Facial mask feels to me more like a Korean souvenir, no?

For me I just buy snacks. Flavored kitkats, hiyoko, etc.

I search google and found out the tour package is quite expensive ranging from 5k+ to 6k+. How much savings can i get if to do DIY? I never do DIY tour before and not sure how to go about. Any sifu can give me a good guide?

I can only go during school holiday. Yeah, december not much activities in hokkaido. My main intention is to bring children to enjoy snows. Hopefully can see heavy snow in mid december.

Thanks for the info. I havent finish gone thru thread V11. So far had identified 3 places to visit. Sapporo, otaru and lake toya. Could not find onsen on the map. Most of the travel places seems like on the west south of hokkaido. Not much people talking about north or east side of hokkaido.

This is really a good info to me. super crazy expensive taxi fare. Rather find a nearby airbnb and stay. I still survey the tour itinerary from online source to fixed up the places to visit. Airlines and date almost there. I dont like to drive. Maybe feel a bit dangerous to drive on snowy road. I prefer to take train. Should i stay in one place or to change accomodation during the week? To stay about 7 nights.

Thanks for your recommendation of the places to visit. I like all those place but changing accomodation 5 times a bit headache like what cc980024 bro's mentioned below. Can help to reschedule to the most 3 places to stay? Based on your itinerary is Noberibetsu 2 nights, sapporo 1 nights, asahikawa 2 nights, sapporo 1 night, chitose 1 nigths, maybe help me to schedule to 2 nights each place. Thanks ya.
Thanks for your sharing. Changing accomodation too frequent is a big issue to me. After reading your experienced on the packed train and the super crazy expensive taxi fare posted by icehart i decided to rent car instead of taking train. Maybe mixture of self driving and taking train.

Bro, what do you think about snowfall during my plan duration from 14/12 to 22/12? Will i encounter heavy snowfall?

Have not done any study for the past 2 weeks due to CNY.

Thanks for sharing. I believe February is the peak of snowfall. My visit is in December and should have no train delay issue. I have not finalise my itinerary yet but you had given me a good info that i can travel by train from sapporo to noberibetsu. At first i thought self driving is to rent car at sapporo and drive all the way to noberibetsu. Ha Ha

I rescheduled the plan hokkaido winter tour to this duration due to cheaper flight fare. The duration is from 15/12 to 23/12.

15/12 (JAL-economy) - 12 hours
22:50 - 06:35 KLIA-Tokyo, 10:30 - 12:00 Tokyo-Sapporo. RM 975 each

23/12 (JAL-premium economy)-24 hours
19:00-20:40 Sapporo-Tokyo 11:05:18:10 Tokyo-KLIa. RM 1495

Before firm up my itinerary, i have few doubt here and need guidances :
1. Visa. I googled and found out Malaysian do not required Visa when visiting Japan. Is  there any others document i need to prepare?

2. Do i need to purchase any insurance?

3. I will need to apply international driving permit, right? Is it alright if i apply one month in advance before the trip?

4. Transit hours. For KLIA flight to Sapporo and transit at Tokyo is alright cause it is just about 4 hours. I can just spend my time around airport area. How about the flight back from Sapporo to KLIA and transit at Tokyo? There is total 14 hours and over night. Should i find the nearest hotel to stay. Is it expensive? Or how i should go about.

There is return flight which takes 11 hour from Sapporo to KLIA and transit at Tokyo (2 hours) but the departure time is at 7:50am. This is probably too early cause normally we need to check in 3 hours before the flight which meant we need to get ready check out hotel at about 2-3am. If i wish to take this 7:50am flight, what should i do for the last night before leaving Sapporo?

First time DIY tour and a lot of questions to ask.

Hi,

I went to Sapporo from 25 dec - 1/1/2018.

I experienced train delay in Otaru. Waited around 1 hour in the train station, then decide to take the bus back to Sapporo. Have to stand in line , in heavy snow fall and waited for 1- 2 hour, then the bus operator said that the bus service already stop, stop at 7pm.

Decide to stay in Otaru but all the hotels are fully booked so no choice have to take taxi back to Sapporo. A few taxis passed by but don't want to go to Sapporo and luckily one taxi stopped and agreed to take us back to sapporo.

Although the driver couldn't speak english but very helpful. He called our hotel to check on us and sent us there. The fare is according to the meter at it's around 10,000 yen.

Lesson learned - don't go to Otaru during snow fall.

@icehart

Thanks again for the guides. Very helpful. I googled and found out asahiyama zoo operating hours in winter is from 10.30am to 3.30pm (last admission 3.00pm). I think i will take train from sapporo to asahikawa to visit the zoo and return on the same day. Can let my children to experience taking train also. I dont feel comfortable to drive 150km++ from sapporo to asahikawa. I intend to drive only in sapporo to the nearest attraction. Maybe i should plan something like this. First day of arrival to travel from chitose to noberibetsu or lake toya and stay there for 2 nights. The rest of the weeks i will just stay in sapporo and the last night in chitose. I will take the morning flight from new chitose back to KLIA.

I have not done much study yet about the JR Rail pass or Hokkaido Rail Pass and not sure where to buy, how to buy and how to top up. Before coming to that i wish to estimate the train fare i will need to spend. I could not find much information on google. I read there are no round trip fare from sapporo to asahikawa and 1 way ticket is 5000++ and is different by time. I attached herewith my planned train schedule. May i know approximate how much i have to spend on train fare? And also please recommend some good hotel to stay at Noboribetsu (2 nights), Sapporo (4 nights) and New chitose (1 night). Budget about RM300 to RM500 per night. Thanks

Thanks for the info. I have a bit of idea now about the transportation in hokkaido. At first i thought JR pass can use for all trains, buses & taxis. LOL. Even Hokkaido Rail pass do not cover buses & taxis as well. I will work out again the cost for one way and round trip to take train before decide for the pass. I think i had read that JR pass cover Donan Bus, correct ? So for the transportation between these few towns, chitose, noboribetsu, Lake Toya, Sapporo & Asahikawa will be by train. I will need IC card to take subway and buses for the transportation within sapporo area. I do not need any pass for the transportation within noboribetsu and Lake Toya area ( to purchase ticket from counter). Please advise.

I did not expect it to be this early tho. I took this at Arashiyama on the 2nd week of April 2017..
Was hoping to get shots like this at Sewaritei or some other places..



On another topic, any recommendation on places to go/eat in Tokyo? not really interested in temples. preferably lesser known areas since i looked around major attractions. below are among the places i've been to last time.
Shinjuku gyoen/yoyogi park, kabukizo, golden gai.
Shibuya crossroad, hachiko, metropolitan building, takeshita, harajuku
Akihabara, ameya yokocho, sugamo(really, really like the rikugien park)
Ginza(high class shopping area..), Tsukiji outer market. kabukiza, daiba oedo onsen.
Nihombashi, Sakura-dori.

Hamarikyu Gardens worth visiting?

Just want to ask, is it more beneficial switching RM to Yen in KL or Tokyo?

BigPay is widely used in Japan? Or Cash is still better? Will be traveling this August.

Hi, planning the trip to Hokkaido next year February to visit the snow festival.
Day 1: shinkasen from Tokyo to Hakodate, overnight in Hakodate
Day 2: depart to Noboribetsu and Lake toya, overnight in Noboribetsu
day 3 - Day 4: Visit Snow Festival in Sapporo
Day 5: Travel to Lake Shikaribetsu, visit ice village and stay over night in Lakeside
Day 6: visit Furano, ningle terrace/ski, overnight in Furano
Day 7 - 8: visit Otaru/Sapporo
Day 9: back to Sapporo and catch the flight back KL next morning.

Is the itinerary sound viable via public transport (bus and train)? is the itinerary too rush?

Thanks!!!

Anyone went to both Universal Studies Japan & Singapore?

I went to USS before but not sure if I should allocate one day for USJ.

I am also surveying the best traditional ryokan in either kyoto or hokane.

Am i the only one have trouble choosing the best ryokan? Im looking for traditional ryokan experience with good view (nature). However, there are so many choices online and i dont know which to pick. @@

Indeed very nice.

Price is very nice too... haha