Day Trips from Sapporo - Toya, Muroran, Tomakomai
Iburi Region｜Recommended Courses
Course ❶
Learn About Volcanoes! Volcano Experience Course
JR Sapporo Station → Lake Toya Sightseeing Cruise → Volcano Science Museum → Mt. Usu Ropeway → Mt. Usu Crater → JR Sapporo Station
Course ❷
Family‑Friendly! Hell Valley Course
JR Sapporo Station → JR Noboribetsu Station → Noboribetsu Hell Valley → Noboribetsu Bear Park → Noboribetsu Marine Park NIXE → JR Noboribetsu Station → JR Sapporo Station
Area Recommendation: Pickup!
Course 1: Lake Toya Area (Approx. 10 hours) / JR + Bus + Walking
Learn About Volcanoes! Volcano Experience Course
This entire area is part of the UNESCO‑recognized Toya–Usu Geopark. It is a rare place where volcanoes repeatedly erupt close to where people live, allowing visitors to walk through past disaster sites. You can observe how new life emerges in the ecosystem after each eruption.
JR Sapporo Station → Lake Toya → Lake Toya Sightseeing Cruise → Volcano Science Museum → Mt. Usu Ropeway → Mt. Usu Crater → JR Sapporo Station
Access:Donan Bus / Sapporo Station Bus Stop No.7 → (Sapporo–Toya Line, approx. 2 hr 40 min) → Get off at Toyako Onsen → (4‑min walk) → Lake Toya Sightseeing Cruise (50 min)
Recommended at Lake Toya Sightseeing Cruise
- A spectacular cruise offering lake‑view scenery of Mt. Yotei, surrounding mountains, and traces of volcanic activity.
- Summer only: Land on Nakajima Island and visit the Toya Lake Nakajima Forest Museum.
- Enjoy the Long‑Run Fireworks Cruise, the best seat on the lake for fireworks.
Access: Lake Toya Sightseeing Cruise → (approx. 7‑min walk) → Volcano Science Museum (about 60 min)
Recommended at the Volcano Science Museum
- Usu Volcano Eruption Theater: Experience eruption scenes through three screens and powerful low‑frequency sound.
- Real disaster exhibits: A damaged truck and a building invaded by a mudflow, preserved exactly as they were.
- Hands‑on learning displays: Devices that let you physically feel crustal movements.
Access: Volcano Science Museum → (Toya Lake Line Bus, approx. 15 min) → Mt. Usu Ropeway（15 min ride）→ Mt. Usu Crater Basin Observatory (approx. 30 min)
Recommended at the Mt. Usu Ropeway
- Enjoy a breathtaking panoramic view from Mt. USU Terrace, overlooking Lake Toya, nearby islands, and Mt. Yotei.
- From the Crater Basin Observatory, a 7–10 minute walk from the summit station, observe the volcanic landscape up close.
- Look down on Showa‑Shinzan directly from the ropeway.
Nearby Spots
Course ❷: Noboribetsu (Approx. 8 hours) / JR + Bus + Walking
Family‑Friendly! Hell Valley Course
Around Noboribetsu Onsen—famous for its abundant hot‑spring water and diverse mineral qualities—you’ll find attractions perfect for families: the Noboribetsu Bear Park, which includes the Brown Bear Museum and Ainu cultural exhibits, and Noboribetsu Marine Park NIXE, one of the largest aquariums in Hokkaido.
This Hell Valley course is the No.1 recommendation for families to enjoy together.
JR Sapporo Station → JR Noboribetsu Station → Noboribetsu Hell Valley → Noboribetsu Bear Park → Noboribetsu Marine Park NIXE → JR Noboribetsu Station → JR Sapporo Station
Recommended Points at Noboribetsu Hell Valley
Access: JR Sapporo Station → (Limited Express Hokuto, approx. 75 min) → JR Noboribetsu Station → (Donan Bus ND Line, get off at Daiichi Takimoto‑mae, 9‑min walk) → Noboribetsu Hell Valley (approx. 60 min)
- Over 10,000 tons of hot spring water gush out every day.
- A desolate and powerful landscape where high‑temperature water and volcanic gas erupt from the ground.
- Known as the “department store of hot springs” for its wide variety of spring qualities.
Nearby Spots
Access:Noboribetsu Hell Valley → (10‑min walk, free shuttle available) → Ropeway Base Station → Noboribetsu Bear Park (approx. 1 hour)
Recommended Points at Noboribetsu Bear Park
- At the bear park, more than 140 brown bears are kept in spacious enclosures.
- There are special viewing areas where you can observe the bears up close through glass, as well as a Bear Kindergarten where you can watch newborn cubs in their daily lives.
- The ropeway offering a panoramic view over the Noboribetsu Onsen town is also very popular.
Access:Noboribetsu Bear Park Ropeway Base Station → (7‑min walk) → Noboribetsu Onsen → (Bus approx. 12 min) → Noboribetsu Station → (4‑min walk) → Noboribetsu Marine Park NIXE (approx. 2 hours) → JR Noboribetsu Station→ (Limited Express Hokuto, approx. 75 min) → JR Sapporo Station
Recommended Points at Noboribetsu Marine Park NIXE
- One of the largest aquariums in Hokkaido, modeled after a Danish castle, exhibiting around 400 species and 20,000 marine creatures.
- Beautiful indoor exhibits and the magical Aqua Tunnel.
- Dynamic dolphin & sea lion shows and the popular seal ring pool.
Nearby Spots
Other Areas
© CEDARS Communications Co.,Ltd. all right reserved. 悠悠北海道 ®