How Do You Get to Otaru from Sapporo and New Chitose Airport?

Published 2026-10-04 · Sources checked 2026-10-04 · Treasure Hunting Co., Ltd.

This guide is for visitors who plan to reach Otaru, the old port city on Hokkaido's west coast, and who want to know how the airport, the rapid train, the bus, the ferry and the car fit together. It also lists the tourist information centres where English is spoken.

We used the Otaru Tourism Association's Japanese access page, its English site "Visit Otaru" and the Hokkaido official tourism site. All pages were read on 2026-10-04. Times are the association's estimates and fares are mostly not given, so check the operator before you travel. We name no hotels or restaurants and left out phone numbers.

Flying in

Most visitors from outside Hokkaido fly to New Chitose Airport near Sapporo. The association's page lists approximate flight times to the airport: from Tokyo (Haneda or Narita) about 1 hour 30 minutes, from Osaka (Itami or Kansai) about 1 hour 50 minutes, from Nagoya about 1 hour 40 minutes, from Sendai about 1 hour 15 minutes and from Fukuoka about 2 hours 15 minutes. It also lists international routes, for example Seoul about 2.5 hours and Taipei about 3.5 hours. These are only a guide.

By train

From New Chitose Airport and from Sapporo the association recommends the Rapid Airport train. It stops at Otaru-Chikko, Minami-Otaru and Otaru. A reserved "U-Seat" costs 520 yen extra, and the page says it lets you sit even when the train is crowded.

• Sapporo to Otaru: 32 minutes at the shortest.
• New Chitose Airport to Otaru: 75 minutes at the shortest.

If you come from elsewhere in Japan, the association says to take the Hokkaido Shinkansen and a limited express to Sapporo, then change to the Rapid Airport. For trips inside Hokkaido it lists the shortest limited express times to Sapporo: about 3 hours 40 minutes from Hakodate, about 2 hours 30 minutes from Obihiro and about 1 hour 25 minutes from Asahikawa.

By bus

The association says the Koso Otaru-go highway bus from Sapporo, run by Hokkaido Chuo Bus, is fast and convenient. If you land at New Chitose, you change at Sapporo for this bus. There is also an airport connecting bus that starts in Otaru and, according to the page, takes you between New Chitose Airport and Otaru without a change. The page lists the bus companies' Otaru terminals but not today's timetable.

By ferry

The association lists overnight ferries from Niigata and Maizuru to the Otaru Ferry Terminal at Katsunai Wharf. Niigata to Otaru takes about 18 hours and Maizuru to Otaru about 20 hours. From the terminal to JR Otaru Station the page estimates about 10 minutes by taxi, and to Otaru-Chikko Station about 5 minutes. Inside the city you use route buses or taxis.

The page shows the usual departure times. From Niigata the ship leaves at 12:00 and arrives at 4:30 the next morning, on Tuesday to Sunday sailings. From Maizuru the ship leaves at 23:50 and arrives at 20:45 the next evening. It says some days have no sailing and that the timetable can change, so ask the ferry company first.

By car

The association's driving times, which it measured with an online map, are about 1 hour 20 minutes from Sapporo by National Route 5, about 2 hours 30 minutes from New Chitose Airport and about 4 hours 30 minutes from Hakodate. It warns that traffic changes the time. The page links to a parking guide for the canal and Sakaimachi Street area and to road information from the highway operator and the national road office.

Tourist information centres

The English site lists four centres run by the association. Staff at the first three speak English, Chinese and Korean, according to the page.

• International Information Center in the canal area: open 9:00 to 20:00 and certified by the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) as a Category 2 centre. It also lends wheelchairs and baby carriages and has a foreign currency exchange machine.
• Otaru Station Information Center, just outside the ticket gate: open 9:00 to 18:00, JNTO Category 1.
• Asakusabashi Information Center on the canal: open 9:00 to 18:00, JNTO Category 1.
• Sakaimachi Street Information Center: it gives advice on standard sightseeing courses and hidden spots.

The page adds that hours change with the season and events.

Walking to the canal

The Hokkaido tourism site says the Otaru Canal is about 10 minutes on foot from JR Otaru Station, or about 10 minutes by car from the Otaru Interchange. The association's history page calls it a pleasant downhill stroll from the station. For what to see there, read our guide to the Otaru Canal and the port area.

Money

The English site says you can exchange foreign currency at machines in a few places, including the International Information Center, and that you can withdraw yen at convenience store ATMs with a credit card or cash card. It warns that supported cards differ between stores, that a card marked as supported can still fail and that your card issuer may add a fee. Check the machine on site.

What we could not verify, and therefore left out

• Current fares and timetables for trains, buses and ferries.
• Which ferry sailings run on your dates.
• Parking prices near the canal.

Related guides

• What is the Otaru Canal, and how do you walk the port area?
• When should you visit Otaru? Climate, seafood and festivals

Sources

All URLs retrieved 2026-10-04.

1. Access to Otaru (Otaru Tourism Association, in Japanese) — (flights, trains, buses, ferries, driving)
2. Information Center (Visit Otaru, Otaru Tourism Association) — (centres, hours, languages)
3. Currency Exchange (Visit Otaru, Otaru Tourism Association) — (exchange and ATM notes)
4. History (Visit Otaru, Otaru Tourism Association) — (walk from the station)
5. Otaru Canal (Hokkaido official tourism site) — (directions)