We decided to spend 2 weeks travelling around Hokkaido in a pet friendly campervan (RV) in August 2023. It’s pretty difficult to find hotels in Japan that are pet friendly. Many which do allow dogs, often have very few rooms and get booked in well in advance. So on a 2 week holiday it becomes quite difficult, especially last minute. We therefore decided to hire a pet friendly campervan and do things at our own pace. It would also give us way more flexibility on our journey.
Getting to Hokkaido
But first we had to get to Hokkaido! We decided to fly up to Hokkaido. The train would have taken over 8 hours and we know I’m good on short flights in the hold.
We chose to fly with Skymark as they had good flight schedule and relatively OK price. Especially considering we booked last minute and were flying around Obon holidays. We paid ¥32,000 per person / US$224 and we could also hire a crate from the airport. This meant we could simply travel in my Sturdibag to the airport then swap into their crate for the journey. For all details on flying with Skymark check out my blog post and full review here.
Our Campervan for our trip around Hokkaido
We hired our campervan from Nomad who operate a large fleet of campervans in Hokkaido. Of course we had to make sure they had a pet friendly option which they did. They only have 2 classes of vans that are pet friendly and they are limited so it’s best to book well in advance. We were lucky and managed to get a cancellation just 2 weeks before we set off. For full details of the van and a full tour check out my full blog post here.
We picked up the van from the office near to Chitose airport. For our first night we decided to stay in a campsite to ease ourselves in. We chose Asobuba campsite in Shiraoi which was just a short 1 hour drive. This was one of the most expensive campsites of the trip at ¥6,500 (US$45) and we didn’t even get power. The toilets were also really far away which was quite bad when the weather was so terrible. So I wouldn’t really rate this campsite very highly.
On the way we stocked up with groceries at the supermarket. Unfortunately the weather was not so great so we weren’t able to have our eagerly anticipated BBQ and ended up making some spaghetti instead.
Day 1 | Shiraoi – Niseko – Iwanai
When we woke up the weather had improved so we were happy to get on our way and get the road trip properly started! We first headed to Niseko Takahashi Ranch which had a great view of Mount Yotei. There were a few different farm shops serving milk, yoghurts, ice creams and locally produced fresh products. They also had a sunflower farm where you could pick your own sunflowers.
I also managed to see a human dressed as a cat. It was super real looking. As soon as I spotted him I went absolutely mental thinking it was a real cat, much to the amusement of those around us.
After the farm we headed to Hangetsu Lake (halfmoon lake) for a short walk. It was the first of many lakes we would visit on the trip
All the campsites around Niseko & Kutchan were fully booked so we headed towards Iwanai and managed to get a spot at Iwanai Marine View campground when we just turned up. We even managed a spot with power so we could use our AC overnight. We finally got to have our first of many BBQ’s of the trip as well.
Day 2 | Cape Kamui – Shakotan – Otaru
By the time we left the campsite most other campers had already packed up and left. We made our way up the coast which was really nice and headed to Cape Kamui. At Cape Kamui we did a walk to the lookout point but it was super hot with no shade at all. Luckily I was in my bag but it was really quite tough in the heat for us all, especially as there was a lot of steps. The views were stunning and the water was so blue pictures can’t even do it justice. It would be much nicer to do this when the weather is a bit cooler so you can take time to appreciate the views.
We stopped for some seafood bowls at a pet friendly restaurant nearby to Cape Kamui and then went back to get some famous blue ice cream! We then headed further along the coast to Shakotan observation deck to see some more stunning scenery. There were signs showing recent bear sightings so we didn’t hang around here for too long!
We struggled to find a campsite with any spaces so we kept driving and driving until we found an empty campsite just outside of Otaru, called Otaru Boyo. The humans had been to Otaru before so we didn’t venture into the town. The campsite was very basic at the bottom of a ski jump so was a bit unique. But I wouldn’t really recommend it, especially for the price they charged. But it was nice to have another BBQ.
Day 3 | Hobetsu Campsite
After a couple of days of long driving we didn’t really have any plan in mind for today. Our main aim was to find somewhere to stay overnight as we were now in the middle of Obon holidays and most places were fully booked. As we were driving along we passed Hobetsu campsite and stopped on the off chance they would have space. We were in luck! They don’t normally have spots for campervans but they allowed us to stay in the carpark next to a grassy area so we could still do BBQ. So we had a lazy day and just had some nice relaxing food and drinks to recharge our batteries.
Day 4 Furano
We headed towards the famous flower fields of Furano & Biei for our next couple of days. Our first stop was Popura Farm to try Santa’s Beard. Which is basically half a melon filled with soft scoop Hokkaido ice cream! Yummy! It was ¥2,200 (approx £12) so expensive but super tasty. Apparently they own the trademark for this.
Our next stop was the famous Farm Tomita. It’s free to get in but they recently stopped allowing dogs inside because too many people were leaving mess 🙁 So I stayed in the van while the humans explored on their own. They said it was pretty crowded and as they’d just missed the lavender harvest it wasn’t really too impressive. But the lavender ice cream was yummy.
Hinode Park was the final stop of the day before trying to find a campsite for the night. The park is also famous for it’s lavender fields but we were just a bit too late unfortunately when we visited in early August. We tried the campsite next to the park but they didn’t accept dogs. So we drove to a couple of others all of which were full. Thankfully one helpful staff member pointed us to Yamabe Park campsite which was actually free. It wasn’t the best we’d stayed at but after being turned away from so many we took what we could get. There had been a very recent bear sighting so we were a bit worried and ended up having an early night!
Day 5 | Biei
Another day of flowers was ahead, starting off at Shikisai no Oka. Dogs are still allowed here with no charge and they even have a dog run at the entrance. We found this was much more impressive than Farm Tomita. You can hire a golf cart to drive around or hop on the tractor that takes you around all of the fields. In hindsight we wished we’d done one of these options as it was just too hot to walk around as the area is vast with no shade. You can also take a helicopter tour which also allows dogs and we were so tempted to view the fields from above but it was pretty expensive so we decided not to.
After Shikisai no Oka we headed to the Shirogane Blue Pond. Entrance to the pond was free but parking was ¥500 (£2.70). The pond really did live up to it’s name and it was super blue. Apparently it’s so blue because of the aluminum particles in the upper streams of the nearby Shirogane Onsen have mixed with water from the Biei River, resulting in a colloid state. It was really busy here although it was still easy to view the pond and get some nice pictures. We even saw a group of dogs all wearing my Hawaiian shirts!
There was a campsite right next to the pond but they only had 4 spaces for campervans and they were all already taken. It was a really nice spot so it’s a shame but to be expected during the Obon holidays. As we couldn’t really be bothered to drive around looking for campsites to be turned away from again we stayed in our first Michi no Eki which was the Higashikawa michi no eki.
What is a Michi no Eki?
Michi no eki’s are basically roadside stations where you can stay overnight for free. But forget any ideas of Little Chef’s on the A1, these are really nice with good facilities. There’s usually restaurants either inside or around them and they provide good clean toilets you can use for no charge. There are over 127 in Hokkaido alone and you can collect stamps at each one in a stamp rally to collect them all! During the course of our trip we found that they were actually a great place to stay if you didn’t need a campsite to have a BBQ or didn’t need power to plug into.
Days 6 & 7 | Lake Shumaranai
One of my favourite places on the whole trip was Lake Shumarinai. We visited a lot of lakes on our trip as we do everywhere we go. This one was super nice. We were able to park the van very close to the lake so we had great views. It helped that the campsite was very quiet so there was hardly anyone around making it even more peaceful. The sunrises we saw were utterly amazing as well.
The lake is popular for fishing with the lake being home to the very rare Sakhalin taimen as well as trout. We stayed here for 2 nights as it was such a nice place. On our second day we took a boat trip around the lake. We were lucky and there was no-one else no the boat so we had it all to ourself for only ¥2,000 (£11)! It was so nice to see the lake from a different view. When we woke up after the second night the weather had turned so we decided to pack up and move on.
Day 8 | Cape Soya & Wakkanai
We made our way up the East coast of Hokkaido heading up to Cape Soya, the most northern point of Japan. From here it’s only 43km to Russia and on a bright day you can even see it. However, the weather was dreadful for the whole journey so we didn’t get to see Russia. On the way up the coast we stopped at a number of michi no eki for rest. At Cape Soya there was plenty to do but the weather wasn’t on our side as a typhoon was incoming so it was pretty cold and wet! After we took some photos around the area, we headed to Wakkanai michi no eki where we spent the night in preparation for our ferry the next day to Rishi island.
Day 9 | Cape Kimuaneppu & Lake Saroma
We had planned to get the ferry across to Rishi island, but the weather had other plans for us. A typhoon was approaching the area and all ferries were cancelled. So we had to have a change of plans. As the typhoon was coming right for us we decided to just get as far away as we could to avoid it. We don’t usually like to backtrack on ourselves, but we ended up driving back down the coast towards Mamonbetsu. Along the way we stopped at a number of michi no eki’s to collect our stamps and rest for a bit.
We found a campsite at Lake Saroma which had lovely views over the lake and is well known for fantastic sunsets. Unfortunately, due to the weather the sunset wasn’t as great as it could have been but we were just happy to have avoided the main typhoon!
Day 10 AM | Wakka Nature Park & Lake Notoro
We started the morning greeted with a beautiful sunrise so we took the opportunity to take a nice stroll around the lake. Despite me throwing a tantrum and having to get carried for the last section. Once we left the campsite we headed to the Wakka Nature centre where we hired a couple of bikes and cycled around the area. The track went on for miles. Unfortunately we weren’t so lucky with the flowers (story of our trip) and everything was pretty much just greenery rather than flowers. It’s supposed to be even more beautiful when in bloom.
After hitch hiking the whole way on the humans backs, we headed to Lake Notoro’s Ubaranai Grassland. As with the rest of the trip we were just unlucky with the timing. Here, the whole grassland turns a nice red colour. Unfortunately we were a week or two too early so could only just see the start of the colours turning. But it was still nice to see and a pleasant pit stop.
Day 10 PM | Abishiri & Mount Io
Next stop was in Abishiri where we had a nice Kamameshi lunch. Kamameshi is a rice dish cooked and served in a small personal pot, seasoned with soy sauce, mirin and fish broth. The humans had one each, each filled with various delicious, locally caught seafood.
After re fueling we were headed to Kushiro. But on the way we saw smoke coming from the mountains. We took a detour towards it and found Mount Io, which is an active volcano and you could get close to it to see the sulphur coming out of it as well as causing various hot springs. It was so cool to see, and the colours were amazing.
Slightly off track we had to find somewhere to stay and with no michi no eki in sight we had to find a campsite. We tried a couple that were either full or didn’t allow dogs so we ended up at Lake Kussharo at the Sanayu campsite. It wasn’t really designed for campervans and the car park said no overnight sleeping in cars. The guy at the front desk pointed us to an area we could park which did say for campers only, but we parked up and had a great view over the lake with a magnificent sunset.
Day 11 | Kawayu Onsen, Lake Mashu & Campsite
After leaving the campsite we headed towards Lake Mashuu. On the way we stopped at Kawayu Onsen footbath which was a free small onsen for your feet in the town. We only noticed it as we saw someone sat in it so had to stop to try! It was totally free so definitely worth the short pit stop.
After refreshing our feet (paws weren’t allowed) we carried on towards Lake Mashuu. Lake Mashuu has been named as the clearest lake in the whole world which is some accolade! It sure lived up to it’s name. There are some great viewpoints, with 3 different observatories to stop at. We started at observatory 3 and made our way to observatory number 1. At observatory 1 there is a shop selling yummy ice cream with a great terrace to sit at and admire the view. From here you can also do a 3 hour hike, but because of a mixture of the heat and the bear warnings we decided not to do it. Maybe another time as it looked like a stunning hike.
After Lake Mashuu we headed to the Hosooka observatory in Kushiro. This observatory allows you to look out over the extensive marshlands in the area which are pretty impressive. They also do the biggest ice creams, but as we had one at Lake Mashuu we didn’t indulge here.
Close by to the Hosooka observatory we found the Kushirocho Tatsukobu campground right on the edge of Lake Takkobu. It was a great campsite and we ended up staying here for 2 nights and had great BBQ’s!
Day 12 | Kushiro JR Norokko Train
Today we took the JR Joyful Norokko train across the Kushiro wetlands. Our campsite was close to the starting station, Toro so we drove there in the van. There’s only a couple of trains a day and we were lucky as we arrived only 10 minutes before departure! We bought tickets on the train platform easily enough from the conductor. There were carriages which had open air and wooden bench seating but you had to reserve these in advance. As we bought the tickets on the day we were in the free seating carriage. That was totally fine too as you could still open the windows and see out perfectly well.
The journey itself was only about an hour in total. The best part of the journey was the first 30 minutes when the train slowly made it’s way through the marshland. We saw lots of birds as well as some deer en route as well as good views of the marshland. After that the train hit the towns so it wasn’t as scenic.
On arrival in Kushiro we had wanted to take a look around but it was raining so we didn’t really have the option. Instead we stayed at the station and had some ramen in one of the restaurants. I don’t think they usually allow dogs but I was in my Sturdibag and I don’t think they even knew I was there to be honest!
The train back from Kushiro was 15:23 so we had a couple of hours to kill in total. We just hang around in the station and it wasn’t too bad. The train back to Toro was a lot quieter with a lot more spare seats. The journey was basically the same just in reverse.
Another BBQ back at the campsite and a well deserved early night.
Day 13 | Kushiro Marshland Observatory & Obihiro
After we checked out of the campsite we headed to the Kushiro marshalnd observatory. We had checked in advance that we were able to do the boardwalk with pets but when we got there there was a sign saying no pets allowed on the trail 🙁 So I had to stay in the van while the humans did their walk. The boardwalk itself was in a pretty bad shape of disrepair, something which is quite unusual in Japan. In fact, I’d say it was bordering on dangerous at times. It was still a nice walk around though through the forest. It wasn’t a strenuous walk and was quite pleasurable wlaking through the scenery. Just a shame Wylie couldn’t join.
After the walk we found the best Michi no Eki (roadside station) which had a dog run, dog onsen as well as free footbath for humans, the most tasty food and a mixed sex onsen! This michi no eki was by far the best we have been to on the trip and was the Garden Spa Tokachigawa Michi no Eki. We didn’t stay here overnight though, we had a campsite very nearby where we stayed. But in hindsight we should have saved a bit of cash and stayed at the michi no eki. However, as it was our last night in the campervan we wanted to spend it at a campsite and also use up the last of our BBQ food we had!
Day 14 | Handing Back the Campervan & Train to Noboribetsu
On our final morning we spent some time cleaning the van ready to hand it back. On the way to Chitose drop off point we stopped at Otofuke michi no eki. Which was pretty cool as it had some movie sets you could look around. We reluctantly handed back the campervan to Nomad. They then kindly dropped us at Shin Chitose station for our train to Noboribetsu.
We originally had planned to stay 3 nights in Noboribetsu but we had extended the campervan for 2 nights so only had 1 night to spend. We chose an Air BnB close to Noboribetsu station but this meant we were pretty far away from the main area where all the onsen were. This was OK though as the humans had been there before so didn’t feel the need to go exploring. We just wanted to relax and have some nice dinner before the long journey back to Tokyo.
There wasn’t really much around the station area, but they found a great Izakaya for their final meal in Hokkaido.
Day 15 | Sunflower Ferry from Tomakomai to Oarai Port
Instead of flying back to Tokyo we decided to take the ferry. The Sunflower Ferry is pet friendly.There are only 6 pet friendly cabins so you have to book well in advance. Tickets become available 3 months before departure date. When we first looked there were no pet friendly cabins available at all for the full month. But we kept checking back every day and finally we saw one become available. So we booked it quickly and managed to get the 2 person cabin with a window.
Tomakomai port is a short 10 minutes taxi drive from Tomakomai train station. But Oarai station is about a 2 hour train journey from Tokyo so it was a bit of an additional adventure after a long journey. The total journey time was around 19 hours on the ferry. There wasn’t an awful lot to do on the ferry. They had a restaurant which served dinner, breakfast and lunch but there was no bar or entertainment. They sold drinks and beers from vending machines and had seating areas to sit around but it didn’t have as much as the DFDS Ferry we did to Newcastle to keep us entertained.
That’s a Wrap!
After 2 weeks on the road, my adventure finally comes to an end. If you enjoyed my Campervan around Hokkaido trip, stay tuned for another campervan trip around Fuji Five Lakes and Izu Peninsula. You can also check out some of the other trips I’ve done around Thailand and Europe. I hope you enjoy them too.
Woof woof Wylie x
Don’t forget to check out my Amazon store (affiliate link) which has all the details all of my recommended products I use then travelling. You can check it out here. If any of my travel tips help, you can also leave a small donation which would be greatly appreciated 😊