Noboribetsu and Lake Toya day trip from Sapporo
A day trip to Lake Toya and Noboribetsu from Sapporo or New Chitose Airport, best by car: the Mount Usu Ropeway over the Showa-shinzan lava dome, the volcano museum and the lakeshore at Toyako Onsen, then the steaming Hell Valley of Noboribetsu, the sulphur pond of Oyunuma and a soak in a hot-spring bath. Every stop has a typical visit length.
How long do you have?
Map: 1 days
Noboribetsu and Lake Toya in 1 day
Day 1
Mount Usu Ropeway
Gondola up the active Mount Usu volcano, with views over the crater, the Showa-shinzan lava dome and Lake Toya.
Showa-shinzan
Lava dome that rose out of a wheat field in 1943-45, recorded by the local postmaster; seen from the ropeway base, not climbed.
Toya-ko Visitor Center and Volcano Science Museum
Visitor centre and museum explaining Mount Usu's eruptions, including the one of 2000 that damaged part of Toyako Onsen.
Lake Toya lakeshore at Toyako Onsen
Promenade along the round caldera lake, with Nakajima island in the middle, open-air sculptures and free footbaths in the town.
Noboribetsu Jigokudani (Hell Valley)
Volcanic crater valley above Noboribetsu Onsen, where boardwalks lead between steaming vents and bubbling sulphur pools that feed the town's baths.
Oyunuma Pond
Steaming grey sulphur lake a short walk above Hell Valley, on a forest trail that carries on to a natural hot-river footbath.
Noboribetsu Onsen day-use bath
Day-use bath in one of the big hotels of Noboribetsu Onsen, with pools fed by several kinds of spring water.
Getting there
By car Noboribetsu is about 1 hour 15 minutes from Sapporo or New Chitose Airport on the Hokkaido Expressway, and Lake Toya about an hour further west. Without a car, limited express trains from Sapporo stop at Noboribetsu and Toya stations, with local buses up to each hot-spring town, and highway buses run from Sapporo; seeing both in one day this way is tight.
Staying in Sapporo? This day fits into those city plans, and in the Trip Builder it is one click under each of them.
When to go to Noboribetsu and Lake Toya
Summer is mild and good for the ropeway and the lakeshore, and the nightly fireworks run from late April to October. Autumn colours around Hell Valley and Oyunuma come in October. Winter is snowy and a hot spring is at its best, but roads need winter driving and some trails close.
Plan the rest of your trip
- Where to stay: hotels in Noboribetsu and Lake Toya on Booking.com or Trip.com
- Skip-the-line tickets: museums and sights in Noboribetsu and Lake Toya on Tiqets
- Tours and day trips: things to do in Noboribetsu and Lake Toya on GetYourGuide
- Data on arrival: an eSIM for Japan from Airalo
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Tips for Noboribetsu and Lake Toya
- A car makes this day much easier: the two hot-spring towns are about an hour apart, and the stations are a bus ride from each.
- Bring a small towel for the day-use bath; tattoos may not be allowed in hotel baths, so ask first.
- From late April to October, fireworks are set off over Lake Toya every evening: worth staying for if you sleep at Toyako Onsen.
- The Oyunuma trail and car park can close once the snow settles; in winter, keep to the Hell Valley boardwalk and wear boots with grip.
- Go up the Mount Usu Ropeway on a clear morning: in cloud the views of the crater and lake are lost.
Make it your own
Open the guide in Andiamo Places to see every stop on a map with walking directions, move places between days, check opening hours for your dates, and add your own finds. After the trip, your photos become a journal and, if you like, a printed photo book.
Guides are made with the help of AI and public sources such as Wikipedia, and may contain errors. Opening hours and prices change, so check before you go. Spotted a wrong photo, a pin in the wrong place, a missing stop or a better one? Write to andiamotravelapp@gmail.com: the e-mail opens with this guide filled in.
Photo credits
- Lake Toya lakeshore at Toyako Onsen: 663highland, CC BY 2.5
- Mount Usu Ropeway: 663highland, CC BY 2.5
- Noboribetsu Jigokudani (Hell Valley): User:欅, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Noboribetsu Onsen day-use bath: User:欅, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Oyunuma Pond: Calistemon, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Showa-shinzan: 663highland, CC BY 2.5
Opening hours change; check before you go. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
