Niseko, renowned for its powdery snow, is a popular destination for many travelers. We departed from Sapporo in the morning to maximize our time in Niseko. Along the way, we admired the freshly fallen snow contrasting against the azure sky and the deep blue sea before arriving at Otaru Station.

The atmosphere on the way to Otaru

Since we took an earlier train than planned, we had some time to take pictures in front of the station before transferring to the next station.

Otaru Station

From Otaru Station, the train takes about 1 hour and 10 minutes to Kutchan Station, passing through snow-covered houses and fields. Here I met my girlfriend, who had arrived earlier (she had been traveling alone in Hokkaido for a week, following her dream of traveling all over the island).

The scenery on the way to Kutchan

Kutchan Station

The bus arrived on time, a testament to Japanese punctuality, which is one of the reasons I enjoy traveling in this country. Our group of five tourists, along with an Asian couple and two Japanese individuals, boarded the bus without difficulty, thanks to the ample space for our large luggage. The bus journey to Grand Hirafu (Welcome Center) took less than thirty minutes.

Donan Bus Station, a bus station located in Kutchan.

Grand Hirafu (Welcome Center)

The bus stop is located on the right side of the Welcome Center.

Upon getting off the bus, we couldn't resist taking photos, but we were interrupted by the need to leave our luggage at our hotel. We booked separate accommodations here because my girlfriend and I had booked a guest house in advance. It was a guest house that was not too expensive. For my three friends, I booked a hotel that was not far from the bus stop and was on the way to the guest house.

The path leading down to the hotel

The yellow snowplow stood out against the white snow and blue sky.

I walked my friend to the hotel to drop off his luggage, as check-in wasn't until 3:00 PM. We continued walking to the Guest House, but I couldn't resist stopping to take pictures. My friend had to remind me that we could take pictures after we dropped off the luggage.

Niseko Prince Hotel Hirafutei

View on the way to the Guest House

My accommodation for tonight is a wooden Guest House. We went inside, took off our shoes, and changed into the slippers provided. There was no one downstairs, but there was a sign saying to go upstairs to check in. So my girlfriend went upstairs to check in while I brought in the luggage and prepared it. After a while, a middle-aged woman came down to greet us, introduced the different parts of the Guest House, and gave us the key and directions to our room. We asked to pay for the accommodation in advance so that it would be convenient when we left.

Guest House Moutain Jam

Our room has two beds, a sofa on the floor, and a small TV that we didn't turn on during our stay. On the bed, there were towels, face cloths, and toothbrushes. Although the room looked old and the floor was dirty, the beds and sheets were clean enough for a night's rest.

Double bed with warm duvet

Unused sofas, refrigerators, and televisions.

We left the accommodation because our friends were waiting in front. I took them out to the other side to show them a different view. My friends then asked me how I knew which way to go. I jokingly replied that I had done my homework beforehand, but in reality, I had already been here two or three times before, using Google Street View.

It was around noon, and we were famished. We opted for a nearby restaurant with enticing food photos due to our hunger and the distance to other options. We'll have more time to explore other restaurants for dinner.

A-BU-Cha 2, a restaurant located in the Suiboku Building, serves lunch.

Ambiance inside the shop

Lunch Menu

Sukiyaki for two people 4,800 yen

Fried Chicken Set 1,800 Yen

Grilled Chicken Set Meal - 2,200 Yen

Salmon roe rice set 2,300 yen

After eating, we walked back to the bus stop to take the cable car for a view. My friend must have been complaining in his heart that he didn't let me rest. As soon as we arrived, we walked again.

Upon reaching the three-way intersection, we turned right following the sign indicating Gondola. The path stretched for approximately 300 meters, covered entirely in snow. In some sections, the snow had turned into ice. I advised my friend to walk on the fluffy snow to avoid slipping, yet I almost fell myself. Along the way, the view on the left consisted of snow with people performing snowboarding stunts. Some managed to spin, while others fell. If we lived in this town, we might have the opportunity to try such experiences. However, in our hometown, we would likely only jump and somersault into a canal. On the right, we could see Mount Yotei, also known as Lesser Fuji. The sky was clear today, allowing us to fully admire Lesser Fuji. At times, it made us feel envious of the people living in this town.

Before reaching the Hirafu Gondola, you will pass the Ki Niseko Hotel, which advertises ski-in/ski-out access. While convenient, the price reflects this luxury. The hotel offers a small sledding area for children in front. Staying here would likely be a delightful experience.

Ki Niseko: The newest luxury ski-in/ski-out resort hotel, offering doorstep access to world-renowned powder.

A short walk uphill leads to the Hirafu Gondola. The Gondola ticket booth is located at the Information Center inside the white building pictured. I mistakenly led the group to the gray building, which only houses shops and equipment rentals. We walked between the buildings and asked an employee who informed us to purchase tickets at the adjacent building. The ticket booth and gondola boarding are located in the same building. Relying on past experience, we paid 1,800 yen per person for a round-trip gondola ride and a 1,000 yen deposit per card. Upon returning, insert the card into the designated slot to receive your deposit refund. You can also keep the card as a souvenir, but I opted to get my money back for a delicious meal.

After receiving our tickets, we walked up to the second floor and exited through the back door. We saw a wide ski slope and turned right to board the gondola at the gray building. We scanned our tickets at the card reader and walked through the barrier. I stood there for a long time looking for the scanner until a staff member told me to tap my card. It turned out that the scanner was located on the side, not on the barrier like the BTS in our country, so I didn't see it. I felt like a country bumpkin again. The gondola was enclosed and shared by skiers and regular people. The five of us waited to board the same gondola, but before we left, a foreign skier got on. He probably wanted to do another round. This made it difficult for us to take many photos as we were worried about disturbing him.

The gondola ascends, passing skiers and snowboarders gliding down the slopes. As we turn back, we are stunned by the sight of Mt. Yotei, also known as Lesser Fuji, standing majestically before us. The mountain boasts a symmetrical form, its peak adorned with a blanket of white snow. At first glance, it resembles Mount Fuji, but on a smaller scale. This very feature is what makes Niseko a coveted ski destination for people from all corners of the globe.

It took almost 10 minutes to reach the top of the mountain by cable car. Most skiers were skiing down the wide slopes. I saw one skier walking uphill, so I told my friend to follow him, thinking there might be a beautiful view to photograph at the top. Even the view looking up was already stunning.

The snow on this side of the mountain is pristine and fluffy, living up to its name as "powder snow." The combination of the white snow and the bright blue sky creates a breathtaking view that makes you want to stop and take pictures. Here, you can simply lie down on the snow. If you were a child, you would probably jump and roll around, scattering the snow everywhere.

We trudged upwards through the soft, fluffy snow. The air was cold, but thankfully there was no wind, making the layers of clothing I had prepared comfortable (a crew neck T-shirt, a collared polo shirt, a thick inner fleece, and an outer fleece jacket, with thermal jeans layered under waterproof pants). My friend, who had only worn jeans, complained of cold legs. The temperature above was below zero, causing the snow to remain as fluffy powder rather than turning into ice. If we had arrived earlier, before anyone had walked on it, we would have seen even more beautiful snow.

We had climbed about 50 meters, halfway up the mountain, when we started to see Little Mount Fuji. We stopped to take some photos. Today, we were lucky; the weather was perfect.

We hiked to the top of the mountain, and if we walked around, we could see a 270-degree view. We chose to go to the small Mount Fuji viewpoint first.

Anyone who reaches this point is recommended to find a colorful outfit to lie down and take pictures, so as not to block the view. But don't roll around, or you'll fall off the mountain. This picture was used as my girlfriend's Facebook profile picture.

The location where we took this photo is the starting point of the Miharashi Course (advanced ungroomed areas). This section is extremely steep and only experienced skiers are allowed to ski here. As a result, there are almost no other skiers around.

While we were taking pictures, skiers and snowboarders came up. I had the opportunity to take a video. Check it out at the link.

I borrowed a snowboard to take a picture with. The Japanese people were kind enough to lend it to me, but I only borrowed it to take a picture with one person. I didn't want to offend them by taking pictures with everyone.

We looked for other angles to take pictures, but we didn't take pictures from every angle because we were busy taking pictures of our girlfriend with Fujinoy. The view was beautiful.

On the way back down the mountain, I felt like rolling down. If I had brought a sled, it would have been amazing. The photos came out a bit gray and black because I was shooting against the light.

I was the last one to walk down. I called out to my girlfriend to stop because I thought that if we took a picture of ourselves jumping while descending the hill, it would look like we were jumping very high. Don't forget to take a picture when you jump!

My friend waited at the cable car, ready to descend. However, I wanted to explore the other side, so we walked past the cable car station towards the Mountain Hut Cafe. I asked my friend to wait inside to avoid the cold while I continued taking photos at other locations.

On the way to the restaurant, I saw people learning to ski on the mountain. Who would have thought that there would be a wide-open space for skiing on a mountaintop like this?

A Japanese sign on the mountain with a view of Mount Fuji. This is my favorite spot on this side. I stood there taking pictures for a long time and got many good shots.

I wasn't quite satisfied, I wanted to walk around the area, but I was worried about the skiers. They must have thought, "What is someone doing walking on the mountain?" So I just went to take in the view in front of the restaurant and didn't walk anywhere else. If I could ski, I would have taken the cable car up, because this spot doesn't seem as steep as the ski slope down below.

After taking photos to our heart's content in front of Mountain Hut Cafe, we decided to take a break and enjoy some refreshments and cake before heading back down.

On the way down, the cable car was empty, so we separated to take pictures. On the way down, we enjoyed the view.

After exiting the cable car, insert your ticket into the machine to receive your 1,000 yen deposit refund. Then, walk back the way you came. On the way, we stopped to buy a hot dog because my friend wanted to try some street food. This shop had chairs for us to sit and eat, but the weather was very cold. We accidentally ate while walking. Fortunately, there were many foreigners here, so we didn't attract much attention. If we were in the city, many people would have probably stared at us.

We walked out to Hirafu Intersection to find a restaurant for dinner. The view of Mount Fuji reflected the evening sunlight beautifully, but the air was also getting colder. Gloves and a hat are essential, so don't forget to bring them with you.

We strolled through the lively atmosphere, stopping to take photos along the way until we reached the Hirafu intersection. On the opposite side, there are Japanese restaurants and a pizza place.

The sight of the Indian restaurant reminded me of the time I had Indian food in Chiang Mai. The restaurant there made excellent Indian food. The spices were not overpowering, and the flavors were delicious. It was unlike the Indian food I had at a roadside restaurant in Penang, where the spices were strong, and the taste was not to my liking.

We strolled through the lively atmosphere, exploring the restaurants. Niseko even has Thai restaurants. Try to find them in the pictures.

Australla House is a small hotel with a distinctive design and yellow color, making it a must-see photo opportunity.

After exploring for a while, we decided to walk into Fuji Zushi, a Japanese restaurant located at the intersection.

The food models and prices displayed outside the restaurant made it easier to make a decision. However, when we looked at the menu, there were more pictures to choose from. The menu also had English descriptions, which made it easier to understand. However, we could only point at the pictures to order food because the staff spoke Japanese to us first.

Assorted Sushi Platter - 1,600 yen + 8% tax

Seafood ramen 1,450 yen +8%

Deep-fried eel on rice 1,750 yen +8%

Deep-fried pork on rice 1,350 yen +8%

After a satisfying dinner, we headed to Seico Mart, a medium-sized supermarket across the street. My partner and I bought some groceries for breakfast, as our guesthouse didn't provide it. We planned to leave early the next morning for activities in Hanazono.

I found some large strawberries and decided to buy some to try. The strawberries here are more expensive than the ones my boyfriend bought earlier, but I still wanted to give them a try.

After shopping, we went our separate ways to rest. The night view at Hirafu is quite beautiful, with the lights of the ski slopes still on.

In the morning, we woke up early and returned the key to the key box. We took a souvenir photo in front of the Guest House. We had already paid for the room when we checked in, so we didn't have to wake up the owner to pay.

Good morning. The sunrise view in front of the Guest House at 7:00 AM.

We dragged our luggage to the hotel where our friend was staying to leave it there. Then we crossed the street to catch the first free bus to Hanazono at 7:50 AM at the bus stop with the symbol shown in the picture, which is in front of the Chalet Ivy a Niseko Hotel. Our friend said that the accommodation here is good. When you open the window, you can see Mt. Yotei. The breakfast is varied. You can take a bath both before bed and in the morning. If you are not in a hurry, you can stay and eat breakfast for a long time. Let's make the most of it.

A minibus saw us waiting and stopped to pick us up. It drove us through Log Village, where three more foreigners got on. After a 15-minute drive, we arrived at Hanazono. As the activities there started at 9:00 AM, we went out to take some photos first.

An officer rode a snowmobile to a stop. We went to stand and take pictures next to the vehicle. The friendly officer allowed us to get on and take pictures. We each took two or three photos.

After taking photos, there was still time to go inside. The coffee shop opened early and allowed customers to purchase food and drinks before the official opening time. I bought some food and sat down to eat breakfast while waiting.

9:00 AM We rented two tubes and took turns playing. The snowmobile activity starts at 09:30 AM. We were worried that we wouldn't make it back in time for the 10:10 AM bus, as we needed to collect our luggage and catch the 11:07 AM train to Kutchan Station.

The convenience of playing at Tube lies in the escalator that takes you to the top, eliminating the need to walk. The long, sloping ramp offers both gentle and steep inclines. On the day we visited, there were no other players, so we grabbed our inflatable rings and slid down like children.

The rental fee for the Tube is 2,500 baht per hour. You can share it with as many people as you want, but only one person can play at a time, and you cannot play in the same lane. They are afraid of danger.

Time flies! It's time to wait for the bus back. The bus departs from here to Granf Hirafu every 20 minutes, starting at 07:50 AM.

The car dropped us off at the bus stop opposite the hotel. We picked up our luggage and walked to the bus stop for Kutchan, dragging our luggage. It was quite tiring to drag the luggage uphill. Today, there were less than 10 people traveling back, so the bus was empty and comfortable. That's the end of my Niseko review. We'll be back again.

Today's Journey: Lake Toya and Mount Fuji

Our journey continues today as we head to Lake Toya. Stay tuned for a review of our boat trip to see the miniature Mount Fuji in the middle of the lake.

Travel Information

Getting to Grand Hirafu (Welcome Center):

• 8:43 AM - 9:28 AM: Take the train from Sapporo Station to Otaru Station.
• 9:38 AM - 10:52 AM: Transfer to another train from Otaru Station to Kutchan Station.
• 11:10 AM: From Kutchan Station, take the bus to Grand Hirafu (Welcome Center). The bus fare is 390 yen.

(Bus schedule from December 9, 2016, to March 12, 2016: 8:30 AM, 9:55 AM, 11:10 AM, 1:35 PM, 3:05 PM)

Map of Grand Hirafu Area

(Please note that the map is not included in the translation.)

Bus schedule to Niseko Hirafu (Welcome Center) posted at the bus stop, Kutchan Station

Bus schedule from Niseko Hirafu (Welcome Center) to Kutchan Station as posted at the Welcome Center

For those who are on a day trip, there are luggage storage facilities available at Kutchan Station.

Bus schedule to Sapporo or New Chitose Airport as posted at the Welcome Center

Ticket return box for gondola. Receive a refund of 1,000 yen.

The ticket machine at the Niseko Prince Hotel Hirafutei Onsen. My friend said it looked like someone had been sleeping there all night.

Hokkaido Adventure: A 7-Day Itinerary

Day 1:

• Arrive at CTS Airport (13:15) and explore Sapporo.
• Stay at Hokkaido Sapporo-eki Kita-guchi.
• Purchase a 7-day JR-Hokkaido Pass (24,000 yen) for the following days.
• Take a train to Otaru (08:43) and then to Kutchan.
• Ride a bus to Grand Hirafu and explore Niseko.
• Stay at Moutin Jam/Niseko Prince Hotel Hirafutei.

Day 3:

• Take a bus to Kutchan Station (11:50) and a train to Oshamambe.
• Transfer to Toya (JR-MURORAN) and take a bus to Lake Toya.
• Stay at Kohan Tei.

Day 4:

• Cruise Lake Toya and take a bus to Toya Station (JR-MURORAN).
• Take a train to Noboribetsu and a bus to Noboribetsu Onsen.
• Visit the bear farm and hell valley.
• Stay at Takimoto.

Day 5:

• Take a bus to Noboribetsu Station and a train to Sapporo (JR).
• Visit Mt. Moiwa.
• Stay at Hokkaido Sapporo-eki Kita-guchi.

Day 6:

• Take a train to Otaru Chikou and a bus to Kiroro.
• Explore Otaru in the evening and return to Sapporo.

Day 7:

• Take a train to Tomamu and explore the area.
• Stay at The Tower.

Day 8:

• Depart from CTS Airport and return to Bangkok.