Sapporo is the capital city of the mountainous Island of Hokkaido, Japan's winter wonderland. Located on the northernmost island in Japan, Sapporo offers its visitors a slightly different side to Japan. In Sapporo, the weather is colder, the seafood is beyond delicious and even the people are said to be much friendlier. Although Sapporo is one of Japan's youngest cities, it is now Japan's fifth largest city. Sapporo is known for its beer, ramen, skiing and the annual Sapporo Snow Festival where participants from all over the world gather in Sapporo to display their skills in producing large sculptures out of snow.

Airports in Sapporo

1. The New Chitose Airport (CTS)

Located 45 km from Sapporo City, the New Chitose Airport is the largest airport in Hokkaido and also the gateway to Sapporo and many other cities in Hokkaido. The New Chitose Airport is a one of a kind airport where travelers can find stores selling gourmet food, sweets and local produce at the "Hokkaido Showroom" within the airport itself. Even more surprising is that the airport has its own natural hot spring, a theatre and a theme park which is accessible to all, including those not catching any flights. The airport can be accessed via railway, bus, taxi and rental car. The most common and convenient way to the airport is via the JR Railway which takes 36 minutes to the Sapporo station and costs only SGD 20. The bus will take travellers to the Sapporo city centre for SGD 14 but will take 70 minutes to reach the city centre. For those looking for a more comfortable ride, the taxi to your hotel in Sapporo will take 60 minutes and cost around SGD 125 to SGD 160 per car.

How to Get Cheap Flights to Sapporo?

Traveloka is a travel search engine that makes it easy for travellers to find the cheapest flights to Sapporo.All you need to do is key in the information in the search box, and the application will recommend the best trip according to your budget. It compares flight prices across some trusted airlines to help you to get the best possible deal. Use Traveloka’s price alert feature to be notified of flights in your desired price range to get the best flight price to Sapporo.

When is the Best Time to visit Sapporo?

Sapporo is located in Hokkaido, Japans northernmost island, giving the city a humid continental climate. This gives Sapporo a wide range of temperature between winter and summer. Summers in Sapporo is warm but not overly humid. Befitting its name as the winter wonderland, the winters in Sapporo are cold and very snowy with an average snowfall of 5.96 meters per year. Sapporo is amongst one of the few metropolises in the world that experiences such heavy snow.

Due to the abundance of snow, the most popular time for visitors to Sapporo is during the Sapporo Snow Festival which falls around February each year. During the one week festival, people from all over the world come to Sapporo to witness large ice and snow sculptures along Sapporo's main road, the Odori Park. Sculptures come not only from Japan but from all over the world showcasing their talents at making beautifully crafted delicate sculptures. For travellers planning to visit Sapporo during the snow festival, it is much advised to look for accommodation and flights earlier to avoid any disappointment.

What are The Top 3 Things to Do in Sapporo?

Sapporo has much more to offer its visitors than just snow. Here are a few not to be missed places once you are in Sapporo.

1. Sapporo Beer Museum – Sapporo is home to one of Japans oldest and most famous beer, the Sapporo Beer. The beer was first brewed in 1877. After the exhibitions at the museum, visitors can enjoy beer tasting for a small fee. Next to the museum is the Sapporo Beer Garden which consists of a few restaurants with atmospheric beer halls where you can enjoy all-you-can-drink beer.

2. Historical Village of Hokkaido – The Historic Village of Hokkaido or Kaitaku No Mura is an open air museum exhibiting over 60 typical buildings from all over Hokkaido dating from the Meiji Era to the Taisho Era (1868 – 1926). The museum is divided into four sections, a town, a fishing village, a farm village and a mountain village.

3. Shiroi Koibito Park – The shiroi koibito cookie is undoubtedly Sapporo’s most beloved and most well-known sweet treat. The theme park is divided into a free area and a paid area. The free area has a shop, café and restaurant for visitors to shop and enjoy the freshly baked goods. The paid area is where the visitors are able to witness the birth of these cookies made from 2 layers of butter cookies filled with white chocolate in the middle. Visitors might also get a chance to create your own cookies at the hands-on workshop.