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Before you go
Your trip to Otaru.
Illustrative images. The pictures in this guide are illustrations based on the real place, not photographs, and may differ from it.
Otaru – Hokkaido Destination Sapporo and Otaru about 40 km from Sapporo
How to get there
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Aeroporto Novo Chitose (CTS) Chitose · 85 km
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Estação de Otaru 1 km
Approximate distances. Check flights and bus, train or boat schedules before you travel.
From Sapporo, the train takes 35 to 45 minutes to Otaru Station, with coastal sections. From New Chitose Airport the rapid train goes direct to Otaru in about 1 hour 15 minutes. Express buses also link Sapporo and Otaru.
How many days
One day covers the canal, Sakaimachi Street and Mount Tengu. Staying one night lets you see the illuminated canal and walk the old center early in the morning, before the groups that arrive from Sapporo.
When to go
All year round. In winter, usually in February, the Otaru Yuki Akari no Michi festival fills the canal and streets with lanterns in the snow. Summers are typically mild and good for walking. In autumn, Mount Tengu displays fall foliage.
The seasons shown are the most usual ones; nature doesn't always follow the calendar.
Do you need a car?
No. From the station to the canal and Sakaimachi Street everything is walkable, and buses connect the center with the Mount Tengu ropeway.
Suggested itinerary
An order that works
Built with the places on this page. No rush: it's paced so you have time to see them.
One day in Otaru
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Morning
From the canal to the old banks
Walk down from the station to the canal, follow the bank past the stone warehouses and return via the street of old banks, where the Bank of Japan museum is located.
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Afternoon
Sakaimachi Street
Have sushi or a seafood bowl for lunch and walk along Sakaimachi Street, with glassware shops, confectioners and the music box museum at the end, near the steam clock.
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Evening
Mount Tengu and the illuminated canal
Take the bus and the ropeway up Mount Tengu for the bay view at dusk, then return to the canal, lit by gas lamps.
Check before you go. Opening hours and days change, and places may close for renovations, holidays or events. This itinerary is a suggestion from Cidade Turismo, not a commitment: plan yours by checking directly with each place you intend to visit.
Before you go
Frequently asked questions
How do you get from Sapporo to Otaru?
By train, in 35 to 45 minutes, with frequent departures from Sapporo Station. Sit on the right side, toward Otaru, to see the sea on the final stretch. Express buses also run the route.
What to eat in Otaru?
Sushi and seafood, with an entire street of sushi restaurants near the center, plus the market by the station. Pastries from the confectioneries on Sakaimachi Street also attract visitors.
Is Otaru worth an overnight stay?
If you want to see the canal lit up and stroll at a relaxed pace in the morning, yes. Most visitors do a day trip from Sapporo, and the center clears out early in the evening.
What is the Otaru lantern festival?
Otaru Yuki Akari no Michi, usually in February, spreads snow lanterns and candles along the canal and on old railway lines. It often coincides with the Sapporo Snow Festival; check the dates for the year.
Beyond the guide
