Sapporo 3 Day Itinerary For A Winter Visit
Winter is one of the best seasons to visit Sapporo, the snowiest metropolitan in the world, and so many different experiences that are only possible during the winter season.
After living here through our first winter, we have tried and found some the best winter activities and things to do in Sapporo, that are still possible amidst the several metres of snow Sapporo receives…
If you’re planning a trip to Sapporo this winter and are looking to make the most out of your stay, this Sapporo 3 day itinerary for winter shares off the beaten track recommendations, amazing food spots to try and our own recommendations for making it a memorable holiday in the snow.
Sapporo 3 Day Itinerary For Magical Winter Visits
Day 1
Takino Snow World
If you’ve come to Sapporo during the winter, it’s likely that you want to see some snow, and Takino Snow World is one of our favourite locations to head to during the winter. It’s easily accessible via public transport and is around 1 hour away from the centre of Sapporo.
It’s completely free to enter Takino, and if you fancy a spot of skiing there are ski rentals on site. It is a starter slope so it’s best for kids or adults who are learning to ski. If you’re more advanced, Bankei and Moiwayama ski area are great slopes that aren’t too far out of the city either.
But you don’t have to ski to take part in the fun, they offer completely free snow tubing for kids and adults which is so much fun! You can also hire snow shoes from the country house for free.
Definitely recommend heading to the restaurant in the country house afterwards to warm up and get some yummy treats. The pizza and Hokkaido soft serve ice cream is delicious!
If winter sports aren’t really your thing and you like walking, there is a fabulous walking trail down the cross country path to Ashiribetsu Falls. This is a must visit during the height of winter as the flowing waterfall completely freezes.
An absolutely stunning sight, and a really enjoyable walk on a good weather day which is signposted the whole way, I don’t recommend doing this in the middle of a snowstorm though, so do take a weather check on this one!
Nearby to Takino Snow World and on the way back into the city is the Hill of The Buddha, the most incredible buddha with a landscape that looks completely different throughout the seasons. From Takino Snow World, take the Chuo Bus from the Suzuran Koen Higashiguchi stop towards Makomanai and get off at Takino Toge, the closest stop to the Hill of the Buddha.
As you enter the park with the landscape piled with snow, you’ll see the top of the buddhas head gracefully grazing the snowy landscape. Entry is ¥1,000, and within the park you can also see the mini Stonehenge and Moai statues which greet you as you enter the park.
Susukino
After a jam packed day enjoying some of the best snow in the world, head back into the city for Susukino for the evening. Susukino can easily be accessed from Sapporo Station on the Nanboku line heading to Susukino which is only two stops on the subway, or alternatively easily access it on foot via the underground shopping street.
Tanukikoji Shopping Street is under shelter and the perfect place to head to keep cover from the snow and chill in the evening. There are over 200 shops and restaurants lining this iconic street.
Ramen alley is a great spot to head to if you want to enjoy a traditional Japanese experience for your dinner. You can’t leave Sapporo without engaging in their late night parfait culture, Partfaiteria Pal is one of our favourite places for the most extravagant parfaits you can think of (see pictures below!).
They’re slightly more expensive than your average parfait in Sapporo, but trust me, they are so worth it and are packed full of the yummiest ingredients, there are alcohol free and alcohol options to choose from.
Day 2
Sapporo Snow Festival
Location: Odori Park
If your winter trip coincides with the Sapporo Snow Festival in February, you can spend a good part of your second day exploring this iconic festival. Heading into its 77th year in 2027, it gets bigger and better every year.
In 2026, there were over 200 ice sculptures to explore, with so many food and drink stalls to try on your way around. Mid week early in the day is generally the quietest time to visit the show. However, during your stay, we recommend heading in during the evening too to watch the light mapping show on the sculptures, it offers a completely different experience, but do wrap up warm!
If you’re visiting outside of the snow festival, I always recommend that you spend a day in the city of Sapporo as part of your itinerary. This capital of the north has so much to offer, and it’s still fairly easy to get around the city in the winter (with the advantage of the underground access too…).
TV Tower
If you want to see the city from a different perspective, I always recommend going up the TV tower in Odori Park to take in the staggering mountainous views that hug the city of Sapporo.
Whether you visit during the snow festival or another time during winter, the view is nothing short of incredible, put aside around 40 minutes to 1 hour for this. Entry is ¥1,200 for adults.
Underground city
Underneath the city lies an underground city, pretty much! Designed so you could access the underneath of the city freely during the winter and heavy snow, without affecting daily life, and oh is it good!
There are two shopping malls underneath and you can walk from one subway stop to another. It’s always fun coming up and trying to work out where you’ve walked to.
It’s like a rabbit warren down here and you could easily spend a whole day shopping around if you wanted to. There are restaurants, cafes, shops and incredible department stores. Definitely recommend a visit to the iconic Daimaru and Stellar Place department stores.
Whilst you’re down here, grab a Kinatoya warm apple pie and soft serve ice cream!
Ramen Alley
Ramen Alley is one of those must visit places in Susukino. Hokkaido isn’t as traditional as other prefectures in Japan, but ramen alley really gives you a slice of that Japanese life. This narrow corridor lined with 17 small, but incredible ramen shops truly comes alive at nighttime.
Take in the atmosphere and wander around until you find one you want to go in, miso and butter corn ramen are the traditional Hokkaido ramen dishes. Most have very limited seating so either arrive early around 5-6pm, or expect a little bit of a wait as the evening goes on.
I recommend Higuma, a famous, long-standing Sapporo ramen brand established in 1972 for their miso and butter corn ramen!
Day 3
Jozankei Onsen Town
How to get to Jozankei by bus: The most convenient option is the direct Jotetsu Kappa Liner bus, which departs from JR Sapporo Station and reaches Jozankei in approximately 60 minutes. This is a reservation-only service, I recommend reserving your spot at least a day in advance, but earlier if you can.
If there’s ever a time to try a traditional Japanese onsen, it’s during the winter! Jozankei Onsen Town is the perfect day trip from Sapporo as it only takes around 1 hour to reach by public transport.
Not only are there plenty of day bathing facilities to try, but you’ll find random foot spas around the town too which are delightful to warm up those cold and tired feet after plenty of walking around the city.
I recommend walking to the iconic Futami-tsuribashi red suspension bridge and dipping your feet in the Shiki-no-seseragi Futami-no-ashiyu foot bath which has a shelter overhead which makes it ideal for snowy conditions.
Even during the winter there’s plenty of things that you can do at Jozankei, from cooking your own onsen eggs (grab a set of eggs from the souvenir shop to cook over a hot spring!), grab a ramen and explore the town.
But of course, you can’t leave without relaxing in a natural onsen. There’s plenty to try at Jozankei, the best one for access without a car is the Jozankei Manseikaku Hotel Milione which is near to the Ontamu-no-yu where you cook the onsen eggs or Yunohana Jozankeiden which is a public bath house. You can just turn up on the day to this one without a prior reservation.
If you’re new to onsen culture in Japan, genders bathe separately and you go in naked. Don’t worry if you forget a towel, as you can rent them on site in most onsens throughout Japan.
Maruyama Park
Depending on how long you wish to stay at Jozankei, Maruyama Park is a must visit to see during the height of winter. This park completely transforms with the snow, a magical and super peaceful place to be.
The Hokkaido Shrine is situated by Maruyama Park, and there’s also a small area in the park with free snow tubing in the winter! If you’re looking for another park nearby central Sapporo, hop on the Nanboku line to Nakajima Park.
Head back into the centre for the last night. If you’re looking for something authentic to eat on your last night, it’s got to be a soup curry!
This is much lighter version than a traditional katsu curry and you can usually pick your spice level between 0-10, if you’re not a huge fan of spice, I definitely recommend starting with a 0-1, unless you’re really feeling brave! Soup Curry Treasure and Soup Curry King are a couple of our favourites in the city.
If you’re visiting Sapporo between late November to December 25th, the Munich Christmas Market will also be running in Odori Park which should absolutely be in your day in the city itinerary for day 2, enjoy the craft stalls, food stalls and you can even visit Santa, if you’re here with kids, or you know, just for yourself!
If you have any questions about this Sapporo itinerary or anything else to do with Sapporo, please leave a comment below and we’ll come straight back! Do take a look at our other Sapporo itineraries varying in days for more inspiration for your next trip.
