8 spots โ sorted by traveller rating
Every July, the rolling hills of Furano transform into a sea of purple as vast lavender fields bloom across Farm Tomita and dozens of neighboring farms. The annual Lavender Festival celebrates the harvest with guided walks, lavender ice cream, essential oil workshops, and evening light-up events. The fragrant landscape set against the backdrop of the Tokachi Mountains is one of Hokkaido's most iconic summer images.
One of Japan's biggest winter events โ for one week each February, Odori Park fills with enormous snow and ice sculptures (some the size of buildings), drawing 2 million visitors from around the world.
July is peak lavender season in Furano โ Farm Tomita and neighbouring fields host lavender festivals with guided tours, lavender ice cream, and souvenir shops amid the fragrant purple rows.
Hokkaido's autumn arrives weeks earlier than the rest of Japan โ Daisetsuzan's peaks turn crimson from mid-September, followed by the lower forests through October, creating Japan's longest autumn foliage season.
Held each October in Sapporo's Odori Park, this beloved festival brings together the finest produce, seafood, dairy, and dishes from across Hokkaido's eleven regions under one outdoor canopy. Visitors can sample crab, uni, Jingisukan lamb, soup curry, Yubari melon, and craft beers in a festive autumn atmosphere. It is consistently ranked among Japan's top food events, drawing hundreds of thousands of visitors.
Japan's second-largest winter snow festival after Sapporo's, the Asahikawa Winter Festival takes place each February along the frozen Ishikari River, filling the banks with monumental ice sculptures and intricate snow statues. Night illuminations turn the carved ice luminous with colored lights, creating a magical riverbank promenade. Live music, snow slides, and hot food stalls complete the celebration.
Sapporo's most energetic festival โ 30,000 dancers in vivid costumes perform a fusion of traditional Yosakoi and Hokkaido Soran folk dance through the city streets over four days in early June.
The historic harbour of Hakodate is transformed each December with a giant Christmas tree on the pier, romantic waterfront illuminations along the old brick warehouses, and fireworks over the bay.
Found spots you love? Build a full day-by-day itinerary with the Plan Builder.
๐บ๏ธ Open Plan Builder โ