So Much for Families to Love! 19 Recommended Attractions in Hokkaido for Parent-Child Trips

Hokkaido is full of appealing destinations and attractions, but the distances between them are often farther than you might expect.
As a result, trying to visit many places can easily lead to long travel times.
When traveling with children, long transfers can be tiring for both kids and parents, so it’s best to focus on a smaller area.
If you want to minimize travel time, Sapporo and Hakodate are especially recommended because so many attractions are concentrated there.

As mentioned above, sightseeing in Hokkaido often involves a lot of travel time.
And with so many places to see, trying to fit everything into one night and two days can make for an extremely tight schedule.
Considering time for breaks and getting ready each day, it’s best to plan for at least two nights and three days.
With three days or more, you should be able to build a more relaxed itinerary.

In Hokkaido, where attractions are spread out across a wide area, using public transportation can sometimes mean long waits and extended travel times.
Renting a car is often the better option to make the most of your valuable sightseeing time.
If you’re traveling with small children, a private space for getting around is a major plus and can ease stress for everyone.
It’s also nice not having to worry about carrying heavy bags or dealing with limitations.
If renting a car isn’t possible, choose destinations like Sapporo or Hakodate, where it’s easier to get around by public transit alone.

Asahiyama Zoo in Asahikawa, Japan’s northernmost zoo, is famous for its “behavioral exhibits,” designed to create comfortable environments suited to each animal’s natural habitat and encourage their natural behaviors for visitors to observe.
Highlights include the Penguin House, where penguins swim freely through an underwater tunnel; the Seal House, where seals travel up and down a cylindrical tank; and the Polar Bear House, where you can watch polar bears dive into a pool—offering a close-up look at animals living lively, active lives.

Moerenuma Park is an art park created as part of Sapporo’s “Circular Green Belt” plan to surround the city with a band of parks and green space.
The entire park was designed as a sculptural work by artist Isamu Noguchi, revealing different expressions as the seasons change.
One of Moerenuma Park’s signature structures is the Glass Pyramid.

“Shiroi Koibito” is a beloved Sapporo confection. Shiroi Koibito Park is a sweets theme park where you can tour the production line for Shiroi Koibito and other treats, learn about the history of chocolate, and even make your own original Shiroi Koibito.
It’s packed with must-see content for chocolate lovers, including the “Chocotopia House,” which introduces the four major chocolate revolutions through projection mapping, and the “Study Base Cacao Pod,” where you can learn how to taste chocolate.

Located in the Shakotan Otaru Kaigan Quasi-National Park, this aquarium is surrounded by rich nature and is approx. 20 minutes from JR Otaru Station by bus or sightseeing boat.
It exhibits approx. 5,000 creatures across around 250 species, with a focus on animals found in Hokkaido and other cold regions.
Its many popular attractions include a dynamic dolphin show, a powerful sea lion show, and touch pools where you can interact with marine life from Hokkaido’s waters.
Don’t miss the penguin show, where the penguins famously ignore the trainers’ signals and do their own thing.

In 1950, a traveling zoo from Tokyo’s Ueno Zoo held an event in Sapporo, and its popularity led to the opening of Maruyama Zoo the following year as Hokkaido’s first zoo.
One major highlight is the Polar Bear House, where you can observe polar bears swimming from an underwater tunnel.
The pool area is separated for polar bears and seals, and if you time it right, you may even catch a glimpse of a polar bear stalking a seal.

A museum themed around warm, charming wooden toys.
Inside its eye-catching, castle-like building, you’ll find a collection of around 10,000 toys gathered from about 40 countries around the world, displayed and preserved.
From a big steam locomotive (SL) that looks like it could start moving at any moment to mechanical toys and many varieties of nutcrackers, the museum is lined with an impressive range of wooden toys.

An open-air museum next to the vast, nature-rich Nopporo Forest Park.
As its name suggests, it relocates, restores, recreates, and exhibits buildings from across Hokkaido that were originally built during the era of Hokkaido’s development, from the Meiji period through the early Showa period.
Across its 54.2-hectare grounds, it’s divided into four areas—town, fishing village, farming village, and mountain village—with 52 buildings standing side by side.
Many hands-on experiences are also popular, from making traditional toys in the workshop building to activities tied to specific buildings such as a dye shop and a newspaper office.

A tourist farm in Nakafurano, Hokkaido, famous for its elegant lavender fields stretching out on a grand scale.
Along with vast lavender fields, its signature area is the “Irodori Field,” where vivid bands of flowers—purple lavender, white baby’s breath, red poppies, and more—paint a gently sloping canvas.
The farm also features various other flower fields, such as the “Hanabito Field,” filled with colorful blooms like violas and marigolds, and the “Hanabito Garden,” where nearly 120 types of plants coexist in a small garden, delighting visitors throughout the grounds.

Farms Chiyoda Petting Farm is an ideal spot for experiencing Hokkaido’s great outdoors.
It’s home to lovable animals including Hokkaido’s cold-hardy native horses known as “Dosanko,” as well as ponies, Jersey cows, goats, sheep, llamas, rabbits, and more. Admission is free.
Buy feed for 100 yen and you can feed the animals directly. If you sign up in advance, you can also enjoy hands-on farm experiences such as cow milking, pony rides, and feeding milk to calves.

Kodomo no Kuni is a small amusement park tucked into a corner of the spacious Hakodate Park.
Opened in 1956, it’s a long-running park with classic rides like an airplane ride, a Ferris wheel, a merry-go-round, and a haunted house, and every ride costs 350 yen per ride. It’s a great place to enjoy a retro atmosphere and spend a relaxed, family-friendly time with young children. The most popular attraction—dating back to before Kodomo no Kuni even opened—is the Ferris wheel. Recognized as the oldest surviving Ferris wheel in Japan, it was registered as a National Tangible Cultural Property in 2019.

Hitsujigaoka Observation Hill is beloved for offering spectacular natural views despite being located in Sapporo, a city of two million people.
In spring, you’re welcomed by fresh green pasture grass; in summer, by lavender fields. Fall brings autumn colors, and in winter, a pure white carpet of snow stretches out before you. The grand scenery changes with the seasons, making it a perfect photo spot year-round.
The statue of Dr. William Smith Clark—known for his famous quote, “Boys, be ambitious”—is also one of the area’s most popular photo spots.

Otaru Port developed as the gateway to Hokkaido’s development. As the amount of cargo handled increased year by year, the Otaru Canal was completed in 1923 to make transport work more efficient.
Because it was built by reclaiming offshore coastline, it features a gentle curve rather than a straight line.
After the war, it finished its role as a canal, and today it has been reborn as one of Otaru’s signature sightseeing spots, with walking paths and small parks developed along the water.

Lake Shikotsu is located within Shikotsu-Toya National Park in Chitose City, Hokkaido.
In addition to Lake Shikotsu and Lake Toya, Shikotsu-Toya National Park is a globally rare geological heritage site made up of many volcanoes, offering unique landscapes shaped by volcanic ranges that you won’t find elsewhere.
Recognizing the value of this geological heritage, the Toya-Usu Geopark in the Lake Toya area was the first in Japan to be designated a UNESCO Global Geopark.
Lake Shikotsu’s greatest appeal is the beautiful blue, shimmering color of its surface, known as “Shikotsu Blue,” set amid rich natural surroundings.

A hands-on farm experience and exchange facility themed around “connecting people with agriculture and nature” and “coexistence between cities and agriculture.” On its vast grounds—equivalent to 14 Sapporo Domes and spanning 74.3 hectares—you can enjoy a variety of agricultural experiences.
From May through early November, Satoland’s experience farm hosts seasonal vegetable harvest activities, including tomatoes, cucumbers, asparagus, and more. There are also many hands-on workshops, such as making butter and mini parfaits, summer-only ice cream making, and winter-only miso making.

Built in 1915, the main building is designated as a historic structure by Otaru City and strongly preserves the atmosphere of a bygone era. Consisting of two buildings—one red brick and one stone—the interior is divided into five floors, each showcasing and selling music boxes with its own distinct concept.
With displays that change by season and many highlights including highly valuable antiques, it’s easy to lose track of time here even if you’re not a music box fan.
At the nearby “Handmade Experience Yuko-bo,” you can also create a one-of-a-kind music box, from decorating to full-scale assembly.

A theme park that recreates the townscape and culture of the Edo period.
Walk through a village lined with bold samurai residences, merchant houses, and a ninja mansion, and you’ll feel like you’ve traveled back in time.
The theater hosts a variety of shows every day, including high-energy ninja action performances, dazzling oiran dances, and period-drama comedies that mix laughter and tears.
There’s also no shortage of activities, such as the “Yugikan” where you can enjoy shooting games and ring toss, and the trick house maze “Ninja Kakaimei-ro.”

An aquarium centered around “Nixe Castle,” modeled after Egeskov Castle, a real castle in Denmark.
It exhibits approx. 20,000 marine creatures across around 400 species. The beautiful, brick-style castle interior is used entirely as an aquarium.
At the entrance, a large column-shaped tank known as the “Crystal Tower,” standing 8 meters tall, welcomes you with Napoleonfish swimming inside. In the aqua tunnel beneath the main tank, sharks and rays glide gracefully overhead.

Located in central Hokkaido, Daisetsuzan is known as “the playground of the gods” and consists of eight volcanic groups.
One of them is Mount Kurodake, which stands at an elevation of 1,984 meters.
It’s enjoyable year-round: alpine plants and wildlife such as Hokkaido chipmunks in spring and summer, beautiful fall foliage in autumn, and skiing or snowshoe hiking in winter.
By using the “Sounkyo–Kurodake Ropeway” and the “Kurodake Pair Lift” from the foot of the mountain near Sounkyo’s hot spring town, you can ascend all the way to the 7th station of Mount Kurodake at once.

The Mt. Hakodate Ropeway features large gondolas with a capacity of 125 passengers, built by bringing together technology from Japan and abroad.
Connecting the base and summit of Mount Hakodate, it reaches the top in approx. 3 minutes at a speed of 7 meters per second.
Below you, a sweeping panoramic view of Hakodate unfolds, and you can admire scenery unique to Hokkaido—seasonal changes in the trees and the winter snow-covered landscape.

A resort hotel in the suburbs of Sapporo. Popular for its family-friendly facilities including a spa and pools, it offers an open-air bath with hot springs, plus a large communal bath area with seven bathtubs and three saunas.
In addition to an indoor pool open year-round, an outdoor pool also opens in summer.
Guest rooms come in a variety of types, including family rooms with wide beds where everyone can sleep together and stylish designer rooms.

A resort hotel located in Shimukappu Village, reached in approx. 90 minutes by train transfers from New Chitose Airport.
Rising on a hill surrounded by nature, the accommodation towers are made up entirely of suite rooms.
Across the expansive property, you’ll also find facilities where you can enjoy spectacular seasonal views and activities.
In winter, options include the “Frost Tree Terrace,” with panoramic views of snowy mountains and frost-covered trees from an elevation of 1,088 meters, and the “Ice Village,” a row of 11 buildings made of ice and snow.
Of course, you can also enjoy it outside winter, with attractions such as an indoor beach and a farm area.

A resort hotel directly connected to Hokkaido’s largest amusement park and ski resort, accessible in approx. 1 hour 20 minutes by shuttle bus from New Chitose Airport or Sapporo.
It’s a great perk to be able to take a break at the hotel right after skiing or enjoying the amusement park.
For families, there’s a kid-friendly lineup of room types, including Junior Suites as well as spacious Western-style and Japanese-style rooms.
Another highlight is the ability to leave children at the on-site daycare and then unwind from the demands of parenting with an open-air bath with natural hot springs, a dry sauna, or the relaxation room.
At the 21 restaurants and cafes scattered throughout the hotel, you can enjoy a wide range of dishes made with local ingredients, including vegetables harvested from the resort’s own farm and Rusutsu Highland pork.