Otaru City is a well-known day trip destination from Sapporo, Hokkaido. The distance between Sapporo and Otaru is approximately 37 kilometers (23 miles). So, traveling between the two cities is not too far and very doable.
So, what are the best ways to travel from Sapporo to Otaru?
Justin and I rely on Japan’s incredible public train system to travel around the country. It was our first time visiting Otaru for a day, and we were impressed that the rapid train took only 35 minutes one way!
Besides the train, driving a car, taking the Express Bus, and taking a day tour are other transportation options.
Whether it’s your first time visiting or a return visit to Otaru, we’ll share details on how to get to Otaru from Sapporo by train, car, bus, or tour. You can also take the same transportation to return from Otaru to Sapporo.
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Sapporo to Otaru By Train
We’re huge fans of taking the train to travel around Hokkaido.
This train travels between the two cities several times per hour. So, if you miss one, you can hop onto the next one. You can search for the train schedule here.
- The fast option: A 35-minute train ride on the Japan Railways (JR) Rapid Airport Line
- The slower options: A 40 to 47 minute ride on the JR Airport Line or JR Hakodate Line
For the Rapid Airport Line, there are non-reserved and reserved seats. The non-reserved seats are free for all, and visitors can sit anywhere.
Usually, one car is for reserved seating and requires an additional ticket at an extra cost. The reserved seats have plush seats and a tray table, so it’s more comfortable. If you have a JR Pass, then you can reserve a seat for free. We’ll talk about this more below.
Cost (One-way)
- The Rapid Airport Line: 800 yen for non-reserved and 1,640 yen for reserved seating for adults
- Local Line: 800 yen per person
How to Buy a Train Ticket
You may buy a ticket at the ticket machine, use an IC transportation card, or use a JR Pass.
With Cash
Use the ticket machine to buy the train fare. Cash is required.
With IC Transportation Card
The IC Card is convenient to use as you add funds to the card and swipe it at the station turnstile to pay for fares. You can also use the IC card for bus fares and to purchase stuff at convenience stores.
One IC card can be used throughout the entire country. Examples of IC cards are Suica, Pasmo, or ICOCA.
This is the Hello Kitty ICOCA card that we bought from Kansai Airport Station and can use in most Hokkaido train lines
With JR Pass
If you have a JR pass, such as the JR Hokkaido Area, Sapporo Furano Area, Sapporo Noboribetsu, or JR All Japan Pass, you do not need to buy a ticket. You can insert your pass into the station’s turnstile, enter the station, and take the train.
With the JR pass, you can reserve seats for free (or within your pass rules). You can reserve directly with the ticket agent or use the Reservation ticket machine. Read this PDF on how to use the ticket machine to reserve seats.
We used the Sapporo Furano Area Pass and reserved our Sapporo to Otaru seats one day before our travel date. From Otaru to Sapporo, we made a reservation with the ticket agent at the end of our day exploring Otaru. We booked the next available train heading to Sapporo.
Here is the JR Sapporo Furano Area Pass and the two reserved seats that we took from Sapporo to Otaru and Otaru to Sapporo
Sapporo to Otaru By Car
If you have a rental car, you can drive directly to Otaru from Sapporo. You have more flexibility with the scheduling when driving a car.
The route is 37 kilometers (23 miles) and will take 40 minutes one way. We suggest using Google Maps to plan your driving route.
Note: You’ll need an International Driver’s Permit (IDP) to drive a car in Japan. If you’re from the U.S. you can get one from AAA. It’s what we used to get our IDP.
Please read the rental car’s license or permit requirements before reserving the car.
Otaru has paid parking lots and street parking.
Sapporo to Otaru By Bus
From Sapporo Station and other areas of the city, there is a direct bus to Otaru Station on the JR Hokkaido Otaru Expressway. It’ll take approximately an hour to travel one way.
Pick up includes Sapporo Station, Sapporo Odori, and Sapporo Clock Tower. We’re not sure of the exact pick up location along the bus route. We haven’t taken this bus route, but we would go directly to the Sapporo Station Bus Area as the starting point.
The bus pick up to Otaru is around the Sapporo Tower area
On weekdays, the bus travels at least 4 times per hour from Sapporo to Otaru. On weekends, the bus comes at least once an hour.
Click here for more information and the schedule.
Cost (one-way)
The fare is 730 yen each way.
Note: If you have a JR Pass, you’ll need to check if you can use the pass for this route or any JR Hokkaido buses. We had the 4-day Sapporo Furano Area Pass, and we could not use the pass for the JR Hokkaido buses. We would need to pay for the ride.
Sapporo to Otaru By Tour
The last option is to take a join-in or private tour, which includes car or bus transportation.
The cost will vary depending on the number of people on the tour, whether the tour is customized, and if the tour is a join in or private tour.
Here are some options to consider on Get Your Guide:
We used Get Your Guide to book a few tours and would recommend them. We haven’t had any issues with booking tours with them.
Final Thoughts
Which of these transportation options will you take to get to Otaru from Sapporo? Whether you’re starting from Sapporo Station or somewhere in Sapporo City, we hope you feel more at ease with the various options for traveling to Otaru.
Read our other blog posts about Otaru:
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