If you’re planning a trip to Sapporo, Hokkaido, this Otaru Shakotan bus tour is one of the easiest and most scenic day trips you can take.
When you’re putting together a Sapporo itinerary, chances are you’ll want to spend at least a day or two outside the city instead of staying in downtown Sapporo the entire time. Day trips from Sapporoare something most travelers end up considering.
That’s why many Hokkaido itineraries are usually split into three main routes: Sapporo city Otaru and the Shakotan Peninsula Biei and Furano Those are the three classic areas people usually build their trip around.
If Biei and Furano are all about wide-open fields and dreamy countryside views, Otaru and Shakotanare the perfect mix of a charming port town and some of Hokkaido’s most iconic coastal scenery.It’s such a satisfying combination.
If you love ocean views, Otaru and the Shakotan Peninsula are absolutely worth adding to your list. Shakotan in particular is famous for its cool, vivid blue water, and Shakotanis honestly pretty inconvenient to reach by public transportation alone, which is why so many travelers book a tour instead.
Today I’m sharing a day trip bus tour that leaves from central Sapporo and covers both Otaru and the Shakotan Peninsula, along with the must-see views you really shouldn’t miss.
Otaru Shakotan day tour
Indigo Travel’s [Otaru Shakotan Bus Tour]is a full-day trip that runs from 8:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., for a total of about 9.5 hours.
Unlike some package tours, there’s no forced shopping stop, and the itinerary focuses cleanly on the main sights only. A Korean-speaking guidejoins the group for the entire tour, so even first-time travelers can relax and enjoy the day.
The tour departs from and returns to Sapporo Station, which also means you’ll still have time in the evening to grab dinner and do some shopping around the station area.
Why I recommend it
Getting to Otaru on its own isn’t that difficult, but if you want to include the Shakotan Peninsulatoo, a rental car is basically essential. And once you rent a car, you also have to deal with driving long distances with the steering wheel on the right side, plus parking once you arrive.
That’s exactly why a one-day bus tour is so convenient. Everyone in your group can just sit back and enjoy the ride, and the route is already organized in the most efficient way, so you don’t have to spend one of your travel days planning logistics.
The price is also reasonable at around $42 per person.For an almost full-day tour, about $42 feels like a really good deal these days.
If you read the reviews on MyRealTrip, you’ll see why. Thousands of people have already taken this tour, and there’s reportedly only one negative review, so overall satisfaction is extremely high.
The guide also takes great camera photos and gives helpful food recommendations, which makes the whole trip feel easy and stress-free.
Main stops on the bus tour
The key stops are Otaru, Shimamui Coast, and Cape Kamui. The overall schedule is easiest to understand at a glance, so I brought over the route summary.
Otaru gives you the most free time, since there’s plenty of shopping, cafés, and good food. Personally, I found three hours to be enough.
In Otaru, I grabbed lunch and a few snacks, then did some shopping at LeTAO and for miffy goods.
It was one of those days when the rain kept coming and going, so that was a little disappointing, but I still had time to stop by the Otaru Canal and browse the cute little shops, and the hours flew by.
Otaru Music Box Museum is famous too. It’s packed with beautiful and unusual music boxes, so it’s definitely worth visiting at least once.
After that, the Shakotan Peninsulafeels like a completely different world. You go from wandering through a cute little town to standing in front of huge, dramatic natural scenery, and it honestly feels so refreshing.
Shakotan Blue at Cape Kamui
The real highlight of this tourisn’t actually Otaru, even though that’s where you spend the most time, but Cape Kamui (Kamui Misaki)instead.
As you walk along the trail leading to the viewpoint, the sea stretches out on both sides the whole way. On a clear day, the water turns a vivid emerald-blue, and it’s so striking that people even call it “Shakotan Blue.”
It already looks incredible in photos, but in person the color of the water feels even deeper and clearer. It’s seriously stunning.
The combination of bright blue sea and green ridgelines is the kind of landscape you don’t come across easily in other parts of Japan, and I completely understood why so many people make the trip here.
If you’re visiting Sapporo, don’t stay only in the city. Make time for a side trip and go see the Shakotan Peninsula for yourself.
Who I recommend this for
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Travelers planning a day trip from Sapporo
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Anyone who isn’t confident about driving a right-hand-drive rental car
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Anyone who wants to enjoy Hokkaido’s natural scenery
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Travelers who want to cover the main highlights efficiently in a single day
Things to check before booking
Unfortunately, babies under 36 months old are not allowed to join the tour.Even for children older than 36 months, child car seats are not available, so keep that in mind before booking.
Also, if the weather is bad due to a typhoon or other conditions, access to Cape Kamui may be restricted. Be sure to check the forecast carefully before you reserve.
Have an amazing trip to Hokkaido!