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What's the best way to travel from Sapporo to Hakodate? A detailed guide to travel times, fares, and ticket purchasing tips

2024.07.03

Hakodate City is a port city in southern Hokkaido, a popular tourist destination with a unique atmosphere. If you're traveling to Hokkaido after visiting Sapporo, you can travel to Hakodate by JR train, bus, plane, or rental car. We'll introduce details on travel times and fares for each option.

JR: the standard way to travel between Sapporo and Hakodate

JR is the standard way to travel from Sapporo to Hakodate. The travel time between Sapporo and Hakodate using JR is approximately 3 hours and 50 minutes on the Hokuto Limited Express. All cars on the Hokuto Limited Express are reserved seats, and the fare is 9,770 yen, with green seats costing 13,430 yen.

30% off when you book in advance online "Limited Express Tokudawari"

If you reserve your JR ticket through the website "Ekinet," you can purchase reserved seat tickets at up to 30% off the regular price. If you know in advance when you will be boarding the train, we recommend reserving your ticket through Ekinet.

The set prices for "Limited Express Tokudawari" on Ekinet (set price of one-way "board ticket + reserved seat express ticket" / unit: yen) are as follows:

■ "Limited Express Tokuda Value 14" up to 30% off Application deadline: 11:50 PM 14 days before the date of travel ■Up to 15% off "Limited Express Tokuda Value 1" Application deadline: 23:50 on the day before boarding *The release price will vary within the set price range depending on the predicted occupancy rate and the timing of application.

Cheap Intercity Express Buses

The intercity express buses that run from Sapporo to Hakodate are the "Express Hakodate" and the "Hakodate Limited Express New Star." Choose the best deal based on your travel dates and destination.

"Express Hakodate-go" operated by Hokuto Transportation, Hokkaido Chuo Bus, and Hakodate Bus

About a 5-minute walk from JR Sapporo Station, the "Express Hakodate-go" operated by Hokuto Kotsu, Hokkaido Chuo Bus, and Hakodate Bus departs from "Sapporo Station No. 4 Bus Stop" on the west side of the Nippon Life Insurance Sapporo Building. The journey takes about 5 hours and 30 minutes, including a break at the Usuzan Service Area (daytime buses only).

■Normal one-way fare: 4,320 yen to 5,360 yen (※ There are S fare, A fare, B fare, and C fare, and the amount varies depending on the boarding date.) Early bird one-way fare: 3,820 yen to 4,860 yen (*Fares S, A, B, and C are available depending on the date of travel, and the amount varies. For early bird discounts, reservations and payments must be made 30 days in advance for fares A and B, and 21 days in advance for fares C.)

Hokkaido Bus Co., Ltd. "Hakodate Limited Express New Star"

Hokkaido Bus Co., Ltd. operates the "Hakodate Limited Express New Star" from Sapporo Station bus stop "Platform 33" (Kita 3 Nishi 3). The journey takes about 5 hours and 30 minutes, including a break of at least 30 minutes at parking areas.

■One-way fare ・Online discount: 3,920 yen *You cannot change your flight with the online discount. ・Prepayment: 4,550 yen ・Train payment: 5,000 yen

Enjoy a leisurely drive and detours with "Car/Rental Car"

If you are traveling from central Sapporo to Hakodate by car or rental car on the expressway, enter the Hokkaido Expressway at Sapporo Minami IC, pass through Tomakomai, Noboribetsu, Muroran, etc., and exit at Onuma Park IC. After exiting the expressway, take National Route 5 and the Hakodate Shindo, a route that is approximately 310 km long and takes about 4 hours and 10 minutes. The expressway toll is 6,120 yen.

The Usuzan Service Area is a recommended place to take a break along the way. At the Usuzan Service Area, you can enjoy the beautiful views of Mount Usu and Funka Bay, and on clear days, the view stretches into the distance, making it a great place to take photos. You can also enjoy delicious Hokkaido ingredients, such as a ginger pork set meal made with "Koganeton" pork, a brand of pork that Date City is proud of, and soy sauce ramen made with curly noodles made from 100% Hokkaido wheat. It is also one of the few places where you can refuel and fill up on electricity.

Fly to Hakodate Airport

If you want to get there quickly, flying from Sapporo Okadama Airport to Hakodate Airport is very convenient. The travel time from central Sapporo to Okadama Airport is about 40 minutes. Another attractive feature of Hakodate is its proximity, with the airport only about 20 minutes from the center of Hakodate. By the way, you can also fly directly to Hakodate Airport from Haneda Airport and other airports.

In Hakodate, you can stroll through the Motomachi area lined with historical buildings and view the beautiful star-shaped Goryokaku Park from Goryokaku Tower. You can also enjoy the night view from Mt. Hakodate and savor fresh local seafood! Why not find the perfect trip for you based on your budget and time allocation?

*All prices include tax

*All information listed is current as of September 2025. *All published information may be subject to change, so please check the official website for details.