Located in the center of Hokkaido, Furano is the most popular place to see lavender. It is also known as the Provence of Asia.The slopes of Furano are covered with row upon row of large purple lavender like undulating waves during the blooming season in late June. There are also blooming sunflowers, cosmos, tulips, poppies, etc., which form a colorful carpet of different shades.Lavender is the main attraction of Furano, therefore most of the tourism resources and facilities of Furano operate depending on the blooming season. For example, Lavender Farm Station and sightseeing buses are all “limited to summer”.

Goryokaku in Hakodate was built in 1857 and was the first western-style fort in Japan. The fort is the shape of a five-pointed star and was originally built to resist Western invasion. Later, during the Meiji Restoration, it became the battlefield between supporters of the shogunate and imperial forces (Battle of Hakodate).The park is full of cherry blossoms. It is a famous spot for viewing cherry blossoms in spring and for enjoying snow in winter.Hakodate is located in the southern part of Hokkaido. It takes more than 3 hours to get there from Sapporo by JR. The dazzling night view, seafood, hot springs and stunning views of the cherry blossoms are the main attractions of this place.

Obihiro is located at the center of Hokkaido and can be reached within 2 hours from Sapporo. The JR line offers a direct train service to the Tomamu resort where you can see the sea of clouds.Hoshino Resorts Tomamu is the largest integrated resort of the famous Japanese hotel management group, Hoshino Group. Although it is a resort, its fun factor is as great as other attractions. The three major signature attractions of the resort are the sea of clouds at Unkai Terrace, the Church on the Water designed by Tadao Ando and Japan’s largest indoor artificial wave pool.You have to stay at the Resorts Tomamu if you wish to see the stunning beautiful sea of clouds. You will need to take a cable car ride at 05:00 to wait for the sea of clouds. The earlier you go, the greater chance you have to see the sea of clouds. You can hardly see it after 08:30.

Located in the foothills of the snow mountains of the Hokkaido ridge, Sounkyo Gorge is the central attraction of Daisetsuzan National Park. Every September to October, the red leaves of the forest coat this area in flaming red, so it is also known for having the “first autumn leaves of Japan”. In addition, the hot springs here are also very famous.A transit at Asahikawa is required for the journey from Sapporo to Sounkyo Gorge, which takes about 3 to 4 hours. Tourists usually include Asahikawa in their itinerary. The Asahiyama Zoo is the most popular zoo in Japan.

The enchanting icicles can be seen at the Nanajo Waterfall near Lake Shikotsu in winter. You can see a huge canyon after walking in the forest for half an hour. The 10-plus meters of canyon waterfalls in the summer completely condense into gigantic icicles in winter. It is such a stunning sight that should not be missed.Lake Shikotsu is not far from Sapporo. It is a 1-hour bus ride from Shin-Chitose Airport in Sapporo. Lake Shikotsu is also famous for its hot springs in Hokkaido. If you book a hot spring hotel in Lake Shikotsu, you can also check if the hotel has a shuttle bus to Sapporo.

Shiretoko is a peninsula in the northeast corner of Hokkaido and it is basically classified into Shiretoko National Park. It is thickly forested and is home to a variety of wildlife, including brown bears, Hokkaido foxes, Steller's sea eagle, white-tailed sea eagle, seals, etc.In 2005, the Shiretoko Peninsula was listed in UNESCO World Natural Heritage, the third in Japan and the first to be registered in the world heritage list with its surrounding marine area.In summer, you can go out to the sea for whale watching; in winter, you can trek over the frozen Shiretoko Five Lakes, and also try out drift-ice walking on a huge floating piece of ice.In short, if you like nature activities in outdoor adventures, the various activities in the Shiretoko area will not disappoint you.

Located between Asahikawa and Furano, Biei is a hill town with beautiful flower fields resembling a patchwork ribbon.The cherry blossoms in the spring; the flower sea on the hills in the summer, the Tokachi Mountain Range awash with red in the autumn; the snowscape in the winter, Biei is a place where you will be wowed by all sorts of beautiful scenery throughout the year.Biei is also a popular place for shooting television commercials. There are many trees on the patchwork road, such as the trees of Mild Seven and the Ken and Mary tree. Thanks to these advertisements, finding these famous trees on the hill has also become an enjoyable activity while visiting Biei.The Blue Pond, located near the Shirogane Onsen in Biei, is a pond that is cyan in color on the water surface. The pond has received worldwide attention because its landscape has been adopted by Apple as one of the default desktops for Mac and iOS7 operating systems. Don't miss out the beautiful Blue Pond when you come to Biei!