Sapporo, the fifth most populous city in Hokkaido, is another favorite tourist destination in Japan. Its world-famous Snow Festival, winter sports, and local delicacies make the tourists from around the world come to this city in droves. When you visit Sapporo during winter, you will see enormous snow and ice sculptures and giant slides, with free admissions for all sites. Sapporo in winter is also a skiing and snowboarding destination for tourists, traced from the city’s host for the 1972 Winter Olympics. However, the cold of Sapporo can be overcome with this city’s abundant specialty food, whose eateries are scattered all over the city. Now imagine that you’d bring the whole family to Sapporo, invite your children to the Snow Festival while participating in some winter sports, then, end the trip with tasting local dishes brimming with Sapporo’s cultural characteristics. As the pictures have flashed across your mind, check these info regarding flights to Sapporo below:

Sapporo Flight Hubs

There are 2 airports serving Sapporo; their details are described below:

New Chitose Airport (CTS)

As the largest airport in Sapporo, CTS operates both domestic and international flights for lots of prominent airlines, such as AirAsia, Cathay Pacific, Japan Airlines, etc. It also includes shopping, dining, and relaxation facilities for travelers. Nursery, stroller rental service, accessible toilet, conveyor walkway, wheelchair rental service, and many more make this airport inclusively usable for all travelers, especially kids and disabled. 

Okadama Airport (OKD)

Okadama Airport is a dual-use airport in Hokkaido whose service is only limited to turboprop flights to other cities in Hokkaido and used for Japan Ground Self-Defence Force’s camp. However, regional airlines, like Hokkaido Air system and Fuji Dream Airlines have operated recently.

Well-known Air Routes to Sapporo

Due to Sapporo’s tourist destinations’ popularity, Busy routes to Sapporo from many different places are inevitable cases. Here are some info about the most crowded routes heading to 2 Sapporo’s air hubs:

To New Chitose Airport

Being an international airport, CTS provides flight service which can reach a range of destinations, including Thailand, Malaysia, Korea, and more. The first busiest route to CTS is departing from Tokyo’s Haneda Airport (HND) and Narita International Airport (NRT) with about an hour and 40 minutes journey, while the second’s from Sendai Airport (SDJ) with an hour 15 minutes trip to CTS. Air Do, ANA, and Japan Airlines are the leading available flights to this hub.

To Okadama Airport

The top three direct routes to OKD are from Hakodate Airport (HKD), Kushiro Airport (KUH), and Akita Airport (AXT). Routes from HKD and KUH are the busiest, observed in January 2024, because they’ve operated more than 200 times flights to OKD, while flights from AXT to OKD are the longest ones (an hour and 5 minutes). All with Japan Airlines, HKD to OKD takes 40 minutes, yet 50 minutes for KUH to OKD journey. 

Prestigious Air Connections from Sapporo

If you’re wondering what to take after your trip in Sapporo, below is the top 3 famous airlines departing from Sapporo:

All Nippon Airways (ANA)

It’s a 5-star airline of Japan headquartered in Tokyo. Serving both domestic and international flights, this airline offers top-notch experience, including in-flight entertainment facilities and good meals.

Japan Airlines

With its main hub in Tokyo’s NRT, Japan Airlines is also a premium airline prioritizing the passengers’ convenience and on-time performance. It reaches numerous domestic and international destinations with the highest standards of service.

Peach

Peach, or Peach Aviation Ltd, is a Japanese low-cost airline. It operates domestic and international services with its base in Osaka. With their concept “flying train”, the airline serves economy class cabin only, but with the best service to the passengers.

Sapporo Climate’s Status

Sapporo, with a humid continental climate, is typified by 4 distinct seasons, with large temperature differences; it’d be warm to hot summers and cold–can be severely cold, and snowy winters. The highest temperature in Sapporo usually occurs in August, while February will be freezing. The other seasons, like spring, happen during March to May; and September to November for autumn.

Most Favorable Times for Sapporo Flights

The best time to visit Sapporo depends on your preferences on trip activities. If you wish to witness the world’s remarkable snow festival and perform many winter recreations, winter would be the golden time for Sapporo flights. On the other hand, some attractions, like Odori Park, Sapporo TV Tower, and beer museum are convenient to visit during summer.

Premier Activities to Do in Sapporo

As the city with extreme weather differences in winter and summer, there are, at least, 3 things you must not miss when going on a vacation to Sapporo, those are:

Doing Winter Sports/Activities

People said that an unarguably time to come to Sapporo was during winter. That’s why this city’s celebrated for its winter sports/activities for tourists; among them are snow horse riding, snowmobiling, board skiing, cruise touring and many more. You can check their availability on Traveloka ‘Things to Do’.

Observing Sapporo TV Tower

It’s a TV and radio broadcasting tower with an observation deck, where tourists can enjoy panoramic views of Odori Park and the city landscape from above. Don’t forget to carry your camera here, then, take as many as photos of the city’s far-reaching scenery. Check this to get your chance to Sapporo’s number 1 attraction!

Trying the Flavor of Sapporo’s Local Cuisines

When coming to other places far from home, it’s compulsory to savor the local foods because you’ll get a distinctive mouthwatering experience. In Sapporo, you won’t miss several local dishes, like soup curry, jingisukan (wagyu-processed food), miso and butter corn ramen, ishikari nabe (hotpot), kaisendon (seafood bowl), and zangi (chicken karaage). Especially for wagyu, go through this to observe its availability.

Securing Budget-Friendly Flights to Sapporo

Before all else, open your Traveloka app, specifically on the ‘flights’ tab. Then, study these tips below to get yourself the cheapest flights to Sapporo:

• Be flexible with your travel dates; the cheapest tickets may unexpectedly be available any time.
• Set price alerts; Traveloka will notify you when the tickets’ fares drop.
• Choose budget airlines

When all above is set, the last important tip is not to wait any longer. Seize the moment! Reserve now and guarantee your spot!