Hokkaido Itinerary

Hi, Will be going to Hokkaido in mid Oct. Would appreciate some feedback/comments on my itinerary below:

Day 1: Arrive Sapporo - visit Otaru (overnight Sapporo)
Day 2: Drive to Sounkyo - overnight
Day 3: Drive to Asahikawa - overnight
Day 4: Drive to Noboribetsu - overnight
Day 5: Drive back to Sapporo

Main activitiies: hiking

Am I too ambitious to cover all of these towns? Consider giving Sounkyo a miss if schedule is too tight. But not sure whether Sounkyo is better or Asahikawa.

Appreciate advise and comments.

Thanks v much.

Cheers!
WK

Mid October is too late for hiking around Sounkyo/Asahikawa. Most hiking trails in Daisetsuzan National Park will be snow covered already. In lower elevations, e.g. around Noboribetsu, hiking is still possible, though.

Am I too ambitious to cover all of these towns?

It is quite a bit of driving on days 1 and 4, but not extreme. I think it not too ambitious if you like driving and a fast pace of travel.

But not sure whether Sounkyo is better or Asahikawa.

Asahikawa is Japan's largest city with not much to besides seeing its interesting zoo. Sounkyo is nice for its natural surroundings and onsen, but hiking is not probably not possible anymore in the higher elevations due to snow.

Thanks Uji for your advise, really appreciate it.
We are not expert hikers, so probably moving around the lower ridges is fine with us. The important thing is that the journey is doable for driving. We'll probably skip Asahikawa since it is more city-like.

Cheers!
WK

Under normal condition mid Oct is beautiful autumn foliage season in Sounkyo, so it should be high on the list of place to visit in Hokkaido during that time of the year although there is no guarantee with the unpredictable weather these days.

If one place has to be skipped on the list, agree Asahikawa should be up for consideration although we find it a very worthwhile destination in Hokkaido. Besides the popular zoo you can try out the best ramen in Hokkaido in Ramen Mura (we like it so much that we went there twice on 2 separate trips). Also worth a visit is the beautiful Snow Crystal Museum/Snow Gallery which is part of the Hokkaido Folk Arts and Crafts Village.

Another autumn colour highlight during mid Oct is Houheikyou Dam near Jozankei. Wherever you decide to take in or skip, Sounkyo and Houheikyou Dam shouldn't be missed during your time of visit even if it is just a short 5-day trip.

There are some similar discussions on another recent thread in the following.
http://www.japan-guide.com/forum/quereadisplay.html?0+105630

Thanks William for your advise. Will certainly go to those places as suggested. I believe we will pass Asahikawa enroute to Sounkyo, so we'll decide if we should stay 1 night there. But what you described certainly sound interesting.

Cheers!
WK