Full-day tour from Sapporo: Asahiyama Zoo & Biei Blue Pond & Shirogane Falls or Farm Tomita
Last updated: August 26, 2026
Discover the natural beauty and seasonal highlights of central Hokkaido on a full-day tour to Asahiyama Zoo, Biei Blue Pond, and either Shirogane Falls or Farm Tomita, depending on the time of year. Departing from Sapporo, this popular excursion combines unique wildlife encounters with some of Hokkaido's most picturesque landscapes.
Itinerary
Route
Departure
- Start point: Sapporo TV Tower
- Stop at: Sunagawa Service Area (Southbound)
- Stop at: Asahiyama Zoo
- Stop at: Shirahige Waterfalls
- Stop at: Shirogane Blue Pond (Aoiike)
- Stop at: Ningle Terrace
- Stop at: Iwamizawa Service Area (Northbound)
- End point: Sapporo TV Tower
Frequently Asked Questions
The itinerary swaps one stop with the seasons: in lavender season (peaking in July) the tour visits Farm Tomita's flower fields, while the rest of the year you get Shirogane Falls next to the Blue Pond. Asahiyama Zoo and the Biei Blue Pond anchor both versions.
In winter — roughly late December to mid-March, snow permitting — the king penguins parade through the grounds twice a day, and it's the zoo's signature moment. In other seasons, the behaviour-focused enclosures like the seal tube and the polar bear pool carry the visit.
Naturally occurring minerals in the water scatter blue light, and the standing larch trunks do the rest. The shade shifts constantly — brightest on clear, still days, milky turquoise after rain, and otherworldly under the winter illumination when the pond freezes. It's never quite the same twice.