15 Drive-Out Places From Sapporo We’d Actually Take You

A practical local road-trip guide to 15 places worth driving to from Sapporo.

This is not a list of famous Hokkaido attractions.

ZEN Home Finds focuses on places where the drive itself is part of the experience - quieter towns, local food, open roads, seasonal scenery, everyday businesses and places that feel made for locals rather than tourists.

Inside the guide, we explain not only where to go, but why we would actually drive there and what we would do once we arrived.

What’s included:
　• 15 drive-out destinations from Sapporo
　• Short drives, half-day trips, full-day road trips and overnight options
　• Why ZEN picked each area
　• Specific restaurants, cafés, hotels, onsen and local facilities
　• Practical ideas for what to eat and what to do
　• Best for / Avoid if guidance
　• Suggested places to combine in the same trip
　• English PDF guide
　• Direct access to the interactive Drive Out of Sapporo Map from inside the guide

Featured areas include:
Jozankei, Naganuma, Nanporo, Kitahiroshima, Eniwa, Chitose, Lake Shikotsu, Otaru, Zenibako, Furano, Biei, Obihiro, Shiraoi, Noboribetsu and Muroran.

This guide is for:
　• Travellers with a rental car
　• Couples and families who want to explore beyond central Sapporo
　• Repeat visitors to Hokkaido
　• People who care about local food, scenery and everyday places
　• Travellers who prefer local atmosphere over tourist-heavy destinations
　• Anyone who wants to understand what is actually worth doing once they leave Sapporo

This is not:
A ranking of Hokkaido’s most famous sightseeing spots.

Some well-known places are included, but only when there is a specific reason we would use them differently — for example, visiting Otaru later in the day, using Chitose as more than an airport stop, or combining Noboribetsu with Shiraoi and Muroran.

The point of this guide is not to collect attractions.

The road, the food, the scenery and the local pace are part of the experience.

Early Edition
Opening hours, prices, road conditions, seasonal access and business information can change. Please confirm time-sensitive details before you travel.

Digital product
You will receive the ZEN Drive Out of Sapporo Guide as a PDF.

The guide includes direct access to the interactive Drive Out of Sapporo Map, so you can open it from your phone or computer while travelling.