Sapporo Snow Festival

This five-day plan is for two adults at the 2027 Sapporo Snow Festival, which runs February 4 to 11 at Odori Park, Susukino and Tsudome. It arrives on opening day, stays between Odori and Susukino, and gets around on foot, by subway and by JR train. It is built around the lit Odori sculptures, Susukino's ice sculptures and ice bar, the giant slide at Tsudome and a day trip to Otaru.

How the five days fit together

Day 1 is the festival's opening day, Thursday February 4, and the plan sees Odori three times: lit up on the first night, by daylight on Sunday morning, and once more before the train to the airport. If Japan is a first trip, the 10-day Japan itinerary covers Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka instead. The Québec Winter Carnival plan runs over the same weeks, February 5 to 14.

• Day 1, opening night: the JR Rapid Airport train from New Chitose, the Sapporo TV Tower at dusk, the lit Odori site, miso ramen at Ganso Ramen Yokocho, then the Susukino ice sculptures and ice bar.
• Day 2, seafood, slides and beer: a kaisendon breakfast at Nijo Market, the giant snow slide at Tsudome, the Sapporo Beer Museum and a jingisukan lamb dinner at the Sapporo Beer Garden.
• Day 3, Otaru by JR: the canal, Kitaichi Glass, the Otaru Music Box Museum, LeTAO's cheesecake and the Snow Light Path lanterns, if they are running.
• Day 4: the big Odori sculptures by daylight, Hokkaido Jingu, Shiroi Koibito Park, then the night view from Mount Moiwa.
• Day 5: a last Odori walk, the heated Chi-Ka-Ho walkway toward Sapporo Station, and the train back to New Chitose.

The three Sapporo Snow Festival sites

• Odori Park: snow sculptures along 1.5 km of the park, from 1 to 12 chome, lit from sundown to 10 p.m. The plan's tips are buttered potatoes and scallop skewers at the 6-chome stalls, the 7-chome raised platforms when crowds peak between 17:00 and 20:30, and the big sculptures before 10:00 for the quietest photos.
• Susukino: an ice sculpture contest, illuminated ice sculptures and an ice bar, where the plan's tip is whiskey in a glass carved from ice.
• Tsudome, in Sakae-machi, Higashi-ku: a giant slide and indoor and outdoor snow events. The plan takes the Toho Line to Sakaemachi, then a ¥200 shuttle bus; tube rides use tokens, and queues shrink after lunch.

Otaru and the Snow Light Path

Otaru is a direct JR rapid ride, ¥750 on the plan; sit on the left side for sea views. The day takes in the brick warehouses along the canal, handmade glass at Kitaichi Glass, the Otaru Music Box Museum, where you can make your own music box, and Double Fromage cheesecake at the LeTAO Main Store.

In the evening the plan walks the Snow Light Path lanterns on the former Temiya rail line, quieter than the canal, which is its backup. The 2027 lantern dates aren't among the plan's checked facts, so confirm them before you go.

What the festival costs on this plan

Walking the Odori site is free on this plan; the costs are rides, views and food.