Trip to central/northern Hokkaido

Hi,

We are planning for a trip to Hokkaido in late july for 2 weeks. We will be bringing our 2 year old daughter with us, so we'll be taking it slow and easy.

We are planning to rent a car and hope to have as little change of hotel as possible.

We have been to Sapporo/Otaru/Norboribetsu/Toya before so won't want to visit these places again.

Our initial plan is Ashahikawa-Furano/Biei-Sounkyo-Rebun/Rishiri.

1) Does this sound like a good route? Or can you suggest something else?

2) We'd love to bring our daughter to see scenary/flowers/beach/farms. Can you suggest a few good places please?

3) The drive up to Wakkanai to reach Rebun/Rishiri sounds daunting (4hrs plus). Is there any stop-overs you can suggest?

4) Will I be able to fly back to Tokyo (to take a plane back home) from Wakkanai, or do I have to drive all the way back to Ashahikawa?

Thanks very much for your help.

Late July and early August is perfect timing for seeing flower fields in Furano and Biei area. Do not forget to visit the sunflower fields in Hokuryu which is only about 1 hr. drive from Asahikawa.

You can take a look at a list of some flower fields in Furano and Biei which I'd post on another forum:
http://www.tripadvisor.ca/ShowTopic-g298143-i5078-k3271847-Hokkaido_by...

If you are looking for some hand-on farm visits, here are a couple of suggestions:
Farm Chiyoda in Biei
http://www.f-chiyoda.com/index.htm
Country Terrace Koropokkur in Furano
http://www.koropo.com/
Furano Cheese Factory is not a farm but it offers interesting workshops in making ice-cream and pizza.
http://www.furano-cheese.jp/

For the drive up north, there is another beautiful sunflower field in Nayoro. Before Wakkanai you can visit the Reindeer Farm in Horonobe.

Personally I love nature and the great outdoor and would suggest going east and spend a few days in Akan National Park and the Shiretoko National Park.

I assume there would be domestic flights from Wakkanai to Tokyo, but I have no personal experience. We did a driving loop from Sapporo.

On a 2nd time visit I recommend Furano, Daisetsuzan, Shiretoko and Akan rather than Rishiri and Rebun, unless you really want to see those two small islands.

Will I be able to fly back to Tokyo (to take a plane back home) from Wakkanai, or do I have to drive all the way back to Ashahikawa?

Yes, there are airports Wakkanai, Memanbetsu (near Akan and Shiretoko) and Kushiro (near Akan), from where you can fly back to Tokyo. You can also fly from Rishiri to Sapporo and then further to Tokyo.

Thanks for your replies, very useful.

Uji-san, may I know why you think Akan and not Rishiri/Rebun? Is it inconvenient since I'm travelling with a toddler?

I saw pictures of Rishiri/Rebun online, and the place look very beautiful.

Hi, i'm going to self drive in Hokkaido with my wife in july too. To be exact 10th-20th July we'll be in Hokkaido

We'll be going to memanbetsu airport, and drive from abashiri to Shiretoko and down to Asahikawa, Biei, Furano over ard 8 days.

That makes 3 of us. My wife and I are taking our 6 and 8 year olds to Hokkaido in late July and we, too are struggling with what to see. We are definitely going to Reibun and Rishiri, in part because we are taking the ferry from Wakkanai to Russia and then going overland to Dusseldorf. I met a guy in the Hishiyama Youth Hostel in Kyoto 2 years ago who had been to the most remote places in Japan. I asked him where we should go, Ogasawara or Reibn and Rishiri. He said in summer go to Reibun and Rishiri because the flowers are so lovely.
Tom in Chicago

Rishiri & Rebun Island sounds cool. Too bad my trip is aldy finalised with the hotel bookings. saw some pics and desc at http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e6877.html

If i need to recharge or i wan some adventure i will include them in my next itinerary to Hokkaido hehe.

And wow, u're visiting Russia from wakkanai. then u end ur trip from there?

Uji-san, may I know why you think Akan and not Rishiri/Rebun?

I wrote "Furano, Daisetsuzan, Shiretoko and Akan rather than Rishiri and Rebun", not just Akan. The reason is that Rishiri and Rebun are very time-consuming to access and difficult or expensive to get around. Furthermore, the two remote islands only appeal to a certain type of off-the-beaten-track travelers. So, to the general traveler, I would recommend to visit the more easily accessible Daisetsuzan and Shiretoko on a second visit to Hokkaido and Rishiri/Rebun on a third.

However, if you feel a particular attraction towards Rishiri and Rebun, by all means go ahead and visit them.

Is it inconvenient since I'm travelling with a toddler?

With or without toddler, it is going to be either inconvenient or expensive. Bringing a rental car onto the ferry is very expensive and drop off rates for a drop off in Wakkanai expensive. Likewise, renting a car on the islands is expensive, while without car it is inconvenient to get around.