Hokkaido & Tokyo: Ten Days of Snow and New Year

1. Flights

Nothing departing before 19:00 on 24 Dec works: Scoot's 17:35 to Haneda at S$509 is the cheapest but leaves during office hours, and Vietjet's 19:30 one-stop at S$535 is too tight a sprint from the office. Fares are from Google Flights on 5 Sep 2026; year-end prices only go up, so book the week you settle the route.

2. Day by Day

Thu 24 Dec

Departure

Overnight flight

• 20:30Dinner after work, then Changi Terminal 1. Scoot departs 23:30, 6h45, landing at Narita 07:10 on 25 Dec. It is a budget carrier: add 20 kg checked baggage and a ski-equipment allowance when you book.
• Before boarding, finish Visit Japan Web (the immigration and customs QR codes), and set up Welcome Suica Mobile on your iPhone with ¥5,000 loaded.
• Screenshot every confirmation: JR Hokkaido reserved seats, Asahiyama Zoo, the Rusutsu bus. Plenty of places in Japan have no signal and still want to see them.

PlacesChangi Airport Terminal 1

Fri 25 Dec

Connect at Narita, into Sapporo, Christmas lights in Odori Park

JR Tower Hotel Nikko · night 1

• 07:10Land at Narita Terminal 1, use the Visit Japan Web QR lanes, collect bags, clear customs, then walk or shuttle to Terminal 3 to check in for the domestic flight.
• 10:30Peach / Jetstar / ANA Narita→New Chitose, 1h45, landing at New Chitose (新千歳空港) around midday. The JR Rapid Airport leaves from the basement straight into Sapporo, 37 min, S$10 (¥1,230)verified, plus ¥1,000 for a reserved u-seat.
• 14:00JR Tower Hotel Nikko Sapporo (JRタワーホテル日航札幌) sits on top of Sapporo Station (札幌駅). Drop the bags, then buy proper gloves and hand warmers at ESTA or the Daimaru basement in the station.
• 16:30Odori Park (大通公園): the Sapporo White Illumination (さっぽろホワイトイルミネーション) at the Odori site runs 20 Nov–25 Dec, so tonight is its last nightverified 2026 dates. Photograph the TV Tower (さっぽろテレビ塔), then walk to the Clock Tower.
• 18:30Dinner is soup curry (スープカレー) or jingisukan grilled lamb (ジンギスカン) anywhere around Susukino (すすきの). Overnight flight plus a connection: early night.

PlacesNarita AirportNew Chitose AirportSapporo StationJR Tower Hotel Nikko SapporoOdori ParkSusukino

Sat 26 Dec

Otaru for the day: the canal, Sakaimachi, sushi

JR Tower Hotel Nikko · night 2

• 09:00JR Rapid Airport from Sapporo to Otaru (小樽駅), 35 min, S$6 (¥800)verified, April 2025 fare, no reservation needed; sit on the right for the sea.
• 10:00Ten minutes down Chuo-dori to the Otaru Canal (小樽運河): stone warehouses, gas lamps, snow on the towpath. The canal cruise is 40 min, S$15 (¥1,800) by day and S$16 (¥2,000) at nightverified; winter boats are covered with heated seats, bookable 60 days ahead on the official site.
• 12:00Lunch at Sankaku Market (三角市場) or by the canal: seafood bowls and sushi. Otaru's uni and sweet shrimp are as good as Hokkaido gets.
• 13:30Sakaimachi street (堺町通り): Kitaichi Glass, LeTAO's double-fromage cake, the Otaru Music Box Museum (小樽オルゴール堂) with its steam clock outside, all the way to Minami-Otaru station.
• 17:00The canal is at its best once the lamps come on. Back to Sapporo from Otaru station; miso ramen for dinner.

PlacesOtaru StationOtaru CanalSakaimachi StreetOtaru Music Box MuseumSankaku Market

Sun 27 Dec

Ski day at Rusutsu

JR Tower Hotel Nikko · night 3

• 07:45The free Rusutsu shuttle (ルスツ号) leaves from the Kamori Building (加森ビル), 2 min from the south exit of Sapporo Station, at 08:00 and takes 2 h to Rusutsu Resort (ルスツリゾート). It must be reserved online by 15:00 the day beforeverified.
• Rusutsu is Hokkaido's biggest single resort: 37 runs over three peaks, deep powder and plenty of gentle slopes, ideal for a first day on snow. A one-day lift pass is S$107 (¥13,200) bought online or S$135 (¥16,700) at the windowverified 2026–27 prices; the main season opens 19 Dec. Rental set (skis, boots, jacket and pants) about S$57 (¥7,000)estimate.
• Whoever is not skiing can do snowmobiles, dog-sledding or simply the hotel's hot spring; meet at the base restaurant at 12:30.
• 16:40Shuttle back to Sapporo, arriving 18:40. Evening at Mt Moiwa (もいわ山): ropeway round trip S$17 (¥2,100)verified, winter hours 11:00–22:00, 25 min by tram from the hotel to the lower station.
• Backup: Sapporo Kokusai (札幌国際スキー場), 1h40 by bus from Sapporo Station, day pass S$45 (¥5,500) in 2025–262026–27 not yet published, half the price with half the runs.

PlacesRusutsu ResortKamori Building bus stopMt Moiwa RopewaySapporo Kokusai Ski Resort

Mon 28 Dec

Asahiyama Zoo and the penguin walk

JR Tower Hotel Nikko · night 4

• 08:00Sapporo→Asahikawa (旭川駅) on the Lilac / Kamui limited express, 1h25, all seats reserved, S$44 (¥5,440)verified, all-reserved since March 2026. Sales open one month ahead on the JR Hokkaido site; year-end trains fill up, so buy on 28 Nov the moment they open.
• 10:00Bus 41 or 47 from stand 6 outside Asahikawa station to Asahiyama Zoo (旭山動物園), every 30 min or so, 40 min, S$4 (¥500)verified.
• 10:30Be there at opening. Winter hours 10:30–15:30, entry S$8 (¥1,000)verified, 2025–26 season. The penguin walk (ペンギンの散歩) runs twice a day at 11:00 and 14:30, king penguins waddling 500 m through the snow; in 2025–26 it started 18 Dec. The zoo closes 30 Dec–1 Jan, which is why today is the dayverified.
• After the penguins: the seal house with its glass column, the polar bears and the wolf forest, the “behavioural exhibits” Asahiyama is famous for. Asahikawa shoyu ramen at the zoo restaurant.
• 15:30Bus back to the station, limited express to Sapporo, in by 19:00. Tonight pack a one-night bag for Noboribetsu; the big cases can be left at the hotel or forwarded to Tokyo by takkyubin.

PlacesAsahikawa StationAsahiyama ZooSapporo Station

Tue 29 Dec

Noboribetsu Onsen: Hell Valley, Oyunuma, a night in the baths

Dai-ichi Takimotokan · ryokan, 1 night

• 09:30Check out. Sapporo→Noboribetsu (登別駅) on the Suzuran / Hokuto limited express, 1h10, base fare ¥2,530 plus reserved seat ¥2,360 = S$40 (¥4,890)verified, April 2026, all-reserved, again bought a month ahead.
• 11:00Donan Bus from outside the station to Noboribetsu Onsen (登別温泉), 19 min, S$3 (¥350)verified. Dai-ichi Takimotokan (第一滝本館) is at the top of the onsen street; leave the bags.
• 12:00Lunch on Gokuraku-dori, then walk Jigokudani, Hell Valley (登別地獄谷): a steaming sulphur crater that looks best under snow, white against ochre. Free and open around the clock; the “Onibi no Michi” footlights run from sunset to 21:30verified.
• 14:00Twenty minutes along the forest trail to Oyunuma (大湯沼), a whole lake of steaming hot spring water, and the natural footbath (大湯沼川天然足湯) beside it. Ice cleats on the path if it has snowed.
• 15:00Check in at Takimotokan: its Grand Bath draws on five of the ten spring types officially recognised in Japan, and the outdoor pool looks out over Hell Valleyverified, official site. Half board with a kaiseki dinner and buffet breakfast. Bathe again before bed; tomorrow is a flight day.

PlacesNoboribetsu StationNoboribetsu OnsenJigokudani (Hell Valley)Dai-ichi TakimotokanOyunuma

Wed 30 Dec

Fly to Tokyo, settle in at Marunouchi

Hotel Metropolitan Tokyo Marunouchi · night 1

• 08:30Bus back to Noboribetsu station after breakfast, limited express to Minami-Chitose (南千歳駅) and one stop on the Rapid Airport to New Chitose, 49 min, S$28 (¥3,500)verified.
• 11:30JAL / ANA / Skymark New Chitose→Haneda (羽田空港), 1h40. Take a morning flight: about 5% of New Chitose's winter flights are cancelled for snow, more in late Decemberverified, historical rate, and a cancelled morning flight can still be rebooked onto the afternoon. Year-end fares peak from 28 Dec, so book early.
• 14:30Haneda to Tokyo Station (東京駅): Keikyu then JR, or monorail then Yamanote, 35 min, about S$6 (¥700)estimate. Hotel Metropolitan Tokyo Marunouchi (ホテルメトロポリタン丸の内) is in Sapia Tower above the station; the Narita Express and the metro are downstairs.
• 17:00The red-brick Marunouchi station building lit up, the KITTE roof garden, dinner in the Yaesu underground mall or the Marunouchi Building.
• Year-end closures: from tomorrow many Tokyo restaurants, small shops and markets close until 3–5 Jan. Convenience stores, chains, department stores (from 2 Jan), shrines, temples and observation decks stay open. Check the opening days of anywhere you want to eat tonight.

PlacesMinami-Chitose StationNew Chitose AirportHaneda AirportTokyo StationHotel Metropolitan Tokyo Marunouchi

Thu 31 Dec

Tsukiji, Asakusa, Skytree, then New Year's Eve at Zojoji

Metropolitan Marunouchi · night 2

• 08:00Tsukiji Outer Market (築地場外市場): 31 Dec is a “free trading day”, some shops open, some not; the whole market rests 1–4 Jan and reopens on the 5thverified, 2025–26 schedule. The year-end shopping crush peaks from 25 Dec, so go early for tamagoyaki and seafood bowls.
• 11:00Senso-ji (浅草寺): Kaminarimon and Nakamise. Quiet by day on the 31st; from midnight the hatsumode crowds pour in.
• 13:30Tokyo Skytree (東京スカイツリー): dynamic pricing since April 2026, Tembo Deck ¥2,200–2,600 on weekdays and ¥2,800–3,200 at weekends, deck-plus-gallery ¥3,400–4,400verified, dated tickets on the official site. Today is a Thursday, so about S$21 (¥2,600).
• 16:00Back to the hotel to rest, bathe and eat a proper dinner (most restaurants near the station close on the evening of the 31st; go for a chain or the hotel restaurant).
• 22:30New Year's Eve: Zojoji (増上寺), with Tokyo Tower directly behind it. The 108 bell strikes begin just before midnight; ringing it yourself needs a limited ticket handed out from 1 Dec, watching does not. The grounds stay open from 06:00 on the 31st straight through to 17:30 on 1 Janverified, 2025–26. The Yamanote line and Toei metro run all night.
• Skip Shibuya: the station-front countdown has been cancelled six years running; the Hachiko area is fenced off on the night with heavy policingverified.

PlacesTsukiji Outer MarketSenso-jiTokyo SkytreeZojojiTokyo Tower

Fri 1 Jan

Hatsumode at Meiji Jingu, then teamLab

Metropolitan Marunouchi · night 3

• 09:30Sleep in. Hatsumode at Meiji Jingu (明治神宮): open 00:00–18:30 on New Year's Day, the busiest first shrine visit in Japan at three million people a year, worst from 22:00 on the 31st to 03:00 and after 10:00 on each of the first three daysverified, 2026 schedule. Arrive 09:30 via the temporary New Year exit at Harajuku station (原宿駅) and expect about an hour in the line.
• 12:00Omotesando and Harajuku: most shops are shut on the 1st, which makes the streets pleasantly quiet; convenience stores and chain cafés are open. Watch the fukubukuro queues on Takeshita-dori.
• 15:00teamLab Planets (チームラボプラネッツ) in Toyosu: immersive art walked barefoot through water, adults from S$29 (¥3,600)verified starting price, varies by date. Buy the 1 Jan slot online early; popular times sell out.
• 18:30Dinner at a Yaesu chain that is open on the 1st (look for “元日営業”), or the New Year menu booked through the hotel.

PlacesMeiji JinguHarajuku StationOmotesandoteamLab PlanetsToyosu

Sat 2 Jan

The Imperial Palace New Year greeting, Ginza lucky bags, Shibuya

Metropolitan Marunouchi · night 4

• 08:30The Imperial Palace New Year greeting (新年一般参賀) happens on 2 Jan only. Walk 15 min from the hotel to Nijubashi (二重橋). Entry through the main gate 09:30–14:10; the Emperor and family appear on the Chowaden balcony, in 2026 at 10:10, 11:00, 11:50, 13:30 and 14:20verified 2026 schedule; 2027 pending the Imperial Household Agency. Strict bag checks, so travel light and arrive early; 08:30 gets you into the first appearance.
• 12:00Out through Sakashita gate and on to Ginza (銀座): department stores hold their first sale of the year on 2 Jan, the fukubukuro (福袋, lucky bags) go on sale and queues wrap around Mitsukoshi and Matsuya; Chuo-dori is pedestrianised on weekend afternoons.
• 15:00Shibuya (渋谷): Shibuya Sky or the top of Scramble Square for the crossing. The shopping district trades normally over New Year.
• 18:30A last proper dinner in Shinjuku or Ginza, then pack; the train leaves at 7 tomorrow.

PlacesNijubashi, Imperial PalaceGinzaShibuya CrossingShinjuku

Sun 3 Jan

Home to Singapore

Home tonight

• 07:00Check out and take the Narita Express (成田エクスプレス) from under the hotel to Narita Terminal 1, 55 min, S$25 (¥3,070)verified, reserved a month ahead in Welcome Suica Mobile or on the JR East site; 3 Jan is the tail of the homecoming rush, do not count on buying at the counter.
• 08:15At Narita. Tax refunds: from 1 Nov 2026 Japan switches to “pay the tax, refund on departure”; scan your passport at the airport refund counter or kioskverified, new system, and allow an extra 30 min.
• 10:25Batik departs, one stop, landing at Changi 20:20; Royal Brunei at 11:45 arriving 20:35 is the equivalent backup. If SIA's SQ637 nonstop is sensibly priced, take it: seven hours and home.
• The 3rd is the last day of Japan's New Year return rush; the Narita Express and the airport are both packed, so keep to the times above.

PlacesTokyo StationNarita Airport Terminal 1

3. Hotels

28 Dec–3 Jan is Japan's peak homecoming and New Year week: Tokyo and Sapporo rates run 40–70% above normal, and onsen ryokan charge special year-end tariffs. Lock all three on free-cancellation rates now, and re-shop once the year-end rates are released (usually 3–6 months out). The Google Hotels links carry the dates.

4. Tickets and Booking Rules

Prices converted at 1 JPY = 0.008111 SGD on 2026-09-05 (about ¥123 to the Singapore dollar); the yen price in brackets is what you pay on the ground. Asahiyama Zoo and Sapporo Kokusai figures are the 2025–26 season's; 2026–27 notices usually appear in October–November and take precedence. Singapore passports get 90 days visa-free, so no visa for this 10-day trip; the JESTA electronic travel authorisation only starts in 2028.

5. Booking Timeline

Sync ticks to another device

6. Gear List (Hokkaido −10 °C dry cold, Tokyo 2–10 °C)

7. Risks and Backups

8. Budget (two sharing a room, per person)

About S$4,431 per person, S$8,861 for two. Carry ¥30,000 (S$243) cash each as a float, not counted above.

Flights (S$1,755) and hotels (S$1,582) are 75% of the per-person total; all the tickets together come to S$254. Savings in order: Keio Plaza in Sapporo and Mitsui Garden in Tokyo save about S$324 per person; the two domestic legs booked now may come in at half the projection; if SIA's nonstop matches Batik on 3 Jan, switch. Rate 2026-09-05, 1 JPY = 0.008111 SGD.

9. Before You Land