Skip to content
Étaperia

Hokkaidō in 18 days: day-by-day itinerary and hotels

Eighteen days on the northern island: Sapporo and Otaru, Cape Sōya at the far end of Japan, the climb up Rishiri-Fuji, the hills of Biei, Daisetsuzan, Shiretoko and its brown bears, then the volcanoes of the south down to Hakodate.

Compiled by Kylian, updated on Sep 27, 2026

Ribbons of flowers across the Biei hills in Hokkaidō
  • 18 days
  • 70 places
  • 18 nights
  • fast pace
Start
Sapporo
End
Hakodate
Main transport
Rental car picked up on day 3 in Sapporo, two ferry crossings to Rishiri island
Recommended season
June to October. Before then, the Shiretoko and Daisetsuzan passes stay closed. Daisetsuzan foliage peaks in late September, with first snow in October

What you get

  • The complete itinerary: 18 days sequenced Morning / Afternoon / Evening / Hotel
  • The card of every hotel, with the address and a direct booking link
  • Quota tickets, fixed-date tickets and surcharges flagged in advance
  • The country quick guide: weather, transport, formalities, budget
  • A PDF file of 35 pages

What the price does not include

  • Flights
  • Hotel nights
  • Tickets and admission fees
  • Travel insurance
  • On-the-ground assistance during your trip

The itinerary preview

The free day in full, with its hotel card. This is the sample.

Day 14

Into Shiretoko, the end of the world

Morning

Lake Tōfutsu

A brackish lagoon separated from the sea by the Koshimizu dune ridge, a major stopover for migratory birds, whooper swans and cranes.

Oshinkoshin waterfall

Drive an hour and a half along the coast to this waterfall, which splits into two arms right beside the main road, a few meters from the sea. A short staircase, spray guaranteed: it is the perfect introduction to the park.

Afternoon

Shiretoko National Park

Inscribed as a World Heritage site in 2005, the peninsula is one of the most intact ecosystems in Japan: the density of brown bears is among the highest in the world, and the seasonal drift ice feeds the whole food chain up to the sea eagles.

Five Lakes of Shiretoko

Five forest lakes reflecting the Shiretoko mountains, linked by a 3 km (1.9 mi) loop. The long loop is open only with an approved guide during the sensitive bear period. The 800 m (half-mile) raised boardwalk, protected by an electric fence, stays free and open all season.

Booking · Booking and time slots: www.goko.go.jp/multilingual_eng/ (new tab)

Evening

Cape Puyuni

The viewpoint above Utoro faces due west over the Sea of Okhotsk. It is the best sunset on the peninsula: the sea, the successive capes, and in winter the ice advancing.

Good to know

Five Lakes of Shiretoko: during the brown bear period, May 10 to July 31, the ground-level paths are open only with an approved guide, booked in advance (per adult, from ¥6,000 for the long loop depending on the agency, ¥4,000 for the short one). Before and after that period, from the road's opening around mid-April to its closure in November, you need a ticket (¥450) and must attend a mandatory briefing of about ten minutes at the visitor center. Groups under 15 need no booking. The 800 m (half-mile) raised boardwalk stays free and open all season. Opening and closing dates change each year.

Hotel · Night 14

Kitakobushi Shiretoko Hotel & Resort

The big hotel in Utoro, opened in 1960, facing the harbor and five minutes' walk from the bus terminal. Baths and an outdoor bath on the top floor face the Sea of Okhotsk, and the buffet offers some sixty dishes prepared in an open kitchen from Shiretoko produce. You spend two nights here.

Address
· 172 Utoro-higashi, Shari-chō, Shari-gun 099-4355
Website
· shiretoko.co.jp (new tab)
Check-in
3:00 PM · Check-out 11:00 AM
Book this hotel (new tab) affiliate link

Buy this itinerary

€39 incl. tax

that is €2.17 per day of travel

Billed in euros. If your card is in another currency, your bank converts at its own rate.

  • Secure payment through Stripe, bank card, Apple Pay and Google Pay
  • Available immediately in your customer account: online reading with clickable booking links, downloadable PDF for offline use
  • Method: what is checked, and when

A hotel in the itinerary closed or impossible to find, a place to visit permanently closed?

Within 12 months of purchase, email contact@etaperia.com

Itinerary corrected within 7 days, or refunded in full. Terms in article 12 of the terms of sale, on top of the legal warranty (new tab)

€39 incl. tax · 18 days

Buy

A question before buying? Email Kylian, reply within 2 business days.

The day-by-day rundown

18 stops, 1,170 km as the crow flies

  1. Day 1 Arrival in Sapporo, from Ōdōri Park to Susukino Ōdōri Park Day reserved for buyers, unlocked in the PDF
  2. Day 2 Sapporo, red brick and the memory of the pioneers Hokkaidō Aka Renga Day reserved for buyers, unlocked in the PDF
  3. Day 3 Noguchi, chocolate and the baths of Jōzankei Moerenuma Park Day reserved for buyers, unlocked in the PDF
  4. Day 4 Otaru and the blue of Shakotan Otaru Canal Day reserved for buyers, unlocked in the PDF
  5. Day 5 The Orōron coast to the far end of Japan Rumoi and Cape Ōgon Day reserved for buyers, unlocked in the PDF
  6. Day 6 Crossing to Rishiri island Ferry from Wakkanai to Oshidomari Day reserved for buyers, unlocked in the PDF
  7. Day 7 The climb up Rishiri-Fuji The climb up Rishiri-Fuji Day reserved for buyers, unlocked in the PDF
  8. Day 8 Back to the mainland, heading for Asahikawa Tokiwa Park Day reserved for buyers, unlocked in the PDF
  9. Day 9 Asahiyama and the hills of Biei Asahiyama Zoo Day reserved for buyers, unlocked in the PDF
  10. Day 10 Furano lavender and the Shirogane valley Farm Tomita Day reserved for buyers, unlocked in the PDF
  11. Day 11 The Sōunkyō gorge, gateway to Daisetsuzan Sōunkyō gorge Day reserved for buyers, unlocked in the PDF
  12. Day 12 Asahidake, the roof of Hokkaidō Asahidake ropeway and the Sugatami ponds Day reserved for buyers, unlocked in the PDF
  13. Day 13 Bihoro Pass and the Sea of Okhotsk Bihoro Pass Day reserved for buyers, unlocked in the PDF
  14. Day 14 Into Shiretoko, the end of the world Lake Tōfutsu Free
  15. Day 15 The cliffs of Shiretoko seen from the sea Shiretoko cruise Day reserved for buyers, unlocked in the PDF
  16. Day 16 Crater lakes and Ainu land Lake Mashū Day reserved for buyers, unlocked in the PDF
  17. Day 17 The hell valley of Noboribetsu Bokke Day reserved for buyers, unlocked in the PDF
  18. Day 18 From Lake Tōya to Hakodate Lake Tōya Day reserved for buyers, unlocked in the PDF

1 day is free to read above. The other 17 unlock when you buy. Buy the itinerary, €39

Found an error in this itinerary? Report an error

Country quick guide and logistics

The essentials of the country, scannable in ten seconds.

Weather and when to go

  • Plan on June to September for this leg. The mountain roads and the passes of Shiretoko and Daisetsuzan are only clear from late May or June, and the climb up Rishiri is only reasonable from mid-June to September.
  • Summers are mild, 20 to 26 °C (68 to 79 °F), with cool nights in the mountains. Hokkaidō largely escapes the rainy season that hits the rest of Japan.
  • The Furano lavender blooms for only a few weeks, from early July to early August. Outside that window, the fields are cut.

Transport and permits

  • The document you need depends on the country that issued your license. With a UK, US, Irish, Australian, Canadian, New Zealand or Spanish license, among others, you need a 1949 Geneva-format International Driving Permit (IDP), obtained in your home country before you leave. An official Japanese translation (valid for one year) is required only for a French, Belgian, Swiss, German, Monégasque or Taiwanese license. A Mexican, Colombian, Uruguayan or Bolivian license does not allow driving in Japan. Without the right document, no agency will hand over the car on day 3.
  • Drive on the left. Speed limits are low and gas stations are scarce in the north and east, so fill up before the long stretches along the Orōron coast and the Sea of Okhotsk.
  • Two ferry crossings from Wakkanai take you to Rishiri island, where the car stays on the dock. Deer and foxes cross the roads at dawn and dusk, and collisions are frequent.

Formalities and safety

  • You need a valid passport. US and UK citizens need no visa for a tourist stay of up to 90 days. This leg opens the first of the two trips on the Japanese route, the 88-day one.
  • No vaccination is required, but keep routine vaccines up to date. Ask a doctor about Japanese encephalitis for a long stay in rural areas. Travel insurance covering medical costs and repatriation is essential.
  • This is brown bear country. At Shiretoko, in Daisetsuzan and on Rishiri, carry a bell to announce yourself, never leave food out and respect trail closures.

Budget and meals

  • Currency: Japanese yen. Cards are accepted in hotels and large chains, but bring cash for small restaurants, temples and rural parking lots. ATMs at 7-Eleven and post offices accept foreign cards.
  • Typical meal budget outside half board: ¥900 to ¥1,500 at midday, ¥2,000 to ¥3,500 in the evening. No tipping.
  • Not included: gas and tolls, museum entries, cable cars, cruises and guided tours, and a hot-spring tax of ¥150 to ¥300 a night, often added to the displayed ryokan price.

Frequently asked questions

What exactly do I receive?

Your Étaperia itinerary, available immediately in your customer account after payment: readable online with clickable booking links, and downloadable as a PDF for the trip. Every day is sequenced Morning / Afternoon / Evening and says where you spend the night, with the address and booking link for each place to stay. Timed-entry tickets are flagged in advance.

How is this better than what an AI gives me?

A generative AI composes a plausible list in seconds, without saying what was checked or when. At Étaperia, every itinerary is compiled day by day, with the booking constraints spotted before it is too late to get them. The Method page says what is checked, against which source and on what date.

Can I adapt it to my dates and my pace?

Yes. The days are self-contained blocks: you can shift the departure, stretch a stage or skip a day without breaking what follows. Only timed-entry tickets require adjusting the dates accordingly, and they are all flagged.

What if a hotel or a place in the itinerary has closed?

Email contact@etaperia.com within 12 months of your purchase. If a hotel in the itinerary is closed or can no longer be found, or a place to visit has closed permanently, the itinerary is corrected in your customer account within 7 days, or you are refunded in full. A hotel fully booked on your dates, a seasonal closure or a change in opening hours or prices is not covered. This guarantee comes on top of the legal warranty of conformity; details in article 12 of the terms and conditions of sale.

Module, classic or complete itinerary: which one should I choose?

A classic is a short trip built to stand on its own, designed for a first visit to the country. A module covers one region in depth. The complete itinerary crosses the whole country, and buying it also unlocks each of its modules in your customer account.

Can I get a refund if the itinerary doesn't suit me?

No. It is digital content delivered right away, and you waive your right of withdrawal at checkout. To judge before you pay, every product page gives one full day for free and the list of every stop. After purchase, the guarantee applies: a closed hotel or a permanently closed place is corrected within 7 days, otherwise you get a refund.

Who is selling you this itinerary

  • Consumer mediator: ANM Consommation
  • Payment handled by Stripe: Étaperia never sees your card number
  • Publisher, not a travel agency: you book flights, hotels and tickets yourself

In the same country

This module is one leg of the full itinerary: Japan itinerary: 88 days from Hokkaidō to Okinawa, hotels and bookings

For a first trip to the country, see instead: Tokyo, Hakone, Kyoto in 12 days: a first trip to Japan, no car needed

The complete itinerary

The classic itineraries

Or take it one module at a time

To read before you go

Our articles about Japan

All the blog articles