The Blue Pond is the star of this Hokkaido day trip, but the route gives you much more: a major zoo, open farm country, a flower garden, and a long look at rural Hokkaido from a coach window. It is a useful way to reach several far-flung sights without renting a car. I like the … Read more
The Penguin Parade is the star here. At Asahiyama Zoo, these charming birds walk close to the path in a winter event made possible by the zoo’s northern setting. Later, you visit Shirogane Blue Pond, where snow and seasonal lighting create a pale, dreamlike scene. I like the easy air-conditioned bus ride from central Sapporo, … Read more
Asahiyama Zoo gives this Hokkaido day trip its spark. You can watch penguins move through a glass tunnel, then see polar bears, wolves, big cats, apes, and other animals before heading into Biei for the calm blue water of Shirogane Blue Pond and nearby Shirahige Falls. It is a big day, but the route links … Read more
Asahiyama Zoo, Biei’s startling blue pond, and Furano’s little forest craft village make this a big day out from Sapporo. You get three very different sides of Hokkaido: close animal viewing, volcanic scenery, and handmade goods in a quiet woodland setting. I like the wide mix of sights and the included zoo ticket, which remove … Read more
The star of this long Hokkaido day is Asahiyama Zoo, where penguins march, seals glide through clear tubes, and polar bears plunge into the water. You also get the striking blue water of Biei, the snowy spray of Shirahige Falls, and a woodland stop at Ningle Terrace. I like the unusual zoo enclosures and the … Read more
Biei’s Blue Pond is the star of this Hokkaido day out: still water, pale blue and green tones, and bare birch trunks that look almost painted. Add Shirahige Falls, Furano’s huge flower fields, and a buffet lunch with optional Yubari melon, and you get a lot in one long day. I like the small maximum … Read more
Biei’s Blue Pond is the star here, and it earns the fuss. Mineral-rich water shifts from blue-green to cobalt in the sun, while pale tree trunks rise from the pond like the remains of a drowned forest. Add Furano’s flower fields, a buffet lunch, and a long but well-filled day, and this is an easy … Read more
Hokkaido’s countryside is the star here: flower fields, Biei’s striking Blue Pond, famous roadside trees, and the wildlife displays at Asahiyama Zoo all fit into one long day from Sapporo. It is an efficient way to reach places that are awkward to combine by train and bus. I like the air-conditioned coach, which turns a … Read more
Asahiyama Zoo is the anchor of this long day, but the real pleasure is the changing scenery between Sapporo, Asahikawa, Biei, and Furano. You get animals, a blue-tinted pond, a rushing waterfall, and a small craft village without changing trains or deciphering rural bus schedules. I like the private car and the freedom it gives … Read more
