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Dubai to southern Hokkaido: Hakodate and Ōnuma

Dubai → Hakodate → Ōnuma

Ōnuma
"Oonuma swamp.JPG" by 100yen 12:21, 9 October 2006 (UTC), CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons· licence

A star-shaped fort & lake islands Best season (general guide): Jun–Sep

Hakodate, at Hokkaido's southern tip, was one of the first Japanese ports opened to foreign trade, in 1859, and it mixes a fishing-port morning market with hills of Western churches and consulates. This route spends four nights in Hakodate and two at Ōnuma, a short train ride north. From Dubai you'll connect via Tokyo to Hakodate.

How to pace it: on arrival evening, take the ropeway up Mount Hakodate for the night view over the city's lights on its narrow isthmus, one of the most famous views in Japan. Start day two at the morning market near the station, where crab, squid and sea urchin are served on rice bowls; squid is the signature catch, sliced into thin noodles as ika sōmen. Then walk the Motomachi slopes, where old consulates and churches recall the port's foreign community, and the red-brick Meiji-era warehouses on the waterfront.

Give day three to Goryōkaku, a star-shaped fort built in the 1860s and the scene of the last battle of the Boshin War in 1869, when the Republic of Ezo surrendered. Climb the Goryōkaku Tower next to it to see the star shape from above. Keep day four for the hot springs at Yunokawa.

On day five, take the train to Ōnuma Quasi-National Park, where lakes scattered with small islands are linked by bridges under Hokkaido Komagatake, an active volcano. Day six is for lake walks and cycling.

Practical notes: June to September is the warm season. If you travel overland from Honshu instead of flying, the Hokkaido Shinkansen reaches Hakodate through the Seikan Tunnel, one of the longest undersea tunnels in the world.

Safety: Canada asks travellers to Japan to take normal security precautions (updated 29 Sep 2026), and the US rates Japan Level 1 (15 May 2025).

Suggested outline

  1. Dubai

    Start

  2. Hakodate

    By air · 4 nights suggested

    A port city with a famous night view and a morning market.

    Hakodate night view Mount Hakodate
    "Mount-Hakodate Night-view.jpg" by MaedaAkihiko, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons· licence

  3. Ōnuma

    By train · 2 nights suggested

    Lakes dotted with small islands under a volcano.

Day by day

  1. Day 1 · Hakodate — Arrive; the night view from Mount Hakodate· Dubai → Hakodate (by air) — long-haul; may arrive the next calendar day
  2. Day 2 · Hakodate — Morning market and Motomachi
  3. Day 3 · Hakodate — Goryōkaku fort
  4. Day 4 · Hakodate — Hot springs at Yunokawa
  5. Day 5 · Ōnuma — Train to Ōnuma· Hakodate → Ōnuma (by train)
  6. Day 6 · Ōnuma — Lake walks and cycling
  7. Day 7 · Ōnuma — Travel home from Ōnuma· Ōnuma → Hakodate (by train), then Hakodate → Dubai (by air)

A suggested pace only; expedition days are set by the operator.

Flights, leg by leg

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Hakodate

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Ōnuma

Nearest airport: Hakodate Search fares · Hakodate ↗

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