This was our second road trip in Hokkaido, having done a 12 days summer road trip in 2023. In that trip, we did hikes in Daizetsuzan National Park, Shiretoko National Park and Akan-Mashu National Park and also spent a few days in the cities of Otaru and Sapporo.
For this trip, my wife and I focused on areas that we missed on our previous trip, in particular Hakodate, Niseko and Shikotsu-Toya National Park. We also spent time to visit some of the island’s famous spring flower viewing sites.
Visiting Hokkaido in the last week of May meant that we missed seeing the cherry blossoms that blooms every spring in late April and early May. But we still get to enjoy plenty of spring flowers that are best viewed in late May and early June, including expansive moss phlox hillsides, canolas, wisterias and a massive tulip field in Yubetsu.
Driving in Hokkaido
Getting a rental car is the best way to see the attractions in the remote areas outside the cities. I decided to rent the car from Toyota-Rent-Car with car pickup upon arrival at the New Chitose Airport. I had booked a compact car since it was just for 2 persons with 2 medium sized suitcases.
The Toyota Yaris is indeed a small compact car. We had to fold down the back seats to accommodate our 2 medium suitcases. Unlike my car at home, the no-frills Toyota Yaris has no arm rest at the centre console so I had to get use to that.
Fortunately, the car came with Android Auto so we could use Google Map instead of the car’s built-in navigation system which I found cumbersome to use. The car also has a usb-c port to charge my phone while driving. With Android Auto, I also get to use Spotify to enjoy my favourite music during the journey. On the plus-side, the Yaris is a very efficient petrol-driven car that could cover about 19 to 20 km per litre of petrol.
We made sure the car came with the ETC card reader and card. ETC (Electronic Toll Collection) is a system that enables the payment of expressway tolls without having to stop, by means of wireless communication between an antenna located at the toll booth, and the ETC card (IC card) inserted into the card holder in your vehicle. At the end of the rental, we just pay the car rental company for the toll charges accumulated in the card.
We did not buy the Hokkaido Expressway Pass as the pass would be not economical for our itinerary which features most driving on non-toll roads.
Overall, driving in Hokkaido is very easy since the road system is similar to what I am used to at home. I was a little “insulted” to see the car rental staff paste a sticker on the back of our rental car. 
Essentially, it is to inform the local drivers to beware of us, the foreign drivers who may not be familiar with the Japanese road system. The sign meant well, as there are many traffic accidents involving foreign drivers with rental cars in Hokkaido. The rental car staff also did a useful briefing on the parking system in Hokkaido, what the STOP sign looked like in Hokkaido and what to do in the event of accident etc.
The following is the itinerary, with links to trip reports for the activities we did on each day.
Day 1 (23 May 2026) – Arrival and travel to Asahikawa via Takikawa and Biei
We did a red-eye flight to Hokkaido from Singapore on Thai-Airways (TG410 and TG670) with a brief stopover in Bangkok. We arrived at the New Chitose Airport in the morning around 8.30 AM.
We collected our rental car as planned from the airport and drove to Takikawa to see the canola flower fields of Takikawa.
From mid-May to early June, the canola flowers at Takikawa stretch to the very edge of the horizon and filling our field of vision with brilliant yellow color.
Takikawa boast one of the largest cultivation areas of canola in Japan and the Takikawa Nanohana Festival for 2026 was held from May 16 to May 24 which is during the best viewing period. Our day of arrival to Hokkaido on May 23, 2026 was on the last Saturday of the festival. This offered us an opportunity that we just could not miss.
Trip report: Enjoying Canola Flower Fields at Takikawa Nanohana Festival 2026
From Takikawa, we drove to Biei. Biei is famous for its beautiful natural scenery created by vast rolling, flower-covered farmlands, with the magnificent Tokachi Mountain Range as a backdrop.
We skipped popular attractions like Farm Tomita, Farm Chiyoda, Shirogane Blue Pond, and the cascading Shirahige Falls that we had visited before. Instead, we focused on sights that we missed.
At the beginning of Panorama Road, with Mount Tokachi spewing volcanic gases in the mountain range behind.
This included a drive down Panorama Road, Roller Coaster Road and also seeing the famous trees around the Biei countryside, like the Ken & Mary Tree, the Seven Stars Tree, and the majestic Christmas Tree.
We stayed in Asahikawa for the next 2 nights.
The drive to Asahikawa from Biei took about 30 minutes and we arrived at our hotel, the JR Inn Asahikawa, before dark. This hotel is conveniently located on top of Aeon Mall with plenty of restaurants and shopping within.
After checking in, we went for dinner at Hokkaido Ramen Santouka, located near Asahikawa JR Station. This restaurant is famous for its signature mild, pork-bone shio (salt) ramen topped with a single pickled plum (ume).
Trip Report: Exploring Biei countryside by car and evening in Asahikawa
Day 2 (24 May 2026) – See the flowers fields in Northern Hokkaido
The plan for Day 2 of our Hokkaido road trip is to enjoy the flowers that bloom in late May, particularly in the northern part of the island.
From Asahikawa, we did a 311 km drive that will bring us to Takinoue for the Shibazakura (pink moss phlox), Mombetsu for lunch and sightseeing and then Yubetsu for the tulips before returning to Asahikawa.
After breakfast in the hotel, we hit the road at 8 AM sharp. Takinoue Shibazakura Koen Park is a stunning 10-hectare hillside park famous for its vast, vibrant carpets of pink moss phlox (shibazakura).
Trip report: Hill of Pink at Takinoue Shibazakura Koen Park
From Takinoue, we continued along National Route 273 to Mombetsu. Mombetsu is a coastal town located about mid-way between Takinoue and Yubetsu, so it is an ideal place to stop for seafood lunch and some sightseeing. We had just enough time to see one attraction in Mombetsu and we decided to go to the Okhotsk Sea Ice Museum of Hokkaido. 
This is a highly recommended museum to visit when in northern Hokkaido as it offers many things that we don't normally get to experience.
Trip report: A couple of hours in Mombetsu – a seaside town famous for its drift ice and seafood
Our last destination for the day was at the town of Yubetsu, located about an hour’s drive from Mombetsu. The Kamiyubetsu Tulip Park is a popular tourist attraction in Yubetsu Town. Every year from early May to early June, around 700,000 tulips of nearly 200 vibrant varieties transform the park into one of Hokkaido’s most spectacular floral landscapes.
Trip report: A bit of Holland in Hokkaido
Day 3 (25 May 2026) – From Asahikawa to Jozankei Onsen
The plan for the day was to drive from Asahikawa to Jozankei Onsen where we will stay for a night.
Nekobus - an attraction for fans of the Totoro anime.
Our sightseeing stops include the following:
- Catbus or Nekobus - an attraction for fans of the Totoro anime.
- Royce Cacao&Chocolate Town for a factory tour.
- Maeda Forest Park for the wisterias.
- Asari Sky Loop and Asari Dam.
View of the Asari Sky Loop from the Asari Dam.
Trip report: Road Trip from Asahikawa to Jozankei Onsen
Jozankei Onsen is a historic hot spring town nestled in the Shikotsu-Toya National Park along the Toyohira River. Located just 60 minutes south of central Sapporo, it features sodium chloride-rich therapeutic waters and is a good place to pamper ourselves with great food and onsen in a luxury hotel.
We chose to stay in the Shogetsu Grand Hotel. There are very nice facilities in the hotel that we could enjoy after check-in. Shogetsu Grand Hotel is known to serve an excellent Japanese kaiseki cuisine dishes that incorporate seasonal delicacies so we booked a stay that includes dinner and breakfast.
We had time to explore Jozankei Onsen on foot before checking out from the hotel the next day. The town is quite small and our hotel is centrally located.
Trip report: Pampering ourselves at the Shogetsu Grand Hotel in Jozankei Onsen
Day 4 (26 May 2026) - Drive from Jozankei Onsen to Niseko
After pampering ourselves in Jozankei Onsen, the next area to explore in our Hokkaido road trip was the Niseko resort area. Three sizable towns are located around this area - Kutchan, Hirafu and Niseko. We will be driving to Kutchan to see some attractions located in this town before heading southwards to Hirafu and Niseko.
Kutchan is just about an hour’s drive from Jozankei Onsen via National Route 230 and 276. We made stops at Nakayama Pass, Aikawa Viewpoint and Fukidashi Park during this journey.
The Nakayama Pass Roadside Rest Area (michi-no-eki) is a good place to stop and enjoy the famous "ageimo" (fried potatoes). The freshly cooked ageimo was crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside. Definitely a good, delicious snack on a road trip.
The Aikawa Viewpoint along National Route 276 is a good place to view Mount Yotei. Mount Yotei is a beautiful, 1,898 meter inactive volcano in Hokkaido that looks a bit like Mount Fuji in Tokyo with its near-perfect conical shape.
Fukidashi Park, located at the foot of Mount Yotei, is renowned for having one of the highest spring discharge rates in Japan with a daily flow of approximately 80,000 tons of water.
At Kutchan, we went to Mr. Mishima's Garden where a vibrant blanket of pink moss phlox (shibazakura) blooms against the snow-capped Mount Yotei in late May. The garden is a private residence that opens for free to the public.
We spent some time to take photos of the landscape and the flowers. We also hunt for some lucky flowers.
From Kutchan, we drove about 20 minutes to the Niseko Takahashi Farm. Hokkaido is famous in Japan for its fresh cow milk and the Niseko Takahashi Dairy Farm is a great place to taste some fresh, local milk products. There are also a couple of restaurants in the farm.
We had our late lunch in the Niseko Takahashi Dairy Farm Restaurant PRATIVO. The restaurant provides panoramic views of Mount Yotei from every seat inside.
A good place to have dessert after lunch is at the Niseko Takahashi Dairy Farm MILK KOBO. They serve a wide array of sweets using fresh milk directly from their own farm including many flavors of ice cream, cakes, yogurt, milkshakes and tarts.
We stayed in Ki Niseko, a boutique ski-in, ski-out hotel located at the foot of Grand Hirafu Resort. We did not include dinner in our room booking since we planned to have dinner at Afuri, a well-known ramen restaurant that originates in Tokyo.
Trip report: Our Stay in Ki Niseko and dinner at Afuri
Day 5 (27 May 2026) – Exploring Hakodate
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 2023. This time, we planned to spend 2 days in this city to explore its numerous attractions.
It was a 174 km drive from Niseko to Hakodate that took about 3 hours. 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.
We stopped for lunch in Yakumo, a small coastal town along National Route 5, after 1.5 hours drive from Niseko. Yakumo is the birthplace of Japanese Herb Chicken, which is raised on a healthy diet of herbs.
Harvester Yakumo is a Western-style restaurant located on a hill overlooking Funka Bay.
A must try is their Fried Chicken which is similar (or may be better) to KFC.
Trip report: Drive from Niseko to Hakodate with lunch at Harvester Yakumo
We visited Goryokaku Fort and Tower before checking into the JR Inn Hakodate, our accommodation in Hakodate.
The star-shaped fort is probably the most striking and also the most historically important landmark in Hakodate.
Goryokaku Fort is a massive, star-shaped, Western-style citadel, which was built in the last years of the Edo Period (1603-1868) for the defense of Hakodate against the imperialist threat posed by the Western powers. It has now been repurposed into a park.
The wisteria in Goryokaku Fort was in full bloom when we visited.
A tower called the Goryokaku Tower had been built next to the fort to allow visitors to fully appreciate the magnificent star-shaped layout of this special historic site.
Trip report: Exploring Hakodate - Goryokaku Fort and Tower
We had time to visit Hakodate’s Motomachi District in the late afternoon before heading up to Mount Hakodate to see the famous night view.
Walking through the Hakodate Waterfront to Motomachi district located at the foot of Mount Hakodate.
Hakodate was one of the first ports in Japan to be opened to foreign trade in 1854. As a result, many traders from Russia, China and Western countries moved to Hakodate. Motomachi, at the foot of Mount Hakodate, has many old foreign-looking buildings and are definitely worth a visit.
Some interesting sights to see in the area include:
- Statue of Kimi Chan or Girl With The Red Shoes
- Hachimanzaka slope
- Motomachi Churches
- Old Public Hall of Hakodate Ward and Motomachi Park
- historic Carl Raymon House – a good place to have freshly grilled German sausage
We took the Mt. Hakodate Ropeway to the summit of Mount Hakodate.
The view of the city from Mt. Hakodate at night is acclaimed as one of the best in the world.
We had dinner at one of the many Lucky Pierrot restaurants found exclusively in Hakodate.
Day 6 (28 May 2026) – Exploring Hakodate
Rain was forecasted in Hakodate so we planned to have a relaxing day exploring the waterfront area of Hakodate and take cover in the Kanemori Red Brick Warehouse once the rain starts.
The Kanemori Red Brick Warehouse complex, founded in 1887 and rebuilt in 1909, stands along the Hakodate waterfront as one of the city’s most iconic landmarks. These buildings now house a shopping and dining complex.
We started the day with fresh seafood breakfast at the Hakodate Morning Market. In fact, we had breakfast there on both mornings of our stay in Hakodate.
The Hakodate Morning Market is an excellent place to enjoy various types of fresh seafood, such as live crabs (kani), salmon eggs (ikura) and sea urchin (uni), as well as fresh produce such as the famous Hokkaido melons.
Trip report: Our breakfast at the Hakodate Morning Market
After breakfast, we walked to the waterfront where the Kanemori Red Brick Warehouse is located. Beside the warehouses, we also visited the Hakodate Meijikan that was originally built in 1911 as the Hakodate Post Office.
Trip report: Exploring Hakodate on a Rainy Day –Kanemori Red Brick Warehouse
Day 7 (29 May 2026) – From Hakodate to Lake Toya
After breakfast in the Hakodate Morning Market, we drove to Lake Toya. I had originally planned to drive to Cape Tachimachi for ocean views but the weather was not good so we skipped that.
The journey from Hakodate to Lake Toya via non-toll road took about 3 hours.
Located within the Shikotsu-Toya National Park, the charm of Lake Toya lies in its beautiful scenery blessed with a rich natural environment.
Trip report: Exploring Lake Toya’s attractions
Toyako Onsen is a popular hot spring resort town located on the southern shore of the lake. It features scenic lake views, outdoor foot baths, and nightly fireworks from late April to the end of October.
Toyako Onsen is a good place to stay for at least 1 night when doing a road trip in Hokkaido. To celebrate our wedding anniversary with champagne, private hot spring and fireworks, we had booked a stay at the Lake Suite Ko No Sumika, a luxury lakeside hot spring hotel located within Toyako Onsen.
Trip report: Heavenly stay at Lake Suite Ko No Sumika, a luxury resort at Lake Toya
Day 8 (30 May 2026) – Exploring Noboribetsu Onsen
After enjoying our stay at the Lake Suite Ko No Sumika, we went to check out the rest of Lake Toya attractions in the morning before leaving for Noboribetsu Onsen.
We drove to Noboribetsu Onsen via the Orofure Pass (Hokkaido Hwy No. 2). Noboribetsu is another famous hot spring resort in Hokkaido.
Jigokudani (Hell Valley) in Noboribetsu is a dramatic volcanic crater with steaming vents.
It is best known for Jigokudani (Hell Valley), a dramatic volcanic crater with steaming vents, and its rich variety of healing mineral waters. Hence a stay in one of the hot spring resorts is highly recommended. We chose to stay at Dai-ichi Takimotokan.
We had ramen noodles for lunch at Enmado before seeing the attractions such as the Sengen Park, Jigokudani Hell Valley, Okunoyu and River Okunoyu Natural Foot bath.
We ended the day with onsen and buffet dinner in the hotel. The hotel features a 1,500-square-meter bathhouse with open-air baths, health baths, and a heated pool. There are various baths with different temperatures, shapes of soaking pool, and views, including an open air bath with views of the Hell Valley itself that I particularly enjoy.
Trip report: Noboribetsu’s Hell Valley
Day 9 (31 May 2026) – Visit Noboribetsu Date Jidal Village and travel to Chitose
After enjoying the buffet breakfast at the Dai-ichi Takimotokan, we took a short drive to Noboribetsu Date Jidal Village. This ninja-theme park immerses visitors in the world of ninjas, samurais, and geishas. The park focuses on its collection of Edo period style buildings such as a daimyo (feudal lord) residence building, merchant shops, and commoners’ dwellings. We enjoyed the live shows that are highly entertaining with a blend of history and humor that we could enjoy even though the performers are speaking Japanese.
Trip report: Travel Back in Time to Edo era at Noboribetsu Date Jidal Village
From Noboribetsu, we drove to Chitose. No trip to Japan is complete without a meal featuring the wagyu beef. We made a stop at Amano Family Farm to have Shiraoi beef yakiniku.
Shiraoi beef was incredibly delicious and very satisfying. It was a good way to end a road trip around Hokkaido.
Since our flight the next day is quite early, we returned our rental car one day before departure. We took the shuttle bus from the car rental company back to Chitose Airport.
The New Chitose Airport is an attraction in itself and hence I planned extra time in my itinerary to enjoy this airport. There are around 180 establishments offering food, shopping and entertainment. We spent the rest of the day at New Chitose Airport before taking a taxi back to our hotel.
We chose to stay at Queens Hotel Chitose is located close to the airport and also offers free shuttle bus service to the airport in the morning.
Day 10 (1 June 2026) – Travel to Chitose Airport and good bye Hokkaido
We took the free shuttle bus offered by our hotel (Queens Hotel Chitose) to the airport.
Our return flight home is TG 671 to Bangkok departing at 10.30 AM and a connecting flight TG409 from Bangkok to Singapore.
I wonder when we would be back again.
Enjoy our drinks at the Cafe Street or Trần Phú Street in the old town.
Cao Lau, a noodle that can only be made in Hoi An.
We took the opportunity to celebrate a birthday at Moc Quan Seafood.
There was a Tulip Festival when we visited.