A day plan for Sapporo and Otaru with kids.
The zoo at midday, then Mt. Moiwa from late afternoon
Sapporo is a big northern city known for the night view from Mt. Moiwa, Maruyama Zoo and the Sapporo Snow Festival in winter, and a JR train west takes you to Otaru, where the old canal-side streets still stand. For a big family with grandparents and children, each place opens on different hours and closes on different days, and in winter the snow slows everyone down. So this article sets the order for a day in Sapporo and half a day in Otaru from the official opening hours, and works out the cost for 6.
This article contains promotional content (PR). We include Klook affiliate links for booking airport transfers, transport tickets, experiences, and luggage delivery. If you book through these links, we may earn a commission to help run the site (at no extra cost to you). Options not covered by our partners, such as JR and other public transport, are compared neutrally.
The order to goA day in Sapporo: the zoo at midday, Mt. Moiwa from late afternoon
The answer: if you want the night view, going to Maruyama Zoo at midday and the Mt. Moiwa Ropeway from late afternoon is the order the opening hours allow. The zoo closes in the late afternoon, and the ropeway runs into the night.
From the official pages of the Mt. Moiwa Ropeway and Sapporo Maruyama Zoo as of September 2026. The zoo's summer season is 1 March – 31 October, and its winter season 1 November – end of February. The ropeway's summer season is April–November, and its winter season December–March. The green marks are the first free shuttle buses to the base station (we could not confirm when they stop running).
| Place | Open | Last entry / last ride up |
|---|---|---|
| Maruyama Zoo (summer, 1 Mar – 31 Oct) | 9:30–16:30 | Last entry 16:00 |
| Maruyama Zoo (winter, 1 Nov – end Feb) | 9:30–16:00 | Last entry 15:30 |
| Mt. Moiwa Ropeway (summer, Apr–Nov) | 10:30–22:00 | Last ride up 21:30 |
| Mt. Moiwa Ropeway (winter, Dec–Mar) | 11:00–22:00 | Last ride up 21:30 |
| Mt. Moiwa mini cable car (mid-station → summit) | Summer 10:30–21:50, winter 11:10–21:50 | Last ride up 21:40 |
The ropeway and the mini cable car run every 15 minutes.
| When | What to do | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Morning | Tozai subway line to Maruyama-koen Station → about 15 minutes on foot, or about 5 minutes by JR bus from Maruyama Bus Terminal | If you stay in Kotoni, it is the same Tozai line with no change (6 minutes) |
| Midday to afternoon | Maruyama Zoo | In winter, go in by 15:30. You walk on snow, so start early |
| Late afternoon | From Maruyama-koen Station, take JR Hokkaido Bus route 循環円11 (Junkan En 11) to the "Moiwayama Ropeway" stop, about 15 minutes | The stop is connected to the boarding station. Routes 循環円10 and 循環円12 do not stop there |
| Evening | Mt. Moiwa Ropeway + mini cable car to the summit | Last ride up 21:30. The last 循環円11 bus back leaves at 21:23 |
- The 循環円11 bus fare is ¥240 for adults and ¥120 for elementary-school children and younger (Mt. Moiwa Ropeway official guide).
- The 循環円11 bus leaves Maruyama-koen Station between 10:10 and 21:10, roughly once an hour (twice an hour on weekdays from 16:00 to 19:59), and the last bus back from the Mt. Moiwa Ropeway leaves at 21:23 (JR Hokkaido Bus timetable, revised 1 April 2026). The ropeway runs until 22:00, but if you are taking the bus back to Maruyama-koen Station, leave the summit early. Whether the times change in winter has not been announced yet.
- Families staying in Otaru or at Asarigawa Onsen can take the JR Rapid Airport from Otaru-Chikko Station to Sapporo Station with no change (27–42 minutes in the September 2026 timetable), then take the subway to Odori and change to the Tozai line. How to get there is in New Chitose Airport to Sapporo and Otaru with a family of 6.
- How to choose a place to stay is in Sapporo and Otaru stays where 6 share one room.
What it costs for 6: ¥21,900 for the 3 places
The prices in this article are for 6: two parents, two (elementary-school) children and two grandparents.
The answer: Mt. Moiwa, the zoo and the canal cruise (daytime) come to ¥21,900 for 6. The zoo is free for junior-high age and under, so the children cost nothing there.
| What you pay for | 5 (4 adults + 1 child) | 6 (4 adults + 2 children) | 7 (4 adults + 3 children) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mt. Moiwa Ropeway round-trip set | ¥9,450 | ¥10,500 | ¥11,550 |
| Maruyama Zoo | ¥3,200 | ¥3,200 | ¥3,200 |
| Otaru Canal Cruise (daytime) | ¥7,700 | ¥8,200 | ¥8,700 |
| Total | ¥20,350 | ¥21,900 | ¥23,450 |
- Mt. Moiwa Ropeway round-trip set (ropeway + mini cable car): adults ¥2,100, children (elementary school and younger) ¥1,050. Preschool children ride free, up to 2 per adult.
- Maruyama Zoo: adults ¥800. Free for junior-high age and under.
- Otaru Canal Cruise (daytime): adults (junior-high age and over) ¥1,800, elementary-school children ¥500 (night cruise: adults ¥2,000, elementary-school children ¥500).
- Grandparents are counted at the adult price, because none of the 3 places has a senior price that visitors can use (the Mt. Moiwa senior discount ended on 31 March 2026, and free zoo entry for older people is only for Sapporo residents aged 70 or over).
- If your group is different: each extra adult adds ¥2,100 for Mt. Moiwa, ¥800 for the zoo and ¥1,800 for the cruise.
- Fares for getting around (subway, streetcar, JR, buses) are not included.
On weekdays, there is no free shuttle bus to Mt. Moiwa until late afternoon
The answer: the free shuttle bus from the streetcar stop to the base station starts at 17:17 on weekdays, and at 10:17 on weekends and public holidays (10:47 in winter). If you take the streetcar to Mt. Moiwa at midday on a weekday, the grandparents and children will walk to the base station. The JR Hokkaido Bus route 循環円11 from Maruyama-koen Station takes you to a stop connected to the boarding station.
The time on weekdays when the free shuttle bus starts running from the streetcar stop to the Mt. Moiwa base station.
Go by streetcar on a weekday before this time and it is a walk of about 10 minutes to the base station.
1. By streetcar Officially confirmed
From the "Ropeway-iriguchi" streetcar stop, about 1 minute on foot to the shuttle bus stop, then about 2 minutes by shuttle to the base station. When it is not running, it is about 10 minutes on foot (about 0.5 km).
2. From the zoo Officially confirmed
From Maruyama-koen Station, JR Hokkaido Bus route 循環円11 to the "Moiwayama Ropeway" stop takes about 15 minutes. The stop is connected to the ropeway boarding station. Buses run 10:10–21:10, roughly once an hour, and the last one back leaves at 21:23 (JR Hokkaido Bus timetable, revised 1 April 2026). Whether the times change in winter has not been announced yet.
3. Swap the order on weekends Organised from official information
On weekends and public holidays the shuttle bus runs from the morning, so if the night view is not a must, you can swap the order. The zoo's closing time stays the same.
Look at Mt. Moiwa Ropeway tickets first
The official price we use is for the round-trip set (ropeway + mini cable car). Check the child categories and prices on the booking page.
Check prices and availability on the booking page. Free rides for preschool children (up to 2 per adult) are from the official guide.
Each place closes on different days
The answer: the zoo closes on Wednesdays, and Mt. Moiwa at New Year and during its spring inspection. Fix your dates first, then set the order.
| Place | Closed |
|---|---|
| Maruyama Zoo | 2nd and 4th Wednesday of every month (1st and 4th in August; the next day if it is a public holiday) / in April and November, Monday–Friday of the week with the 2nd Wednesday / 29–31 December |
| Mt. Moiwa Ropeway | 31 December and 1 January / annual maintenance inspection (not yet announced for 2027; in 2026 it was 1–23 April) |
In 2026, the zoo's closed week in April fell inside the Mt. Moiwa inspection period. If you go in spring, check both official notices before you fix the day.
OtaruIn Otaru, build around the canal cruise, on a different evening from the night view
The answer: building Otaru around the canal cruise (40 minutes) makes it easy to fit into half a day, and it runs in winter on boats with a roof. If you take the night cruise, do it on a different evening from the Mt. Moiwa night view.
- The day cruise and the night cruise both take 40 minutes.
- In winter it runs in the snow on boats with a roof. Some boats have heated seats.
- Seats on shared departures can be bought online up to 1 hour before departure. For a private boat for just your family, send a request at least 5 days ahead.
- Children's prices: elementary-school children pay ¥500. Children not yet at elementary school (infants and toddlers) are also ¥500 each, but 1 per accompanying adult goes free.
- Split the night views over two evenings: the first in Sapporo on Mt. Moiwa, the second on the night cruise in Otaru.
- Getting to Otaru: JR from Sapporo to Otaru Station. 34–46 minutes on the Rapid Airport (September 2026 timetable), adults ¥800 and elementary-school children ¥400 (as of September 2026). If you stay at Asarigawa Onsen, take the Chuo Bus from Otaru-Chikko Station. Details are in our transport article.
In winter, the Snow Festival and the Snow Light Path overlap on 6–11 February
The answer: in 2027, the Sapporo Snow Festival (4–11 February) and the Otaru Snow Light Path (6–13 February) overlap on 6–11 February. To see both, these are the 6 days, but places to stay cost more.
| Event | Dates | What is known |
|---|---|---|
| 2027 Sapporo Snow Festival | Thu 4 Feb – Thu 11 Feb (public holiday) | Sites at Odori, Tsudome and Susukino. In 2026 the Odori site was lit until 22:00 (the 2027 times are due to be announced in mid-December 2026) |
| 2027 Otaru Snow Light Path | Sat 6 Feb – Sat 13 Feb | Sites and lighting hours not yet announced. In 2026 the lights were on 17:00–21:00, at sites including the canal, the old Temiya Line, the Otaru Art Base and Mt. Tengu |
Snow Festival weekends make stays expensive Our own search
On the Saturday during the Snow Festival (6 February 2027), the only vacancy for 6 at a place in Kotoni was a special room, about ¥35,000 more than the following Saturday (a family room) (our own Rakuten Travel search). How to choose a stay is in our stay article, and winter clothes and boots are in our snow gear guide.
Honest notes (5)
These are things we have not been able to verify, so we do not assert them.
Bus frequency, waiting time for changes and walking time
The ride times in the model day are official figures, but we could not confirm how often buses other than 循環円11 run or their winter times, the waiting time for changes, or the walk from the zoo to the station. Use the table as a guide to the order.
The 2027 Mt. Moiwa annual inspection has not been announced
In 2026 it was 1–23 April. If you go in spring (around April), check the official site.
The 2027 Snow Festival lighting hours, and the Snow Light Path sites and hours, have not been announced
In 2026 the Snow Festival's Odori site was lit until 22:00, and the Snow Light Path was lit 17:00–21:00 (the Snow Festival's 2027 details are due on the official site in mid-December 2026).
Senior prices for grandparents
None of the 3 places has a senior price that visitors can use, so we calculated at the adult price.
Waiting times and crowds
There are no official figures, so we have not written about them.
Sapporo and Otaru day plan with kids: FAQ
Can we do Sapporo's zoo and Mt. Moiwa in one day?
Yes. The zoo closes at 16:30 (16:00 in winter) and the ropeway runs until 22:00, so if you want the night view, go to the zoo at midday and to Mt. Moiwa from late afternoon.
Do we have to walk to the Mt. Moiwa base station?
There is a free shuttle bus (about 2 minutes) from the "Ropeway-iriguchi" streetcar stop. It starts at 17:17 on weekdays and at 10:17 on weekends and public holidays (10:47 in winter). When it is not running, it is about 10 minutes on foot. If you take JR Hokkaido Bus route 循環円11 from Maruyama-koen Station, it goes to a stop connected to the boarding station (about 15 minutes).
What do children pay?
The zoo is free for junior-high age and under. At Mt. Moiwa, elementary school and younger pay the child price, and preschool children ride free, up to 2 per adult. On the canal cruise, elementary-school children pay ¥500, and children not yet at elementary school also pay ¥500, but 1 per adult goes free.
Does the Otaru Canal Cruise run in winter?
Yes, on boats with a roof, even in snow.
What if we want to see both the Snow Festival and the Otaru Snow Light Path?
In 2027, both run on 6–11 February. Places to stay cost more during this period.
📍 One of the articles in our Sapporo and Otaru trip plan (Sapporo & Otaru | Trip plan for large families / all tickets and experiences articles)