Getting from New Chitose Airport to the Lake Shikotsu Ice Festival: lighting hours 16:30–20:00, a reservation-only shuttle, about 400 parking spaces, and the ride back.
If you land at New Chitose in the afternoon and want to catch the evening lighting at the Lake Shikotsu Ice Festival, the question to settle first is how you get back, not how you get there. Visit Hokkaido lists the 2027 festival as 30 January to 23 February, open 10:00–20:00 daily, with the lights on from 16:30 to 20:00. The ice sculptures look best after dark, so you will probably be leaving at night. (Source: Visit Hokkaido event page)
Three ways to reach the Ice Festival from the airport
The organisers' shuttle. The Chitose tourism site announced a shuttle for 2026, Hyoto Blue Liner, running from New Chitose Airport via JR Chitose Station to the venue. Seats must be reserved in advance, online or through Sapporo Kanko Bus. That page gives no timetable or last departure, and it covers 2026 only, so wait for the 2027 announcement. (Source: Chitose tourism 2026 notice)
Driving or a private car. Visit Hokkaido gives about 40 minutes by car from the airport, depending on traffic and snow. The venue has about 400 parking spaces.
JR plus a bus. You change at Chitose Station, which means handling your bags at every transfer, and that is no fun on snowy ground. Check the operators' own sites for timetables.
Planning the evening so you are not stuck on the way back
The lighting runs 16:30 to 20:00. To see it properly you will stay into the dark, and the official pages we found do not say whether a return bus lines up with that. A safer plan:
- Decide where you sleep that night. Returning to Sapporo adds a night drive on snowy roads; staying at Lake Shikotsu onsen avoids it.
- If you take the shuttle, confirm the last departure when you reserve.
- If you book a private car, tell us how late you want to stay and whether you then go to Sapporo or back to the airport, and our team will confirm the waiting and pick-up arrangement.
If you land with suitcases
The festival is an outdoor snow site and a suitcase is a nuisance there. It is easier to drop your bags at your Sapporo hotel first, or to keep them in a private car. Whether the car can wait close to the venue is something to mention at booking, and our team will confirm it.
Continuing to Sapporo
For the leg back into the city, see our New Chitose to Sapporo guide and the New Chitose to Sapporo route page. Lake Shikotsu is not on our public price list, so please ask for a quote.
Once you have your flight and hotel, enter passengers and luggage on the booking page and our team will reply with a vehicle and arrangement.
FAQ
- How do I get to the Lake Shikotsu Ice Festival from New Chitose Airport?
- By car it takes about 40 minutes (Visit Hokkaido). For 2026 the organisers ran a reservation-only shuttle, Hyoto Blue Liner, from the airport via JR Chitose Station to the venue. Check the organisers' announcement to see whether it runs in 2027.
- When is the 2027 Ice Festival and when are the lights on?
- Visit Hokkaido lists 30 January to 23 February 2027, open 10:00–20:00, with illumination 16:30–20:00. Details can change, so confirm on the official site before you go.
- Can I drive to the festival, and is there parking?
- Visit Hokkaido lists about 400 spaces. Weekends and the evening lighting are busy and a space is not guaranteed. Tell us at booking how you want the car to wait and our team will confirm the arrangement.
- How much is a private transfer to Lake Shikotsu?
- Lake Shikotsu is not on our public price list, so please ask our team for a quote. Include your flight, passengers, luggage and whether you need to return to Sapporo that night.