Gathering the gems worth your time…
Destination guide
Hakodate
Japan
Hakodate (函館) is a port city in Southern Hokkaidō, Japan. Separated by the 20-km long Tsugaru Strait (津軽海峡) from Honshu, Japan's main island, the city has naturally been seen as an entrance to Hokkaido.
Introduction quoted from Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA
At a glance
- Best time to go
- May–July and September–October
- Vetted picks
- 27 places — 1 backed by 3+ independent sources
- Real coverage
- 10 vetted creator sources — mostly locals
AI insights
Local-ledComputed from the Wikivoyage listings, transport section and mostly LOCAL creators' videos on this page
The most-viewed guide here is "北海道【函館】絶対に外せない観光スポット20選を一気に紹介します！" by ゆめたび全国版【観るガイドブック】 (319K views) — a solid first watch.
ゆめたび全国版【観るガイドブック】 and OMOTENASHI TV are creators from here, not a visiting channel — worth watching for what the guidebooks skip.
Getting around: getting around — the section below has the details straight from Wikivoyage.
7 of the places below list a real price from their own source — worth a scan before you budget the trip.
How these 27 picks are sourced
5 of 27 are named by a second, independent source — Japan Guide, Lonely Planet and Nick and Helmi — and each card names its own. The remaining 22 rest on the reference article alone: we list them because Wikivoyage or Wikipedia documents them, not because anyone else vouched for them. We also watched 10 creator videos, 7 of them from local channels rather than visiting ones. 23 of the 27 descriptions are quoted word for word from Wikivoyage under CC BY-SA rather than written by us, as is the introduction above — each of those cards says so. What we add is the checking, the corroboration above, and the choice of which places are worth your time at all.What we can't promise is that it's still true. Venues close, hours and prices change, and we don't re-check them — a place here closed for good and sat on this page for a year before anyone noticed. The insights are AI-written from these sources and can be wrong too. Confirm anything you'd be sorry to be wrong about before you set out. Terms.
Watch first
Ranked by views and how well each landed with the people who watched it, judged against the other coverage of this place — plus a local creator where we found one.
北海道【函館】絶対に外せない観光スポット20選を一気に紹介します！
ゆめたび全国版【観るガイドブック】 · 319K viewsLocalja
Ultimate HOKKAIDO Hakodate Travel & Food Guide for First Time Traveler to Japan
Nick and Helmi · 122K views
![[4K]函館観光で外せないおすすめの観光スポット19選をルート順にご紹介します！北海道旅行[函館朝市・金森赤レンガ倉庫・八幡坂・函館山・五稜郭・湯の川温泉など]hokkaido,hakodate](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/Ci-Z6yakFUQ/hqdefault.jpg)
[4K]函館観光で外せないおすすめの観光スポット19選をルート順にご紹介します！北海道旅行[函館朝市・金森赤レンガ倉庫・八幡坂・函館山・五稜郭・湯の川温泉など]hokkaido,hakodate
OMOTENASHI TV · 181K viewsLocalja
HAKODATE Travel Guide 🇯🇵🚋🐟 15 Things to do in HAKODATE in Hokkaido, Japan ⛴️⛪️🏯
Samuel and Audrey - Travel and Food Videos · 71K views
【函館観光・総集編】リピーターによる絶対外せないおすすめの観光スポット、モデルコースを完全解説！グルメ、朝市、赤レンガ倉庫、八幡坂、五稜郭、函館山、夜景、温泉、クリスマスファンタジー、イルミネーション
青森単身赴任 · 100K viewsLocalja
Top 10 Things to Do in Hakodate, Hokkaido, Japan! 🇯🇵
Bucket List Urban Adventures · 10K views
【函館観光】函館のグルメと観光を堪能するドライブ旅行が最高すぎた！函館旅行vlog
bien旅行🤧国内旅行Vlogと観光スポット紹介 · 38K viewsLocalja
【函館旅行】函館を大満喫したい方必見！観光・グルメ情報満載！ 旅好き家族が本気で楽しんだ2泊3日モデルコース♪
コスパ重視！家族たび · 41K viewsLocalja
【函館観光・総集編】リピーターによる絶対おすすめ 函館の魅力・見どころ徹底紹介 最新映像増強版
青森単身赴任 · 32K viewsLocalja
【観光スポット】絶対行きたい！函館の定番観光スポット5選！
旅行好きのエイト / Eito Travel Channel · 10K viewsLocalja
Best time to go
Best window: May–July and September–October
January, February and December are the months to avoid — cold. The window below is when it is genuinely pleasant.
Jan
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May
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IdealGoodOkayOff-season
Rated from ten years of daily temperature and rainfall recorded at this destination, via Open-Meteo's ERA5 reanalysis. Hover a month for its real numbers.
Getting around
Getting around
Hakodate is connected by two (practically one that branches to the SW of the city) streetcar lines and roughly two-hundred bus lines. Take a ticket or tap the IC card reader when boarding, then drop the ticket in the ticket box or tap again when getting off.
Transport notes from Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA 4.0.
What to see
Places are listed from Wikivoyage and our own sourced research. Worth it means a second, independent source names the place too; “3 sources agree” means three or more do — and each card names them, so you can check. Single source means the opposite, said plainly: the reference article lists it and nothing else we checked does.
Mount Hakodate
Worth itAlso recommended by Lonely Planet and 1 other
A ropeway will take you up for ¥780/1280 one-way/return. There are also buses (by Hakodate Bus) from platform 4 of the main bus station in front of Hakodate Station in summer season (mid-April to mid-November). A trip back and forth will cost ¥400 each, however, the Day Pass is valid, making it a great deal! The bus frequently stops at stunning points along its venture up - this can be important as the top station is often covered in clouds.
Offers spectacular views of the city of Hakodate in clear weather and offers, according to locals, one of the three best night views of not merely Japan but the entire world (the other claimants…
Description quoted from Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA
Vetted sources
Mount Hakodate night view
Worth itAlso recommended by Lonely Planet and 1 other
Ride the ropeway up in three minutes to look down on the lit hourglass-shaped peninsula, ranked among Japan's top three night views.
Vetted sources
Goryōkaku Tower
Single sourceStopped here on camera: Nick and Helmi
Streetcar Goryōkaku-kōen-mae (五稜郭公園前) stop nearby Fort Goryōkaku (五稜郭)
From the 90-meter viewing platform you can get a striking view of the star-shaped fort.
Description quoted from Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA
Vetted sources
Fort Goryōkaku
Single sourceStreetcar Goryōkaku-kōen-mae (五稜郭公園前) stop
A star-shaped fort, a symbolic site to the city itself.
Description quoted from Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA
Vetted sources
Fort Hakodate Ruins
Single sourceFort Hakodate, also known as Tsugaru Fort (津軽要塞), is located on Mount Hakodate.
Description quoted from Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA
Vetted sources
Motomachi
Single sourceNear the foot of Mount Hakodate, all the way up to Kōryūjimae (高龍寺前)
This is the historical district. One popular attraction is the Old Public Hall of Hakodate Ward (旧函館区公会堂 Kyū-hakodateku-kōkai-dō), a European-style building which housed Hakodate's government in the early 1900s.
Description quoted from Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA
Vetted sources
Kōzen Temple
Single sourceKameo
This "Soto Zen" temple was built in 1954. The temple is a popular place for locals to honor their ancestors. This is also a nice place to feel seasons - see colored leaves in…
Description quoted from Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA
Vetted sources
What to do
Yachigashira Hot Springs
Single source5 minute walk from the Yachigashira (谷地頭) tram stop. This is stop is only on route 2.
A hot spring near Mount Hakodate. This is muddy hot spring as opposed to the clear hot spring at the Yunokawa Hot Springs on the other end of the tram line. Most users are…
Description quoted from Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA
Vetted sources
Yunokawa Onsen Footbath
Single sourceclose to Yunokawa-Onsen tram station· Free
A free foot bath with multi-lingual information signs about the history of the place. The water temperature is pretty hot, it takes a little time to get used to it.
Description quoted from Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA
Vetted sources
Port Festival
Single sourceThis is Hakodate's biggest carnival and known for very unique Hakodate Squid Dance (函館いか踊り Hakodate Ika-odori) in its parade Wassyoi Hakodate (ワッショイはこだて Wasshoi Hakodate).
Description quoted from Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA
Vetted sources
Kameo Agriculture Village
Single sourceKameo
Here you can experience agriculture. Everyone can enjoy this place. You can sow seeds and plant vegetables. For example, you can grow strawberries, rice, buckwheat and sweet potato. After the food developed, you can…
Description quoted from Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA
Vetted sources
Hakodate Christmas Fantasy
Single sourceA giant Christmas tree is displayed floating on the sea in the red-brick warehouses (金森赤レンガ倉庫群) area during the festival each year. Lighting-up events with fireworks are held every night.
Description quoted from Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA
Vetted sources
Hakodate Nanae Snowpark
Single sourceKameo
A mid-sized ski resort adjacent to Lake Onuma and accessible by bus from Onuma Station. Features 2 chairlifts and a gondola as well as a rental shop.
Description quoted from Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA
Vetted sources
What to eat
Hakodate Morning Market
3 sources agreeAlso recommended by Lonely Planet and 2 others
Stopped here on camera: Nick and Helmi
Wander roughly 250 stalls from 5am watching crab grilled over coals and squid pulled straight from ice, then eat a uni-ikura seafood bowl on the spot.
Vetted sources
Lucky Pierrot
Worth itAlso recommended by Japan Guide
next to Goryokaku tower and in twelve other locations across the city
This hamburger restaurant chain is exclusive to Hakodate, popular among citizens and known for reasonable prices.
Description quoted from Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA
Vetted sources
Lucky Pierrot, Bay Area Main Store
Worth itAlso recommended by Japan Guide
Try the Chinese Chicken Burger at this only-in-Hakodate chain, voted Japan's best local hamburger by Nikkei.
Vetted sources
Hakodate Beer Hall
Single sourceacross the street from the Starbucks in the akarenga district, the restaurant is the first on the left when you enter the building
This food-and-beer restaurant, located in a red brick warehouse in the akarenga district, combines a German bierhalle atmosphere into its interior design.
Description quoted from Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA
Vetted sources
Teuchi Soba Kitawase
Single source32-9 Honcho (本町32-9)
A small but very charming soba restaurant hidden along the main tram line running east.
Description quoted from Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA
Vetted sources
Asian Bar Ramai
Single sourceacross the street from the Hasegawa convenience store near to the Hakodate Shimbun Building
A small chain of Indonesian-style soup curry restaurants found in many locations across Hokkaido.
Description quoted from Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA
Vetted sources
Restaurants and food stalls at the Morning Market
Single sourcenext to the train station
Explore this lively market and its stalls. In and around the market are there many small restaurants where you can eat all kinds of preparations of squid and other fishes, including the "odori-don" dish.
Description quoted from Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA
Vetted sources
Rabbit Farm
Single sourceThis is a bakery. There are many delicious sweet rolls and cakes. There are apple pies, chocolate sticks, cream puffs and bread as well. This bakery often staffs disabled people, which gives them work…
Description quoted from Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA
Vetted sources
Where to stay
Tōyoko Inn
Single sourceThere are two of these hotels in Hakodate (Asaichi, Japanese for 'Morning Market' and Ekimae Daimon, Japanese for 'front of the station, large gate) and both are within easy walking distance of Hakodate station, Asaichi to the right as you exit the station, and Ekimae Daimon to the left as you exit the station. Both are visible on the skyline from the front of the station.
All Toyoko Inns are pretty much the same though the Asaichi one is a little bit more in amongst the action with the Morning Market nearby than the Ekimae Daimon.
Description quoted from Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA
Vetted sources
Oyado Aozora Inn
Single source22-4 Wakamatsuchō
A 2-minute walk from the Hakodate station. It is a cozy inn with clean tatami rooms run by an English speaking Japanese lady. Laundry available and the internet in the lounge area is free.
Description quoted from Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA
Vetted sources
Premier Hotel Cabin President Hakodate
Single sourceOpposite the train station
Formerly "Four Points by Sheraton". The rooms are small but the location is excellent. The bar on the 13th floor has nice views and can do you a decent martini.
Description quoted from Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA
Vetted sources
Comfort Hotel Hakodate
Single sourceAcross the square in front of the train station
A business hotel conveniently located next to the train station. Rooms are small but clean, and the price includes breakfast.
Description quoted from Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA
Vetted sources
Minshuku Sumitomo
Single sourceFive blocks (or street lights) straight on from Hakodate station, or take the bus to Omori-cho. Rooms are typical Japanese 15-tatami Spartan minshuku-style, bathroom included. In 2007, management did not speak English.
Description quoted from Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA
Vetted sources
Kingyo
Single sourceHoncho 9-3 Honcho Building 2nd Floor
Elegantly styled drinking establishment. "Nomi-ho Dai" more than 3 people; All you can drink 1½ hours-p/p.
Vetted sources
Build your day
Pick the places you want in Hakodate, Japan and we will put them on a map in an order that does not cross the city twice.
Where to next
Nearby cities in Japan we’ve vetted too.
Travel content from Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA 4.0. Encyclopedic context from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Videos via the YouTube Data API.