One day in Hakodate itinerary (from Hakodate Station or Hakodate cruise port)

Kon’nichiwa!

My first time in Hakodate was a winter visit, and while I did do a couple of noteworthy things, I treated it more as a transit stop as part of my wider Hokkaido itinerary. So I ended up treating my second visit to Hakodate as if it was my first time, and I wanted to do all-the-things! And, this was towards the end of spring, so the weather was warmer too.

In the simplest terms, you can think about the top things in Hakodate as being around 2 main areas. One area is the Goryokaku Fort. The other area is the red brick warehouse, Motomachi, and Mount Hakodate ropeway, which are all in the same general location that you can walk around.

So you can think of your Hakodate itinerary as being split into 2. One part is going to the Goryokaku Fort, and the other main part is walking around Motomachi and more.

And then there’s your starting point, which we will say is either Hakodate Station (the main train station of Hakodate) or Hakodate cruise port. Both of these are right near the Hakodate morning market, which makes it a convenient place to start your day.

After the morning market, I think it’s good to start with the Goryokaku Fort, and after that will leave you the rest of the time exploring the other most famous areas of Hakodate.

Among the most famous things in Hakodate are the Goryokaku Fort for its star-shaped fort, the Motomachi neighborhood for former western-style town vibes, the morning market for seafood, and the Mount Hakodate ropeway for iconic views. You can do all of these things with one day in Hakodate, although it is a lot of walking.

One of the other iconic things about Hakodate is the tram aka streetcar! You can take the Hakodate tram to get around. Use google maps to navigate public transportation. Be sure to look for the tram option! (There’s a bus too.)

Below I’ll give you an outline for what one day in Hakodate can look like! This is pretty much how I did it when I had one day in Hakodate on my recent visit. But first I’ll let you know a little about how to get to Hakodate from Tokyo.

 

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JAPAN TRAVEL > HAKODATE MAP | NORTHERN JAPAN ITINERARY

 

Tokyo to Hakodate to Sapporo

If you’re taking the shinkansen bullet train to Japan’s northernmost main island of Hokkaido, then you will go through Hakodate.

Actually, the shinkansen line stops in Hakodate. Hakodate is as far north as the shinkansen goes. So you will need to transfer trains to continue going further north in Hokkaido, which is basically every major place in Hokkaido, including Sapporo.

The shinkansen stop is called Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto Station, which is technically in the city of Hokuto. This is about a 20 minute train ride from Hakodate Station, which is where you need to go to see all the famous things in Hakodate.

So you will take the shinkansen from Tokyo Station to Shin Hakodate-Hokuto Station, which can be as fast as a 4 hour 10 minute train ride. This shinkansen route also goes through an underwater tunnel, as you are going from one island to another by train!

Once you’re at Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto Station, you can immediately catch another train to keep going further north to Sapporo, which is a 3 hour 40 minute train ride. But… consider making a stop in Hakodate!

From Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto Station, you can take a 20 minute train ride to Hakodate Station and stay a night or 2 and do a few things in Hakodate before moving on!

Hakodate Station to Sapporo Station is about a 4 hour train ride. You can break it up by stopping at Noboribetsu Onsen along the way.

For more ideas on how to spend several days going from Tokyo to Sapporo, see the Northern Japan itinerary! The first time I went to Hakodate was by train when I was going in the opposite direction, from Sapporo to Tokyo, with an overnight stopover in Hakodate.

Another way to go to Hakodate is by cruise ship from Tokyo or nearby Yokohama! I was on a cruise from Japan to Alaska (to Seattle) that stopped in Hakodate.

 

 

Start: Hakodate Station or Hakodate cruise port

Nearby tram stop: Hakodate eki-mae tram stop

 

So, we will make our starting point for this day, Hakodate Station or Hakodate cruise port! These are pretty close to one another, so whether you start at the train station or the cruise port, it’s just a few minutes walk to the morning market. (First on the list!) You are also right near a tram stop if you want to go further.

 

 

Hakodate morning market

Nearby tram stop: Hakodate eki-mae tram stop
Hakodate Station to Hakodate morning market: 5 minute walk
Hakodate cruise port to Hakodate morning market: 5 minute walk
How much time: 15 minutes or less just to walk around and look, or a lot longer if you stay and eat!

 

Guided tour: Hakodate morning market tour

 

Located just a 5 minute walk from Hakodate Station and the Hakodate cruise port, the Morning Market is an easy first stop upon arrival in Hakodate!

It’s also a good place to look around for local food, as there are tons of stalls that sell fresh seafood, local produce, and Hokkaido specialties.

Walk around on your own or do a morning market tour to learn about the local way of Hakodate!

 

👆 Fresh seafood is a Hakodate specialty.

 

👆 Morning market man. 😁

 

Tram from Hakodate eki-mae to Goryokaku-koen-mae

Hakodate eki-mae to Goryokaku-koen-mae tram: 20 minute tram ride

 

Now head over to the tram stop near Hakodate Station, called Hakodate eki-mae. You can use the same IC card (like suica or pasmo) that you did for local trains in Tokyo. Or, you can pay in cash.

I think the easiest way to figure out where to go for the tram and when to get off is google maps public transit directions! Make your starting point the “Hakodate Morning Market Ekini Market” and the destination “Goryokaku Tower.” You’ll get bus options and tram options. Look for the tram option so you can get a ride on the iconic streetcar of Hakodate! It’s the colored option. You’ll want to adjust the departure time to something reasonable. (map + directions)

 

Goryokaku Fort Park

Nearby tram stop: Goryokaku koen-mae tram stop
How much time: You can spend an hour walking around the park, or a lot less.

 

Located about 15 minutes by tram from Hakodate Station, Goryokaku Fort is the iconic star-shaped fort of Hakodate. It’s free to walk around the park, which is lined with walking paths and grassy areas.

At the park is also the Hakodate Magistrate’s Office, which is a reconstructed Edo-period building that shows how the local government operated in the 1800s. You can walk inside to see a traditional Japanese-style building and learn about the history. Confirm current information, including opening hours and entry fee.

 

👆 You can walk around the Goryokoku Fort Park.

 

👆 You can walk inside to see traditional Japanese what used to be the Hakodate Magistrate’s Office.

 

Goryokaku Tower

Nearby tram stop: Goryokaku koen-mae tram stop
How much time: 30 minutes

 

Just walking around the Goryokaku Fort, you won’t really get a sense for the iconic star-shaped nature of the fort. For that, you want to go to the observation deck of the Goryokaku Tower! Once you’ve walked around the park, you can walk to the tower.

Going up to the Goryokaku Tower observation deck will allow you to actually see fort’s unique layout, as well as the city views and harbor views.

Confirm current information, including hours and cost of tickets.

 

👆 You get views of the iconic Goryokaku Fort star in Hakodate by to the top of the Goryokaku Tower.

 

👆 I felt like I got a warm welcome to Hakodate and the Goryokaku Tower observation deck! 😁

 

Tram from Goryokaku-koen-mae to Jujigai

Goryokaku-koen-mae to Jujigai tram: 25 minute tram ride

 

Now get back on the tram! The Jujigai tram stop works for Motomachi and red brick warehouses.

 

👆 Hakodate tram to Motomachi and the red brick warehouse area

 

Kanemori red brick warehouses

Nearby tram stop: Jujigai tram stop
How much time: 30 minutes walking around, or a lot more
Option: Leave the red brick warehouses for after Motomachi, because walking from Motomachi to Hakodate Station or the cruise port means that you will pass by the red brick warehouse.

 

After the Goryokaku Fort, I took a tram to the red brick warehouse area. I started with the red brick warehouse because this is where the ramen shop I found was located. Otherwise I think I would have gone straight to Motomachi first, because you’ll need to pass by the red brick warehouses on return to Hakodate Station or Hakodate cruise port. So the red brick warehouse is between Motomachi and Hakodate Station.

 

👆 Tsubaki is an English-friendly ramen specialty shop in the red brick warehouse area. (reviews)

 

Motomachi neighborhood

Nearby tram stop: Jujigai tram stop
Goryokaku-koen-mae to Jujigai tram: 25 minute tram ride
How much time: 30 minutes walking around, or a lot more

 

So Motomachi loosely translates to former town. So it’s basically the old town or historic district of Hakodate. It’s the old town in terms of its more recent port town history, when Japan opened up to the western world in the 1850s. So you’ll see a lot of western-style buildings in the Motomachi neighborhood.

The red brick warehouse is also a part of this western influence, and similar red brick warehouses can be seen in other port towns including Yokohama.

You can easily end up walking around quite a bit in Motomachi (1-2 hours), and it’s important to note that it’s hilly! The area is actually known for having a ton of steeply sloped streets. There are 19 of them! When I started out in the morning I thought it would be fun to do them all, but… by the time I got to Motomachi… no. 😂

The most famous steep slope is Hachimanzaka slope. This is the street where you can look down and see a cruise ship if there’s one docked in port.

If you walk up from the red brick warehouse through Motomachi’s hilly streets, and then onwards to the Mount Hakodate ropeway (next!) it’s possible to be walking around for 2-3 hours, depending on how many stops you make. (And keep in mind since it is hilly, it can be extra tiring!)

 

👆 Western influence can be seen in Motomachi. This is the Old Public Hall of Hakodate.

 

👆 You can see the Russian influence in Hakodate too. It’s a Russian-style church. Hokkaido is really not far from Russia!

 

👆 One of the local specialty foods of Hokkaido is melon! So in the name of eating local, you can eat melon ice cream! 😁

 

👆 The most famous slope of Hakodate is Hachiman-zaka slope. Spot the cruise ship!

 

Mount Hakodate ropeway

Nearby tram stop: Jujigai tram stop
How much time: 1 hour, possibly more or less

 

If you’re in Motomachi or the Red Brick Warehouse area, it can be convenient to head to the Mount Hakodate ropeway. This is where you will get the famous views of Hakodate! There’s an observation area at the top of the ropeway, and you’ll get the iconic views as you’re going up the ropeway too. As well as seeing the views during the day, it’s a popular thing to see the night views of Hakodate from here too.

 

👆 The iconic views of Hakodate can be seen from taking the Mount Hakodate ropeway!

 

👆 There’s an observation deck at the top where you can sit and rest as you take in the views. There’s plenty of seating area.

 

Back to Hakodate Station or cruise port

Walk back through the Red Brick Warehouse area and along the waterfront to get back to Hakodate Station or Hakodate cruise port!

 

👆 Walking from the Mount Hakodate ropeway to the red brick warehouse area… which is also towards the cruise port and train station!

 

👆 The Kanemori red brick warehouses along the waterfront.

 

👆 The restaurant called Lucky Pierrot is uniquely Hakodate. It’s known for… burgers! Their claim to fame is being awarded the “best local burger store in Japan.” So, give a try to a Japanese-style burger at this restaurant! There are 17 stores (!!) in Hakodate… and ONLY Hakodate! There’s a Lucky Pierrot right in front of the red brick warehouses, in front of the Goryokaku Tower, and near Hakodate Station.

 

JAPAN TRAVEL > HAKODATE MAP | NORTHERN JAPAN ITINERARY