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

2024.07.04

Obihiro, a city representing Hokkaido and Tokachi, is a popular tourist destination with its gourmet food, sweets, and Ban'ei horse racing. There are several ways to get to Obihiro, including by JR, bus, or rental car. We will introduce the details of each option, including travel time and cost.

JR is the standard way to travel between Sapporo and Obihiro

The standard way to travel from Sapporo to Obihiro is by JR. Travel time between Sapporo and Obihiro using JR is around 2 hours and 45 minutes on the "Ozora Limited Express" or "Tokachi Limited Express". All cars on the "Ozora Limited Express" and "Tokachi Limited Express" are reserved seats, and the fare is 8,120 yen for a reserved seat (and 11,780 yen for a green seat).

Get 55% off when you book in advance online with "Tokkyu Tokudawari"

If you reserve your JR ticket through the website "Ekinet," you can purchase a reserved seat ticket at up to 55% 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 Tokudane" 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 55% off on the Tokachi Express Up to 40% off on the "Ozora Express" Application deadline: 23:50 14 days before the boarding date ■ Limited Express Tokuda Value 1 Up to 40% off on "Tokachi Express" Up to 25% off on the "Ozora Express" Application deadline: 23:50 on the day before the trip *The release price will vary within the set price range depending on the predicted occupancy rate and the timing of application.

If you're looking for cheap fares, choose the intercity express bus

The intercity express bus from Sapporo to Obihiro is operated by the "Potato Liner" and the "Obihiro Limited Express New Star". Choose the best deal based on your travel dates and destination.

"Potato Liner" operated by 1.5 companies

To board the "Potato Liner," which is jointly operated by five companies, Hokuto Kotsu, Hokkaido Chuo Bus, JR Hokkaido Bus, Tokachi Bus, and Hokkaido Takushoku Bus, walk about five minutes from JR Sapporo Station to bus stop number 4 on the west side of the Nippon Life Insurance Building Sapporo. The journey takes about four hours, including a break at the Shimukappu Parking Area.

■Normal one-way fare: 3,580 yen to 4,110 yen (※ Fares A, B and C vary depending on the boarding date.) ■Early bird one-way ticket: 3,180 yen to 3,710 yen (*Fares A, B, and C vary depending on the date of travel. For early bird fares, reservations and payments must be made 30 days in advance for fares A and B, and 21 days in advance for fares C.)

2. Hokkaido Bus Co., Ltd. "Obihiro Express New Star"

Hokkaido Bus Co., Ltd. operates the "Obihiro Limited Express New Star" from Sapporo Station bus stop (boarding point) "Platform 33" (Kita 3 Nishi 3). The journey takes about 3 hours and 40 minutes, with a 15-minute break on the way.

■One-way fare ・Online discount: 3,230 yen *You cannot change your flight with the online discount. ・Prepayment: 3,780 yen ・Train payment: 4,000 yen

Enjoy a relaxing drive with "Car/Rental Car"

If you are traveling from central Sapporo to Obihiro on the expressway, enter the Do-o Expressway at Kitago IC, then take the Doto Expressway at Chitose-Eniwa JCT and get off at Otofuke Obihiro IC. The distance is about 200 km and the travel time is about 3 hours. The expressway toll is 4,860 yen.

Enjoy your trip using the transportation method that suits you best!

Obihiro City is a place where you can enjoy gourmet food, unique activities, and beautiful nature. Speaking of gourmet food, the famous pork bowl is the specialty. In addition, the Ban'ei horse racing held at Obihiro Racecourse is a thrilling horse race in which large horses pull heavy sleds. The area where you can see the beautiful birch tree-lined streets is also a very popular spot.

If you are coming to Obihiro from outside Hokkaido, you can also fly directly from Haneda Airport to Tokachi Obihiro Airport. Please enjoy your trip in a way that suits you, based on your time and financial situation.

*All prices include tax

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