Best Time to Visit Hakodate

What’s the best time to visit Hakodate?

December to February in Winter

Hakodate has been well-known for its breathtaking snowy scenery and December through February is the best time for it. The intriguing panorama of the star-shaped Goryokaku Fort and the fan-shaped urban landscapes covered by white snow attract large numbers of domestic and foreign tourists. 

Imposing Snowy Scene

Besides, during these months, there is an abundance of winter activities such as beautiful light shows and firework displays, and tourists can have snow-related fun like going skiing, ice fishing, snowmobiling and taking a hot-spring bath at Yunokawa Onsen Street, which is widely recognized as one of three famous hot springs in Hokkaido.

July to August in Summer

Gorgeous Firework Display

Hakodate is always a top choice in Japan to escape the summer heat. From July to August, it has pleasantly cool temperatures with the highs basically not exceeding 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit). In addition, lots of summer festivals are held, including Onuma Quasi Lake Festival and Hakodate Port Festival, from which you can fully understand unique cultures and customs about Hakodate. Also, you have chances to enjoy seasonal natural landscapes such as elegant hydrangeas and roses. 

However, July and August experience lots of rain, which may cause inconveniences, but the good news is that most of time the rainfall is light and does not last very long.

Best Times Coincide with Peak Seasons 

The above two periods are right the peak seasons in Hakodate, so hotels, airline or train tickets are in very high demand, pushing their prices up. If you plan to come here in the winter of 2025 or the summer of 2026, it’s advisable to make all reservations ahead of time. Moreover, many restaurants and scenic spots are packed with tourists and you spend more time in lining up than in the slack seasons, so you are advised to go for these places a little earlier or later to avoid the busiest hours.

Best Time to Enjoy Cherry Blossoms: Late April to Early May 

The cherry blossoms are in full bloom from late April to early May, and the recommended viewing spots include Goryokaku Park, Cherry Blossom Hill Street (Sakuragaoka-dor) and Hakodate Park. The weather during this time is cool with moderate rainfall and long daylight hours, making your trip more comfortable and leisurely. 

However, this period overlaps with Japanese Golden Week when locals are on vacation, so famous viewing sites and attractions can be quite crowded. 

Best Time to Admire Fall Leaves: Late October to Early November

The best time to see autumn foliage scene in Sapporo ranges between mid-October and early November, which might be the earliest time to watch red or yellow leaves in Japan. You are invited to visit following destinations to have the best fall foliage view experience: Hakodate is an ideal destination with fewer tourists to admire fall leaves from late October to early November, which offers you a quiet and uncrowded environment to feel the autumn atmosphere. The best viewing locations are Goryokaku Park, Onuma Quasi National Park and Kosetsuen Garden. 

Elegant Cherry Flowers

Beautiful Autumn Leaves

Slack Seasons: March to mid-April, mid-May to June and September to mid-October 

The slack season has its own advantages: On the one hand, hotels and plane or train tickets are readily available with lower prices, meaning that you don’t need to book reservations too early and save lots of travel expenses. On the other hand, due to fewer tourists, you can spend less time queuing up for restaurants and attractions, travel at a leisurely pace and gain better experiences.

Avoid crowded Japanese public holidays, particularly New Year holiday

Usually from December 30 to January 3, locals take a holiday to celebrate New Year, so there are more people than usual to enjoy the enchanting snow scenery and the expenses of restaurants, hotels and airline tickets are even higher. Besides, lots of stores, restaurants and some attractions are shut down during New Year holidays. For example, Tropical Botanical is closed from December 29 to January 1. Therefore, it brings about some inconveniences to your itinerary.

Except for the above-mentioned, you also need to exclude Oben Festival around mid-August. At that time, most locals return hometown to clean up tombs of the deceased, which makes it difficult to secure plane or train tickets.