Hokkaido and Mt Fuji - summer

Hello all!

I�fm planning for a summer trip from mid July and have drafted my itinerary. Please help to advise for improvement and your input is truly appreciated.

Day 1 – arrive Asahikawa, onwards to Furano, sightseeing
Overnight in Furano
Day 2 – Furano/Biei sightseeing
Overnight in Furano
Day 3 – Furano to Sapporo, sightseeing
Overnight in Sapporo
Day 4 & 5 – Sapporo sightseeing
Overnight in Sapporo
Day 6 – Sapporo to Toyoura/Tomakomai for Noboribetsu/Toyako sightseeing
Overnight in Toyoura/Tomakomai (unable to get decently-priced accommodation with decent reviews in both Noboribetsu and Toyako)
Day 7 - Noboribetsu/Toyako, sightseeing
Overnight in Toyoura/Tomakomai
Day 8 – Toyoura/Tomakomai to Hakodate, sightseeing
Overnight in Hakodate
Day 9 – Hakodate sightseeing
Overnight in Hakodate
Day 10 – Hakodate to Tokyo
Overnight in Tokyo
Day 11 – Tokyo to Yamanashi (Hokuto City) – Akeno Sunflower Festival
Overnight in Yamanashi
Day 12 – Mt Fuji Climb
Day 13 – Yamanashi to Tokyo
Day 14 onwards, sightseeing in Tokyo and nearby cities

Questions:

I had visited Sapporo, Asahikawa & Abashiri during winter. Should I keep Sapporo in summer or should I visit another place instead?

Between Noboribetsu and Toyako, do I have to drop one of them or shorten the visit because of the restricted accommodation? Or just make do with an available accommodation in one of the places and stay for 2 nights?

I am also torn between Asahikawa�fs Horukyu & Hokuto for Sunflower Festivals. Which is a better choice?

I had read about Wakkanai, but it doesn�ft seem to pay off for a visit that�fs too far flung. Please correct me if I am wrong.

Other than shinkansen and domestic flight, how else can I travel economically from Hakodate to Tokyo? Are night buses available?

I�fm a 40-yr old lady and not exactly and avid climber, though I had tried trekking many years ago. It�fs unsure now if I�fm going for this trip alone or with a friend. I won�ft mind engaging a guide for the Mt Fuji climb, but is it necessary? Or should I just �efollow the crowd�f?

Thank you very much for your time.

Confirm Mt. Fuji trails.
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e6901.html

Any other thoughts on my itinerary?

Hello,

Any contributions from other travellers?
appreciate very much, as I am stuck with planning.

Thank you very much!

Himawari no Sato in Hokuryu is THE destination for sunflower. Its flower field is said to be the largest of its kind in Japan, but do note that although blooming time may start around mid July the best time for it is during early August.

Wakkanai has some of Japan's northern-most sites, especially around Soya-misaki. Also it is the jump-off point for the beautiful islands of Rishiri and Rebun. But I agree that for a short visit of 7-8 days it may not be worth the effort for the long journey north.

Being popular destinations accommodation in Toya-ko and especially Noboribetsu will indeed cost a bit more but it is worth it. Staying a night in one and do the other as a day trip is feasible, much better than travelling back and forth from Toyoura or Tomakomai. By staying the night in Toya there is the bonus of evening firework whereas Noboribetsu comes on top for an onsen experience.

Sapporo is the gateway to Hokkaido and you don't have to look elsewhere for good Hokkaido food, so a second visit won't come to nothing. No mention of any prior visit to Otaru which is another highly popular destination, especially it is easily done as a day trip from Sapporo without staying the night.

Not far west from Sapporo/Otaru is the Shakotan Peninsula with spectacular coastal scenery all the way to Cape Kamui. Outside winter months there are 1-day bus tours to the peninsula from either Sapporo or Otaru.

Thank you so much for sharing, William!

So it seems it's almost not possible for me to see both lavenders and sunflowers in full bloom in Hokkaido in one trip; even if I were to start with Furano and go back to Hokuryu after a few days later. Would you suggest that I try to do so?

If I settle for two nights in Noboribetsu, probably I could also sqeeze in cherry-picking in Sobetsu Fruit Farm :)

I like your suggestion of Cape Kamui; it looks good; and especially so that it's accessible from Sapporo & Otaru. I had visited Otaru in winter, and I think it's nicest in that season.

July is the month for lavender and I don't think you will have problem seeing it in Furano. Just be sure to go to Farm Tomita's sister farm Lavender East which is solely devoted to lavender. Time allowed it is also worth visiting the Shikagoe lavender garden in Kanayama-ko, the only lavender field in Furano with a beautiful lake view as backdrop.
http://pucchi.net/hokkaido/spot_north2/minamifurano_shikagoe_enchi.php
http://www.ekinavi-net.jp/hokkaido/kamikawa/sights/kanayamako.html

The concern is sunflower during mid to late July. When we were there on August 2 a few years back, it was about 60-70% bloom. So it is doubtful how the field will look a week or so before that period. Having said that, it was only our experience in that particular trip and a lot depends on the unpredictable weather which can vary greatly from year to year. According to their archive, the best time last year was from Aug 6 - 9 but part of it looked OK from July 26 - 30.
http://portal.hokuryu.info/himawari#full

Thanks again.

Which transport pass would work best for my itinerary?

There are different kinds of rail pass in Hokkaido as shown below. Finalize the itinerary with the intended route to take and see which one suit you best.

http://www2.jrhokkaido.co.jp/global/english/railpass/rail01.html

Hi.
I climbed Mt Fuji last summer. It as a great experience. Not so hard but a long time. You can see all the trip here:http://www.soleilrouge.org/fujisan-l-ascension-d-une-vie

I've spent a week in Hokkaido in summer too. Hakodate, Toya lake, Sapporo, Otaru, Furano, Biei and Asahikawa. I was travelling by car. If you want to see:http://www.soleilrouge.org/

Thank you for sharing :)

I've revised my itinerary, hope it's a better version than previous. :D

Day 1 – arrive CTS/Asahikawa, onwards to Furano, sightseeing
Overnight in Furano
Day 2 – Furano/Biei sightseeing
Overnight in Furano
Day 3 – Furano to Sapporo, sightseeing
Overnight in Sapporo
Day 4 – Sapporo to Shakotan Peninsula, sightseeing
Overnight in Sapporo
Day 5 - Sapporo sightseeing
Overnight in Sapporo
Day 6 – Sapporo to Hokuryu, sightseeing
Overnight in Sapporo
Day 7 – Sapporo to Noboribetsu, sightseeing
Overnight in Noboribetsu
Day 8 - Noboribetsu to Toyako, sightseeing
Overnight in Noboribetsu
Day 9 – Noboribetsu to Hakodate, sightseeing
Overnight in Hakodate
Day 10 – Hakodate sightseeing
Overnight in Hakodate
Day 11 – Hakodate to Tokyo via domestic flight
Overnight in Tokyo
Day 12 – Tokyo to Yamanashi for Mt Fuji Climb
Day 13 – Mt Fuji Climb, or back to Tokyo??
Day 14 onwards – Tokyo

No matter how I try, it's still difficult to move Hokuryu to the end of the Hokkaido trip; just taking the risk..

Understand your dilemma about Hokuryu - it is indeed wise to keep it as late as possible during the time of your visit in hope of seeing full bloom. But with the latest plan there will be quite a bit of travelling back and forth as Hokuryu is NW of Asahikawa and is best done as a side trip from Asahikawa. It would be ideal if you can change the flight plan by flying into Hakodate and then fly out from Asahikawa.

Instead of having two overnights in Noboribetsu onsen; have one in Toyako and one in Noboribetsu onsen.

Although, nice to spend the night, Noboribetsu has little attractions besides hot springs, walking trails, and seeing animals. A morning walk after a night in noboribetsu is enough. Perhaps a one to two hours walk?

Toyako overnight experience is less enjoyable but there are activities and attractions to fill your time.

Thus, I recommend a night in each place instead of having two in the same place. Also, Noboribetsu tends to be pricier. I recommend the Takimotokan Annex or Mahoroba but these are really luxurious and you might want something more reasonable.
*Takimotokan has coaches to Sapporo Bus center.

Spend 2 days for Furano and Biei. Getting around isnt exactly convenient. There is only one train on one track! It either goes northwards or southwards so if you miss it, you got to wait an hour or more! There is a lavender east train station that is only open in Summer. Note that the train does not always stop there though, sometimes it skips this station. Buy a train pass from Sapporo. Say "Lavender Furano" and get the train timetable and train pass.

They are pre-teen kids who have conquered Fuji, so it shouldn't be too much of a trouble. Get one of those small oxygen tanks if worried about lack of air.

Sapporo has little to offer in Summer. Besides Chocolate and other factories, Tokyo is a better city. The only charm Sapporo has is that it isnt as busy so it is pretty welcoming.

Thanks, William5. I had thought through your suggestions but was stuck earlier on because Hakodate was out of the place; Furano has to be as early as possible, and Horukyu towards the end of Hokkaido trip. How does this new plan look? I am also thinking that the 4-day Flexible JR Pass could pay off for the whole trip, in addition to another pass that covers for Furano/Biei.

Thank you for the reminders, Joshua. As Furano may not be as accessible with public transport, that's the reason why I thought 2 nights in that area would give me ample time to explore the necessary, with the help of some seasonal passes.

Day 1 – arrive Hakodate, sightseeing
Overnight in Hakodate
Day 2 – Hakodate sightseeing
Overnight in Hakodate
Day 3 – Hakodate to Furano (via Sapporo), sightseeing
Overnight in Furano
Day 4 – Furano/Biei sightseeing
Overnight in Furano
Day 5 - Furano to Sapporo, sightseeing
Overnight in Sapporo
Day 6 – Sapporo to Shakotan Peninsula, sightseeing
Overnight in Sapporo
Day 7 – Sapporo sightseeing
Overnight in Sapporo
Day 8 - Sapporo to Noboribetsu, sightseeing
Overnight in Noboribetsu
Day 9 – Noboribetsu to Toyako, sightseeing
Overnight in Toyoura (instead of Toyako because of limited accommodation choices)
Day 10 – Toyoura to Hokuryu, sightseeing
Overnight in Sapporo/Asahikawa
Day 11 – Sapporo/Asahikawa to Tokyo via domestic flight
Overnight in Tokyo
Day 12 – Tokyo to Yamanashi for Mt Fuji Climb
Day 13 – Mt Fuji Climb, or back to Tokyo??
Day 14 onwards – Tokyo

The latest plan looks better than the previous one, but I still have some reservation. Maybe it's just me as I don't like backtracking, so I would take the following route: Hakodate - Toya - Noboribetsu - Sapporo - Furano/Biei - Asahikawa - Horukyu. I know you want to go a bit early to Furano to see lavender and indeed mid July is a better time for it than late July. But for me instead of travelling back and forth I would rather take the risk. Unlike sunflower lavender has a comparatively longer blooming time and there should be plenty left during late July although the colour may not be as vivid.

Glad to see you allocate time for Sapporo again although you have been there. Summer is a great time to go for some festive events in town. Sapporo Summer Festival runs annually from mid July to mid August and various events are held all over town. Monitor the following webpages for update information of the festival this year.
http://www.welcome.city.sapporo.jp/event/summer/sapporo_summer_festiva...
http://www.sapporo-natsu.com/

And try to be in Sapporo on either July 15, 22 or 29 this year to take in the spectacular evening firework.
http://www.dosanko.co.jp/hid/hanabi2005/

Hi all,

I'm planning to go to Sobetsu Fruit Village for fruit picking on 1 Aug. However, I have read from some sources that the previous round of fruit picking would end in Jul, and the next to start in Sep. Can someone please confirm if this information is true?

Thank you very much.

Hello all!

I've finalised my itinerary. It would be during the last week of July and first week of August.

Day 1 – arrive Sapporo
Overnight in Sapporo
Day 2 – Shakotan/Otaru (maybe)
Overnight in Sapporo
Day 3 – Hokuryu/Asahikawa
Overnight in Asahikawa
Day 4 & 5 – Furano/Biei
Overnight in Furano
Day 6 – Sapporo
Overnight in Sapporo
Day 7 - Noboribetsu
Overnight in Noboribetsu
Day 8 – Toyako
Overnight in Toyako
Day 9 & 10 – Hakodate
Overnight in Hakodate
Day 11 – flight from Hakodate to Tokyo
Overnight in Tokyo
Day 12 & 13 – Tokyo
Overnight in Tokyo
Day 14 – Mt Fuji Climb
Day 15 – Yamanashi to Tokyo
Day 16 - flight out to home

I am still pretty confused with which passes to get. A few options that I've thought of:

a) 7-day JR Hokkaido Rail Pass from Day 3 to 9 (JPY24,000)
b) Furano Biei Round Trip Ticket from Day 3 to 6 (JPY5,550) + 3-day JR Hokkaido Rail Pass from Day 7 to 9 (JPY16,500)
c) Furano Biei Round Trip Ticket from Day 3 to 6 (JPY5,550) + 4-day Flex Hokkaido Rail Pass for Day 2 and from Day 7 to 9 (JPY22,000)

Options 1 & 2 would mean that I have to make per-trip purchase of tickets for Day 2 travel to Shakotan & Otaru.
Is the 7-day Pass well worth for Furano/Biei area? Or is the Furano Biei Round Trip Ticket a better option? What other suggestions would you give?

Thank you very much!

Hello,

Can I get some valuable advice from experts and travellers who have had similar itinerary please?

appreciate any information. Thank you very much