Prince Hotel BlogsWhen staying at Hakodate Onuma Prince Hotel, you are blessed with a wealth of entertainment, food, cultural significance and sightseeing right on your doorstep. Often, people visiting this main city of Hakodate aren’t staying for very long periods, and that can make you feel anxious that you are missing out on the best it has to offer, or that there is too much going on to choose. Thankfully, we have put together this 48-hour guide to make sure you get a taster of all the city’s best bits before heading on your way.
For the first day of your two-day stint, we recommend you eat breakfast at your hotel. While travelling and eating around is important in getting a scope, missing out on the Hakodate Onuma Prince Hotel’s breakfast spread is a mighty waste. Even the view from the hotel’s breakfast room is an attraction in itself, never mind the buffet! (That said, you should most definitely mind the buffet)
As most golf-enthusiasts will know, an 18-hole golf day uses up the entirety of your day. However, if you are passionate about the sport, there is no better way to spend one of your two days than to head to the hotel’s Hokkaido Country Club. If you aren’t particularly partial to a game of golf, though, follow the following day guide.
For a morning of site-seeing, head to the Yakura shrine, which is a little distance from the hotel but ensures you see the most important bits of the city. If you are unsure of the best route to take, ask your hotel concierge for advice on the trains, cars and taxi services available. Once there, it is totally worth the distance – the shrine, which dates back to the 15th century, displays ancient Japanese architecture at its finest. This is a shinto shrine.
Address: 2 Chome-28-1 Yunokawacho, Hakodate, Hokkaido 042-0932, Japan
For lunch, if you aren’t taking the golf option, in which case you will have it at the ever-so glamorous golf club at Hokkaido Country Club, you will need to find somewhere in the city to enjoy. A great option is Seafood Izakaya HAKOYA, which also happens to be in prime location for your afternoon activities. This Izakaya restaurant – which essentially translates to a sort of Japanese tavern – serves up some of the most reasonably priced and simultaneously delicious rice bowls and seafood.
Address: Japan, 〒040-0001 Hokkaido, Hakodate, Goryokakucho, 30−10 1F
Right by the lunch-spot, you will find Goryōkaku, a famous historical park which has a 5-pointed star-shaped 1860s Edo period fortress with a moat! The park is also a prime location to do some cherry tree (sakura) viewing. There is an option to hire a boat and padel your way around the star, and we highly recommend you make the most of this. Picture little multicoloured boats going down a cherry blossom lined moat and you find you are not just picturing something out of a romantic film you saw recently, but rather your reality.
Address: 44 Goryokakucho, Hakodate, Hokkaido 040-0001, Japan
Head back to the Hakodate Onuma Prince Hotel, as it is worth visiting even if you aren’t a guest in the hotel. The restaurant offers an utterly gourmet experience from the main dining room, serving up everything from sushi to the chef’s gastronomical specials.
Make a reservation: https://www.princehotels.co.jp/hakodate/restaurant/main_dining/
Though you might be tempted to have the hotel breakfast after how delicious it was the day before, we recommend that if you only have a couple of days in Hakodate, that you make the most of its variety and head somewhere different. A great spot for this is Table De Rivage, which sits on Lake Ouma. This lakeside cafe is picturesque and the perfect way to start your day.
Address: 141 Onumacho, Nanae, Kameda District, Hokkaido 041-1354, Japan
Make a reservation: https://gengoro.jp/rivage/
You shouldn’t be wasting your chance to make the most of Lake Onuma when you are so close after your brunch-spot. Take one of the lake cruises on offer, which can be booked through Table De Rivage on arrival. This barge-type structure is basically a floating outdoor terrace, so you can enjoy tea and apple pie whilst cruising around admiring the breathtaking scenery.
Address: 141 Onumacho, Nanae, Kameda District, Hokkaido 041-1354, Japan
Make a reservation: https://gengoro.jp/rivage/
After a brunch and then tea and cakes on Lake Onuma, you probably won’t be hungry until it is time for an early dinner, so head straight to Onuma Quasi-National Park visitor centre to begin the process of earning that dinner. From here, you can go for a hike, explore the cycling trails, visit a dormant volcano or even go fishing. This is a pinnacle of outdoor beauty so be sure to make the most of the activities on offer.
Address: Onumacho, Nanae, Kameda District, Hokkaido 041-1354, Japan
After the exciting activities at Lake Onuma for the most of day two of your 48 hour guide, you are going to be well and truly ready to tuck into a delicious dinner. Head back towards your hotel, so that you aren’t travelling into the late night later, and dine at the Hokkaido Country Club. Here, and still part of your hotel’s group, they serve up everything from pizza to traditional ramen – whatever tickles your fancy after the energetic work you’ve done this afternoon.
Address: Nishionuma, Nanae, Kameda District, Hokkaido 041-1355, Japan
More info: https://www.princehotels.co.jp/golf/hokkaido/
And, voila! A two-day schedule that will ensure you leave Hakodate feeling fulfilled and as if you have really made the most of what the area has to offer. From golfing and boating to mountain biking and fishing, shrine-visiting to iconic historical parks in the shape of a star, you have not only got an emotional enriching line-up planned but also one which warrants thousands of pictures that can be posted to Instagram as soon as you get home to make your friends and family suitably jealous (and perhaps encourage them to pay this wonderful city a visit some time in the future!)
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