logo

Searching for the best options for your

Holiday

from

-

Tours and Tailor Made Holidays to

Hokkaido

JAPAN
  • CURRENCY Japanese Yen
  • LANGUAGE Japanese
  • WEATHER
  • FLYING TIME 14 hrs 50 mins
  • TIME ZONE GMT + 9

With wild mountains, pristine lakes, virgin forests and fragrant air a holiday in Hokkaido is a world away from rest of Japan

Tailor Made Holidays to Hokkaido

At Inspiration Holidays, we pride ourselves on tailoring holidays to Hokkaido that are designed around your needs and expectations and not ours. We have a range of Hokkaido holiday offers that we have negotiated special or exclusive deals on. We can also arrange multi centre Hokkaido holiday itineraries as well as tours and excursions in Hokkaido. For more information on our Hokkaido holidays, call an Inspiration Holidays tailor-made expert on and speak to one of our reservation experts who will be able to help you plan the perfect holiday in Hokkaido.

Destination Overview

Holidays to Hokkaido take you to the northern most island of Japan.

Hokkaido is the least developed of Japans four main islands, and is a world away from the image of crowded Japanese cities. With wild mountains, pristine lakes, virgin forests and fragrant air a holiday in Hokkaido is a world away from rest of Japan. Hokkaido holidays take you to a destination which occupies 20% of Japan’s land area but houses a tiny 5% of its population.

Sapporo is the capital of the Prefecture and the biggest city in the island, so definitely a must-visit during a Hokkaido holiday. Sapporo is very famous for its winter festivals its sightseeing spots like Mount Moiwa at the center of the city. During summer however, holidays in Hokkaido are popular for the huge parks and water sports. Shiretoko National Park, in Kushiro, which is considered a UNESCO World Natural Heritage is located at the northeastern tip of the island. Shiretoko is known for its dense forests, wild animals and waterfalls. The closest railway station to the park is the JR Shiretoko Shari Station in Shari Town, about 40 km southwest of the national park. The station is connected with the park by infrequent buses.

The Niseko Mountain Resort Grand Hirafu is located in the Abuta District and famous for its great quality powder snow, which attracts skiers and snowboarders from all over the world. Tickets in high season are from 3,800 yen for five hours up to 21,500 yen for 5 days. The resort also has both Western-styled and Japanese-styled restaurants and cafes as well as skiing and snowboarding rental shops.Holidays to Hokkaidō are devoid of ancient temples, shrines and monuments over 200 years old as the area was only colonized by the Japanese in the last 150 years. What Hokkaidō holidays do offer is a fascinating cultural history, defined by its dwindling Ainu population.

Our Recommended Hotels in
HOKKAIDO

JR Tower Nikko Hotel

VIEW ALL HOKKAIDO HOTELS

When to visit Hokkaido

Hokkaido

Do you need inspiration for when to go on holiday to Hokkaido? Give the team of experts at Inspiration Holidays a call and we will help you plan your Hokkaido holiday at the best time of year for your requirements. Although our Hokkaido holiday search tool will allow you to search for Hokkaido holiday prices upto 11 months in advance, we can also price holidays to Hokkaido for 2025 and 2026. We can advise on the best time to travel on your Hokkaido holiday based on Hokkaido weather, special events in Hokkaido or even when the crowds in Hokkaido are at their lowest.

Hokkaido

Hokkaido has Japan's most dramatic seasons. Recommended times to visit are May to September if you are a summer person, or January to March if you prefer winter.

January to March is snow, snow, snow. From late April to mid-May, Hokkaido offers Japan’s last sakura cherry blossoms, as well as a fireworks display of spring flowers all at once.

Spring arrives with a magnificent fanfare of plum and cherry blossoms in March and April, an exquisite time when all of Japan is ablaze in whites and pinks. The cherry-blossom season starts in southern Kyushu in mid-March and reaches Hokkaido in early May. The blossoms themselves last only a few days, symbolizing to Japanese the fragile nature of beauty and of life itself. Other flowers also bloom through May or June, including azaleas and irises. During spring, numerous festivals throughout Japan celebrate the rebirth of nature.

Summer generally isn't a great time to go on holiday in Japan because of the stifling humidity and heat- that is unless you like hot and humid. Northern parts of Hokkaido are however cooler than the rest of the country and offer many choices for outdoor recreation and sightseeing. May to September offers perfectly temperate summer weather, except for a sometimes wet July, a respite for those gasping under Asia’s humidity. However, hotel rooms can be more difficult to book in summer, and many scenic areas get crowded with tour groups and Japanese families. Avoid the middle of August, when Hokkaido celebrates Obon homecoming and travel prices spike.

Spring through autumn are the ideal times to explore the island’s six major national parks and countryside. Late September ushers in brief but spectacular golden foliage, peaking in early October.

Come winter Hokkaidō takes on a special quality; you can ski at some of Japan’s best – and least crowded – ski resorts or view many snow and ice festivals, of which Sapporo’s giant Yuki Matsuri is the most famous. Winter makes travel more difficult as some minor roads and attractions are closed, but Hokkaido is no less beautiful, with snow covering everything in ever-freshened mounds of white. Early February offers the unmissable Sapporo Snow Festival.

Top Attractions

You haven't been to a destination until you have seen its most famous attractions! The team at Inspiration Holidays have put together our recommendations of some of the top attractions in Hokkaido. If you are looking for advice about the attactions you should visit during your holiday in Hokkaido, give one of our tailor made holiday experts a call on