Explore Hakodate’s rich history and culture with a private, customizable tour led by a licensed guide. Discover European architecture, churches, and more.
Explore Hakodate’s rich history and culture with a private, customizable tour led by a licensed guide. Discover European architecture, churches, and more.
- Mount Hakodate - Mount Hakodate (函館山, Hakodateyama) is a 334-meter-high, forested mountain located at the southern tip of the peninsula where much of central Hakodate is situated. On clear days and nights, the views from the mountain are breathtaking and are considered one of Japan’s top three night views, alongside those from Nagasaki’s Mount…
- Mount Hakodate - Mount Hakodate (函館山, Hakodateyama) is a 334-meter-high, forested mountain located at the southern tip of the peninsula where much of central Hakodate is situated. On clear days and nights, the views from the mountain are breathtaking and are considered one of Japan’s top three night views, alongside those from Nagasaki’s Mount Inasa and Kobe’s Mount Rokko.
The summit, accessible by ropeway, bus, or car, offers facilities such as observation platforms (free of charge), souvenir shops, a café, and a cafeteria-style restaurant.
- Onuma Quasi-National Park - Recognized as a “quasi-national park,” Onuma Park (大沼公園, Ōnuma Kōen) is located just twenty kilometers north of Hakodate. It is renowned for its scenic, island-dotted lakes and the impressive volcano, Mount Komagatake.
Onuma Park is easily accessible for a day trip from Hakodate or as a stopover on a journey between Hakodate and Sapporo, as most limited express trains between the two cities stop at Onuma Koen Station, the central railway station.
-
Goryokaku Park - Goryokaku Park is a historic star-shaped fort in Hakodate, now a beloved public park. Originally constructed in the late Edo Period as a Western-style fortress, it later became the site of the final battle between the Tokugawa shogunate and the Meiji government. Today, the park is celebrated for its cherry blossoms, with over 1,000 trees blooming in early May. Visitors can also enjoy panoramic views from the nearby Goryokaku Tower.
*Entry to Goryokaku Park is free, but there is an admission fee for Goryokaku Tower. - Hakodate Morning Market - The Hakodate Morning Market (函館朝市, Hakodate Asaichi) operates daily from 5 am (from 6 am during winter) to noon, just a short walk from JR Hakodate Station. The market area covers about four city blocks.
Products available include various types of fresh seafood such as crabs (kani), salmon eggs (ikura), and sea urchin (uni), as well as fresh produce like melons. Numerous restaurants in the market area offer fresh seafood breakfasts, such as uni-ikura domburi.
- Motomachi - Hakodate’s harbor was one of the first to open to foreign trade in 1854 after Japan’s period of isolation ended. Consequently, many traders from Russia, China, and Western countries moved to Hakodate. Motomachi, at the base of Mount Hakodate, became a favored district among the new foreign residents.
Many foreign-style buildings remain in the area today. Among the most notable are the Russian Orthodox Church, the Old British Consulate, the Chinese Memorial Hall, the prefectural government’s former branch office building, and the old Hakodate Public Hall (closed from November 2018 until April 2021).
Admission
300 yen
- Kanemori Red Brick Warehouse - Hakodate Port was among the first Japanese ports to open to international trade towards the end of the Edo Period (1600-1867). Several red brick warehouses from the trading days remain along the waterfront in Hakodate’s bay area and have been transformed into a charming shopping, dining, and entertainment complex.
In addition to a typical selection of trendy souvenir, fashion, interior, and sweets shops, the complex also features a restaurant, a beer hall, a chapel for weddings, and sightseeing cruises of the bay.
- Bay Hakodate - The Bay Area facing Hakodate Port offers a sweeping view of the harbor. This area features a row of historic red-brick buildings that have been converted into a unique shopping mall, inviting visitors to enjoy shopping or a tea break.
- Hakodate Museum of Northern Peoples - The Hakodate Museum of the Northern Peoples is housed in a building that once served as the Japan Bank, constructed in 1926. The museum is dedicated to Ainu culture and provides a fascinating insight into this indigenous culture, which is not widely known outside of Japan.
Visitors can also learn about other indigenous groups in Japan, such as the Sakhalin, who are from an island north of Hokkaido that is now part of Russia.
![](https://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/attractions-splice-spp-720x480/0a/5a/47/f9.jpg)
- Meet up with guide on foot within designated area of Hakodate
- Licensed Local English-speaking Guide
- Customizable Tour of your choice of 3-4 sites from ‘What to expect’ list
- Meet up with guide on foot within designated area of Hakodate
- Licensed Local English-speaking Guide
- Customizable Tour of your choice of 3-4 sites from ‘What to expect’ list
- Transportation fees, Entrance fees, Lunch, and Other personal expenses
- Private Vehicle
- You cannot combine multiple tour groups.
- Guide Entry fees are only covered for sights listed under What to Expect.
- Transportation fees, Entrance fees, Lunch, and Other personal expenses
- Private Vehicle
- You cannot combine multiple tour groups.
- Guide Entry fees are only covered for sights listed under What to Expect.
This value-packed journey with a government-licensed and seasoned tour guide offers a wonderful and efficient way to discover Hakodate!
Hakodate boasts a rich history of international trade and once hosted a small foreign community. This influence is visible in the European architecture, churches, and red-brick warehouses that can be admired from the…
This value-packed journey with a government-licensed and seasoned tour guide offers a wonderful and efficient way to discover Hakodate!
Hakodate boasts a rich history of international trade and once hosted a small foreign community. This influence is visible in the European architecture, churches, and red-brick warehouses that can be admired from the nostalgic streetcar that tours the city.
Share your interests, and a personalized six-hour tour will be crafted just for you!
Note1: Please choose your must-see locations from a list provided in the tour information to create your personalized itinerary.
Note2: The National Government Licensed Guide Interpreter certification, issued by the Japanese government, requires a comprehensive knowledge and understanding of Japanese culture and history.
- This is a walking tour. Pick up is on foot.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.