Explore Sapporo in Two Days with This Model Itinerary!

What Makes Sapporo Special?

As the biggest city on the island of Hokkaido, Sapporo City has many features that appeal to international visitors: magnificent natural scenery, great food and a unique art scene.

Here’s a recommended two-day itinerary that lets you experience the best of Sapporo.

Day 1: The Red Brick Office, the TV Tower and Mt. Moiwa - Sapporo’s Landmarks!

Photo provided by: Yokoso Sapporo

On the first day, let’s visit theFormer Hokkaido Government Office Building (The Red Brick Office), the clock tower, TV Tower and Beer Museum, as well as the Shiroi Koibito Park, Mt. Moiwa, and other Sapporo highlights!

10:30: Start At The Red Brick Office!

Photo provided by: Yokoso Sapporo

First, let’s start our journey at the Former Hokkaido Government Office Building, known as the Red Brick Office.
Take photos of the seasonal flowers blooming alongside this building steeped in history. With weeping cherries and tulips in May, sweet flags in June, water lilies and Japanese roses in July and more, you can see the change of seasons. In the fall, gingko trees turn the area gold.

Entry to the interior is free, and you can learn about Hokkaido’s history.

11:30: Head to the Sapporo Clock Tower!

Photo provided by: Yokoso Sapporo

From the Red Brick Office, it’s about seven or eight minutes to the Sapporo Clock Tower. You could say that the clock tower is the city’s symbol.

When you arrive at the tower, pick up a general admission ticket at the third-floor information counter. This ticket lets you into both the clock tower and the TV tower. At 800 yen a head, buying this ticket is 120 yen cheaper than getting the tickets separately.

At the clock tower, you can see its mechanisms and check out the tower bell.

12:30: Get Lunch at the TV Tower and Enjoy the Panoramic Scenery!

Dine at New Sanko

When you get to the TV tower, head to New Sanko on the third floor, a restaurant where you can get an uninterrupted view of Odori Park (lunch from 11:30).

We recommend the stew made with beef from Japanese black cattle. Paired with a demiglace sauce that is simmered over a week, the soft beef is irresistible. You can enjoy it with salad and rice or bread for 1850 yen.

Get a Good View of the Panoramic Scenery

Once you’ve satiated your appetite with beef stew, take the third floor elevator to the observatory.

From the observatory, located 90.38 meters above ground, you can get a 360-degree view of Odori Park’s seasonal blooming flowers and the massive Ishikari Plain.

Don’t forget to peer into the mysterious well located directly beneath the TV tower!

14:30: Stroll Through the Sapporo Underground Shopping Center from the TV Tower

Photo provided by: Yokoso Sapporo

Take a walk from the TV tower through the Sapporo underground shopping center to Sapporo Station. You can enjoy the shopping down here.

After this, if you want to head to the Sapporo Beer Museum, you need to head to the Sapporo Station subway. If you want to go to Shiroi Koibito Park, head to the Odori Station subway.

15:30: Check Out the Sapporo Beer Museum or Shiroi Koibito Park

Sapporo Beer Museum

Photo provided by: Yokoso Sapporo

For people who like beer, we recommend visiting the Sapporo Beer Museum. Admission is free, and by paying 500 yen for the premium tour, you can taste a reissued version of beer that was produced 130 years ago. To get to the museum from Sapporo Station, take the Toho Line subway bound for Sakaemachi and get off at Higashi-Yakusho (200 yen). The museum is an 11 minute walk away.

The restaurant has the most flavorful Genghis Khan (Hokkaido’s famous grilled lamb), crab, potatoes and cheese to pair with just-brewed beer.

At Ario Sapporo, the multipurpose commercial complex next door, you can do some typically Japanese shopping.

Shiroi Koibito Park

Photo provided by: Yokoso Sapporo

Shiroi Koibito are sweets consisting of white chocolate sandwiched between two cookies. The combination of rich butter and delicious white chocolate is a Hokkaido specialty, and Shiroi Koibito Park is the place that makes these treats. From Odori Station, take the Tozai Line subway bound for Miyanosawa, and get off at Miyanosawa Station (16 minutes). Shiroi Koibito Park is a 7 minute walk away.

There’s more to do at Shiroi Koibito than just observe the factory and make sweets. The surrounding area has lovely buildings that look like they belong in a dream. Immerse yourself in the area and get lost in a fairy-tale world. General admission is 600 yen.

17:30: Head to the Mt. Moiwa Ropeway

Photo provided by: Yokoso Sapporo

Head to the Mt. Moiwa ropeway to get a glimpse of the scenery that was chosen in 2015 as one of Japan’s Three Great Night Views. It takes 460 yen and about 45 minutes to get to the ropeway from the Beer Museum. Walk to Higashi-Yakushomae Station and take the Toho Line to Odori Station. From there, take the Tozai Line to Maruyama Koen Station, then walk to the Odori-Nishi 25-chome bus stop to catch the #11 loop bus. Get off at Moiwa Fumoto Station.

It takes 460 yen and about 41 minutes to get to the ropeway from Shiroi Koibito Park. Walk to Miyanosawa Station and take the Tozai Line to Maruyama Koen Station, then walk to the Odori-Nishi 25-chome bus stop to catch the #11 loop bus. Get off at Moiwa Fumoto Station.

18:30 Enjoy Dinner! Romance or Ramen?

Dinner With Someone Special At Mt. Moiwa’s Restaurant With A View, The Jewels

Photo provided by: Yokoso Sapporo

The Jewels, located atop Mt. Moiwa, is the highest restaurant in Sapporo. Have a romantic dinner surrounded by a 270-degree view of the night scenery and the ceiling’s planetarium.

Dinner prices start at 4500 yen, and you can savor creative French cuisine that is very concerned with ingredient sourcing and seasonal ingredients. Last order is at 20:00.

Enjoy Real Sapporo Ramen at Susukino!

Susukino is the largest entertainment district in Hokkaido, and is home to roughly 4000 establishments where you can enjoy local specialties like ramen. If you love ramen, you can’t miss Ramen Street.

Day 2: Morning Markets, Moerenuma Park and More Natural Beauty!

On the second day of your trip, savor Hokkaido seafood at the morning market, discover nature’s beauty at Moerenuma Park, and enjoy the land of Hokkaido! Cap off your journey with a dip in a hot spring!

7:00: Enjoy the Best Seafood at Nijo Ichiba Market!

Photo provided by: Yokoso Sapporo

Nijo Ichiba Market, with all its delicious seafood, is a 15 minute walk from Odori Station. Here you can enjoy a kaisen-don bowl made from fresh-caught seafood, which is something you can only get here, so dig in! If you’re hoping to avoid the rush, try to go before 8 AM.

9:00: Witness the Fusion of Nature and Art in Moerenuma Park

Moerenuma: A Beautiful Park Designed by Isamu Noguchi, source

Moerenuma Park is home to pieces of art by Isamu Noguchi.

When going to Moerenuma Park from Nijo Ichiba Market, you should buy a combined subway/bus transit pass to save some money. Take the Toho Line subway from Odori Station to Kanjo-Dori Higashi Station, then take the eastbound #69 or eastbound #79 bus to the Moerenuma Park east entrance bus stop (you can also take the eastbound #61 bus, which stops at the west entrance to the park).

The panoramic view from atop the hills can only be seen here. In summer there are man-made beaches, and in the wintertime you can play in the snow, so this is a great place to bring kids.

Photo provided by: Yokoso Sapporo

The park is wide, so we recommend getting a rental cycle. The park map can be downloaded in Japanese and English or Korean and Chinese.

Refresh Your Body at the Moere Natural Onsen

The Moere natural onsen, Tamayura-no-Mori, is 8 minutes from the park’s west exit.

For the final leg of your journey, you can refresh yourself in Tamayura-no-Mori’s open-air springs, medicinal baths, jacuzzis, a sauna and bedrock baths.

Note that people with tattoos or intoxicated people are not allowed into Tamayura-no-Mori.

Enjoy the City’s Beauty and the Earth’s Bounty

With bountiful nature and delicious seafood, Sapporo is the place to enjoy the blessings of nature and art. Enjoy the various sides of Sapporo.