Head for Furano and Biei’s Hills of blooming summer flowers
A 4-Day trip through New Chitose to Asahikawa Arrive at New Chitose Airport and depart from Asahikawa Airport

You’ll go from New Chitose Airport to Sapporo, and then take a limited express to Asahikawa. Asahikawa City, located roughly in the middle of Hokkaido, is the metropolis of the north. The Daisetsuzan mountain range is visible even from the heart of the city, which is lined with gourmet dining shops. You’ll spend the first night in a hotel within Asahikawa City. During the daytime, you’ll visit Asahiyama Zoo, considered one of the most popular zoos even within Japan. There will be plenty of moments where you’ll find yourself laughing at the lively antics of the animals. The swimming penguins, viewed from below ground, will appear as though they are flapping their wings into the sky. You’ll also be able to see the Ezo tanuki (raccoon dog) and the Ezo brown bear, animals specific to Hokkaido.

You’ll return to the downtown area in the evening, and eat around the “Asahikawa Heiwa-dori Kaimono Kouen” Park. Enjoy local tastes like Asahikawa ramen and grilled offal. There are plenty of izakaya (Japanese bars) as well.

After checking out on the second day, you’ll take a morning walk through the Asahikawa Kitasaito Garden, a magnificent garden connected directly to JR Asahikawa Station. There’s always a walking path through this garden, in which approximately 300 varieties of flowers bloom in succession from spring to autumn; so walk and enjoy the flowers, or take a rest on a bench. This is a place you’ll want to spend a full hour exploring.

You’ll take a bus in front of the station to Sounkyo, a hot spring town in the valleys of the Daisetsuzan mountain range. Ride the Daisetsuzan Sounkyo Kurodake Ropeway to reach the 5th station, which is located at an elevation of 1,300 meters, in an instant. From there, you’ll be able to enjoy a stroll through nature. On the way, you might encounter delicate alpine flowers and Ezo chipmunks. On the second night, you’ll soak in the hot springs of Sounkyo Onsen and be able to relax thoroughly.

On the third day, you’ll return from Sounkyo to Asahikawa, where you’ll take the summertime-only Furano Biei Norokko Train, and go to the famous lavender site, Farm Tomita. The Lavender Farm Station, where you’ll get off, is a special station where stops are only made in summer. Get off the platform, and the lavender fields will already be right in front of your eyes.

Farm Tomita is a plantation that cultivates lavender. They bloom in late June, but because they are harvested in late July, it’s essential that you don’t miss their flowering season. The whole hillside is dyed lavender, and a sweet, soothing scent wafts in the air.

Stroll through the gardens, eating lavender soft-serve ice cream or buying souvenirs. There are plenty of photo spots as well. You’ll spend this night in Furano City.

The theme of the last day is traveling around Biei’s most picturesque scenery. Before that, we’ll make a stop at “Biei Senka,” where you’ll be able to buy freshly harvested vegetables and products made with local ingredients. Fresh-picked corn is a crowd-pleaser in summer. You can also arrange for things to be shipped when you return home. Biei is a farming town, and you might want to taste Biei’s just-picked vegetables right then and there. If so, you’ll want to go to Restaurant Asperge, adjoined to Biei Senka, and enjoy a lunch that is a feast for the eyes as well as the stomach.

In the afternoon, you’ll see the impressive scenery of Shirogane Blue Pond, which is filled with mysterious water, “Shikisai no Oka,” where flowers bloom as though they were painted on a landscape, and Shinei-no-Oka Observatory Park, which offers a sweeping view of the fields which resemble a patchwork quilt. Once we return to central Biei, you’ll take a bus for 14 minutes to Asahikawa Airport. You’ll be able to savor the spirit of travel right up to your return.