Things to do in Otaru

Lucy is a tour guide who is fluent in Japanese and English, professional and meticulous, with smooth transportation and itinerary arrangements. She doesn't rush, allowing us to visit all the relevant attractions. The activities were fun, and we had a great time. Highly recommended.

Thank you to our tour guide, Miss Sisi, for her thoughtful reminders about getting on and off the bus, and for helping us take pictures at the attractions, and for her careful explanation of the local features. It was really great! I hope to find Miss Sisi to help us again next time. 👍

it was an easy and leisurely trip, there's no rush because you'll be given an hour to roam around, it's a whole lot of travel time. Jay is such a chill, knowledgeable guide, the driver was really good at driving.

The Chinese-speaking guide arrived early and I met them without issue. It was fascinating and fun to hear them speak Chinese, Japanese, and English interchangeably. Also, this tour being a multinational one, riding in a small van with people from China, the Philippines, India, and Korea was special and created memorable moments. The detailed and fun explanations about Shakotan Blue, Otaru Canal, and Shiroi Koibito Chocolate Factory made the day tour enjoyable from beginning to end. Shakotan Blue and Cape Kamui, befitting the northernmost region, gave a feeling of being overwhelmed by the rough and magnificent vast nature. In that moment, all worries and anxieties disappeared, and even as the raindrops grew thicker, the path to the summit was so magnificent that getting rained on didn't matter at all. The stunning sea and cliffs, and other natural wonders, the swaying reed fields – lying down together and swaying together in the reed field!!! Afterwards, even though the weather became even more stormy with rain and wind, the Otaru Canal was even more charming after the rain. I wondered if this was the feeling of the surprisingly modern opening period? It felt like going back to the past, the beginning of industry here – Romantic City – the Romantic City that the guide emphasized was a perfect description. It was good that we were given 3 hours there, and it was also great that there was a large duty-free shop where we could choose from a wide variety of souvenirs. And finally, the Shiroi Koibito Chocolate Factory was a charming, pretty, and fun place full of European style. Also, the driver was very kind, which was great. I came to Sapporo, but I am grateful to have seen such wonderful outskirts and to have experienced the blessings of the sea, reeds, wind, and clouds. I already miss it.

great tour that gives you a little taste of the Hakaido region. Vivi was a great tour guide and answered any questions you may have. I wish there was a little more time at some of the stops but overall great tour and worth going

Our guide, Xiao Zhou, was very thoughtful and flexible, providing us with lots of explanations along the way. Jozankei on 10/20/2025 was already a vibrant tapestry of autumn colors across the mountains – stunningly beautiful! For us, Otaru was mainly about trying the highly recommended Uni & Eel rice bowl at Sekaku. Personally, I found it just okay. Otaru's main street is very commercial, filled with shops. Braving the cold to browse stores you could find in any city mall didn't feel worth it, unless perhaps it's beautiful in the snow. Otaru won't be on our must-return list, but it was fine as a side trip on the tour. I wouldn't recommend making a special trip just for it. Finally, the Shiroi Koibito Park factory turned out to be the highlight of the day. Although it's also a commercial venue, it has a genuine appeal: beautiful architecture, lovely gardens, and charming Halloween decorations with real pumpkins. There's even a toy carnival performance every day at 4:30 PM, making it well worth a visit for couples, families, and friends – almost felt like being at Disneyland. Overall, joining the tour for $60+ was very convenient and made for a fantastic value-for-money day.

We arrived at 1:30 PM after having lunch at the New Chitose Airport domestic terminal since our arrival was at 12 PM. I thought it would be a group tour, but since it was off-season, only 2 people from our team had applied. Usually, they could cancel it if a team isn't formed, but they fulfilled their responsibility and responded very kindly. Especially, two staff members saw us off for just the two of us, and the driver was so kind. He even gave us an umbrella because it might rain when we arrived, haha. The schedule was a reasonable amount of time to see Otaru, and they got us to Sapporo on time. I think booking a tour from the airport was a great idea rather than making plans again in Sapporo. I highly recommend it. Thank you.

It was really easy to redeem the tickets when we reach. Just need to show them the QR code. Queue was short and thankfully for the good weather. We had a great time.

Otaru is really a place that requires a whole day to enjoy the atmosphere, indoor attractions, and outdoor scenery. You need to step slowly to feel the local colors. The Glass Art Museum is very beautiful and adds a lot of color to the trip.