I’ve been to Hokkaido during the summer a few years ago, but I’ve always wanted to experience their famous Snow Festival.

Because of COVID-19, the festival was canceled for a few years, and this year (Feb 2024) is the first time the biggest version of the festival finally came back — so I thought it was the perfect time for me to go.

Feb 03, 2024

Flying from HANEDA to NEW CHITOSE

I chose to fly to New Chitose Airport via All Nippon Airways from Haneda Airport. The flight was about ¥26,000 roundtrip, which at the time was cheaper than taking the bullet train. We departed at 14:00 and arrived at 15:00.

We were supposed to take the bus from the airport to the bus stop just a few minutes’ walk from our hostel, but because of the heavy snow, all bus trips were canceled. We had no choice but to take the train to Sapporo Station (about a one-hour ride from New Chitose Airport). We finally arrived around 17:30, then took a taxi to our hostel.

The queue for taxis was so long that it took us about 20 minutes to finally get one. It was -2°C that night, so next time I’d probably take an earlier flight just to be safe — and to avoid getting stuck somewhere at night with no transportation if buses and trains stop running.

We stayed at Helio Hostel Sapporo for ¥61,031 (5 nights) for one person. The hostel was alright — it was super clean, but I didn’t like their bunk beds. You have to crawl inside the dark bunk before you can even reach the light switch, instead of having it near the entrance. So if you forget to turn the light off when you leave, you have to crawl back in again just to switch it off. For me, that’s really inconvenient.

I’ve stayed at dormitories that were much better than this and way cheaper too. If you’ve stayed in dormitory hostels before, you probably know exactly what I’m talking about.

The shower room is also on another floor, and the men’s and women’s shower areas are only separated by a curtain. It’s also the same floor where people hang out because the kitchen and lounge are there too. So for me as a woman, it doesn’t feel very comfortable — especially if you’re traveling alone.

The individual shower rooms do have locks, but sometimes after a hot shower, you don’t really want to change inside because you’ll just start sweating again in your fresh clothes. The one I stayed in Osaka had its own shower room inside the female dormitory, so you can walk around in your towel, dry your hair, and just relax — and it’s totally fine because everyone there is female.

I usually stay at hostels when traveling, but I’d give this one a 6/10 rating. The location is really good though, and I liked the staff who worked at the lobby cafe. It’s one of the cheapest I found, and it’s right in the middle of Odori Park where the main festival (snow sculptures) is held, and also close to the Susukino Venue for the ice sculptures.

I had so much fun walking around these areas both during the day and at night, so location is very important to me. If you’re traveling as a couple though, it might be better to stay at Apa Hotel Susukino Eki Mae because the price was about the same getting a room for two people or La’gent Stay Sapporo Odori Hokkaido if you have more budget.

Dinner at Kaniya Sapporo Crab House (Main Branch)

For our first night, we decided to have seafood for dinner and went to Kaniya Sapporo Crab House (Main Branch). There are so many restaurants where you can eat crab but most are fully booked and this place was the only place that let us wait. So better plan ahead and make reservations, everywhere is busy during this time of the year.

We ordered 3 different course set. They did not have the “all-you-can-eat-crab menu”. I got the lavender course, and I really liked it. It’s a course meal so they take it to your table one at a time. We paid ¥34,364 for the 3 of us-including our drinks.

Drinks at Kakimo Birumo Nama ga Suki

After that, to my surprise, we still had room for more. We were really craving oysters, so we went to KakiMo Bi-ruMo Nama GaSuki. For me, this place felt more like an izakaya. The cocktails were very mild — I even had to ask for a double shot.

Tanukikoji Shopping Street

After eating and drinking we want to relax and go to an onsen and found a gem in the middle of Tanukikoji Shopping street. This shopping street is where you want to go for shopping for omiyage/souvenir.

Onsen at Komichinoyu Honoka

Komichinoyu Honoka is a 24 hour super public bath. I cannot recommend this place enough. Technically, tattoo is okay as long as it’s not that big and only up to 3 (according to their poster), but my friend has a lot and she was still able to get in. It was covered with clothes when we checked in. They have massage too, although I wasn’t able to get one because they’re all booked up. You have to reserve early because this place is so popular with the locals. You can also stay here overnight until 9:00am for as low as ¥3,600. They have 2 big baths and I believe they change the themes every now and then. 3 individual baths and sauna room with a cold water bath tub outside. They also have hot beds where you can lay with your clothes just like in Korean dramas. I JUST LOVE THIS PLACE SO MUCH I’d definitely go again when I go back to Hokkaido.

Feb 04, 2024

Breakfast at Northern Kitchen All day Dining

The next day we went to La’gent Stay Sapporo Odori Hokkaido for breakfast. We paid about ¥2,660/person for breakfast buffet at Northern Kitchen All day Dining because we weren’t hotel guests, and I guess the price changes depending on peak and off-season.

IT WAS SO WORTH IT THOUGH.

I really wish we went earlier so we could enjoy the food more, but they were already about to close the breakfast buffet when we arrived, so make sure to check the times beforehand. Since it’s Snow Festival season, I think price hikes are pretty normal.

This hotel is also great because they have their own onsen. It’s a bit pricey, but you get an onsen, really good breakfast, and a superb location — so still totally worth it in my opinion.

Snow Sculptures at Odori Park

After getting our fuel for the day, we started walking to Odori Park to see the giant snow sculptures and inflatable characters. WEAR LOTS OF LAYERS AND SNOW BOOTS with good grip because I saw so many people slipping everywhere.

I loved the Snow Festival during the daytime, but the night view was amazing too because of the illumination lights. It gave everything a totally different, magical feel.

Sapporo Beer Museum

11:20 – After exploring the park, we took a taxi to go to Sapporo Beer Museum. It was really nice learning about the history of beer, so I think you’d especially enjoy this place if you’re a beer lover. There is a beer tasting hall, but I didn’t try it because I didn’t want to get too drunk and waste the rest of the day.

We also played around in the snow outside for a little bit.

Ice Village in Tomamu

Then we took a bus from the beer museum to go to Sapporo Station. From there we took a train to go to Tomamu Station.

We took the 14:17 train from Sapporo to Tomamu so we can get there around 16:05. Then we took a free shuttle bus to go to the hotel (Hoshino Resorts Tomamu). You can buy your entrance ticket here and we waited in line till they open at 17:00. The Ice Village was just a few minutes’ walk from the hotel.

I tried their Ice Ramen but it was way too cold, so I ended up getting a hot soup instead. My friend bought marshmallows and roasted them outside while I waited for my order. I even met a fellow traveler, Cathy from Hong Kong, and we shared our travel experiences.

I really love talking to people when I’m traveling. I noticed that I become more outgoing and less shy around strangers when I’m by myself. This is why I always recommend solo traveling to people who want to develop their communication skills.

After eating I went to the observatory to watch the fireworks at 19:30 and it was so amazing! Some people watched from below near the ice rink, but the staff recommended viewing it from above — and I honestly can’t recommend it enough. I would still suggest checking the schedule though, as the time may be different from when I went.

After the fireworks display, I did some ice skating for a bit before heading back to the hotel to wait for the bus to Tomamu Station. We then took the 20:30 train back to Sapporo Station. There was another train after that, but we chose the one before the last just in case we missed the first one — at least we wouldn’t get stuck there.

It’s a 1 hour and 45 minute train ride, so we really just wanted to get back to the hostel and rest. It was -3°C that night, and thank goodness they have a waiting room, so we didn’t have to stand outside while it was snowing.

Dinner at Ramentoguchi Susukinoten

When we got back to Sapporo around 22:30, we were starving, so we headed to Ramentoguchi Susukinoten and, you know.. got ramen.

Honestly, I’ve had better ramen in Fukuoka and Yokosuka. I’m not sure if it was because I was too tired or because someone in our group said it wasn’t that good — and that somehow influenced my taste buds — but it just didn’t hit the same. That said, if you’re around the Susukino area, you’ll definitely find good food that will satisfy you.

At that point though, I was so hungry I would’ve eaten anything warm and still been happy.

I kind of want to stay near this area next time because it’s closer to everything. One of my favorite tattoo-friendly onsen in Sapporo, shopping malls, my new favorite Karaoke bar 俺STUDiO, and food food food.

A friend was staying at Apa Hotel Susukino Eki Mae the same time and the price for a night wasn’t much different with what we paid for ours (Odori park area) if two people are staying in one room.

Feb 05, 2024

Breakfast at J.S. Pancake Cafe

Next day we woke up a little late, got ready and ate breakfast at J.S. Pancake Cafe.

Shiroi Koibito Park

Then I took my friends to Shiroi Koibito Park , went shopping and explored the underground shops of Sapporo Station. After that I met-up with an old friend from grade school and we went to see the ice sculptures near Susukino station. It was confusing for me first which one is which, or if everything is in the same area, but the snow sculpture event is in Odori Park.

Ice Sculptures near Susukino Station

The ice sculptures is in the middle of the road that they blocked for a period of time a day near Susukino station. But it’s 10-15min walking distance from each other so you don’t have to take a car or anything.

Dinner at Wagyu Shabushabu Sukiyaki Fujiyama

For dinner we went to Wagyu Shabushabu Sukiyaki Fujiyama. We ordered their course meal and I think it’s one of the best shabu shabu course meal I had in Japan. I always recommend it to friends going to Hokkaido and they all loved it.

Sing Like a Pro at Karaoke bar 俺STUDiO

After dinner we went bar hopping and ended our night at the karaoke bar Karaoke bar 俺STUDiO where you can sing karaoke on a stage with a real band. It felt like we were pro singers even though we didn’t sound like it. haha!

Feb 06, 2024

Brunch at COCONO SUSUKINO

If you wake up with a hangover after a night out like we had, head to COCONO SUSUKINO mall 3rd floor food court. Everything looked good but I really want to try Hokkaido curry so I got the chicken & vegetable curry from Rojiura Curry SAMURAI.

After brunch we went to Gigo, a game center in the same building. We played darts and arcade and had a really great time there. Then I said good bye to my friend Paulo and his friend and then I went on my solo trip to Mt. Moiwa. I bought Taiyaki from Tokachi Daimyou and chocolate croissant from ESPRESSO D WORKS/DRAセブン to bring with me. Both are really delicious but the chocolate croissant was bomb!

Mt. Moiwa

I took the tram/streetcar (or as locals calls it “Shiden”) from Susukino station to go to Ropeway Iriguchi Station. Riding the shiden was one of my favorite moments during this trip because I really missed solo traveling. I was so excited to go to a new place, without having anyone to blame me if I get lost, or complain about bad food at the restaurant that I picked.

Miyakoshiya / 宮越屋珈琲 THECAFE

I got off Ropeway Iriguchi Station and walked. There’s supposed to be a bus nearby to go to Ropeway Iriguchi, but I had to wait a while so I just decided to walk and explore at the same time. I stumbled upon a nice coffee shop called Miyakoshiya / 宮越屋珈琲 THECAFE and ordered coffee and cheese cake.

Then I started walking again towards the Ropeway Station. Departure to the middle station is every 15minutes and I got there right on time for the 15:30 departure.

I’d aim to get there a little closer to sunset because the view is really beautiful up there during sunset and at night. But waiting too long for the sun to set was honestly hard because it was freezing. I suggest checking the sunset time and getting there around 30 minutes to 1 hour before, then staying for the night views.

I was already on the ropeway going down around 17:30 when it was just starting to get dark, and I kinda regret going down early because the night view looked SO good. But at that point, I was way too cold and just needed to go down.

The Bell Of Happiness

There was a line to take a picture at the “Bell of Happiness”, so I think you’d have enough time to queue if you get there about an hour before sunset. Maybe next time I go here, I won’t be solo anymore — ha!

This landmark is especially popular among Filipinos after the movie Kita Kita featured this location. You can also buy a padlock, write your name with your “jowa” (significant other), and attach it to the fence.

19:00 – Back at Sapporo Station for spa. I took the Streetcar originally going back to Susukino but I got off two stations away (Nishi Yon Chome) from Susukino station and I can’t remember if I walked or took a cab to go to Sapporo Station.

Onsen and Massage at Sky Resort Spa Pulau Bulan

I was so tired and so cold that all I wanted was a hot bath and a good massage, so I called Sky Resort Spa Pulau Bulan to see if they can squeeze me in for a massage appointment and I got lucky because they did.

I stayed there until they closed at 23:00 and honestly got the best massage of my life. I felt like a brand new person afterward. It was about ¥25,000 but definitely worth every yen. If you want to give yourself a reward for working hard, this is THE ULTIMATE GIFT.

I slept like a baby when I got back to our hostel.

FEB 07, 2024

Skiing at Snow Cruise Oze

10:00 – The next day, I met up with a friend to go skiing. We went to Snow Cruise Oze, and I loved the view from above overlooking the sea as you go down the slopes.

It was my first time skiing, and it was surprisingly harder than snowboarding. I honestly thought it would be easier since I’m pretty good at ice skating — but oh boy, I was so wrong. It was SOOOOO different.

I brought my own ski wear, but the rest is rental. They also have good food at their food court so you won’t get hungry. You can also enroll in their lessons if you are a complete beginner.

Shikotsu Ice Festival

We left around 17:15 and decided to go to the Shikotsu Ice Festival on our way back. The road heading there was really dark, and we saw at least two huge deer and one small animal along the way. If you’re not confident driving in snowy conditions, I suggest taking a taxi or a private service instead.

It also looks like it’s hard to get a taxi from this area, so if you plan to take one, you might need to ask the driver to wait for you and take you back to your hotel. Prices for private services usually range from ¥25,000–¥40,000.

*This article states that there is also a bus going here from the airport for ¥1,050 but I can’t find the timetable for the return trip so maybe you can ask at the airport how to go back. Maybe you can reserve bus seats there.

FEB 08, 2024

Onsen and massage – Last hurrah

Before my 17:00 flight, I went to Komichinoyu Honoka one last time in the morning for a hot bath (that’s how much I loved it!). After that, I walked to Taimomi for a massage, which was recommended by my friend — and it was REALLY good. The price was very reasonable too, so if you love massages as much as I do, I highly recommend this place.

This trip was really memorable for me because I got to travel with friends, met new ones who were there at the same time, reconnected with an old friend I hadn’t seen in decades, and even got to travel by myself for a day — I forgot how much I missed solo traveling!

If you made it this far, thank you so much for reading my journal.

There’s still so much more to discover in this beautiful country I now call home, and I feel incredibly grateful to experience these places in Japan. I’d love to continue sharing them with you so you can experience the magic too.

Thank you always for reading till the end!
EAT, SLEEP, TRAVEL, REPEAT =)
#MarieJournals