Driving along rolling hills covered in purple with the scent of lavender drifting softly in the breeze… welcome to dreamy lavender country in Hokkaido! This is a highlight of any summer itinerary to Japan so here is my photography guide to the best flower fields for your roadtrip around Furano!

Hello blog readers and friends - it has been a while! Between publishing my cherry blossom guide and learning to make instagram reels, my blog has been a bit neglected but I finally went through photos from my 2019 (i.e. a different world) Hokkaido road trip and wanted to share them in a longer form format + allow my photos to take up a bit more space than a mere instagram square. I have tried to keep the writing short (with links / practical info to the point) + slideshow gallery to display more photos. Do you like (or dislike) this format? Please let me know in the comment section below or send me a DM on instagram!

MAP & GETTING AROUND

Here is your map of the flower fields (purple markers) + food/other sightseeing spots (grey markers). As you can see - the flower fields are spread out over a size-able area and public transport is limited so I highly recommend renting a car - central Hokkaido is best seen on a roadtrip and a car will make lavender field hopping (+ discovering) that much easier! Alternatives include hiring a taxi/driver for the day and joining a tour group.

Best viewing time for lavender: mid-late July | but varies depending on weather so check social media updates + Farm Tomita’s flower diary here.

Stay the night: Furano is a 2h drive from Sapporo so can be visited on a day trip from Sapporo. But I really recommend spending 2-3 days in the area to visit the different flower fields, taste local cuisine, watch the sun rise (or set) over the purple carpets, give yourself the time to enjoy the stunning scenery + capture it to your heart’s content! I am working on a Part 2 to this guide as there is so much to experience here! Nearest airport is Asahikawa Airport - serviced by direct flights to major Japanese cities. Book accommodation easily with Rakuten Travel’s English website + app. Use “NAOMI15” for 15% off all hotel bookings (code valid until 19/4/24 for stays until 19/8/24).

Locations are divided into two areas: Kami-Furano in the upper/northern area and Naka-Furano in the middle/central area. The post ends with some food recommendations in Furano town + my favourite dessert shop!

Kami-Furano (Upper Furano) area上富良野

Hinode Park 日の出公園

Hinode Park means “sunrise park” so, unsurprisingly, it is on a hill with elevated views and filled with lavender. I love the geometrical lavender field layout and cute red hut here - offering endless composition ideas. I enjoyed it so much that I came back for sunset too!

Hinode Park: website | open 24/7

Flowerland Kamifurano フラワーランドかみふらの

Flowerland of lavender fields and an ombre carpet of red-orange-yellow! This flower land is vast and was not crowded at all so a great place to take in the flowers and views at your own pace. Seasonal flowers bloom from June to September

Flowerland Kamifurano: website | daily 9am - 6pm (July/August)

Senbo Pass 千望峠

This is a great rest stop to take in panoramic views of the rolling hills and Tokachidake mountain range. There are toilet facilities and a small lavender field.

Senbo Pass Flower and Rest Square: website | open 24/7

NAKA-Furano (MIDDLE Furano) area中富良野

Farm Tomita ファーム富田

Farm Tomita is one of Hokkaido’s largest tourist attraction and (pre-2020) brings in over 1 million people annually from all over Japan and the world. This is likely to be the most crowded flower field so best to visit near opening / closing time.

Farm Tomita covers 5 hectares and has multiple lavender fields + flower gardens. Budget 1/2 day here and there are plenty of food options onsite (the lavender softserve is perfect for photos + to cool down!)

Farm Tomita: map + blooming update + instagram | best time to visit is late June to early August, lavenders (+ my favourite Iodori Hill) typically reach full bloom mid-late July (2021 season: full bloom from around 7 July) | 9am - 5pm (cafes/shops may have different business hours)

Thanks to its popularity and fame, Farm Tomita is accessible by public transport and is serviced by the temporary “Lavender Farm Station” during lavender season (weekends only). More information here and here.

FARM TOMITA - TRADITIONAL LAVENDER FIELDS

The original and representative field of Farm Tomita - this is the place to get your fill of lavender (+ lavender infused sweets)!

FARM TOMITA - COLOURFUL FLOWER CARPETS

There is more to Farm Tomita than lavender - Hanabito Field 花人の畑near the entrance offers a gradient flower carpet that changes with the season from May to September.

FARM TOMITA - COLOURFUL IODORI HILL 彩りの畑

The gently sloped Iodori Hill turns into the most vibrant rainbow in mid-late July so I recommend timing your visit to see this. Behind it is the “Field of colorful forest” 森の彩りの畑 + “Colorful fields in the mountain” 山の彩りの畑 which tend to be less crowded and you can walk through the rows of colourful flowers - so many colourful and photogenic spots here. This is the grand finale to the Farm Tomita tour and where I spent hour(s) snapping away!

Naka-furano LAVENDER GARDEN / Hokusei Ski Resort 北星山ラベンダー園／北星スキー場

This ski slope turns into a lavender hill in summer and is very close to Farm Tomita so it is an easy stop on the way. You can take the ski lifts to the top to get a great view of the surrounding rural landscape!

Naka-Furano Lavender Garden / Hokusei Ski Resort | website

Lavender East

This is Japan’s largest lavender field and located about 4km from Farm Tomita. There is an observatory which is a great photo spot of the purple carpet + mountains as backdrop and you can also ride on the lavender tractor for a tour of the lavender field (with audio guide in multiple languages)! I also picked up some fresh Hokkaido melon from Popura Farm on the way ;)

Lavender East: website | 9-4:30pm (July only)

2021 update: closed for 2021 season

Saika no Sato 彩香の里

This is a beautiful sloping lavender field not too far from Farm Tomita. I love the patterns created by lines of flowers and their contrasting colours - it is like a colourful patchwork!

Saika no sato: website | 8-5pm (June to September)

2021 update: closed for 2021 season

Furano town 富良野

Furano town has lots of accommodation and restaurant options so it is a great base for your flower hunting adventures + place to rest and refuel!

For the best double fromage cheesecake, roll cakes + melon tarts (+ more!): go to Furano Delice (I went twice - no shame!)

For food and sourvenir shopping: check out Furano Marche

Ningle Terrace

Just south of Furano, Ningle Terrace is a beautiful collection of boutique cottages, housing specialty arts and crafts and you can often see and talk to the creators who are there making more of their products as you wander around. This is a lovely area to walk around and is illuminated with fairylights at night.

That’s all for part 1 of this guide to summer flower fields in Hokkaido. Any questions or feedback - leave me a comment (you can just say hi too so I know someone is reading this)!

Subscribe (+ join the sakura squad) to get notified of part 2 (where I take you to Biei, 1h north of Furano) + follow me on instagram for more Japan travel updates!