10 Days in Hokkaido in Winter: Campervan Itinerary from New Chitose Airport, Skiing in Jan, Snow Festival and Drift Ice in Feb [2027]
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You can drive around Hokkaido in winter for 10 days starting from New Chitose Airport. For January, Course A is built around skiing and onsen (667.6 km driven in total, 599 minutes behind the wheel). For early February, Course B is built around the Snow Festival and drift ice (862.3 km in total, 706 minutes). On both, the longest single day is 166.2 km. That stays within this site’s guideline of 200 km and 9 hours of driving per day.
The 200 km / 9 hour limit is a safety guideline set by this site, not an official standard. Neither course stretches that limit. Leg distances and times are calculated from OpenStreetMap road data (OSRM), assuming no snow and no breaks (calculated 2026-10-06). Snowy roads take longer than the figures shown, so add time for breaks and a buffer every day.
Trips like these are usually booked months ahead. For how early-bird discounts are counted back from your start date, see our article on booking a winter campervan before December 31.
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Compare rental companies and vehicles →Can you drive around Hokkaido in winter in 10 days? Two courses: January skiing and onsen, February Snow Festival and drift ice
Three things decide it: how early the sun sets, how far you drive each day, and which roads close in winter. Sunset is covered in the next section and distance in the third. For closed roads, the periods are collected in Hokkaido roads that close in winter. Neither of the two courses in this article uses a road that is closed in winter, such as Shiretoko Pass.
Going from Niseko to Lake Toya (Toya-ko), Course A also avoids Hokkaido Route 66 (the Niseko Panorama Line), which closes in winter. The Course A legs are routed without Route 66 (checked against OSRM route names, 2026-10-06). Many sections have not yet announced their 2026-27 winter closure dates, as the article above explains, so check again before you leave.
Whether to go in January or February depends on what you want to see. For skiing, take Course A in January. For the Sapporo Snow Festival (February 4–11 in 2027) and drift ice, take Course B in February (Sapporo Snow Festival official site, checked 2026-10-06). If a 3-day or 4-day trip is enough for you, it is easier to start from the Hokkaido winter campervan trip guide.
What time does the sun set? Even in January, Sapporo is in the 16:00s, and eastern Hokkaido is 17–18 minutes earlier than Sapporo
We looked up sunset times for Sapporo and Nemuro in the Calendar Computation Office of the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan. These are calculated values and do not depend on the day’s weather (Sapporo, January, Sapporo, February, Nemuro, January, Nemuro, February, all checked 2026-10-06).
| Date | Sunset in Sapporo | Sunset in Nemuro |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 1, 2027 | 16:10 | 15:52 |
| Jan 15, 2027 | 16:24 | 16:07 |
| Jan 31, 2027 | 16:45 | 16:27 |
| Feb 5, 2027 | 16:52 | 16:34 |
| Feb 15, 2027 | 17:05 | 16:48 |
The sun sets 17–18 minutes earlier in Nemuro than in Sapporo on every date. Abashiri, Kawayu, Lake Akan, and Obihiro are not in the Observatory’s list, so for the eastern Hokkaido days of Course B, use the Nemuro column as a guide. In short, plan to reach your lodging around 16:00 in both January and February.
How far can you drive in a day? In winter, plan by whether you can arrive before sunset, not by the 200 km guideline
On January 15 in Sapporo, the sun rises at 7:03 and sets at 16:24, giving 9 hours 21 minutes of daylight (National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, checked 2026-10-06). If you used the full 9 hours of driving, you would be driving past sunset. So on both courses we kept the distances between overnight towns short.
There are three long days. Day 10 of Course A (Asahikawa to New Chitose Airport) is 162.8 km and 148 minutes of driving, Day 10 of Course B (Obihiro to New Chitose Airport) is 166.2 km and 135 minutes, and Day 3 of Course B (Sapporo to Asahikawa) is 146.2 km and 131 minutes. If you leave in the morning, you will reach your destination before sunset on all of them.
If driving on snowy roads itself worries you, first read Winter in Hokkaido: worries about snowy roads, ice, and heating. Temperatures from November to February are covered in Hokkaido winter temperatures.
Course A, skiing and onsen in January: 9 nights in Niseko (3), Lake Toya, Noboribetsu, Sapporo, Furano (2), and Asahikawa
Pick up your campervan at New Chitose Airport and link the onsen towns of central Hokkaido in a clockwise loop. There are two ski days (Niseko) and one (Furano), and on those three days the vehicle stays parked.
| Day | Leg | Distance | Driving time | Overnight town |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | New Chitose Airport → Niseko (Hirafu) | 113.7 km | 93 min | Niseko |
| Day 2 | Skiing in Niseko (no travel) | — | — | Niseko |
| Day 3 | Skiing in Niseko (no travel) | — | — | Niseko |
| Day 4 | Niseko → Toyako Onsen | 55.3 km | 61 min | Toyako Onsen |
| Day 5 | Toyako Onsen → Noboribetsu Onsen | 46.1 km | 49 min | Noboribetsu Onsen |
| Day 6 | Noboribetsu Onsen → Sapporo, Odori Park | 108.0 km | 87 min | Sapporo |
| Day 7 | Sapporo, Odori Park → Furano (Kitanomine) | 118.6 km | 101 min | Furano |
| Day 8 | Skiing in Furano (no travel) | — | — | Furano |
| Day 9 | Furano (Kitanomine) → Asahikawa, Asahiyama Zoo | 63.1 km | 60 min | Asahikawa |
| Day 10 | Asahikawa, Asahiyama Zoo → New Chitose Airport | 162.8 km | 148 min | — (vehicle return and departure) |
The longest day is the last, at 162.8 km and 2 hours 28 minutes of driving. Every other day is 118.6 km or less. With 3 nights in Niseko, there are two days when you can ski with your luggage left in the vehicle.
Are the ski resorts, Lake Toya, Noboribetsu, and Asahiyama Zoo open in January? 2026-27 announcements and last season’s record
For 2026-27, Niseko Tokyu Grand HIRAFU plans to run the ski area from November 28, 2026 to May 5, 2027, and night skiing from December 12, 2026 to March 22, 2027 (Grand HIRAFU official site, checked 2026-10-06). January falls within both periods.
Opening dates for other ski areas are in 2026-27 ski resort opening dates, and how to tell whether you may sleep in a ski area parking lot is in the ski resort and campervan overnight parking guide. For sights nearby, see the Niseko driving guide.
The 2026-27 dates for Furano Ski Resort are not yet on the official page. Last season (2025-26), the Furano Zone ran from November 29, 2025 to March 22, and the Kitanomine Zone from late December to March 22 (Shin-Furano Prince Hotel, Furano Ski Resort, checked 2026-10-06). Last season, both zones were open for skiing in January.
For lodging and sights around Furano, see the Furano and Biei driving guide.
The illumination tunnel at Toyako Onsen ran last season (2025-26) from November 1, 2025 to April 27, 2026, and until the end of February it was open 17:00–22:00. The 2026-27 dates have not been announced (Lake Toya Onsen Tourism Association, checked 2026-10-06). For bases on the lakeshore, see the Lake Toya and Mt. Usu guide.
Entry to Noboribetsu’s Jigokudani (Hell Valley) is free. The official page gives no winter opening hours or illumination information (Noboribetsu International Tourism and Convention Association, checked 2026-10-06). If you plan to go at night, ask the association before you decide. Day-use baths are in the Noboribetsu Onsen guide.
Asahiyama Zoo’s 2026-27 winter season opens on November 11, 2026 (closed November 4–10). Winter opening hours are not on the official page. Last season, the regular closing time was 15:30 (Asahikawa City Asahiyama Zoo, checked 2026-10-06). On Day 9, if you leave Furano in the morning it is a 60-minute drive, so you can enter in the morning and still have the afternoon. For the area, see the Asahiyama Zoo guide.
Course B, Snow Festival and drift ice in February: 9 nights in Sapporo (2), Asahikawa, Sounkyo, Abashiri (2), Kawayu, Lake Akan, and Obihiro
We built this as an example leaving New Chitose Airport on Friday, February 5. You see the Snow Festival and Otaru from Sapporo, go from Asahikawa through Sounkyo to Abashiri, and after the drift ice you pass through Kawayu, Lake Akan, and Obihiro and return to the airport.
| Day | Date (example) | Leg | Distance | Driving time | Overnight town |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Feb 5 (Fri) | New Chitose Airport → Sapporo, Odori Park | 45.6 km | 41 min | Sapporo |
| Day 2 | Feb 6 (Sat) | Sapporo → Otaru Canal → Sapporo (round trip) | 36.0 km + 36.4 km = 72.4 km | 32 min + 32 min = 64 min | Sapporo |
| Day 3 | Feb 7 (Sun) | Sapporo → Asahikawa, Asahiyama Zoo | 146.2 km | 131 min | Asahikawa |
| Day 4 | Feb 8 (Mon) | Asahikawa → Sounkyo Onsen | 58.5 km | 55 min | Sounkyo |
| Day 5 | Feb 9 (Tue) | Sounkyo Onsen → Abashiri, Michi-no-Eki Ryuhyo Kaido Abashiri | 137.1 km | 105 min | Abashiri |
| Day 6 | Feb 10 (Wed) | Drift ice in Abashiri (no travel) | — | — | Abashiri |
| Day 7 | Feb 11 (Thu, national holiday) | Abashiri → Kawayu Onsen | 61.7 km | 45 min | Kawayu Onsen |
| Day 8 | Feb 12 (Fri) | Kawayu Onsen → Akanko Onsen | 56.5 km | 41 min | Akanko Onsen |
| Day 9 | Feb 13 (Sat) | Akanko Onsen → Obihiro Station | 118.1 km | 89 min | Obihiro |
| Day 10 | Feb 14 (Sun) | Obihiro Station → New Chitose Airport | 166.2 km | 135 min | — (vehicle return and departure) |
The longest day is Day 10 at 166.2 km (2 hours 15 minutes), followed by Day 3 at 146.2 km (2 hours 11 minutes) and Day 5 at 137.1 km (1 hour 45 minutes). The Day 5 route mainly follows National Route 39 (checked against OSRM route names, 2026-10-06). Some days the road is closed when a blizzard or ice hits a pass, so check road information on the morning you leave. The Kawayu and Lake Akan days are both 60 km or less.
What can you see if you leave on February 5? Snow Festival, Otaru, Asahikawa, Sounkyo, Abashiri, and Lake Akan
The Sapporo Snow Festival runs February 4–11, 2027, which covers the evening of Day 1 and the night of Day 2 (Sapporo Snow Festival official site, checked 2026-10-06). The venues have no parking for general visitors, so decide where to park in advance using Snow Festival parking and overnight bases.
The Otaru Snow Light Path Festival (Otaru Yukiakari no Michi) has been set for February 6–13 in 2027. Lighting hours and venues are not yet posted (Otaru Tourism Association, checked 2026-10-06). Your Otaru day on Day 2 is exactly the opening day. For crowds and parking, see the Otaru Snow Light Path Festival article.
The Asahikawa Winter Festival runs February 6–11, 2027, and February 7 on Day 3 falls within it. Venues and times are not yet posted (Asahikawa Winter Festival official site, checked 2026-10-06).
The Sounkyo Onsen Ice Waterfall Festival (Hyobaku Matsuri) runs January 23 to March 7, 2027, and Day 4 falls within it. Lighting hours are not yet posted (Sounkyo Onsen Ice Waterfall Festival official site, checked 2026-10-06). If you want to see the evening lighting, this schedule, which stays overnight in Sounkyo, fits. For the sights, see the Sounkyo Ice Waterfall Festival article.
For Abashiri’s drift ice icebreaker “Aurora,” the official page gives an operating period of January 20 to March 31, and the large-ship offshore route (with drift ice) costs ¥7,000 for adults (tax included) from January through March. The page does not say which year the period applies to, so confirm the 2027 operation before you book. The official site states that on days without drift ice, the cruise is a sea cruise as far as Cape Notoro (Abashiri Drift Ice Sightseeing Icebreaker Aurora, checked 2026-10-06).
The Abashiri Okhotsk Ryuhyo Festival is on February 6 (planned 10:00–20:00) and 7 (planned 10:00–16:00) in 2027, which does not overlap with this course’s schedule (Abashiri Tourist Association, checked 2026-10-06). If you want to include the festival as well, you need a different order that puts Abashiri on February 6 and 7. We have not built that into this article’s course. For Abashiri and the surrounding area, see the Abashiri and Lake Saroma guide.
For the Lake Akan Ice Festival “Fuyuhanabi,” the official permanent page only says February 1 to March 1, and the 2027 schedule is not yet posted (Kushiro and Lake Akan official tourism site, checked 2026-10-06). Once the dates are out, check whether it fits the evening of Day 8. Kawayu is covered in the Kawayu Onsen guide, Lake Akan in the Kushiro and Lake Akan guide, and a map and dates for all winter events are in the Hokkaido winter events list.
A video can help you picture a winter trip around Tokachi by campervan. Sam and Victor, who post travel videos, visited Tokachi at the invitation of Moving Inn (released March 2026, in English). On the third day there is a scene where they take a campervan to the ice village at Lake Shikaribetsu (Sam and Victor, “8 winter days in hokkaido”, checked 2026-10-06).
Will you always see drift ice? Abashiri’s normal first drift-ice day is January 22, and in a late year it was February 15
According to the Japan Meteorological Agency’s normals for Abashiri (30-year average, 1991–2020), the first day of drift ice is January 22 and the first day of drift ice reaching the shore is February 4. The normal range is January 19–27 for the first drift-ice day and January 30–February 10 for the first shore-reaching day (Japan Meteorological Agency, sea ice observations along the Hokkaido coast, checked 2026-10-06). These are typical-year guides, not a forecast for any given day.
| Item | Normal | Normal range | Latest year on record |
|---|---|---|---|
| First drift-ice day | Jan 22 | Jan 19 – Jan 27 | Feb 15 (2025) |
| First day drift ice reached the shore | Feb 4 | Jan 30 – Feb 10 | Feb 22 (2016) |
The first drift-ice day is “the first day drift ice is seen on the sea surface within sight,” and the shore-reaching day is “the first day drift ice reaches the shore, or joins fast ice so that the coastal waterway is gone and ships can no longer navigate” (Aurora official site, checked 2026-10-06). On Course B you are in Abashiri on February 9 and 10. In a late year such as 2025, when the first day was February 15, those dates would come before the first day.
For that reason, we left one day without driving during the two nights in Abashiri. Day 6 has no travel, so you can move your boarding earlier or later depending on bad weather or drift-ice conditions. To see how drift ice looks and where to board, check the drift ice and campervan guide.
Where do you stay each night? Only some overnight parking places are open in winter. Combine the rest with lodging
In winter you cannot use the same overnight parking places as in summer. The table below lists only the places whose winter operation we could confirm from official information. The checks come from the results of two articles: 13 RV parks and Michi-no-Eki where you can stay overnight in winter (checked 2026-09-08) and RV parks near 6 major ski resorts (checked 2026-09-14). We did not fetch them again this time.
| Course | Overnight town | Overnight parking places with confirmed winter operation | If not confirmed |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | Niseko (3 nights) | RV Park Kutchan; Kuruma-tabi Park Pension Locomotion (winter ski-season rates listed) | — |
| A | Toyako Onsen | Could not be confirmed this time | Stay at an onsen inn. For lakeshore facilities, check the Lake Toya overnight parking article |
| A | Noboribetsu Onsen | Could not be confirmed this time | Stay at an onsen inn |
| A, B | Sapporo | Could not be confirmed this time | Check the list of 3 places in the city, or stay at a hotel |
| A | Furano (2 nights) | Yu-You Park, Spa & Hotel Resort Furano Latele (open all year; no electric hookup, generators allowed) | — |
| A, B | Asahikawa | RV Park Johnny Base (in winter, confirm the conditions by phone) | — |
| B | Sounkyo | Could not be confirmed this time | Stay at an onsen inn |
| B | Abashiri (2 nights) | Could not be confirmed this time (Hokkaido Okhotsk Park Tentorando is normally open from late April to mid-October) | Stay at a lodging |
| B | Kawayu Onsen | Could not be confirmed this time | Stay at an onsen inn |
| B | Akanko Onsen | RV Park Akan Tancho-no-Sato (Akan-cho, Kushiro City; about 40 km and 29 minutes from Akanko Onsen, calculated with OSRM) | Stay at a lodging |
| B | Obihiro | No certified places within Obihiro City. RV Park Tokachi Wakka-no-Mori in the Tokachi area (Shimizu) is open in winter too | Stay at a lodging within the city |
For towns where we could not confirm a place, a realistic plan is to stay at a hotel or onsen inn and use the campervan only for daytime driving. Facilities are collected in the list of Sapporo RV parks for Sapporo, places to stay overnight at Lake Toya for Lake Toya, and 5 RV parks in Obihiro and Tokachi and how to use them in winter for Tokachi. For the overall picture of which facilities are open in winter, see the list of RV parks in Hokkaido. For the situation within Obihiro City, see RV parks in Obihiro.
You can check the pickup bases on the pages for Moving Inn New Chitose Airport and Moving Inn Tokachi-Obihiro Airport (checked 2026-10-06). See each page for vehicle types and rates.
For which rental companies stay open in winter and which close for the season, see Hokkaido campervan rentals open in winter (December–March).
New Chitose Airport / Tokachi-Obihiro Airport
See Moving Inn campervans
Check vehicle types, rates, and availability on the official site.
See details at Moving Inn →How do you keep a 10-day winter trip from falling apart? Reach lodging before sunset, and use the no-driving days as a buffer
In winter, plan on the assumption that a blizzard can wipe out a day. Course A has 3 days without driving (Days 2, 3, and 8) and Course B has 1 (Day 6). On a day of blizzard or road closure, use that day for travel and drop a ski day or a drift-ice day.
On the last day you also need time for returning the vehicle and airport procedures. It is 148 minutes from Asahikawa on Course A and 135 minutes from Obihiro on Course B, so leave early in the morning, since you cannot get closer to the airport the day before.
- On the day before departure and in the morning, check for road closures on the road information system and Kita-no-Michi Navi (how to read the list is in the winter roads article)
- Reach your lodging around 16:00. Eastern Hokkaido gets dark 17–18 minutes earlier than Sapporo
- Do not exceed this site’s guideline of 200 km and 9 hours of driving a day. On snowy days, assume it takes longer than shown and stop early
- Decide where to stay only after confirming winter operation, power, and toilets by phone when you book
- For events whose 2026-27 dates are not yet announced, wait for the announcement before fitting them to a day
- Watch the weather for the last morning from the night two days before
For a trip shorter than 10 days, 3–5 night model routes around central Hokkaido fit, and for eastern Hokkaido alone, 5–7 night model routes across eastern Hokkaido. The basic loop for any season is in the 9-night, 10-day route around Hokkaido. Also read the complete guide to winter driving for winter equipment and snowy roads.
Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
Can you drive around Hokkaido in winter in 10 days?
Yes. On Course A (January, 667.6 km) and Course B (February, 862.3 km), every day is 166.2 km or less, within this site’s guideline (200 km, 9 hours of driving). The guideline is not an official standard.
How far can you drive in a day?
The guideline is up to 200 km and 9 hours of driving, but in winter the sun sets in the 16:00s in Sapporo, so plan by whether you can reach your lodging before sunset. The longest day in this article is 166.2 km and 135 minutes of driving. Snowy roads take longer than shown.
Will you always see drift ice?
Not necessarily. In Abashiri, the normal first drift-ice day is January 22 and the first shore-reaching day is February 4, and there has been a year when the first day was February 15 (Japan Meteorological Agency, 1991–2020). The official site states that on days without drift ice, Aurora runs a sea cruise as far as Cape Notoro.
Can you stay in the campervan every night?
There are towns where you cannot. Places with confirmed winter operation include Kutchan, Furano Latele, Johnny Base in Asahikawa, Akan Tancho-no-Sato, and Tokachi Wakka-no-Mori. For towns we could not confirm, plan on staying at a lodging.
What if a blizzard keeps you from moving one day?
Course A has 3 days without driving and Course B has 1. Use that day for travel and drop a ski day or a drift-ice day. Check road closures on road information on the day before departure and in the morning.
Pages to read next
- Hokkaido roads that close in winter | Closure periods and reopening dates for Shiretoko Pass and more
- Before a winter campervan trip in Hokkaido | Worries about snowy roads, ice, heating, and overnight parking
- Drift ice and campervan rental: the complete guide | Abashiri, Monbetsu, Shiretoko
- 6 major ski resorts in Hokkaido: where can you stay overnight nearby in winter?
- How many days does it take to drive around Hokkaido? The basic 9-night, 10-day route
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