1. The cheapest time to travel to Hokkaido

Let's start with the basics.

Just as there are cheap times of year, there are also expensive times of year, and those are often the best seasons for sightseeing.
The following are some of the annual events unique to Hokkaido that affect travel costs.

• First half of February: Sapporo Snow Festival
・Second week of June: Yosakoi Festival
July: Lavender

The following holiday seasons also significantly affect price fluctuations.

・December 23rd to the end of the New Year's holiday period, Coming of Age Day
From the spring equinox to the end of March
・ Golden week
・ Obon
・Silver Week

Even within a single week, prices vary; flights to Hokkaido are more expensive on Fridays and Saturdays, while return flights are more expensive on Sundays and the last day of long weekends. Accommodation is also more expensive on Saturdays and the day before holidays.

1-1. The cheapest time is from December to February.

The cheapest time of year is from December to February, excluding Christmas, New Year's, and the Sapporo Snow Festival period.
Tours using major airlines start from the low 20,000 yen range. Low-cost carrier (LCC) tours are available for around 16,000 yen.
Considering that it includes round-trip flights and hotel accommodation, it's quite cheap, isn't it?
Some people have managed to go for a total of 3 to 4 yen, including spending money to use locally!

1-2. How much do the costs of a trip to Hokkaido vary depending on the season?

There are probably people who want to visit Hokkaido during seasons other than winter.
Now let's look at the price fluctuations for a trip to Hokkaido throughout the year.

The original plan was a budget tour package that included round-trip flights and one night's accommodation.
You can see that prices fluctuate on a weekly basis or around public holidays.

Assuming the bottom was between December and February, there was a temporary rise from the spring equinox in March until the end of the month!
Actually, even in April, which is considered the off-season, my performance drops back down to the same level as December to February.

Then it jumps during Golden Week, settles down after the holidays, but rises again by one level in mid-May.
After mid-June, prices fluctuate on a two-week basis, with larger increases, and summer mode is activated around Marine Day!
Furthermore, prices rise sharply week by week once August arrives, reaching their peak during the Obon holiday! They can be nearly three times higher than during the cheapest period.

Prices will drop to levels similar to late July the week after the Obon holiday, and then to levels similar to early July from the week after that until mid-September.

From mid-September onwards, prices steadily declined on a monthly basis, hitting their lowest point in December.
*Prices will naturally be higher during public holidays and long weekends.

It's quite a discovery to find that the prices don't actually change that much outside of summer and special events.

1-3. It's also recommended to choose a time when it's cost-effective.

Looking at the price fluctuations throughout the year, there are surprisingly cheaper periods outside of the Yosakoi festival, such as June, September, and October.
Hokkaido doesn't have a rainy season, making it a pleasant place to live, and early-blooming lavender can be seen in late June.
October is the peak season for autumn foliage, so you can enjoy the full force of autumn about a month earlier than in Honshu.

If you're on flat ground, you don't have to worry about snow, and it's perfect for a drive that you can't really do in winter.
Enjoy Hokkaido by combining it with hot springs, gourmet food, and more.

2. How to get cheap flights and tours

Once you've decided on your travel dates, start making arrangements right away!
If you're going to Hokkaido, flying is better than taking the JR train in terms of both cost and time (JR takes about 4 hours from Tokyo to Hakodate and about 3 hours from Hakodate to Sapporo).
Air travel often has a reputation for being overpriced, but there are ways to book flights cheaply.

2-1. Low-cost carriers (LCCs) are indeed cheap.

In the Kanto region, Jetstar and Vanilla Air operate flights from Narita Airport; Peach and Jetstar from Kansai Airport; Jetstar and AirAsia from Nagoya; and Peach from Fukuoka. Low-cost carriers (LCCs) operate flights to New Chitose Airport from various locations throughout Japan.

Flights from Narita to New Chitose Airport can be booked for as low as ¥4,000 one way!
Prices fluctuate depending on seat availability, so they are higher on busy dates and cheaper until the last minute during off-peak seasons.

If your priority is low cost, it's a good idea to first check out the low-cost carriers (LCCs) that operate flights to your nearest airport.

It's also worth trying your luck with the limited-seat sales that are held irregularly. Whether you can get a seat or not is almost a matter of luck, but it would be a shame to miss out. Sign up for newsletters from airlines you're interested in or follow them on social media to get the latest information.

Also, with low-cost carriers (LCCs), in-flight services such as checked baggage are often offered as optional extras with separate fees, so be sure to check them carefully.

2-2. The common practice is to book early.

If you book more than two and a half months in advance, you can arrange a one-way ticket for around ¥10,000 with ANA, JAL, or Skymark.
While the cheapest fares are more than twice as expensive as those offered by low-cost carriers (LCCs), considering factors like the convenience of the departure and arrival airports and the availability of checked baggage, it often makes sense in certain situations.

ANA and JAL offer discounted fares for bookings made 2.5 months, 2 months, 1.5 months, 4 weeks, and 3 weeks in advance.
Skymark offers different fares depending on the number of remaining seats: Ima-toku, Mae-wari 3, and Mae-wari 1.

In particular, for local elections in cities like Asahikawa, Memanbetsu, and Wakkanai, only ANA or JAL, which offer a wide variety of routes, may have flights available.
To target local routes, plan your trip at least 2.5 months in advance!
またSkymark sometimes offers cheap flights right up until the last minute, depending on the number of remaining seats, so if you're looking for a cheap way to travel using Haneda Airport, check out Skymark.

In conclusion—How to enjoy Hokkaido during the off-season—

In winter, crabs and scallops are in season, and there are plenty of things to enjoy about traveling to Hokkaido during the off-season, such as the sight of city streets covered in snow to an extent unimaginable on Honshu.
Let's save money on travel expenses and have lots of fun in Hokkaido!

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