If you love touring the world, then Sapporo is the last place you should visit before taking a rest. This is the capital city of the mountainous island, Hokkaido, Japan. The city is a popular tourist destination for many things, including ski resorts, traditional temples, parks, and winter theme attractions for winter festivals. It is probably the best place to visit with your kids during the winter.
If you are planning to visit Sapporo, Hokkaido this holiday, then you are in the right place. You can book your trip with Cathay Pacific to this amazing city. Here we highlight some of the best things you can do here to spice up your visit and make your tour memorable. Continue reading to find out the other side of Sapporo your tour guide may forget to show you.
1. Attend Sapporo Snow Festival
You can’t afford to leave Sapporo before you attend the famous Sapporo Snow Festival in the winters. This is one of the most famous festivals in this city that is home to at least 2 million people. You can have a chance to attend the festival at Odori Koen every year when you visit Sapporo at the beginning of February.
People come from all over the world to attend this popular festival. You can find the best attractions for your kids and some amazing ice sculptors from different parts of the world. The festival crowds sometimes. Therefore, to get the best experience, you can come at night when the ice sculptors are illuminated, and there are relatively few people attending.
2. Take a walk in the Asahiyama Park
Asahiyama Park is one of the finest places you should visit when you come to Sapporo. This famous park stands out for its gorgeous flowers that sprout throughout the year. Walking in the park connects you to nature as you can feel the cool breeze and whistling of birds. The cherry blossoms are common in the springtime, which attracts most young couples.
In the autumn, the burnt orange falls color the whole park forming a unique scene. If you want some quiet place to relax your mind and chill after a long tour of Sapporo, you can talk a walk in Asahiyama Park.
Apart from Asahiyama Park, you can also take a walk in Odori Park found at the city center. It is a wonderful place to explore the beautiful Sapporo by connecting to some of the exotic and indigenous trees in this city. You have a chance to see some unique art sculptures, fountains, and gardens in the park. You also connect to some of the best museums, entertainment districts, and galleries connected to the park.
3. Climb the popular Mount Moiwa
If you love mountain climbing, you can have the best experience when visiting Sapporo in the winter. Mount Moiwa is just some distance away from the busy city, and you can visit the place to have some fun climbing up the easy to access the summit. Most walkers visiting this place would opt for the aerial tramway when climbing the mountain. You can also enjoy a ride on a cable car that takes the shortest time to reach the top of the mountain.
You’ll have the best view of the entire Sapporo city while at the mountain top. You can also enjoy viewing the city at night when it’s lit up right from the station’s observation deck. There are some on-site restaurants at Mount Moiwa where you can enjoy the local food as you wait for your return trip.
The famous mountain is also a sports destination for snow sports enthusiasts from different parts of the country. It offers fine slopes for snow sports in the winter.
4. Catch a Match T Sapporo Dome
Sapporo Dome was a major host of the FIFA World Cup in 2002 and has since become a major sports center for baseball teams. Baseball is a popular sport in Japan, and if you want to learn about the game, you should not hesitate to visit Sapporo Dome one of the weekends.
When you visit this place, you can enjoy the local snacks served at the stadium as you wait to catch your favorite games. Visiting this place is an excellent choice if you are a baseball fanatic, and you look forward to learning one or two things about the local sports and the natives here.
5. Visit the Hokkaido Museum of Modern Art
Hokkaido Museum of Modern Art is the last place you want to visit before taking your Sapporo return trip. This museum sits within a pretty park, which gives it an ideal environment to relax as you learn about this country.
The museum is home to some of the contemporary arts made by Japanese artists. You can also find some modern Western art collections in the museum and learn a lot about diversity, culture, and modern technology. The museum hosts artists regularly, so you can always have fun interacting with the locals and some of their finest talents in the showcase.
6. Checkout the iconic Clock Tower
If you love architecture, then the most iconic buildings you should visit when you come to Hokkaido is the famous Clock Tower. This building was built in 1888 in honor of Hokkaido University.
When you visit this place, you can also learn more about how the iconic building came to exist. You should visit this place if you want to take a picture. The place gets crowded sometimes, and it’s important to come early for a complete tour of the building and the local area.
Final Thoughts
There are many places to visit and things to do when you come to Sapporo, Hokkaido. This city is home to the best parks, sports centers, winter themes, and delicious native foods. You can visit Sapporo for the best winter adventure at the famous snow festival.
If you love beer, you can also taste the iconic Sapporo Beer in the local restaurants. You should also find time to enjoy the mountain vistas and interact with the natives at the traditional temples.
