Traffic Guide for Flower Viewing in Japan How to Go to Japan for Flower Viewing

In fact, when I talk about going to Japan to enjoy flowers, I should actually go to enjoy lavender. Now I will talk to you about some related strategies. Let everyone know about it. The main ones are transportation strategies, and there will be more later. Is there a little food guide that is very useful? Transportation

How big is Hokkaido? It’s almost five times the size of Beijing, so of course it’s impossible to run it all in one go. Naturally, people go to the sea of ​​​​flowers in summer. The following three modes of transportation are most commonly used.

Rent a car and drive yourself or charter a car

Rent a car and drive yourself

If you want to enjoy Hokkaido, self-driving is of course the best choice. First, the attractions are easy to move around and you have free time, especially when you are traveling with children or with a large number of people. You can stop and drive as you want, without waiting for the bus and little need to walk; second, there are generally many places to go to Furano and Biei. Hotels and attractions are far away from JR stations.

If you don’t live next to a JR station, it is necessary to rent a car. When traveling to Biei and Furano in the summer, it will take about 2-3 days by self-driving. However, first you have to get the International Driving Permit IDP (I won’t go into details on how to get through here, please find the relevant guide by yourself)

Chartered Car

Due to various indescribable reasons, It is difficult for many friends to drive by themselves in Japan, so chartering a car has become the second option. It is especially suitable for families or friends who travel with a large number of people. While they do not have to explore the road, they also have the right to choose the place and the length of their stay. Relatively speaking, It is still more cost-effective and worry-free.

Tips:

Whether you choose to charter a car or rent a car, it is recommended to book as early as possible. Summer is the peak season in Hokkaido. If you plan to go to Japan, you may not be able to rent a car or it will be more expensive.

Friendly reminder: When driving in popular scenic spots, there may be traffic jams.

Bicycles

Renting a bicycle saves you the trouble of traffic jams and allows you to get close to nature. If you want to ride a bicycle, it is recommended to pay more attention to the weather. It is more suitable to ride early or in the evening. It is recommended to avoid the time between 10:00 and 14:00. Please note that riding dozens of kilometers in the bright sun is definitely not easy. If you really want to rent a bicycle, remember to rent an electric one. In addition, the lazy cancer section can be passed.

JR+TwinkleBus

It is almost impossible to use JR to visit the scenic spots in Furano and Biei, so I recommend using JR+TwinkleBus together to enjoy the summer flowers. Beautiful view.

JR Hokkaido Railway

Whether you are traveling to Furano from New Chitose Airport or Sapporo, taking the JR Hokkaido Railway is almost the only option. What’s more interesting is that if your itinerary is relatively long and the flower viewing tour is only interspersed with the entire itinerary, then you can choose to purchase a JR Hokkaido 4-day free pass for ordinary cars, limited express or ordinary trains You can take the Furano Lavender Express train at the right time!

Furano Lavender Express

The sightseeing train on this route operates from mid-June to late August and September. It runs for six days and can go directly from Sapporo to Furano without having to transfer at Takigawa or Asahikawa. It takes about 2 hours to drive. The Furano and Biei railway tickets cost 520_ (normal), 720_ (peak time), and 320_ (leisure time).

Limited express SuperKamui, Lilac number

Because Furano and Biei are in rural areas, as a In the peak season of summer, JR limited express trains are still unable to maintain regular operation. Especially in July and August, the Furano Lavender Express is very crowded. It is more recommended to take the limited express Kamui and limited express Lilac, which have more unreserved seats.

Furano Biei Local Train

The limited-time Furano Biei Local Train is a famous sightseeing train between Furano-Biei-Asahikawa, with JRPASS or JR holders

Hokkaido PASS allows you to get on the bus without paying extra. Its unique feature is that it stops at the lavender field temporary station (ラベンダ___) in Nakafurano, which is only open in summer, and is within walking distance of Tomita Farm.

Tips:

Furano’s JR trains still run every hour in summer, which is the peak tourist season. In other months, the JR interval is longer. After all, this is a rural area, so it is not as frequent as the JR in Osaka or Tokyo, so be sure to arrange your itinerary according to the JR timetable.

TwinkleBus

TwinkleBus is a sightseeing bus that is only available every summer. There are 5 routes per day, departing from JR Biei Station and Furano Station respectively. Take Twinkle

Take the Twinkle Bus to see the scenery, recommended for those who are short of time or do not want to rent a car. Note:

1) TwinkleBus can only be purchased by passengers holding JR tickets.

2) Reservation must be made three days before boarding.

3) Additional fees are required for JRPASS, JR Hokkaido PASS, and Furano Biei Railway tickets.

For the introduction of various types of trains, you can refer to JR Hokkaido’s Chinese official website to see which trains are available that are unique and suitable for your itinerary plan. Hokkaido delicacies

ポプラファ_ム

Hokkaido is most famous for lavender and honeydew melon in summer. Therefore, when you come to Farm Tomita, you must try the special lavender and melon flavored ice cream here. Especially this kind of ice cream that can be eaten with honeydew melon! It is recommended that you have a scoop of honeydew melon and a piece of ice cream when eating it. When the creamy and smooth ice cream is paired with the sweet and juicy honeydew melon flesh, you will be delighted. Experience the delicious taste of milk and melon, two must-eat specialties of Hokkaido, at once!

Rokkatei

I don’t need to say more about Rokkatei, but you definitely want to try the side view Eating desserts with flowers is such a unique experience. If you are tired of admiring flowers, why not take a rest at Rikkatei on Mount Furano. There are not many people here, and the scenery is quite good. The store sells a full range of Rikkatei souvenirs. The environment is very comfortable, and there is also meal service. However, if you come too late, many popular desserts: grape frost ice cream will be sold out.

Address: Kiyomizuyama, Furano City, Hokkaido

Business hours: 9:00～17:00 (last order time for the restaurant is 16:00)

Kumagera

Can you imagine that this restaurant is a Japanese-style local cuisine restaurant that is highly praised by local gourmets in Furano? It is so well-known that even if you don’t do a guide, you can find this restaurant in the top three by just searching online.

The signatures of the restaurant are the bandit hot pot and raw Wagyu beef rice bowl. Among them, the Mountain Thieves Hot Pot is full of delicacies, including venison, duck, vegetables, mushrooms, miso and other ingredients. The soup base is fragrant and the meat is smooth and tender. It may seem greasy but very refreshing, while the raw Wagyu beef The rice bowl melts in your mouth without feeling bloody at all, and the flavor combined with the aroma of the rice is unforgettable.

Address: 3-22 Hinode-machi, Furano City (5 minutes’ walk from Furano Station)

Yesoku やjunpei Ebi_

The main products in the store Ebi_(fried shrimp rice bowl) and tonkatsu_(fried pork cutlet rice bowl). The crystal clear rice grains are topped with the store’s secret Japanese sauce. It’s salty, sweet and very delicious. The fried shrimp and rice are really a perfect pairing. I ate them up quickly one bite after another. It’s so ecstatic! Except for the protagonist Ebi_, also comes with a bowl of miso soup and a small plate of lettuce salad.

Address: 4-4-10, Honmachi, Biei-cho, Kamikawa-gun, Hokkaido

Business hours: 10:30～14:00, 10:30～14:00