| Ski Pass | ¥15000 1 day ticket ¥34000 25 hour ticket ¥90000 Season pass |
| Opening Hours | 09:00 - 20:00 (weather depending |
| Closed | - |
| Contact | 011-136-46-3331 011-136 46-3111 (Reservations Center) https://rusutsu.com/ |
| Accommodation | Rusutsu Resort Hotel The Westin Rusutsu Resort The Vale Rusutsu Camp Village (summer) |
| Getting There | Rusutsu is about a 2 hour drive from Sapporo station. There are a few ways to get to the resort. 1. Direct Ski Bus (Easiest) ⏱Time: ~2 hours 💴Cost: ¥3,000–¥3,500 one way Rusutsu operates official ski buses during the winter season (usually Dec–Apr). Buses depart from Sapporo Station or major hotels (e.g. Sapporo Prince Hotel, ANA Crowne Plaza). Drop-off is directly at Rusutsu Resort Hotel — no transfers. Advance reservations are usually required. Where to book: Rusutsu Official Bus Service or 3rd-party services like Hokkaido Resort Liner, Good Sports, or SkiJapan. 2. Train + Bus Combo (Cheaper but slower) ⏱ Time: ~2.5–3 hours 💴 Cost: ~¥2,500 one way Take a JR train from Sapporo Station → Toya Station (about 1 h 45 min). From Toya Station, take the Donan Bus to Rusutsu Resort (approx 50 min). Note: Service frequency may be limited in winter — check Donan Bus schedules. 3. Private Shuttle or Taxi ⏱ Time: ~1.5–2 hours 💴 Cost: ¥25,000–¥35,000 (one way, car for up to 4 people) Available through services like SkyExpress, Whiteroom Tours, or Hokkaido Resort Liner private charter. 〒048-1711 Hokkaido, Abuta District, Rusutsu, Izumikawa, 13-13 |
There are quite a few ski resorts all over Hokkaido. Rusutsu is one of the more well known ones. It is located only a couple of hours from Sapporo and unlike the Niseko ski resort, it is not as busy though it is getting more popular over the years. There are many options for accommodation at and near the resort. The Rusutsu Resort Hotel, The Westin Rusutsu Resort and The Vale. Other options and one of the best value options is Rusutsu Lodges which is located across the road. The ski fields themselves have 18 lifts in total, which includes 4 gondolas and 14 chairlifts. There are 37 ski runs across its three peaks: West Mountain, East Mountain, and Mt Isola. Ski and snowboard gear is available to rent. For everything including skis or snowboard it will cost up to ¥20,000. The huge resort also has more than 30 restaurants ranging from casual cafés and snack spots to full-service French, Italian, Japanese and buffet-style dining. The resort also has onsens, massage, shopping and rest areas. During the off peak times (summer), the resort extends to things like golf courses, amusement park rides, outdoor activities, and camping.
| Height | 1,023 metres |
| Length | 10km round trip |
| Hiking Time | Summer - 3 hours to summit |
| Notes | Hiking trail, popular ski field in winter, car access |
| Location / Getting There | To hike the trail during summer. Drive to Heiwa no Taki (peace waterfall). This drive is a 30 minute drive east from central Sapporo. From the shrine near the waterfall you can find the trail head. During winter, it is a 1 hour drive from central Sapporo. The easiest route is to get on route 5 and then turn left onto the road that leads up to the mountain top. Heiwa, Nishi Ward, Sapporo, Hokkaido 063-0029 |
Mt Teine is a very popular mountain on the western outskirts of the city of Sapporo. The mountain has an elevation of 1,023 meters, or 3,356 feet. This mountain is busy during summer as well as winter. During the winter months Mt Teine serves as a ski resort which sees thousands of locals and visitors enjoying the ski slopes whether it be skiing, or snowboarding. Mt Teine was one of the sites of the first Winter Olympics held in Asia, in 1972. This mountain hosted the giant slalom and slalom events in alpine skiing.
During the summer months there are hiking trails that lead to the summit of the mountain. For those who don’t wish to hike the trail (which takes about 2 hours to the top), there is an access road which can be used to drive up where you can enjoy the views over Sapporo and Ishikari Bay. The trail head can be found at Heiwa no Taki (peace waterfall). There is parking here and you can find the trail next to an old shrine here. Along the path you can see the Nunojikino Falls, a small waterfall, plus along the path you can pick wild vegetables including mushrooms. The trail turns into a rocky slope near the top so be sure to wear suitable foot wear.
| Mt Tengu Ropeway | ¥1200 Adult round trip ¥600 Child round trip *discount for groups of 20 or more ¥1500 Adults round trip ticket + ¥800 meal coupon: |
| Opening Hours | 9:30 - 21:00 |
| Closed | - |
| Contact | 0134-33-7381 |
| Notes | Observatory, gift shop, restaurants, hiking path, Squirrel park, shrine, snow gallery, Wheelchair access |
| Location / Getting There | Take the Chuo (#9 天狗山ロープウエイ線) bus from Otaru station terminal, or Otaru canal terminal. Get off at "Tenguyama" (last stop). Takes about 15 minutes. 2-chōme-16-16 Mogami, Otaru, Hokkaido 047-0023 |
Great views
[the_ad id=”4264″]
“Tengu” of Japanese folklore
Once alighting the cablecar, you will first enter the gift shop and restaurant, where you can sit and have lunch, dinner or coffee. If you need lockers, there are a few here for ¥500 for the day, and which are cheaper than the lockers at the bottom of the mountain. It is here too, you can see the Otaru Winter Museum, and the Tengu Hall which has fantastic Tengu masks on display. Outside, there is “Nausea’s Tengu”, a giant Tengu sculpture, which if you touch the nose, your wishes will come true. Behind this is a squirrel enclosure (open only during the summer), and a shrine, known as “Tengusan Shrine”. The shrine in the evening is lit by lanterns and is especially beautiful during this time.
One of the observation points
Circling around the top of the mountain is a small hiking path. It takes about 25 minutes to walk around. It is a pleasant walk and while walking around there are a couple of clear vantage points that offer beautiful views over the surrounding area. Finally, for kids and adults there is a downhill bobsled track that runs for 400 meters. The track costs ¥500 for adults and ¥300 for children. The track is closed during bad weather. All this during the summer, and during the winter there is skiing and snowboarding as well! A great place for family and friends.
Impressive views up
To get to the mountain, you can drive or take a bus. Buses leave from Otaru station, and Otaru canal bus terminal. For night viewing, there is an ‘Otaru Nightview Shuttle Bus’ (小樽夜景シャトルバス). This shuttle bus leaves from the the Otaru Grand Park Hotel at 18:50 and 19:20. It does a run through Otaru, stopping further at Hotel Otaru Furukawa, Hotel Sonia, Hotel Nord, Otaru Canal Bus Terminal, The Bank of Japan Otaru Museum, Inaho Jujigai, and the Otaru Train Station Bus Teminal. It operates from the end April until the start of November and costs ¥210 per adult, and ¥110 per child.
