Here's a driving route from Sapporo to Noboribetsu Onsen that you can enjoy in one day.

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: Last updated: September 11, 2018

Table of contents

1. Sapporo Art Park

2. Lake Shikotsu

3. Noboribetsu Date Jidaimura

4. Noboribetsu Bear Park

5. Noboribetsu Jigokudani (Hell Valley)

6. Noboribetsu Onsen

<Conclusion>

[Sapporo to Noboribetsu Onsen] One-Day Sightseeing Driving Route

Noboribetsu Onsen, famous as a hot spring resort in Hokkaido, is a popular destination known as the "department store of hot springs" because it boasts a variety of hot spring types.

Located about 1 hour and 30 minutes from Sapporo via expressway and about 1 hour from New Chitose Airport, it boasts an excellent location as a base for sightseeing.

While the shortest route from Sapporo to Noboribetsu Onsen is via expressway, this guide will introduce a scenic driving route to Noboribetsu that allows you to enjoy sightseeing along the way, along with recommended tourist spots.

This is a perfect day trip from Sapporo to Noboribetsu, so why not include it in your travel plans?

<Contents>
1. Sapporo Art Park
2. Lake Shikotsu
3. Noboribetsu Date Jidaimura
4. Noboribetsu Bear Park
5. Noboribetsu Jigokudani (Hell Valley)
6. Noboribetsu Onsen
Final thoughts

1. Sapporo Art Park

[Sapporo to Noboribetsu Onsen] One-Day Sightseeing Driving Route

Sapporo Art Park is a place that stimulates curiosity while being in harmony with nature, with art museums, craft museums, and open-air art museums located in a 40-hectare forest area within Sapporo city.

While there are various events, exhibitions, studios, and workshops, on a sunny day it's a pleasant spot where you can simply enjoy nature just by being there.

[Sapporo to Noboribetsu Onsen] One-Day Sightseeing Driving Route

The open-air art museum, in particular, features sculptures that display different expressions throughout the seasons amidst lush greenery, and volunteers also provide explanations of the artworks, making it a must-visit for anyone who loves sculpture or art.

Some facilities require an admission fee, so please check the Sapporo Art Park website for details.

[Sapporo Art Park]
Address: 2-75 Geijutsu-no-mori, Minami-ku, Sapporo City
Telephone number: 011-592-5111
URL:http://artpark.or.jp/

2. Lake Shikotsu

[Sapporo to Noboribetsu Onsen] One-Day Sightseeing Driving Route

Lake Shikotsu, located within Shikotsu-Toya National Park, is a caldera lake boasting the second largest water volume after Lake Biwa in Shiga Prefecture, and is the northernmost non-freezing lake in Japan.
Shikotsu Lake Onsen, located on the shores of Lake Shikotsu, has several hot spring inns, as well as facilities where you can enjoy a day trip to the baths.

Beneath the surface of Lake Shikotsu lies a distinctive cliff-like landscape known as "columnar jointing," which can be observed from an underwater sightseeing boat.

[Sapporo to Noboribetsu Onsen] One-Day Sightseeing Driving Route

In addition to activities such as canoeing and pedal boating on the lake, there are also local specialties like Himemasu (landlocked salmon) dishes and the Shikotsu Lake Visitor Center, making it a popular spot where you can spend a relaxing time surrounded by nature.

Please be aware that deer and foxes often come out onto the roadside in the surrounding area, so drive carefully.

[Lake Shikotsu Sightseeing Boat]
Address: Shikotsu Lake Hot Springs, Chitose City, Hokkaido
Telephone number: 0123-25-2031
Operating period: Mid-April to early November
URL:http://www.shikotsu-ship.co.jp/

3. Noboribetsu Date Jidaimura

[Sapporo to Noboribetsu Onsen] One-Day Sightseeing Driving Route Photo by Flickr: Noboribetsu Date Jidaimura, Hokkaido / enqvist lau

Noboribetsu Date Jidaimura is a cultural park that completely recreates the townscape and culture of the Edo period.
This facility offers entertainment for both adults and children, allowing visitors to experience ninja action shows and plays set in a village that feels like a time slip to the Edo period, try their hand at shuriken throwing and archery, and enjoy traditional Japanese dumplings like those seen in period dramas.

Rental ninja costumes, which allow you to change into a ninja outfit and walk around the village all day, are also popular.
This is a unique facility where you can experience and learn about the culture of the Edo period.

[Noboribetsu Date Jidaimura (historical village)]
Address: 53-1 Nakanobetsu-cho, Noboribetsu City, Hokkaido
Telephone number: 0143-83-3311
営業時間：夏季（4月1日～10月31日）9:00～17:00、冬季（11月1日～3月31日）9:00～16:00
Admission fees: (Adults) 2,900 yen, (Children) 1,500 yen, (Infants) 600 yen
Parking fee: 500 yen for cars
URL:http://www.edo-trip.jp/

4. Noboribetsu Bear Park

[Sapporo to Noboribetsu Onsen] One-Day Sightseeing Driving Route Photo by Flickr: Wei Jen Chang

Located near Noboribetsu Onsen, Noboribetsu Bear Park is reached by taking a ropeway up to the top.
While bears are often associated with frightening news, the bears here are incredibly charming!

Visitors can feed the bears, and the bears' "begging" for food is said to be incredibly cute.

Some of them stick out their tongues or wave their hands to get attention, making such unique movements that you might think there's a person inside.
There are also observation areas that resemble a "human cage," where humans are trapped inside a cage, allowing visitors to observe bears from a distance of just a few centimeters.

The facility also houses the world's only "Brown Bear Museum" and "Yukara no Sato," which recreates the lifestyle of the Ainu people.

[Noboribetsu Bear Park]
Address: 224 Noboribetsu Onsen-cho, Noboribetsu City, Hokkaido
Telephone number: 0143-84-2225
営業時間：（7月1日～9月30日）8:00～17:00、（4月１日～6月30日、10月1日～1月31日）8:30～16:30、（2月1日～3月31日）8:00～16:00
Admission fee: (Adults) 2,592 yen, (Children) 1,296 yen (Ropeway fare included)
URL:http://www.bearpark.jp/

5. Noboribetsu Jigokudani (Hell Valley)

[Sapporo to Noboribetsu Onsen] One-Day Sightseeing Driving Route

Jigokudani, located northeast of Noboribetsu Onsen, is the largest hot spring source in Noboribetsu Onsen and is the site of an explosion crater formed by volcanic activity approximately 1 years ago.
This vast area, approximately 450 meters in diameter and covering about 11 hectares, has numerous springs and fumaroles, from which 3,000 liters of hot spring water gush out every minute.

A walking trail is maintained in Jigokudani (Hell Valley) that can be completed in about 10 minutes, and as you venture further in, you will be enveloped in a strong sulfurous smell and steam.

You can explore this area using Google Street View, but you'll be amazed by the difference in impact when you see and experience it in person.

[Sapporo to Noboribetsu Onsen] One-Day Sightseeing Driving Route

In winter, you can sometimes find foxes warming themselves on the warm ground in Jigokudani (Hell Valley).

[Noboribetsu Hell Valley]
Address: Noboribechi Onsen-cho, Noboribetsu City (no street number)
Phone number: 0143-84-3311 (Noboribetsu Tourism Association)

6. Noboribetsu Onsen

[Sapporo to Noboribetsu Onsen] One-Day Sightseeing Driving Route Image provided by: Noboribetsu Tourism Association

Noboribetsu Onsen is one of Japan's leading hot spring resorts, consistently ranking among the top in the "Top 100 Hot Springs in Japan" list published annually by the Tourism and Economic Newspaper.

Located very close to the previously mentioned "Noboribetsu Jigokudani" (Hell Valley), this area is known as a "hot spring department store" because it offers a variety of hot springs with different water qualities.

With numerous hot springs and unique inns offering different types of spring water, you'll never get bored no matter how many times you visit. Personally, it's my favorite hot spring resort in Hokkaido.

Here are three of my favorite hot spring inns.

[Noboribetsu Grand Hotel] The open-air garden bath is truly a hot spring in the middle of nature. It's such a pleasant hot spring that you'll find yourself soaking in it for a long time, in harmony with nature.

[Daiichi Takimoto-kan] —With 35 baths in total for men and women combined, and seven different types of hot springs to enjoy, it's a paradise for hot spring lovers. It's truly a hot spring department store.

[Oyado Shimizuya] — Although the hot spring itself is quite small, this inn is popular for its charming atmosphere, offering a purely Japanese-style ryokan (traditional inn) feel and authentic Japanese hospitality.

<Conclusion>

The driving route from Sapporo to Noboribetsu Onsen that we introduced is a route that allows you to enjoy sightseeing at a leisurely pace over the course of a day.
You can experience Hokkaido's nature, animals, local specialties, and hot springs all in one day.

If you have some extra time, I also recommend Noboribetsu Marine Park NIX, an aquarium located in Noboribetsu.
The best part of this route is that after a full day of fun, you can relax and unwind at Noboribetsu Onsen!

Please use this as a reference when you drive from Sapporo to Noboribetsu.

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