Noboribetsu or Lake Toya: Which Day Trip from Sapporo Is Right for You

Noboribetsu and Lake Toya sit next to each other south of Sapporo, and many visitors try to fit both into one day. I live in Sapporo and have driven to each as its own day trip, so this guide compares them side by side: what each is like, how long the drive takes, and whether doing both in one day is realistic.

1Noboribetsu or Lake Toya: the short answer

Go to Noboribetsu if you want a hot spring town with a volcanic valley steaming right above it. Go to Lake Toya if you want scenery: a round caldera lake with islands in the middle, seen from viewpoints all around it. Noboribetsu is the easier day trip, about two hours from Sapporo by car and workable by train and bus. Lake Toya is about two and a half hours away, and its viewpoints are spread around the lake, so it really wants a car.

Doing both in one day is possible by car, but it is a long day with not much time at either. If you can, pick one for a day trip, or stay one night and see both properly.

2Noboribetsu vs Lake Toya at a glance

This table puts the two side by side, based on my own day trips from Sapporo.

3Choose Noboribetsu if you want onsen and volcanic scenery

Noboribetsu is one of Hokkaido's best-known hot spring towns, and the source of the water is right in front of you: Hell Valley, an old explosion crater full of steam vents and bubbling pools. On my day there I walked the valley, saw the steaming Oyunuma pond, fed the brown bears at the bear park, and ended with a long soak at Dai-ichi Takimotokan, whose bathhouse looks straight out over Hell Valley.

It suits you if the bath is the main event, if you are traveling by train, or if you want a shorter drive.

Noboribetsu Day Trip from Sapporo by Car: Hell Valley, Onsen and Where to ParkA local's day trip from Sapporo to Noboribetsu by car: Hell Valley, Oyunuma, the bear park and a day bath at Takimotokan, with tolls, parking and winter driving tips.

4Choose Lake Toya if you want views

Lake Toya is a caldera lake with the Nakajima islands in the middle, Mt. Usu on its southern shore and Mt. Yotei behind it on clear days. On my day there I went up Mt. Usu by ropeway, had lunch in the hot spring town, soaked in a ninth-floor bath looking over the lake, and drove around to the quiet viewpoints on the west and north shores.

It suits you if you like scenery and driving, and you are happy with a longer day. From late April to the end of October there are also fireworks over the lake every night at 20:45, which is a good reason to stay the night.

Lake Toya Day Trip from Sapporo by Car: A Local's Route, Viewpoints and OnsenA local's day trip from Sapporo to Lake Toya by car: Mt. Usu, a lakeside lunch, an onsen with a lake view and the quiet viewpoints on the north shore, with tolls, parking and winter tips.

5Can you do Noboribetsu and Lake Toya in one day?

Yes, by car, but you have to cut both down. Noboribetsu Onsen and Lake Toya are about an hour apart by car, and Lake Toya is about two and a half hours from Sapporo, so the driving alone takes about five and a half hours. I have not done both on the same day myself; the plan below is built from my two separate trips and the drive times between them.

A realistic one-day plan

Start with Noboribetsu, since it is closer to Sapporo, and finish at Lake Toya so you can take the expressway home from Abuta-Toyako IC.

In this plan you give up the bear park and Mt. Usu, and you choose between a bath in Noboribetsu or at Lake Toya rather than doing both. If you would rather not rush, it is better to pick one.

The Orofure Pass between them

The road from Noboribetsu to Lake Toya climbs over the Orofure Pass. Just past the Orofure tunnel there is a parking space by a road monument on the right, with a view of Mt. Yotei and the surrounding mountains. The higher Orofure observatory road closes in winter, but the monument stop stays open. On the way you also pass Karurusu Onsen, a quiet old spa village.

In winter the pass is closed at night, from 17:00 to 9:00 the next morning. If you will be crossing late, or the weather is bad, take the expressway between Noboribetsu-higashi IC and Abuta-Toyako IC instead.

6Staying one night instead

If your schedule allows, one night makes this trip far more relaxed, and both places have plenty of onsen hotels.

Stay at Lake Toya if you want to see the fireworks, which run every night from late April to the end of October. Stay in Noboribetsu if you are flying out of New Chitose Airport the next day, since it is only about an hour from the airport by car. Either way, you can see one place in the afternoon, sleep there, and see the other the next morning without watching the clock.

7Driving in winter

Both places are beautiful in the snow, but from November to April treat every road as a winter road. The expressway and main roads are cleared, and some sections have road heating, but the crosswinds after Tarumae SA get stronger in winter, and the Orofure Pass is closed at night. Days are short, so in winter I would not try to fit both into one day.

8FAQ about Noboribetsu and Lake Toya

These are the questions people most often ask when choosing between them.

Q1. Which is better, Noboribetsu or Lake Toya?

It depends on what you want. Noboribetsu is better for onsen and the steaming Hell Valley, and it is easier without a car. Lake Toya is better for lake and mountain views, and it is best seen by car.

Q2. How far is Lake Toya from Noboribetsu?

About an hour by car, either over the Orofure Pass or on the expressway between Noboribetsu-higashi IC and Abuta-Toyako IC.

Q3. Can you visit Noboribetsu and Lake Toya in one day from Sapporo?

Yes, by car, but expect about five and a half hours of driving and only a few hours at each place. Pick two or three stops at each, or stay one night.

Q4. Which should I visit first?

Noboribetsu, because it is closer to Sapporo. Finishing at Lake Toya lets you take the expressway home from Abuta-Toyako IC.

Q5. Is it worth staying overnight instead?

Yes, if you have the time. You can see one place in the afternoon and the other the next morning, and at Lake Toya you can see the nightly fireworks from late April to the end of October.