1. General itinerary of the bus tour

The tour we're introducing today is Wonder Tours' "A comprehensive plan that covers Furano and Biei, including lavender fields at Furano Farm Tomita, a local gourmet omelet curry lunch made with locally sourced ingredients, the fantastical Blue Pond, and Ningle Terrace."

This tour includes a local specialty, "Omurice Curry," for lunch, making it a great value plan.

The prices are 5,500 yen for adults, 5,000 yen for children (ages 4 to elementary school age), and 5,000 yen for infants (ages 0 to 3, no meals included).
(*Lunch at Resort Inn North Country is included. *The bus will be shared with other tours, so it will stop at Resort Inn North Country and Hokusei Farm.)

The specific itinerary is as follows:

Premier Hotel Nakajima Park (Meet at 7:00 / Depart at 7:10)
Sapporo View Hotel Odori Park (Meet at 7:10 / Depart at 7:20)
ANA Crowne Plaza Hotel Sapporo (Meeting time: 7:20 / Departure time: 7:30)
*You can choose to board from the three hotels listed above.
▼(Approximately 40 minutes)
Iwamizawa Service Area (rest stop) (approximately 15 minutes)
▼(Approximately 1 hour 20 minutes)
Farm Tomita (approximately 60 minutes)
▼(Approximately 30 minutes)
Lunchtime at Resort Inn North Country (approximately 40 minutes)
▼(Approximately 5 minutes)
New Furano Prince Hotel (free time for sightseeing, including Ningle Terrace) (approximately 25 minutes)
▼(Approximately 5 minutes)
Furano Cheese Factory (approximately 30 minutes)
▼(Approximately 5 minutes)
Furano Marche (Shopping for local products) (approximately 30 minutes)
▼(Approximately 50 minutes)
Blue Pond (approximately 40 minutes)
▼(Approximately 25 minutes)
Biei's Patchwork Road (viewed from the car window)
▼(Approximately 1 hour 30 minutes)
Sunagawa Highway Oasis (approximately 20 minutes)
▼(Approximately 2 hour 15 minutes)
Arrived at JR Sapporo Station North Exit

The tour takes approximately 12 hours, from 7:30 AM to 19:30 PM, making it a full-day experience.

2. Let's introduce some spots and highlights!

All the spots visited on this bus tour are famous.
However, unlike going on your own, the time constraints are a bit of a drawback.

Here, we'll highlight the must-see spots so you can efficiently see everything even in a short amount of time!

Farm Tomita: The largest lavender field in the Furano area!

Farm Tomita is approximately 2 hours and 15 minutes from Sapporo city center. (There is a 15-minute restroom break at Iwamizawa Service Area along the way.)

It boasts one of the largest flower fields in the Furano area, allowing you to admire a lavender field that truly embodies the essence of Furano!

The traditional lavender fields and forest lavender fields, planted with various types of lavender, are must-see destinations.
No matter what angle you shoot from, the purple flowers will be visible in the camera frame, guaranteeing you'll get some amazing photos.

You can get original Farm Tomita merchandise at various shops that have "Ie" (house) in their name.
The perfumes and dried flowers distilled here make perfect souvenirs. You can also enjoy their famous lavender soft serve ice cream here.

The stay is 60 minutes.
After taking plenty of photos in the lavender fields, I recommend enjoying some soft-serve ice cream and buying some souvenirs.

Lunchtime at Resort North In Country

From Farm Tomita, our next destination was about a 30-minute bus ride away.
Our much-anticipated lunch was at "Resort North Inn Country."

The menu offered on this tour is "Omurice Curry"!
Omucurry is, quite literally, omurice topped with curry.
This is a truly authentic local dish that cannot be considered omurice unless it meets six conditions (i.e., all ingredients must be sourced from Furano, etc.).

The omelet curry at Hotel Restaurant Nordu is known for its incredibly creamy eggs and mild curry with just the right amount of spiciness.
These two elements combine nicely, making a great pairing with the buttered rice.

The set also comes with steamed vegetables, almond tofu, and milk, so it's quite filling. It's sure to satisfy even the biggest eaters.
*Please note that due to circumstances, the milk may be replaced with carrot juice.

The restaurant also has its own winery, so why not pick up a bottle as a souvenir?

Choosing souvenirs at Ninguru Terrace, Furano Cheese Factory, and Furano Marche

After enjoying the local cuisine, the bus will take you back to "Ninguru Terrace," "Furano Cheese Factory," and "Furano Marche" where you can enjoy shopping for souvenirs.

Ninguru Terrace is a shopping area with 15 log cabins lined up in the forest, featuring unique craft shops and cafes, and you can enjoy a leisurely 25-minute stroll around the area.

Next up is "Furano Cheese Factory".
Inside, you'll find a "pizza workshop" and an "ice cream workshop," so we recommend cooling off with gelato made from fresh Furano milk as a dessert after your meal. The recommended stay is approximately 30 minutes.

After that, we'll spend about 30 minutes at "Furano Marche," a roadside station packed with the delicious flavors of Furano.
This is the place to go if you're looking to buy souvenirs in Furano! With such a wide selection, it's the perfect spot to stop by for souvenir shopping.

Enjoy the fantastical scenery at the "Blue Pond," the highlight of the trip.

After enjoying souvenir shopping in Furano city, we drove for about 50 minutes.
We have now arrived at the "Blue Pond," which is arguably the biggest highlight of this bus tour.

The "Blue Pond," a scenic spot synonymous with Biei, is characterized by its milky blue color, as if bath salts had been added to the water.
The larch trees rising from the pond create a melancholic atmosphere.

This is a place you should visit specifically to enjoy the scenery, so you should take as many photos as you like until you're completely satisfied!
It's about a 5-minute walk from the parking lot to the Blue Pond. Take 40 minutes to imprint the breathtaking scenery in your memory.

"Biei's Patchwork Hills" can be seen from the car window on the way there.

The bus tour is finally entering its final stretch.
When crops are planted, the entire hillside is covered in colorful flowers. Because the flowers planted in the unique terrain look like a patchwork quilt, it's called Patchwork Road.

The gently rolling hills of Biei, including the Seven Stars Tree and the Ken and Mary Tree (which have been featured in television commercials), are a refreshing sight to behold.
Let's imprint this picture-perfect panorama into our memories.

3. Conclusion

What did you think.
Many people are probably familiar with Furano's lavender fields and Biei's Blue Pond, as they are frequently featured in travel magazines.

However, it's difficult to access if you're just going somewhere else, and many people probably don't know of any other sights to see there.
That's why it's so great that you can go there on a day trip from Sapporo.

With a bus tour, you don't have to worry about getting lost, and best of all, you can just sit back and arrive at your destination, which is fantastic!
Since you can enjoy your trip without worrying about the driver, it's perfect for groups and families.

How about taking a bus tour departing from Sapporo this summer to experience a refreshing summer?

There are many other bus tours available to enjoy Furano!
If you're planning a trip to Furano, please check out the banner below.

Hokkaido from all over Japan! Find affordable Hokkaido package tours here.

Make your trip even more enjoyable! Book your Hokkaido local experience tour here.

Combine flights and hotels freely for great deals! Dynamic Packages

Introducing our sister site (please check it out if you're interested)