Noboribetsu's Winter Highlight! Frost-Covered Forest + Giant Brown Bears, A Healing Parent-Child Travel Guide
BellHenry74
Hotels in Hokkaido open to snow outside the window, a fairy tale come true
ADELYN SANDOVAL
27
Lake Toya, Hokkaido|An Underrated Gem for Family Outings You’ll Be Reluctant to Share!
James@567 Cox
1
Experience the Power of Volcanoes at the Foot of Mt. Usu!
Moto2404
北海道
This trip spans Busan and Hokkaido Lake Toya, specially designed for lovers of natural beauty and open-air hot springs - Hokkaido's selected Lake Toya Town combines lake scenery, volcanic wonders, hot spring hotels, food and summer fireworks. If you are a travel style that prefers leisure and relaxation and does not want your schedule to be too rushed, it is definitely worth staying one night at the Toya Lake View Nono Wind Resort Hotel, where you can enjoy the top open-air hot springs and slow life by the lake.
🌊 Must-see highlights of Toyako-cho
1️⃣ Take a boat trip to Lake Toya + explore "Nakajima"
Recommended from the Onsen Street Pier, take the sightseeing boat quietly floating in the center of the lake, different seasons have different views, in summer remember to reserve time to get off the boat in "Nakajima" for a walk, sometimes lucky can also encounter Ezo deer infested, wild!
2️⃣ SAIRO Observation Deck
The classic of Lake Toya photography is from this perspective! The observation deck has a large parking lot and observation deck, overlooking the entire lake area and the central island, which is a great feel whether it is sunny or foggy. The shop's must-try super rich Hokkaido ice cream, remember to try it when you're tired of walking!
3️⃣ Showa Shinsan + Yuzhushan Cable Car
Prefer geographical volcanic wonders? Showa Shinsan (active volcano, often emitting white smoke) near Lake Toya is super shocking! Then take the Mount Yuzhu Cable Car to the top, where you can overlook the crater and Neipo Bay, encompassing the view of mountains and seas at once.
4️⃣ Lake Hill Farm
There is a super vast grassland for you to take pictures, small animals are so cute, and super popular handmade Italian ice cream (must order yogurt flavor), overlooking the sheep's hoof mountain, the perfect piece of "Chill" empty.
5️⃣ Summer limited fireworks show
If you coincide with April–October is the fireworks season, every night at 20:45 there is a sightseeing boat on the lake to set off fireworks, after watching you can go to the hot spring street foot bath (pharmacist's soup) foot bath to enjoy the lake color, perfect ending!
🌅 Hotel Recommendation: Toya Lake View No no Wind Resort
Address: 29-1 Toyakoonsen
This hotel is highly recommended. It faces Mount Sheep Hoof and Lake Toya. The location is super convenient! Walking out there is a commercial street, convenience store, near the bus stop, the hotel also has free shuttle from Sapporo! The open-air hot spring on the top floor is super spectacular. You can enjoy the lake and mountains while bathing. It really washes your body and mind. The rooms are spacious, comfortable pillows (and floor-to-ceiling glass to enjoy the lake view!) For dining, the breakfast and dinner buffet has authentic Hokkaido seafood sushi and wine and drink options. Remember to book a lake view room in advance for invincible fireworks!
· Tip: The hot spring pool is divided into men and women and open separately.
💡 Practical tips & itinerary
· Recommendation: If you have time, it is recommended to stay 1 night slowly enjoy the hot springs + fireworks + shopping street, if you just check in can also half a day essence route (steamboat → observatory → Showa New Mountain Cable Car).
· Stay advice during fireworks season: Hotel rooms are tight, so make sure to book early.
· Surrounding food shops: Hot spring street snacks, milk ice cream, ranch ice cream are not to be missed, the hotel has a huge variety of buffets (especially fresh crab legs, sashimi, sushi).
· Free Foot Soup: The "Pharmacist's Soup" foot soup is located on Hot Spring Street.
· Transportation Tips: From Sapporo, you can take the JR+ bus or direct bus directly to Lake Toya Onsen.
Finally, I would like to ask everyone, would you prefer to stay one night at Lake Toya, or opt for a half-day trip? Welcome to comment and discuss ~
#Hokkaido #Lake Toya #hot spring trip #summer fireworks #travel notes
Nickkk.L
Day 1 | Arrive in Sapporo・Warm up in the city
Directions: New Chitose Airport ➡️ Pick-up ➡️ Walk at Tanukikoji Shopping Street ➡️ Dinner: Yakiniku Deshou (19:30 booked)
📍 Tanukikoji Shopping Street (Address: 1~7-chome West, 2~3, Chuo-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido/Opening hours: General shops 10:00-20:00, restaurants may close later)
⭐ Yakiniku Deshou is also a popular old-fashioned barbecue restaurant in Sapporo (4-chome, Minami 5jo, Chuo-ku, Sapporo, business hours 17:00-24:00).
Day 2 |Otaru Sea and Summit Day Tour
Route: Otaru ➡️ Ao no Cave Experience (10:50 Meeting: Jutsu Pier / Otaru City Jutsu 3-chome) ➡️ Lunch: Triangle Market (3-10-16 Inaho, Otaru, 6:00-17:00) Tengu Mountain (16:00 up the mountain, ride the cable car, play the hilltop slide, feed the chipmunks/Otaru City's strongest observation deck! Cable car 9:00-21:00) ➡️ Dinner: Waka Chicken Times
Day 3 |Sapporo Discharge and Food All-You-Can-Eat
Route: Sakino Suzuran Park (Sapporo City South District Sakino 247, 09:00-17:00/18:00, very lively on holidays ~); Lunch can be done in the park➡️ Dinner: Soup Curry TREASURE Soup Curry or Crab Honka Sapporo Station Front Main Store (Top Crab Honka, 21:30 Last Order SAPRO) ➡️ AO Tanuki Shopping Night Aquarium (3-20 Minami 2-jo, Chuo-ku, Sapporo, 10:00-22:00)
Day 4 |Running to Furano・Sea of Flowers and the Road to Discharge
Route: Departure at 08:30 ➡️ Sunagawa Service Area (Must Eat Iwase Ranch Ice Cream! Doyo Expressway Sunagawa SA) ➡️ Hokkaido Children's Country (1/09:00-17:00 1/09:00-17:00 on Hokkaido 401, Sunagawa) ➡️ Tomita Hami Melon Workshop (also inside Tomita Farm) ➡️ Naka Furanocho Lavender Garden (single cable car, closed at 17:00) ➡️ Dinner: Ninja Barbecue (19:00 reservation)
Day 5 |Meei Parent-Child Experience and Forest Fairytale
Route: Furano Cheese Workshop (Furano City Chu-5) ➡️ Chiyoda Ranch (Ki Mizusawa, Biei-cho, Kamikawa-gun) ➡️ Biei Four Seasons Aino Hill (Biei-cho, Kamikawa-gun, new star third, 09:00-17:00, can rent Golf car, feed alpacas!) ➡️ Dinner: Bin Grilled Hokkaido Fish Wan (19:00 Night Tour) ➡️
Day 6 |Noboribetsu Hell Valley and Hot Spring Experience
Directions: Departure to Noboribetsu ➡️ Lunch: Noboribetsu Onsen Market or Maruhira Seaweed Specialist (Noboribetsu Onsencho 65) ➡️ Noboribetsu Hell Valley (Noboribetsu Onsencho, Noboribetsu, open 24 hours a year)
Day 7 |Lake Toya Fireworks and Farm Experience
Route: Takashina Fruit Farm (Toyako-cho, Kazuda County) Fruit picking is fun ➡️ Lake Toya Steamboat (take a boat from the headquarters pier to Nakajima, 16:00-16:30 last service) Lake Toya Fireworks Festival (Summer Limited)
Day 8 | Mitsui Outlet Big Sale
Route: Departure at 12:30 ➡️ Mitsui Outlet Park Sapporo Kitahiroshima (7-6, 3-chome, Okaku-cho, Kitahiroshima, 10:00-20:00) ➡️ F.O.FACTORY on Clover Mall 2F, MARKEY'S on Maple Mall 2F
Day 9 |Airport Final Sprint・Return to Hong Kong
Route: Do no Station Maoi no Hills Park (East 10 Line South 7, Naganuma-cho, Yubari County), buy fresh fruit super cheap! ➡️ Rera Outlet (1-2-1, Tainan, Chitose City, with children's play area) or AEON Department Store to replenish supplies ➡️ Check-in early at New Chitose Airport ➡️ Play Doraemon Wakuwaku Sky Park/Snow Hatsune Sky Town (3rd & 4th floor) at the airport. ➡️ 16:05 departure back to Hong Kong 🇭🇰
💡 Self-driving tour tips
· Must-visit highlights for parents and children: Sakino Suzuran Park, Tengu Mountain Slide, Chiyoda Ranch Milking, New Chitose Airport Cartoon Amusement Area, full of discharge!
· Be sure to note: Many attractions/restaurants in Hokkaido finish work very early (many are closed after 17:00 or 20:00).
🎉 These 9 days Hokkaido self-drive parent-child trip eat and play, mom and dad with their children still enjoy! The recommended itinerary is for reference only, flexible adjustment according to your own preferences, having fun is the most important thing!
Nickkk.L
洞爺湖
[Lake Toya] Explore Nakajima Island with water activities and a sightseeing boat! A complete guide including ticket information and the local specialty "Imoten" (sweet potato tempura) 🚢
una.sy
昭和新山熊牧場
🐻 Shōwa-shinzan Bear Ranch (昭和新山熊牧場) - Get up close and personal with Hokkaido brown bears!
If you're visiting the Lake Tōya area and want to add some fun to your trip, we recommend Shōwa-shinzan Bear Ranch (昭和新山熊牧場), a Hokkaido brown bear farm near Mount Shōwa Shinzan. It's perfect for a short visit and offers a surprisingly close encounter with these large bears. 🐻
🐻 Bigger than you think!
The highlight here is watching the Hokkaido brown bears in their large enclosure. You can observe their various behaviors, from strolling around and resting to waiting for food.
Some bears are even able to stand on two legs and wave their paws to beg for food – it's so captivating you might find yourself watching them longer than intended! 😆
🍎 Fun feeding!
One of the interesting activities is buying bear food and feeding them from the designated feeding area. When the bears see people holding food, some will immediately try to attract attention with their behavior.
It's recommended to pay attention to the signs and strictly follow the farm rules, as these are large and strong animals.
🌋 Continue your trip to Showa-Shinzan.
The advantage of this place is its proximity to Showa-Shinzan and the Usuzan Ropeway, making it easy to combine a half-day trip with the bear farm.
💡 Tips: If you're visiting Lake Tōya, we recommend the route: Lake Tōya → Shōwa-shinzan → Bear Ranch → Usuzan Ropeway. This allows for convenient travel between the two locations and lets you see the lake, volcano, and bears all in one trip.
📍 Shōwa-shinzan Bear Ranch 昭和新山熊牧場
🐻 Highlights: Hokkaido brown bears and feeding activities.
🌋 Suitable for: Visitors to Lake Tōya and families.
⏰ Recommended: Allow approximately 30–60 minutes.
#昭和新山熊牧場 #showashinzan #laketoya #hokkaido #hokkaidotravel #TravelJapan #Sapporo #JapanTravel #DiscountsWithoutLuck