27 May 2026
Hakodate is a vibrant port city in southern Hokkaido known for its fresh seafood, 19th-century Western-style architecture, and spectacular night views. Located in the South-western part of Hokkaido, we did not have time to visit this city in our previous road trip in Hokkaido back in 2024. This time, we planned to spend 2 days in this city to explore its numerous attractions.
Getting to Hakodate from Niseko
After an overnight stay in Niseko and great breakfast at the Ki Niseko hotel, we did a 174 km drive from Niseko to Hakodate. Unlike the previous day, Mount Yotei was shrouded by low clouds in the morning.
Although there is an expressway E5 that could be slightly faster, I chose to travel all the way via National Route 5 which is more scenic and also toll-free. The journey was expected to take about 3 hours.
I planned a stop for lunch in Yakumo, a small coastal town along National Route 5. Harvester Yakumo is the perfect spot for a lunch break after a 1.5 hours drive from Niseko.
Harvester Yakumo
Harvester Yakumo is a Western-style restaurant located on a hill overlooking Funka Bay. There is a sign outside the restaurant that informed us that Yakumo is the birthplace of Japanese Herb Chicken, which is raised on a healthy diet of herbs, giving its meat an unbeatable delicate flavor.
Upon stepping through the front door, a sign further explained the linkage of this restaurant to a certain Colonel Sanders, the founder of Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC).
Beside fried chicken, the menu also includes dishes such as pastas and freshly made pizzas that are baked in a stone oven.
There are benches on the terraces with views of the farms below and Funka Bay in the distance. We spotted some crows, so we sat indoors to eat in peace.
Overall, we enjoyed our lunch at this restaurant with good food, good view and relaxing vibes.
Funkawan Bay Panorama Park
Right across the road from the restaurant is the Funkawan Bay Panorama Park. We made a quick stop to check out the ice-cream shop and souvenir store. There are also nice views of the bay from this place.
On to Hakodate’s
Goryokaku Fort
From Yakumo, it took us another 1.5 hours to get to the Goryokaku Fort. The fort was the first attraction we visited in Hakodate since it is located in the northern part of the city. We had just enough time to visit this attraction before checking into the JR Inn Hakodate, our accommodation in Hakodate.
Along the way, we drove past Onuma Quasi-National Park, a popular Hakodate attraction. This place features a forested park with hiking & cycling trails, campsites, a dormant volcano & boating on several lakes but we chose to give it a miss due to time constraint.