Hokkaido ToursSapporo to Furano and Biei: Train, Car or Day Trip
Last reviewed August 2026
Getting from Sapporo to Furano and Biei comes down to three options, and the simplest of them is the seasonal Furano Lavender Express: about 2 hours, 5,440 yen, running select dates through the 2026 summer. A year-round alternative runs via Takikawa for around 4,000 yen, and Biei needs a separate connection via Asahikawa for around 6,000 yen. A rental car covers both towns in one day but means driving between farmland viewpoints that sit kilometres apart; a guided day tour from Sapporo starts at $42.59 and does that driving for you. Below is every option compared, a map of the Biei and Furano stops, and what changes once the Furano-Biei Norokko sightseeing train ends its 28-year run in September 2026.
Quick answer
The simplest way from Sapporo to Furano is the seasonal Furano Lavender Express: about 2 hours for 5,440 yen. Biei needs a change at Asahikawa and costs around 6,000 yen; a guided day tour from $42.59 covers both towns without the transfers. If you would rather not solve the logistics at all, Hokkaido tours out of Sapporo cover the same ground in one day.
Key takeaways
- Fastest: the seasonal Furano Lavender Express, about 2 hours for 5,440 yen, weekends and holidays 6 June to 23 September 2026
- Cheapest year-round: limited express to Takikawa then a local train, about 2 hours for around 4,000 yen
- Biei needs a separate connection via Asahikawa, about 2 hours of travel for around 6,000 yen
- A rental car is the only way to reach several Biei viewpoints on your own schedule; see what a rental car adds to the day
- The Furano-Biei Norokko sightseeing train ends its 28-year run on 28 September 2026, so 2026 is its last season
- For the full price comparison against a guided day, see Hokkaido day trip prices
The Three Ways to Get There
As of August 2026. Fares and schedules shift with the season, so treat this table as a starting point and confirm current fares before booking.
Time, cost and what each option gets you
| Option | Time | Cost | What it gets you |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seasonal Furano Lavender Express | about 2 hours | 5,440 yen | Direct, no transfer, covered by the JR Pass and Hokkaido Rail Pass, seasonal dates only |
| Limited express + local train via Takikawa | about 2 hours | around 4,000 yen | Year-round, one transfer, covered by the JR Pass, Hokkaido Rail Pass and the Sapporo-Furano Area Pass |
| Limited express + local train via Asahikawa (for Biei) | about 2 hours of travel | around 6,000 yen | The route to Biei specifically, longer with a poor connection |
| Rental car | about 2 to 2.5 hours driving | not verified, budget 6,000-9,000 yen a day plus tolls | Full control over Biei's scattered viewpoints, no bus timetables |
| Guided day tour with pickup or meeting point | 9 to 10 hours, round trip | from $42.59 | Both towns in one day, no driving or transfers, a guide included |
The writer's pick
For a single visit to Furano only, the seasonal Lavender Express in summer or the Takikawa route the rest of the year is the simplest independent option. For Biei specifically, or for both towns in one day without renting a car, the guided day tour is the more practical choice, since it removes the seasonal-bus problem described below.
By Train
Two separate routes, because Furano and Biei sit on different branch lines.
To Furano, year-round
Outside the lavender season, take the limited express to Takikawa, about one hour, then change to a local train for the final hour to Furano. Total travel time is about 2 hours for around 4,000 yen, and the fare is covered by the Japan Rail Pass, the Hokkaido Rail Pass and the Sapporo-Furano Area Pass. Tickets are bought at any JR Hokkaido ticket window or machine; reserved-seat tickets for the limited-express leg are recommended in peak season.
To Biei
Biei sits on the Furano line north of Furano itself, reached from Sapporo via a limited express to Asahikawa, about 85 minutes, then a local train south to Biei, about 30 minutes. Total travel time is about 2 hours, for around 6,000 yen, and the trip runs longer if the connection at Asahikawa is poor. This is also the route used to reach Asahiyama Zoo, a further roughly 40 minutes by bus from Asahikawa station.
The Seasonal Sightseeing Trains
Two trains exist only for the flower season, and one of them is running its last year.
The Furano Lavender Express
A direct seasonal service from Sapporo to Furano, about 2 hours for 5,440 yen, covered by the Japan Rail Pass and the Hokkaido Rail Pass. In 2026 it runs weekends and national holidays from 6 June to 23 September, and daily from 13 June to 11 August, the window that overlaps the lavender peak.
The Furano-Biei Norokko, ending in 2026
The Norokko is a separate, slower sightseeing train that connects Asahikawa, Biei and Furano directly, running three round trips a day on weekends and holidays from 6 June to 23 September 2026, and daily from 13 June to 11 August. The base fare from Asahikawa to Furano is 1,380 yen, plus a compulsory reserved-seat ticket. JR Hokkaido has announced that the Norokko ends its 28-year run on 28 September 2026, so the 2026 season is the last chance to ride it before it is retired.
| Train | Route | 2026 dates | Fare |
|---|---|---|---|
| Furano Lavender Express | Sapporo to Furano, direct | Weekends/holidays 6 June-23 September; daily 13 June-11 August | 5,440 yen |
| Furano-Biei Norokko | Asahikawa - Biei - Furano | Same seasonal dates; ends for good 28 September 2026 | 1,380 yen base plus reserved-seat ticket |
By Rental Car
The only way to reach several of Biei's viewpoints on your own schedule, and the option with the most seasonal risk.
Why a car earns its price here
Biei's sights, the Patchwork Road, the Panorama Road, Shirogane Blue Pond, Shirahige Waterfall, sit kilometres apart across open farmland, served by seasonal local buses that run only a handful of times a day. A car turns that into the most flexible day in the region: stop wherever the light is good, skip the queue at a coach's fixed photo stop. Budget roughly 6,000 to 9,000 yen a day for a compact car plus Do-Ō Expressway tolls; we have not verified a specific rental price, so treat that as a planning range rather than a quote.
Parking runs 500 yen at Shirogane Blue Pond and around 800 yen at Shikisai-no-Oka.
Winter changes the calculation
Driving the Asahikawa road in winter means packed snow and ground blizzards that close sections with little notice. Unless you are used to driving on packed snow, a guided day tour is the safer choice in the December-to-March window, not just the easier one.
By Day Tour
The option that removes the transfer and timetable problem entirely, at the cost of a fixed schedule.
What a guided day buys
A guided day tour from Sapporo starts at $42.59 for a nine-seat van, or $47.52 for the forty-seat coach version, and covers the driving between sights that sit kilometres apart, along with the 800-yen Shikisai-no-Oka gate on both listings. A different combination pairs Biei with Asahikawa rather than Furano: the zoo and Blue Pond day folds in the 1,000-yen Asahiyama Zoo admission instead of the flower fields. The trade-off is time: the tour runs 9 to 10 hours door to door and you give up the freedom to linger, in exchange for not having to plan bus connections or drive unfamiliar farm roads.
The full price and inclusion comparison against the train and the rental car is at Hokkaido day trip prices, and the honest case for and against the format is at are Hokkaido day trips worth it.
Where the Stops Sit
The main Biei and Furano stops, from the station north of the flower farms to Asahikawa's rail hub. Distances here are why a car or a tour, not a straight bus route, is how most visitors cover them in one day.
Can You Do Furano and Biei in One Day?
By train, it's tight
Combining both towns by train in one day means the Norokko connection while it still runs, or careful timing between the Takikawa and Asahikawa routes, since they are separate lines that do not meet at a shared midpoint. It is possible but leaves little slack for a delayed connection.
By car or tour, it's the norm
A rental car covers both towns comfortably in a single day, since the drive between Biei and Furano's flower fields is short once you are already in the area. Every guided day tour compared on this site that runs the northern route already combines both towns in one 9- to 10-hour day, which is the main reason travellers choose the tour over the train in the first place.
Which Option Fits You
If Visiting Furano only, in lavender season
The seasonal Furano Lavender Express: about 2 hours, 5,440 yen, no transfer
If Visiting Furano only, outside lavender season
The Takikawa route: about 2 hours, around 4,000 yen, year round
If Visiting Biei, or both towns, comfortable driving
Rent a car: the only way to reach the Patchwork Road and hilltop viewpoints on your own schedule
If Want both towns without driving or transfers
Book a guided day tour from $42.59, covering the driving between stops
If Traveling December to March
Choose the tour over the rental car unless you are experienced on packed snow; the Asahikawa road closes sections in bad weather
Winter Changes Everything
Trains keep running; driving gets harder
The limited express services to Takikawa and Asahikawa run year round, so the train options in this guide hold in winter. What changes is the road: the seasonal Lavender Express and the Norokko do not run outside their summer windows, and the Do-Ō Expressway and the Asahikawa road both see ground blizzards that close sections with little notice. The flower stops themselves, Farm Tomita and Shikisai-no-Oka's summer bands, are also seasonal and closed or bare in winter, so a Furano-Biei day in December through March is really a Blue Pond and Asahikawa day rather than a flower day.
For the fuller route-by-route price comparison across seasons, including how compare Hokkaido day trips lines up all nine tours on price and hours, see the homepage catalog.
Sapporo to Furano and Biei: Common Questions
How do I get from Sapporo to Furano without a car?
The seasonal Furano Lavender Express in summer, about 2 hours for 5,440 yen, or year round via a limited express to Takikawa then a local train, about 2 hours for around 4,000 yen.
Is there a direct train from Sapporo to Biei?
No. Biei needs a limited express to Asahikawa, about 85 minutes, then a local train south to Biei, about 30 minutes, for around 6,000 yen total.
How much does the Furano Lavender Express cost?
5,440 yen for about 2 hours, running weekends and holidays from 6 June to 23 September 2026, and daily from 13 June to 11 August.
Is the Furano-Biei Norokko train still running?
Yes, through the 2026 season, but JR Hokkaido has announced it ends its 28-year run on 28 September 2026, so this is its last year.
Can I get to the Blue Pond by bus from Biei station?
Yes. A local bus from Biei station reaches the Blue Pond entrance; one departure at 10:34 arrives at 10:56.
Is it better to take a tour or drive yourself to Furano and Biei?
A rental car gives full control over Biei's scattered viewpoints and suits travellers comfortable driving unfamiliar roads. A guided day tour from $42.59 removes the transfers and the seasonal-bus timetable problem, and covers both towns in one day; see are Hokkaido day trips worth it for the fuller trade-off.
How much does a Hokkaido day tour to Furano and Biei cost?
From $42.59 for the nine-seat van, or $47.52 for the forty-seat coach; both include the 800-yen Shikisai-no-Oka gate. Full pricing detail at Hokkaido day trip prices.