5. Summer Activities in Hokkaido: July to September

You may start your journey to Hokkaido any time of year, but it is the best to if you can visit it the summer months. No matter where you come from, you would be delighted experiencing a wide range of fun summer activities on the island. Moreover, its diverse and breath-taking landscape, fascinating summer festivals, attractive hiking trails, the mystic of flower fields, beautiful hot spring and so on will sure made your days wonderful during your trip in summer. In Hokkaido, unlike Tokyo, even it is summer season but the weather is still cool and is hardly to experience a hot and humid weather. In this post, I will share some summer activities that all tourists should never missed!

1. Discover the colourful Flower Fields and Gardens

Farm Tomita, Furano
Photo Credit: Ikidane Nippon

Visiting Hokkaido’s most popular flower fields are definitely a good starting point of your journey during summer time. When people think of uncovering the mystic beauty of various kinds of summer flowers in Japan, they first think of Hokkaido. Indeed! Summer season (Mid-July) is absolutely the best time to enjoy flower viewing in Hokkaido. One of the popular places to witness the scenery is at Farm Tomita, Furano and Biei area. These two areas are where the flowers grow in great abundance with superb rainbow flower fields.

Lavender Fields at Farm Tomita
Photo Credit: Ikidane Nippon

Expansive purple fields are also a signature landscape of Hokkaido in summer. Lavender flower reach its peak from mid- to late July. Lavender goods, including potpourri, aromatic oils and herbal tea, are popular with visitors.

Hokuryu Sunflowers
Photo Credit: jp.zekkeijapan.com

What is more, you will experience a great joy and satisfaction during the Hokuryu Sunflower Festival. Hokuryu, which located in northern Hokkaido, is known for its 1.3 million sunflowers blooming on 23 hectares of hillside from late July to early August, when they are at their best. You can either rent a bike or hop on the touring car to travel around the sunflower fields in Hokuryu. There is a sunflower maze which is also not to be missed by tourists.

2. Join the Summer Festivals

Sapporo Summer Festival
Photo Credit: Sapporo Travel

Every year, Hokkaido organise plenty of festivals & events to celebrate and enjoy in the summer season. As the summer season in Hokkaido is short, most of the festivals are held in outdoors to enjoy the warm weather. The locals are so much enjoying the festivals. Some of them wears colourful outfits, join the parade, together they dance, and increase the feeling of excitement of the spectators. You can join in the dancing and make your trip full of excitement too!

Sapporo Beer Garden
Photo Credit: KRMR

​One of the famous summer festivals in Hokkaido is Sapporo Odori Beer Gardens. The beer gardens are stretched for 12 city blocks along Odori Park, with hundreds of types of beer from dozens of breweries represented. There are over 13,000 seats and great food stalls for the locals and tourists to taste the delicious beer and foods.

Firework Display at Kachimai
Photo Credit: Must-see-japan

Besides, if you are interested to firework viewing, summertime in Hokkaido is also a fireworks festival season. The largest fireworks festival in Hokkaido is held in Kachimai, where 20,000 fireworks of all kinds blaze the night sky. There are few more popular festivals in summer season. For example, Hokkaido Shrine Festival, Sapporo Summer Festival, Shiretoko-Shari Neputa Festival, Yosakoi Soran Festival, and Hokkai Heso Festival. Thus, make sure you don’t miss it!

3. Explore summer Wildlife & Zoo

Polar Bear at Asahiyama Zoo
Photo Credit:  Club Tourism YOKOSO Japan Tour 

Penguin at Asahiyama Zoo
Photo Credit: pop japan

Summer is the best time to witness the wildlife in Hokkaido. You will have the chance to see endangered species of animals such as Polar bears, Brown bears, Orca whales, dolphins, seals, red panda, cranes, big cats and etc. The best recommendation for wildlife viewing is Asahiyama Zoo, the best Zoo in Hokkaido. According to Asahiyama Zoo, it has more than 800 animals of 150 species.

Whale watching during summertime
Photo Credit: japanbook.net

Moreover, you can also sit the cruise ships from Abashiri, Rausu and Nemuro to observe the marine life in the Sea of Okhotsk in the month of May. Additionally, sightings of dolphins, killer whales, seals and even on-shore brown bears on Shiretoko Peninsula become more and more likely in the summer months. If you're not lucky enough to spot wildlife during your tour, Hokkaido has some fantastic zoos and aquariums where you can quickly become acquainted with the island's local fauna.

4. Experience the beautiful surroundings by joining cycling tour.

Cycling around Furano
Photo Credit: Furano Tourism

You can have one of your most memorable days in your life just by enjoying a pleasant bike ride through beautiful surroundings to see a different side of Hokkaido. It has smooth roads with very little traffic, and spectacular scenery everywhere you go.

Both in Furano and Biei area are well-known with the flower fields and gently rolling hills. The joy of riding bike and experience the summer atmosphere either in Biei or Furano area will make you feel want to come back over and over again. There is an exclusive guided cycling tour program operated by Guided Cycling Tour Biei. Their dedicated team members know all the hotspots to make your cycling-tour a great adventure.

Furano Biei Tourism Centre
Photo Credit: Furano Tourism

5. See the slight of Lakes

Lake Shikotsuko
Photo Credit: 我趣旅行网

Hokkaido is known for its unspoiled nature and diverse wildlife. It attracts millions of outdoor explorers who know the perfect way to admire its cool & tranquil nature. Most of the lakes located throughout Hokkaido are incredible to visit. Summer is an ideal time to visit them as the weather turns out to be just fine, while you have a great opportunity not just to gaze at the crystal clear surface of the lakes but also enjoy the natural surroundings.

Lake Toya
Photo Credit: Japan Tour

Hokkaido showcases some of the coolest lakes in the world such as Lake Shikotsuko, Lake Toya, Shiretoko Five Lakes, Lake Mashu, Lake Akan, and Lake Kussharo. All of these lakes are abundant in diverse nature and wildlife! In search of the most beautiful caldera lake in Japan, you head towards Lake Akan, located in Akan National Park.