Enjoy Hakodate's Elegant Streets and Nature with This 2-Day Itinerary!

What to do in Hakodate? Our 2 Day Sample Itinerary

Hakodate is one of the first cities in Japan that assimilated European culture.

The city was selected as the most attractive city for its beautiful streetscape with churches and European style architecture, delicious gourmet, and appealing specialties.

Even though there are numerous places to visit in Hakodate, here is a two-day itinerary which includes the most popular and highly recommended spots.

Day 1: Enjoy Romantic Hakodate!

Today let’s head to some of the most popular destinations in Hakodate including the Motomachi Bay Area, and enjoy the famous night view on the first day.

10:00 Take Funny Photos at the Old British Consulate of Hakodate!

The Old British Consulate of Hakodate opened in 1859 and operated as such for 75 years. It was a critical part of the city at the time of the port's opening and now stands as an elegant museum demonstrating the history of Hakodate.

You can enjoy not only learning about history here but also have fun taking pictures with a comic foreground and a big carpet with a world map!

On the first floor, you can taste British tea and baked goods at a café with elegant British furniture.

The rose garden has 139 roses of 60 different types (as of July 2015) that come into bloom from the end of June to early July every year.

11:30 Walk Hachimanzaka, Eat and Shop at Kanemori Red Brick Warehouse!

From the Kanemori Red Brick Warehouse to Goryokaku, it takes 40 minutes by city train or 10 minutes by bus from Hakodate station.

Walk to Jujigai station from the Kanemori Red Brick Warehouse (which takes about 5 minutes), and take train 5 or 2 bound for Yunokawa. Get off at Goryokaku Koenmae station and walk for 8 minutes, and you will arrive at Goryokaku Tower.

Goryokaku is a star-shaped park in Hakodate, which is historically famous. From Goryokaku Tower, you see the perfect star shape of the park.

Goryokaku Tower is 107 meters high, and the panoramic view from the viewing deck is amazing. Admission costs 840 yen. It has a lot of souvenir shops, so it is a good shopping spot.

18:00 Take the Ropeway to Mt. Hakodate for a Million Dollar Night View

Hakodate is famous for the million-dollar night view from Mt. Hakodate. Take ropeway for 3 minutes to the summit standing 334 m above sea level.

From Goryokaku Tower to the ropeway station to Mt. Hakodate, it takes about 40 minutes.

From Goryokaku Tower, it takes 9 minutes on foot to Goryokaku Koenmae station. Take train 5 bound for Hakodate Dotsukumae or train 2 bound for Yachigashira and get off at Jujigai station, then walk for 9 minutes to Mt. Hakodate Ropeway Sanrei station.

The night view from Mt. Hakodate is especially beautiful because of the contrast of the dark ocean and concentrated lights on the land that connects Mt. Hakodate and Hokkaido. The round-trip fare is just 1280 yen for an adult.

The last trip of the ropeway is at 21:50 from the end of April to mid October and at 20:50 from mid October to the end of April.

Day 2: Enjoy Seafood and Nature in Hakodate!

You enjoyed the exoticism of Hakodate on the first day, so it’s time to enjoy seafood and the majestic nature of Hakodate on the second day.

6:30 Visit Hakodate Morning Market

Wake up early and visit the morning market near Hakodate station. The market has fresh seafood, fruit and vegetables, and you can catch squids at a squid fishing hole and eat them fresh.

8:00 Enjoy the Stunning View at Onuma Quasi-national Park!

Onuma Quasi-national Park is where you can see the majestic nature of Hokkaido.

From Hakodate station, it takes about 40 minutes. The fare of a local train is 540 yen one way.

Take the Hakodate Line bound for Oshamanbe or Mori from JR Hakodate station and get off at Onuma Koen station. From the station, it takes only a minute to reach Onuma Quasi-national Park.

You can find cranes here during winter and enjoy canoeing during summer. There are activities for each season.

13:00 Watch Monkeys Bathing in Hot Springs in the Hakodate City Tropical Botanical Garden

You can see monkeys bathing at hot springs in the Hakodate City Tropical Botanical Garden from December 1st until early May.

Please note that from November to March, it closes at 16:30.

The park offers athletic facilities, battery cars, small rabbits and footbaths during summer, which children can have fun with. The admission is 300 yen for adults and 100 yen for children under junior high school age.

From Hakodate station:

By taxi: About 15 minutes
By bus: Take Hakodate bus bound for Hiyoshi Eigyoshomae and get off at Nettai Shokubutsuenmae, which takes about 20 minutes.
By train: Take Train 2 or 5 bound for Yunokawa from Hakodate station and get off at Yunokawa Onsen station. From the station, it takes about 12 minutes on foot to Hakodate City Tropical Botanical Garden. The whole trip takes about 46 minutes.

The official website (Japanese)has leaflets available in both English and Japanese.

Hakodate has so many attractions. Enjoy both a romantic atmosphere and majestic nature when you are in Hakodate!

All pictures from PIXTA