanemori partial closure in November 2026
Hakodate Seikan Ferry Memorial Museum Mashu-maru
函館市青函連絡船記念館摩周丸
Step aboard Mashu-maru to see the former ferry's wheelhouse and onboard exhibits. The ship is moored near Hakodate Station, and access to the entrance and exhibits involves stairs.
- AdmissionAdmission costs JPY 500 for adults and college students and JPY 250 for elementary, junior, and senior high school students. Preschool children enter free.
- HoursFrom April–October, the museum opens 8:30 a.m.–6:00 p.m., with admission until 5:00 p.m. From November–March, it opens 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m., with admission until 4:00 p.m. The facility lists December 31–January 3 as its regular closure period; any temporary holiday openings are announced annually. Ship inspections, cleaning, repairs, and bad weather may also cause closures.
- Getting thereFrom JR Hakodate Station, walk northwest toward Hakodate Bay. Look to your left for a ship with an ivory upper section and blue hull, then follow the waterfront toward it. Climb the stairs in the building beside the ship to the second-floor boarding entrance. The facility's published walking time is about four minutes from the station; allow extra time from your hotel and for the stairs. There are no elevators or escalators.
Admission, last entry, and closuresSame-day facility noticesFrom the station to the boarding entrance
Frequently asked questions
Does the Mt. Hakodate Ropeway run in October?
It is closed for maintenance October 20–November 8, 2026. Weather or inspections may affect other dates too. A ropeway suspension does not mean the entire mountain is off-limits, but if you plan to use a bus or taxi, check service for your date and applicable road restrictions separately.
Can I follow the botanical garden itinerary in winter?
The outdoor garden is closed in winter, and the glasshouse is also currently closed to visitors. For a four-day trip, you can choose the itinerary with Otaru Canal and Shiroi Koibito Park instead. Day three of the one-night Otaru, three-night Sapporo itinerary does not include a winter replacement for the garden.
Hours and admissionMain gate and accessOfficial Sapporo winter walking guideTrain service for your travel date
Official sources and dates checked
- Official service-suspension notice ·
- Sapporo tourism information ·
- Fares and hours ·
- Getting there ·
- Facility guide to station exits ·
- Admission and tickets ·
- Visitor information in Korean ·
- Access ·
- Hours and admission ·
- Main gate and access ·
- Official Hokkaido tourism information ·
- Admission and hours ·
- Access ·
- Fares and hours ·
- Access map ·
- Lower-station floor guide ·
- Hakodate city tourism information ·
- Admission, last entry, and closures ·
- From the station to the boarding entrance ·
- Same-day facility notices ·
- Tram information ·
- Train service for your travel date ·
- Official Sapporo winter walking guide ·
- Official Clock Tower admission, hours, and last entry ·
- Official Goryokaku Tower construction and opening notice ·
- Official Kanemori partial closure in November 2026 ·
- Official Shiroi Koibito Park facilities and factory viewing ·
- Official Sapporo Clock Tower exhibits ·
- Official Sapporo Clock Tower evening-opening notice ·