Lake Shikotsu Day Trip from Sapporo by Car: A Local's Route

Lake Shikotsu is one of the clearest lakes in Japan and the northernmost lake in the country that never freezes over, set in a ring of volcanoes just an hour from Sapporo and 40 minutes from New Chitose Airport. I live in Sapporo and drove around it for the day: a hidden lake in the forest, a hot spring bath right at the water's edge, a lunch of local lake trout and a boat with windows under the waterline. This guide is that route, with the opening days, the costs and what changes in winter, when the lake hosts its ice festival.

1Is Lake Shikotsu worth a day trip from Sapporo?

Yes, and it is one of the easiest nature trips from the city. Lake Shikotsu is a caldera lake surrounded by volcanoes, and the water is so clear that from the shore and from a boat you can see the rocks far below the surface. Because of the volcanoes there is hot spring water all around it, and you can also canoe or dive in summer.

On my day I left Shin-Sapporo at 9:00 and was home by 17:20, with time for two viewpoints, a long bath and the hot spring village on the east shore. It also works well on your first or last day in Hokkaido, since it is only about 40 minutes from New Chitose Airport.

Still deciding where to go? I compare all the day trips I recommend from Sapporo, with drive times, whether you need a car and the best season for each, in this guide.

Day Trips from Sapporo: A Local's Guide to Where to GoThe best day trips from Sapporo, chosen by a local who drives them: Otaru, Jozankei, Noboribetsu, Shakotan, Lake Toya and Biei, with drive times, train options and the best season for each.

2Bus or car?

Buses run to the lake from New Chitose Airport and JR Chitose Station, about an hour from Chitose Station, and they stop at the hot spring village on the east shore. That is enough for the village, the boat and lunch. The viewpoints and the onsen on the north and west shores are spread along mountain roads without buses, so for the route below you need a car.

3Driving to Lake Shikotsu

From central Sapporo, head south on Route 453 and you reach the north shore of the lake in about an hour. After you pass through the Makomanai area, the road becomes a mountain pass. Just before it, there is a parking area by the Tokiwa snow-clearing station with room for about 50 cars and toilets; there is nowhere else to stop on the pass, so take a break there if you need one. After the Horobinai Pass, the road drops down and the lake appears.

From New Chitose Airport, take Route 16 west and you reach the east side of the lake, where the hot spring village is, in about 40 minutes.

4A local's one-day route around Lake Shikotsu

This is the order I drove, starting from the Sapporo side, leaving Shin-Sapporo at 9:00.

Lake Okotanpe viewpoint

Lake Okotanpe, northwest of Lake Shikotsu, is known as one of Hokkaido's three hidden lakes. Its water seems to change color with the weather, the angle and the time of day, from emerald green to cobalt blue. The name is said to come from the Ainu "o-kotan-un-pe", meaning "the river with a village at its mouth". The only place to see it is the viewpoint on Route 78, where you look down on the lake through gaps in the trees.

Route 78 closes in winter and has had sections closed for repairs, so check the road status before you go; if it is closed, skip straight to Poropinai.

Poropinai Observatory

Poropinai is the area on the north shore, and a short climb up from the lakeside park brings you to this observatory, which gives you a different view of the lake from the one at the water's edge. It is really a parking space on the side of the slope, with room for 10 to 20 cars.

Marukoma Onsen

Marukoma Onsen is a hot spring inn right on the shore, so close to the water that you can see the lake bed. From the bath you look across the lake to Mt. Fuppushi on the south side, reflected in the water. The indoor bath has three pools at low, medium and high temperatures, so you can choose the heat you like, and the water is milky and slightly silky. In the outdoor bath the minerals seemed especially strong, and the bottom of the pool was slippery with them.

Day bathing is only on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, from 10:00 to 14:00 (you must leave by 15:00), and costs 1,200 yen for adults. There is also a private outdoor bath for day visitors, from 5,500 yen for 50 minutes for up to four people, which is a good option if you would rather bathe privately or have tattoos. Parking is free.

Lunch at Poropinai

Poropinai Park is a lakeside area on the north shore where you can sit and look out over the water, and the restaurant on site serves himemasu, a small landlocked salmon caught in Lake Shikotsu and known locally as "chip". The whole park works as one large car park.

Shikotsuko Onsen village and the underwater boat

On the east shore, Shikotsuko Onsen is a small village of hot spring inns, restaurants and the pier for the sightseeing boats. The underwater boat has a cabin below the deck where you look out at the lake about 2 meters below the surface. With water this clear, the view down is beautiful, and the lake bed is made of columnar rock formations, a sight typical of a caldera lake. The boat runs from mid-April to early November and costs 2,000 yen for adults.

For lunch or a snack here, Kotobuki serves himemasu in many ways. The grilled himemasu set comes with six dishes, including the whole grilled fish, himemasu sushi and a clear soup, and the tempura with cold soba is also good: the mild fish goes perfectly with tempura batter.

The red Yamasen railway bridge, a former railway bridge now kept as a symbol of the lake, is a short walk away and a favorite photo spot. The village car park costs 500 yen a day, and it is free from December to March. From the car park it is about a 5-minute walk down to the boat pier.

5Lake Shikotsu in winter and the ice festival

Lake Shikotsu does not freeze, and in winter it holds the Chitose-Lake Shikotsu Ice Festival in the hot spring village, where sculptures of ice made from lake water glow blue in daylight and are lit up in color after dark. In 2027 it runs from January 30 to February 23, from 10:00 to 20:00, with the lights on from 16:30. Admission for junior high school students and older is 1,000 yen on weekdays and 3,000 yen on weekends and holidays, and the 400-space car park is free in winter.

Winter roads need care. Route 453 from Sapporo crosses a mountain pass, and from November to April you should expect snow and ice on it. Route 78 to the Okotanpe viewpoint is closed in winter, and Marukoma's day bathing still runs only Friday to Sunday. If you are not used to snow, the road from New Chitose Airport is flatter and shorter.

6FAQ about visiting Lake Shikotsu by car

These are the questions people most often ask before going.

Q1. How long does it take to drive from Sapporo to Lake Shikotsu?

About an hour on Route 453 to the north shore. From New Chitose Airport it is about 40 minutes on Route 16 to the hot spring village on the east shore.

Q2. Can you get to Lake Shikotsu by bus?

Yes, from New Chitose Airport or JR Chitose Station to the hot spring village, about an hour from Chitose Station. The viewpoints and Marukoma Onsen on the other shores are much easier by car.

Q3. When can I use the day bath at Marukoma Onsen?

Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays only, from 10:00 to 14:00, for 1,200 yen. Private baths for day visitors start at 5,500 yen for 50 minutes.

Q4. When is the Lake Shikotsu Ice Festival?

In 2027, from January 30 to February 23, from 10:00 to 20:00, with lights from 16:30. Parking is free in winter.

Q5. How much does it cost to park at Lake Shikotsu?

The Shikotsuko Onsen village car park costs 500 yen a day, and it is free from December to March. Marukoma Onsen, Poropinai Park and the observatories have free parking.

Q6. Is Lake Shikotsu worth visiting in winter?

Yes, especially during the ice festival. Drive carefully on the mountain pass from Sapporo, or come from New Chitose Airport on the easier road.