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Before you go
Your trip to Sapporo.
Illustrative images. The pictures in this guide are illustrations based on the real place, not photographs, and may differ from it.
Sapporo – Hokkaido Destination Sapporo and Otaru Capital
How to get there
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Aeroporto Novo Chitose (CTS) Chitose · 45 km
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Estação de Sapporo 1 km
Approximate distances. Check flights and bus, train or boat schedules before you travel.
New Chitose Airport (CTS), about 45 km away, is connected to Sapporo Station by a rapid train in about 40 minutes. Smaller Okadama Airport handles regional flights. From Tokyo, the overland route combines the bullet train to Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto and an express train, taking around 8 hours.
How many days
Two days cover the center, the Beer Museum, Mount Moiwa and Moerenuma Park. Add one day for Otaru and another, in winter, for skiing or hot springs nearby.
When to go
December to March for snow and the Snow Festival, usually in early February. June to August is typically cool and dry, with summer festivals and beer gardens in Odori Park. September and October bring foliage; April and May, thawing and late cherry blossoms.
The seasons shown are the most usual ones; nature doesn't always follow the calendar.
Do you need a car?
No. Subway, tram and buses serve the sights, and the center is walkable, with underground passages for snowy days. Mount Moiwa has a ropeway and Moerenuma Park is reachable by bus from the subway.
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 Sapporo
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Morning
The Clock Tower, the old government building and Odori Park.
Start at the Clock Tower, a few blocks from the station, walk to the old red-brick government building and finish the morning strolling Odori Park from end to end.
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Afternoon
Beer Museum.
Take a bus or taxi to the Beer Museum in the old brewery’s brick building, and have lunch in the adjacent complex, where jingisukan (grilled mutton) is served.
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Evening
Mount Moiwa and Susukino.
Ride the Mount Moiwa ropeway to see the city lit up and descend to dine on miso ramen in Susukino. Check the last ropeway schedule.
2 days in Sapporo
Day 1
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Morning
Historic center on foot.
The Clock Tower, the old government building and the surrounding garden, taking time for the exhibitions about Hokkaido’s colonization.
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Afternoon
Odori Park and Beer Museum.
Cross Odori Park, go up the TV tower at the eastern end if the weather is clear and head to the Beer Museum in the mid-afternoon.
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Evening
Dinner in Susukino.
Choose between the ramen in Ganso Ramen Yokocho alley, the grilled mutton and the seafood at Susukino’s restaurants.
Day 2
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Morning
Moerenuma Park.
Take the subway and bus to Moerenuma Park and walk among the glass pyramid, the artificial hill and the fountains designed by Isamu Noguchi.
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Afternoon
Market and shopping in the center.
Return to the center, have seafood for lunch at Nijo Market and spend the afternoon in the covered galleries of Tanukikoji.
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Evening
View from Mount Moiwa.
End the trip at Mount Moiwa’s observatory, accessed by ropeway and cable car. In winter, bring clothing for the cold wind at the top.
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
What to eat in Sapporo?
Miso ramen, often served with butter and corn at many places; jingisukan, mutton grilled on a convex grill; crab and sea urchin; and soup curry, a local creation. Sapporo beer and craft breweries accompany the meals.
How to get around Sapporo?
The subway has three lines that intersect at Odori Park, and the tram makes a loop down to the foot of the Mount Moiwa ropeway. Japan’s rechargeable transport cards work on the subway, tram and buses.
Is Sapporo TV Tower worth the climb?
It stands at the eastern end of Odori Park and has an observation deck with a view over the whole park, useful to understand the center’s layout and to look at the Snow Festival sculptures. The view from Mount Moiwa is broader, and many visitors choose one of the two.
Where to ski near Sapporo?
Teine and Kokusai are about an hour from the center, and some smaller slopes, such as Mount Moiwa’s, are used by locals. The season usually runs from December to March; check slope openings and transport before you go.
Beyond the guide
