Everyone thinks winter is the season to visit Hokkaido. And they’re not wrong—unless you’re not a winter person. Because for active travellers, autumn is hands-down the best time to experience Japan’s northern island.
Autumn in Hokkaido is a true shoulder season: fewer crowds, quieter towns, and landscapes shifting daily from deep greens to fiery reds and golds—often with early snow already dusting the higher mountains. It’s the rare moment when you can hike through fall foliage in the morning and find yourself walking in fresh snow by afternoon.
From canoeing beneath autumn leaves to cycling along rivers and hiking Asahidake as the season turns white, fall offers the most varied and rewarding way to explore Hokkaido—especially if you prefer moving through nature rather than queuing for it.
Here’s an overview:
Why Autumn Is the Best Time to Visit Hokkaido
Fewer tourists than winter and summer
Autumn sits firmly in Hokkaido’s shoulder season, meaning popular areas feel calmer and more spacious—without sacrificing weather or access.
Peak autumn foliage (late September to October)
Maples and larches turn the island vivid shades of red, orange and gold, especially around Asahikawa, Maruyama Park and Lake Shikotsu.
Early snow at higher elevations like Asahidake
While valleys glow with fall colour, mountains such as Asahidake can already be dusted with snow, offering a rare mix of autumn hiking and early winter scenery.
Ideal temperatures for hiking, cycling and paddling
Cool, crisp days make long hikes, bike rides and canoe trips comfortable and enjoyable—without the heat of summer or the extremes of mid-winter.
Related read: The Joy of Driving in Hokkaido, Japan
Things to do in Hokkaido in Autumn: Hiking, Cycling and Ramen
As with most trips to Japan, we start in Tokyo, though less than two hours later, we land in Asahikawa – for me, one of Hokkaido’s nicest cities, as it combines the conveniences of a city with quick access to nature. We are picked up by our Guides for this trip – Yuko and Kazu – both wonderful people who made our time in Hokkaido most memorable!
We check into the OMO7 Hotel before heading out with our guides to enjoy a delicious dinner at Yakitori professional Gin’neko, a typical Japanese restaurant that’s especially popular with locals. On the way back – everything is within walking distance – there are beautiful moments captured in stills, before we relax in the Hotel’s Onsen bath and get ready for experiencing the Hokkaido autumn colours the next morning.
Related read: Exploring Kamikawa: Adventures in the Center of Hokkaido
When Autumn in Hokkaido Turns White: Early Snow on Asahidake
Grey clouds hang over the city as we enjoy the delicious, more Western-style breakfast at the OMO7. Our Guides Yuko and Kazu bring us on the Bus, and once we have passed Higashikawa, we already start to feel the change. The higher the bus takes us, the whiter everything turns – and at the Asahidake Ropeway Station we stand in 30 cm of fresh JAPOW! The smile on my face says it all – this is happiness for me.
Kazu hands us our tickets for the Ropeway, and Yuko makes sure we don’t lose them, as we’ll need them to get on the ride down! At the top station, the Thermometer shows -6°C, and the snow keeps on falling, but around me there are only smiles. An Asahidake hike in autumn is a wonderful experience – and can be snowy!
Sadly, the snow has covered the sights completely – from the Sugatami Pond to the viewpoints. Even the Fumarole’s smoke is getting mixed with the snow and clouds!
On the trail, I chat with Yuko, who has been working as a “Through Guide” for over 30 years. A Through Guide is someone who helps you on your Japan trip from landing to leaving, helping you with translations and connecting to places and people. We talk about our favourite seasons (Hers is spring 🌸) and food and hiking, and before we realize we’re back at the Ropeway Station. More people have arrived and start on the scenic hike, while we pack into the cable car and descend.
After a fulfilling Ramen lunch, we continue back down the mountain, and, slowly, the white snow is replaced again by orange, yellow, red, and green hues. We make a stop in Higashikawa’s Michikusakan Roadside Rest Area, where you can buy local delicacies and also nip into the Montbell Store if you need something for your outdoor adventures!
Back in Asahikawa, we drop our bags and head straight out for dinner with our group. It’s one of those easy evenings where the table fills up with small plates and big flavours: crispy tempura, perfectly grilled fish, steaming bowls of miso, and just the right amount of sake to keep the conversation flowing.
We swap stories from the road, laugh a lot, and linger long after the last dish is cleared. On the way back, we stroll through the quiet city streets, watching the neon reflect on patches of dark asphalt and feeling that particular kind of winter calm you only get in northern Japan.
An Sapporo Autumn Day Trip
The next morning, it’s time to move on. We hop on a train to Sapporo, watching the colourful Hokkaido landscape slide by outside the window. The moment we step out of the station we feel the shift: Asahikawa suddenly seems small and quaint in comparison.
Sapporo is big, busy, and buzzing – a proper city with energy in every direction, but still with that laid-back Hokkaido vibe underneath. Together with Jody and Eamonn, we make a beeline for the famous Ramen Alley. Soon we’re hunched over steaming bowls of Hokkaido ramen, rich broth and springy noodles hitting that perfect post-travel hunger. Hands down some of the best ramen you can get in Japan.
Well fed and warmed from the inside out, we head to Maruyama Park, where a lively crew of outdoor guides is waiting for us. We hike through forested trails to a viewpoint over Sapporo, the city spread out below in a patchwork of buildings and rooftops.
On the way, I pull a small practical joke and accidentally startle our lead guide, who really hadn’t seen me in the shrubbery. We laugh it off, I apologise, and the mood stays light as we descend through the trees. By late afternoon, we’re back at the Royal Park Canvas, tired in the best way and ready for whatever Sapporo has in store next.
We head over to the SappoLodge, which Naru-San owns – one of our Guides from the afternoon. It’s an excellent hostel made for skiers, hikers and climbers. The food is tasty, the local Beer is flowing, and we are engulfed in conversations, planning the next adventures together here on Hokkaido, where the possibilities are endless.
Cycling and Canoeing at Lake Shikotsu in Autumn
Our final day – time flies by when you have fun – starts with a visit to Chitose Shrine, where we get the blessing of the head priest for our day of cycling and paddling. The weather is smiling on us this morning – blue sky and a golden sun make us smile of the sun day ahead!
And we won’t be disappointed: cycling under red and yellow Japanese maple trees in the sunshine, next to a burbling river, is as good as it gets. We follow a smooth asphalt cycle path to Lake Shikotsu, and even when it starts to rain toward the end of our 25 km ride, we’re still having a blast.
Our guide, Yugo, and tail guide Katy both used to be professional road cyclists – though the biggest surprise is Yugo telling me he played for years in a Finnish metal band and still has many Finnish friends in the music business. It’s a small world indeed, and too soon we arrive at the lake.
After the cold rain, we’re happy to warm up at Kotobuki Restaurant, where a tasty local meal gives us more energy for the paddling that will soon follow! That you can’t control our little group becomes evident when we decide to grab a soft serve ice cream on the way to Canoa, the canoe rental shop we’ll be paddling with on Lake Shikotsu!
Once we are on the water in our canoes, we enjoy the silence of gliding across the silent water. We paddle a wee bit up the river, surrounded by beautiful autumn foliage on the shore – until I spot two deer by the water’s edge! They stand still, and we peer eye to eye, until they decide to disappear into the forest.
A beautiful moment, and both Yuzuki and I smile while we paddle out onto the lake. This is the deepest lake on Hokkaido, and it does not really freeze over in winter. Three volcanoes surround it, and the sun illuminates the lake beautifully. We paddle, chat and photograph, delighted about the beauty that surrounds us.
When Natsumi tells us we won’t go far to our hotel, we don’t realise we’ll literally walk just a few hundred metres to Shikotsuko Tsuruga Resort Spa Mizu no Uta – the best hotel along Lake Shikotsu. We take off our shoes as we enter and are led to reception to check in.
After a quick look at our spacious rooms, we decide to visit the onsen and soak in its warmth before dinner. Together with Eamonn and Mark, we sit in the outdoor pool as darkness falls and fall in love with the place. Mark shares anecdotes from his travels across Japan, and time goes by too fast – suddenly it’s already time for dinner.
In the end, this short shoulder-season escape to Hokkaido felt like a highlight reel of everything I love about Japan’s north: snow crunching under my shoes on Asahidake in October, red and golden maple leaves above quiet cycling paths, the deep calm of paddling across Lake Shikotsu, steam rising from outdoor onsen while stories and laughter drift into the night.
Autumn on Hokkaido is not loud or showy; it’s subtle, generous, and full of small surprises – from ramen at crowded counters to connections with guides who quickly feel like friends. As we slip into our yukata one last time and wander down to the onsen before bed, I can’t help but think this is Hokkaido at its best: unhurried, uncrowded, utterly authentic.
Winter might get all the fame, but if you trade lift lines for larch forests and powder for maple leaves, Hokkaido’s autumn will quietly steal your heart.
If you want to make the most of your trip to Hokkaido, make sure to check out the Hokkaido Adventure Travel Guide page so you can find the perfect guide for your trip to this beautiful island in the North of Japan!
