Why spend a fortune on a fancy hotel when you can spend your money on good food and good times instead? That’s our philosophy when it comes to travel, and it’s why we put together our Hokkaido Budget Guide — 8D Road Trip Under S$1K. In our video, we’ll show you how to road trip through Hokkaido on a budget without sacrificing fun. From slurping up ramen at a local food market to soaking in a free hot spring with a view, we’ll even show you how to find affordable accommodations without sacrificing comfort (or cleanliness).
The best part? We only spent a total of S$1K (excl. flights), making it a totally memorable but affordable Japan vacation. The trick is to look out for local Hokkaido experiences, many of these attractions are free or cost under ¥1,000. And as we learned, there are plenty of outdoor activities in the region that don’t require any fees, like taking a walk by Shirogane Blue Pond, or soaking your feet in the River Oyunuma Natural Foot Bath.
Take note that this guide was made with 4pax in mind as it’s the most economical option for road trips — something to keep in mind if you’re travelling Japan on a budget! For the accommodation, activities, and food listed in our Hokkaido budget trip, we spent a total of ¥16,185 (~S$162).
Plan your own Hokkaido itinerary on a budget: 8-Day Hokkaido Itinerary — Spring Road Trip Under S$1k
SAPPORO – 0:15
0:17 – Sapporo TV Tower — An iconic landmark of Sapporo with a great overlooking view of the city!
0:25 – Ramen Shingen — Sapporo is known for really good ramen, and this one is perhaps the most popular ramen bars here!
0:32 – Shiroi Koibito Park — Also known as White Lover Park, this entertainment park based on the chocolate treat is just 30 minutes from Odori station
0:41 – Hanamaru Sushi — Budget guides don’t mean you have to settle for not-so-fantastic food, and this affordable and delicious sushi place screams “worth it!”.
00:50 – Hotel MYSTAYS Sapporo Nakajima Park — This beautiful hotel room is just a 3-minute walk from Horohira Bashi Subway station. In the mornings, we woke up to views of Nakajima Park from our room.
NOBORIBETSU – 1:01
1:05 – Oyunuma Pond — A steaming hot spring pond in front of a volcano makes for a great photo spot.
1:09 – Hell Valley — Ever wonder what the fiery depths of hell looks like? Witnessing the sulfuric volcanic activity here may give you an idea.
1:15 – River Oyunuma Natural Footbath — After a long day, nothing beats dipping your feet into the hot sulfuric water that comes from Oyunuma Pond.
HAKODATE – 1:24
1:26 – Sakuragaoka Dori — Visit this place during the Sakura season to see some cherry blossoms.
1:32 – Goryokaku Park — Go people-watching in this star-shaped park.
1:39 – Hachiman-Saka Slope — A place to just take a short evening drive down and enjoy the view!
1:43 – Russian Orthodox Church — This is one of the only few Western-styled buildings here.
1:48 – Daimon Yokocho — Grab dinner in one of the shops in this food stall village.
2:01 – Kokusai Hotel — Did you know it was selected as one of the Top 100 hotels in Japan? The Hakodate Kokusai Hotel is only a walking distance away from both the Hakodate Asaichi Morning Market, and the Kanemori Red Brick Warehouse.
OTARU – 2:09
2:15 – Nikka Whisky Yoichi Distillery — Whiskey lovers may enjoy learning more about Japan’s top whiskey brands with a free tour.
2:21 – Sankaku Fish Market — Super fresh, super yummy, super worth the early morning adventure!
2:32 – Kitakaro Otaru — Continue your food trip with some freshly-made custard cream puffs.
2:37 – Otaru Canal — Take a stroll along one of the most popular tourist spots in the area.
2:42 – Hotel Sonia Otaru — Hotel Sonia Otaru is an European-style hotel located only one street away from the famous Otaru canal so you can enjoy a scenic view from your window in some of its rooms!
ASAHIKAWA – 2:47
2:50 – Panorama Road — Drive along this beautiful, picturesque road.
2:55 – Shirogane Blue Pond — See the gorgeous, natural blue waters of this pond for yourself.
3:03 – Furano Cheese Factory — The must-go place for ALL cheese lovers! Their cheese pizza is a must-try.
3:14 – Art Hotel Asahikawa — This is located 12 minutes from the Asahikawa station and a 5min walk from Tokiwa Park. Bonus points for its relaxing Scandinavian design!
3:23 – Hokkaido Ice Pavilion — The coldest place in Hokkaido lets you learn about the environment and weather through different exhibits.
MONBETSU – 3:34
3:38 – Okhotsk Tokkari Centre — Lots of fluffy seals for your entertainment!
Check Flights to Hokkaido
We didn’t include this in our budget since flight prices fluctuate depending on the season. Pro-tip for the cheapest flight fares, set up a price alert about three to six months ahead so you’ll be notified of price drops.
If you can’t see the widget above, click here to check flights from Singapore to Hokkaido instead!
Accommodation
For our Hokkaido budget trip, we stayed at MYSTAYS, a chain hotel Japan known for offering comfortable rooms and amenities at affordable options. They’re also usually located in convenient locations near major tourist attractions making it a value for money option when planning your budget Japan itinerary! Here are the ones we stayed at during our 8-day Hokkaido road trip!
- Sapporo: Hotel MYSTAYS Sapporo Nakajima Park (From ¥1,852/pax)
- Hakodate: Kokusai Hotel (From ¥2,547/pax)
- Asahikawa: Art Hotel Asahikawa (From ¥2,037/pax)
- Otaru: Hotel Sonia Otaru (From ¥3,769/pax)
Total: ¥10,205 (~S$103)
Hokkaido Budget Activities
Here are some fun but cheap things to do in Hokkaido, all the activities are around ¥$1,000 (~S$10) or FREE!
Sapporo
Noboribetsu
Hakodate
Otaru
Asahikawa
Monbetsu
Hokkaido Budget Activities
These are the places we ate at in Hokkaido. All food expenses cost ~¥3,980 (~S$40).
We didn’t list down prices for some places like Sankaku Fish Market and Daimon Yokochoko, since there are many food places or stalls you can choose from here.
