Emily Ting Tokyo Cheapo Author

Niseko is easily the most popular skiing destination in Japan. It's famous for getting lots of dry powder snow (usually upwards of 15 meters) every year, and it's one of the few places in the country where you can ski off-trail. What's more, the major uptick in international visitors has made Niseko more accessible than ever. Here's everything you need to know about getting from Tokyo to Niseko. Pro tip: Want private transfers to or from the airport? NearMe is offering a special discount for Tokyo Cheapo readers for up to off your first trip. Niseko is in Japan's northernmost prefecture, Hokkaidō. You can opt to take a plane (plus a bus or a train), drive (sort of), or -- thanks to the Hokkaidō Shinkansen -- take the train to Niseko. Read on for details. Also read: Our guide to the 2024/25 Niseko season. Flying from Tokyo to Niseko 5 hrs Fly to New Chitose Airport + train or bus to Niseko From for the flight + for a direct coach to the resorts Alas, Hokkaidō is far from Tokyo, so flying is usually the fastest option. Sapporo's New Chitose Airport is the most convenient airport for Niseko. The flight from Tokyo to Sapporo takes about 1.5 hours, though, of course, you'll need to factor in the time of getting to and from the airports. Prices can vary wildly depending on the time of year and the airline. Low-cost carriers like Peach, Jetstar, Skymark, and Hokkaidō's own Air Do are obviously the more affordable options. Our guide to getting from Tokyo to Sapporo has more details, as well as tips on saving money. Pro tip: Send your baggage from New Chitose Airport to your accommodation, for easier travel. Getting from New Chitose Airport to Niseko The most convenient way to get from Sapporo's airport to Niseko Ski Resort is to take one of several direct coach services. You can also take a train from New Chitose to Kutchan, the best train station for accessing Niseko, or rent a car and drive yourself from the airport to Niseko. Pro tip: If you're traveling in a group, booking a can be affordable. Buses from New Chitose Airport to Niseko From per adult, one way Book here Between December 9, 2024 and March 31, 2025, you can take a direct shuttle bus between New Chitose Airport and Niseko. The journey takes about 3.5 hours to reach the final stop. There are seven departures per day between 9:40 a.m. and 5:45 p.m. from the domestic terminal, and five departures between 1:50 p.m. and 5:55 p.m. from the international terminal. The bus stops at various places in the Niseko Ski Resort area, including Hilton Niseko Village, Niseko Northern Resort Annupuri, and Niseko Grand Hotel. You can book your tickets online in English. There are also services available that operate between Sapporo City and Niseko. Trains from New Chitose Airport to Niseko per adult one way From New Chitose Airport, it's an approximately 3-hour train ride, on JR lines, to Kutchan Station, where you can hop onto a shuttle bus to the ski resort. Pick up a Rapid Airport service to Otaru (75 mins), and then transfer to a JR Hakodate line train to Kutchan (75 mins). The journey costs about if you don't have a rail pass (if you do, the trains are covered). The following rail passes cover the journey between New Chitose Airport and Kutchan: The countrywide Japan Rail Pass The East–South Hokkaidō Pass from JR East The JR Hokkaidō Pass Read more about Japan's regional rail passes. Private transfer from New Chitose Airport to Niseko Ski Resort From per group up to four passengers/ From per group up to nine passengers | You also have the option of booking a private transfer from New Chitose directly to your accommodation. Even though it's more costly, this is a great option for families and people traveling in groups because you pay per vehicle -- not per person. You won't have to worry about transfers or trudging through the snow with all your luggage, and it's completely private. Special offer: NearMe is offering a special discount for Tokyo Cheapo readers for up to off your first trip for groups of up to four passengers. Viator offers private transfers for around for a group of four, or per group of up to nine passengers. Getting from Tokyo to Niseko by train 7 hrs or more from Tokyo Station + transfer time 2 transfers (at Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto & Oshamambe stations) From to Kutchan Station (or completely covered by a rail pass) The Hokkaidō Shinkansen has made it a lot easier to get to Niseko by train. In a little over 4 hours, you can get all the way from Tokyo to Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto Station. From there, you can either take a JR Limited Express Hokuto train (70 mins) or a regular JR Hakodate line train (3 hrs 10 mins) for Oshamambe. The Limited Express train will cost an extra . At Oshamambe Station, transfer to a local JR Hakodate line train for Kutchan (90 minutes). Without a rail pass, the total cost of the one-way train journey between Tokyo and Kutchan is . That's not using the faster and pricier Limited Express Hokuto service from Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto. If you use the Limited Express train from Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto, the total cost is around more -- but you'll get there 2 hours sooner. The following rail passes cover the entire train journey from Tokyo to Kutchan Station (the gateway to Niseko): the countrywide Japan Rail Pass, and the East–South Hokkaidō Pass. Getting from Kutchan Station to Niseko Ski Resort The small station of Kutchan is the gateway to the ski resorts of Niseko, and it's only 20–25 minutes from the station platform to the ski lifts. There is a shuttle bus service running between Kutchan Station and Hilton Niseko Village daily, from 7:50 a.m. to 4:40 p.m. The bus runs to Hilton Niseko Village three times per day, but runs as far as Hirafu Welcome Center six times per day. The bus is free for those with valid ski passes, or costs one way. Once at the resorts, you can use the Niseko United Shuttle Bus, which runs on an hourly basis between all the resorts from December 1, 2024 to April 6, 2025. This service runs between approximately 7:40 a.m. and 6 p.m., depending on your direction. There are three later services running until about 8 p.m. during peak season (December 14, 2024 to March 23, 2025). This service is also free for those with valid ski passes, and has a charge of a few hundred yen for those without. If you prefer, there are taxis available for the short journey, with the ride to Hilton Hirafu costing about , as a rough marker. Niseko tour packages If you like to just click, pack, and go, there are sometimes good packages available. Here's one to consider: Niseko Grand Hirafu Lift Pass and return bus from Sapporo per person Book here This package includes a 6-hour lift pass for Niseko Grand Hirafu and a round-trip bus from Sapporo. It's great value if you're in Sapporo and just want to hit the slopes for a day. There are several pick-up points in Sapporo, so there's sure to be one that's convenient for you. However, one thing to note is that this package charges full price () for children aged three and up, so it might not be the cheapest option for families. It also doesn't include equipment rental. You can rent snowboard and ski equipment at Niseko separately. Driving (and other unconventional ways of getting to Niseko) First things first: you can't actually drive all the way from Tokyo to Niseko. That's because there's no public road access through the Seikan Tunnel that connects the two islands, Honshū and Hokkaidō. This means at some point you (and the car, if you're taking it all the way) have to get on a ferry. It's also a big reason why you can't get a long-distance coach bus from Tokyo to Niseko. There is also the question of driving in winter in Hokkaidō: this is probably not something you want to attempt unless you have a lot of practice driving in harsh winter conditions. Ferries to Hokkaidō The most obvious ferry connection is the one between Ōarai, in Ibaraki Prefecture (about an hour from Tokyo), and Tomakomai, which is in southern Hokkaidō and a 2-hour drive from Niseko. This ferry takes 17 hours and costs a minimum of per person one-way (or if you're bringing a car). There's also the option of driving all the way to Aomori (at the northern tip of Honshū) and taking a ferry from there. But really, we don't recommend driving from Tokyo to Niseko. Driving from Sapporo to Niseko makes a lot more sense. Read about renting a car in Japan. While we do our best to ensure it's correct, information is subject to change. Post first published in December 2017. Last updated in January 2025, by Patrick Balfe.

Emily Ting

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