Be sure to read the Special Notes further down this page for important requirements and restriction.

Looking for a quick, yet unforgettable, overview of Hakodate from sea level to mountaintop? This captivating full day tour takes you from your ship to the highest point overlooking one of Hokkaido's major cities. Imagine the panoramic views during your aerial tram ride, while gazing at the city from walking trails atop the 1,099-foot-high, heavily wooded mountain.

Let's start with traveling to the Morning Market, located near the Hakodate Railroad Station.

The cold waters of Hokkaido are renowned for producing fine seafood. At the Morning Market, vendors offer fresh fish as well as salmon roe, scallops, crab and sea urchin. The market boasts excellent fresh and dried produce. Restaurants and food stands offer a wide range of dishes for sale, including domburi topped with sea urchin and other delicacies.

Continue to the Mt. Hakodate Ropeway - actually an aerial tram, one of the busiest tram in all Japan. Your tram ride travels nearly half a mile to the summit for sweeping views of the harbor and the city. The summit of this extinct volcano is crowned with observation platforms, a cafeteria and two monuments. One monument commemorates the English zoologist and explorer Thomas Blakiston, who discovered the Blakiston Line, dividing the fauna of Siberia from Japan. The other monument honors Tadataka Inoh, who produced the first survey map of Japan.

Next stop is Trappistine Convent, which is founded as the first nunnery in Japan.
The existing church building was built in 1927, featuring the mix of the Gothic and Romanesque styles, such as the brick exterior and the semicircular-arched windows. Inside visit is not permitted but the atmosphere is serene and stunning.
Please enjoy strolling through the beautiful garden, viewing the Catholic icons, purchasing sweets such as Madeleine cake cooked by nuns living there.

Continue to Goryokaku Tower for views of historic Fort Goryokaku which was completed in the last years of the Edo period. The massive, pentagonal and moated fortress was Japan's first Western-style citadel. The fort was the scene of a major rebellion during the Meiji Restoration. Forces once loyal to the shogunate seized the fort and held it until their defeat by the Imperial Army. Today the fort is a public park and is also noted for its groves of fine cherry trees.

Pause for lunch in a local restaurant. Your next destination is the restored Kanemori Red Brick Warehouse District. Built in 1909, these red brick warehouses are a legacy of the city's history of trade with the West. Today the complex is home to the Hakodate Beer Hall, one of the first microbreweries in Hokkaido, as well as restaurants and shops.

Then, board your motor coach for the return drive to the ship.