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Experience the magic of Hokkaido in winter: Sapporo Snow Festival Guide

MaiRie
Feb 19, 2023
2 min read

Updated: Jan 27, 2024

If you're planning a trip to Hokkaido to see the Sapporo Snow Festival, you've come to the right place. In this blog, I will be sharing some information about the Sapporo Snow Festival, including what you can expect, the best time to visit, accommodation options, food, and other winter events and activities in Hokkaido that you should not miss.

Sapporo Snow Festival

What is Sapporo Snow Festival?

Sapporo Snow Festival Hokkaido Tower Susukino

The Sapporo Snow Festival, also known as the Sapporo Yuki Matsuri or さっぽろ雪まつり, is an annual winter celebration held in Sapporo, the capital city of Japan's northernmost main island of Hokkaido. The city is renowned for its heavy snowfall, which averages six meters annually, making it the perfect destination to showcase the beauty and wonders of winter. Every year, the sculptures on display vary, so visitors can always look forward to seeing something new.

When's the next Sapporo Snow Festival?

February 4, 2024- February 11, 2024

When's the best time to see the sculptures?

Sapporo Snow Festival Hokkaido Tower Susukino Day

The first day of the sculpture festival is the busiest as the sculptures are fresh, whereas, by the last day, they tend to melt depending on the temperature.

I also recommend seeing it both day and night as it gives a different perspective of the sculptures, especially how the details are highlighted at night.

Facilities and Events

There are various stages with performances taking place at different times of the day (especially at night), as well as food stalls, a police station, and facilities where you can warm up your body.

So what happens after the festival?

We all know how Japanese are very punctual. Trucks would come to clean up the exhibition as soon as the event ends. I didn't expect to see the sculptures destroyed and dumped in a truck - I guess that's another perspective to see!

What's nearby

The Ganso Ramen Yokocho

Grab something warm at Ramen Yokocho. This 42-meter-long narrow alley features 17 popular miso ramen shops in Sapporo.

Kuni Mitsu's spicy miso noodles are definitely worth a try!

Milk Mura Sapporo

The 'ice cream shop' we found seemed to be really unique that even at late hours, people would actually queue for their ice cream. We didn't realize that it was a bar until we got in.

This bar was something

Milk Mura is not your average ice cream shop in Sapporo. What makes it unique is that it serves soft ice cream made from high-quality Hokkaido milk. The bar owner has a superb collection of well-chosen liqueurs, which you can choose from to drizzle your ice cream. The bar has a cozy, fairy-tale-like atmosphere, and the counter is lined with various kinds of liqueurs. It was a unique experience, 'bar' and 'ice cream' experience.

The bar owner gave us his recommendations, and of course, I didn't miss the Sakura liqueur, which I loved so much!

Tokeidai

Nijo Market

Hokkaido is famous for its delicious seafood, and one of the best places to buy it is Nijo Market. This market is a popular destination for both locals and tourists who want to purchase fresh local produce and seafood, including crabs, salmon eggs, sea urchins, and various kinds of fresh and prepared fish.