The Shiretoko Peninsula, a World Heritage Site located in eastern Hokkaido, is a place where you can enjoy its magnificent natural beauty throughout the year, and many people would like to visit it.

But many people probably don't know how to get from Sapporo, the central city of Hokkaido, to Shiretoko, right?

This time, we'll introduce the travel time, costs, and points to note for each mode of transportation from Sapporo to Utoro in Shari Town, the gateway to the Shiretoko Peninsula and Shiretoko Five Lakes.

<Table of Contents>
1. JR + Bus
2. Intercity express bus - Eagle Liner
3. Airplane + Bus
4. Cars/Rental Cars
Final thoughts

Photo by Wikipedia: Kiha 183 Okhotsk / 221.20

The first method I'll introduce involves using JR trains and buses.

To get from Sapporo Station to Shiretoko-Shari Station, the closest station to Shiretoko, the most common route is to take an express train to Abashiri Station or Kushiro Station, and then transfer to a JR Senmo Line train bound for Shiretoko-Shari Station.

The cost and time involved will vary slightly depending on where you transfer and how far you take the express train.

If you transfer at Abashiri Station, the one-way fare is 9,930 yen (as of April 2018) and the journey takes a little over 6 hours. If you transfer at Kushiro Station, the one-way fare is 10,790 yen (as of April 2018) and the journey takes about 6 and a half hours.

Photo by Wikipedia : Utoro depot, Utoro bus terminal. Shiretoko National Park / 221.20

From Shiretoko-Shari Station to Utoro, the gateway to Shiretoko tourism, take a local bus operated by Shari Bus. The journey takes approximately 50 minutes and costs 1650 yen.

If you were to actually travel from Sapporo to Shiretoko Utoro, considering transfer times and other factors, it would take more than 8 hours and 30 minutes. You would leave Sapporo in the morning and arrive in the evening, making it a full day's journey.

Also, the last bus from Shari Station to Utoro Bus Terminal departs at 18:10 (as of April 2018). Please plan your travel in advance.

Photo by Wikipedia :Sapporo Bus Terminal / 221.20

Next, we'll introduce travel using the "Eagle Liner," an intercity express bus operated by Shari Bus.

The advantage of intercity express buses is that you can travel directly from Sapporo Terminal in the center of Sapporo City to Shiretoko tourist hubs such as Utoro Onsen Bus Terminal without needing to transfer.

Therefore, it's great that you don't have to worry about things like transfer times. The fare from Sapporo to Utoro Onsen Bus Center is 8230 yen.

In Shiretoko, the destination, you can not only get to the Utoro Onsen Bus Center, but also to accommodations such as the Shiretoko Daiichi Hotel, which is another great advantage.

However, the Eagle Liner has the disadvantage of only operating one round trip per day. If you are going from Sapporo to Shiretoko, it is a late-night service that departs after 11 PM and arrives at Utoro Onsen Bus Terminal at 6:30 AM the next day. The return service departs Utoro Bus Terminal at 9:20 AM and arrives in front of Sapporo Station at 4:15 PM.

For the return trip, if you're coming back to Sapporo from Shiretoko, the bus will depart Utoro Onsen Bus Terminal at 9:20 AM and arrive at Sapporo Terminal at 16:25 PM, making it a daytime service.

Both journeys will last about seven hours, so be sure to bring a neck pillow or other items to make the journey as comfortable as possible.

For overnight buses, there are no rest stops along the way, so please remember to bring drinks and other necessities. The buses have 3-row independent seating and a toilet (during peak seasons when extra buses are added, the buses may have 4-row seating and no toilet).

[For details and reservations, click here] Eagle Liner

Another option besides the Eagle Liner is to take the intercity bus "Dreamint Okhotsk" that runs between Sapporo and Abashiri, and then travel from Abashiri by bus or JR train. This option also offers plenty of choices, with nine bus services per day, including overnight services.

[For details and reservations, click here] Dreamint Okhotsk

Photo by Wikipedia: Memanbetsu Airport / 221.20

If you're traveling to Shiretoko by plane, the nearest airport is Memanbetsu Airport.

However, to get from Sapporo to Memanbetsu Airport, you will need to take a plane from New Chitose Airport, so you will first need to travel from Sapporo city to New Chitose Airport.

When traveling from Sapporo city to New Chitose Airport, you have several options including bus, JR train, and taxi. However, the quickest and most convenient option is to take the JR Rapid Airport train. This takes about 40 minutes and costs 1070 yen.

There are six round-trip scheduled flights a day (ANA and JAL) from New Chitose Airport to Memanbetsu Airport. Fares vary depending on the booking period, but a standard one-way fare is around 24,000 yen. The flight time is approximately 50 minutes.

Photo by Wikipedia :New color car / 221.20

From Memanbetsu Airport to Utoro, a direct bus service, the "Shiretoko Airport Liner," operates from early June to early October and from late January to early March (operated by Shari Bus and Abashiri Bus). The journey takes approximately 2 hours and 15 minutes, and the fare is 3300 yen.

For periods other than those mentioned above, you will need to take an airport shuttle bus (Abashiri Bus) from Memanbetsu Airport to Abashiri Station, then the JR train from Abashiri Station to Shari Station, and finally a local bus from Shari Station to Shiretoko Utoro. This will take at least three hours, including transfer times.

If you're traveling from Memanbetsu Airport to Shiretoko Utoro by rental car, the shortest route is approximately 90km and takes just under two hours. If you have no problem renting a car, the combination of flying and renting a car is the easiest option.

When traveling from Sapporo to Shiretoko, another recommended option besides Memanbetsu Airport is Nakashibetsu Airport. From Nakashibetsu Airport to Shiretoko Utoro is approximately 90km and takes just under 2 hours, roughly the same distance as from Memanbetsu Airport. Alternatively, although it's a slightly longer route, you can travel over the Shiretoko Pass, making it a recommended driving route.

However, there are no regular bus routes from Nakashibetsu Airport to Shiretoko Utoro. Typically, during a short period in winter (late January to early March), there is a reservation-only bus called the "Higashi Hokkaido Express Bus" that runs once a day between Nakashibetsu Airport and Shiretoko Rausu/Shiretoko Utoro.

[Click here for details] Higashi Hokkaido Express Bus

The last transportation method I'll introduce is using a car.

When traveling around Hokkaido by car using ferries or other means, or when renting a car, some people find it easier to travel at their own convenience.

However, as you can see from the travel times for the various modes of transportation I've described, Sapporo and Shiretoko are quite far apart. Also, there are many roads with no traffic lights and little change in scenery, so driving alone is not highly recommended.

The shortest route from Sapporo to Shiretoko is via the Hokkaido Expressway and the Asahikawa-Monbetsu Expressway (free of charge) to the Engaru-Setose Interchange, and then taking local roads to Shiretoko Utoro. This route is just over 400km and takes about 6-7 hours if you take breaks along the way. The toll fee from Sapporo IC is 3,710 yen.

Another route involves taking the Doto Expressway from Sapporo through Chitose and Obihiro to the Ashoro Interchange, then taking local roads through Teshikaga town (home to Lake Akan and Lake Mashu) to Utoro. This route is slightly longer, at approximately 440km, but it offers many scenic spots, including Lake Akan. This route starts from Sapporo Minami Interchange and the toll fee is a bit higher at 5,490 yen.

Earlier, I mentioned that the travel time by car would be 6-7 hours, but this is the time without taking any breaks. In reality, you will be taking appropriate breaks during your journey, so be sure to allow for more leeway in your schedule.

In Hokkaido, roads can freeze not only in winter but also in spring and autumn (especially in mountain passes in the eastern part of the prefecture). Be sure to pay attention to road condition announcements before and during your drive, and drive safely.

So, that concludes our guide on how to get from Sapporo to Shiretoko. What did you think? You can take a quick flight, or enjoy a scenic train ride or a road trip. Just be sure to avoid overly demanding itineraries and enjoy your trip to Shiretoko!

★Let's plan a trip to Shiretoko!★

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