How much does petrol cost for 21 days?

Roughly ¥40,000–60,000 depending on vehicle size. Our campervan rental cost guide has full budget estimates for each vehicle class.

21 Days Through Northern Japan, and Why Almost Everyone Underestimates the Distances

Q: Is this route doable in winter?

No, not as written. Many Hokkaido roads close or require winter tyres. See our complete guide to winter campervan travel in Japan for alternative routes in the colder months.

Pickup: Tokyo branch | Return: Tokyo branch | Best for: northern coastlines, seafood, national parks and open roads

By the Samurai Campers Operations Team | Updated 2026

Quick stats

1500km trip distance

10 day roadtrip

Camper Van recommended

Hokkaido looks small on a map of Japan. It isn’t. The island is 83,000 square kilometres larger than Ireland, larger than Austria, comparable to Scotland and Wales combined. The drives between major stops are routinely 4–6 hours. Petrol stations thin out north of Asahikawa. Mobile reception drops in the Shiretoko peninsula. Anyone who tells you they ‘did Hokkaido in a week’ did the south coast and called it done.

This 21-day route doesn’t try to do everything. It does the Sanriku Coast in Tohoku easily the most beautiful coastline in mainland Japan then crosses to Hokkaido for the wild parts: Shakotan, Wakkanai, Shiretoko, Kushiro. Sapporo is on the route but only as a logistics stop. If you came for the city, this isn’t your itinerary.

Pickup and return at our Tokyo branch. The Aomori-to-Hakodate ferry is integral to the route. Confirm with our team that your rental plan permits the ferry crossing not all plans do.

Tokyo to Wakkanai (Hokkaido’s northern tip) is roughly 1,800 km of driving, plus the ferry. That’s not impossible in 21 days, but it’s the upper limit of comfortable. If you want unrushed Hokkaido time, consider doing Tohoku and Hokkaido as separate trips.

Why the Sanriku Coast deserves a third of this trip

The Sanriku Coast running from Hachinohe in Aomori down to Soma in Fukushima is one of Japan’s most dramatic coastlines, and one of its least visited by international travellers. The geography is responsible: it’s a ria coast, formed by drowned river valleys, which produces sharp cliffs, deep inlets, and pale rock formations. Jodogahama, near Miyako, has the kind of clear blue water people fly to Croatia or Sardinia for.

The coast was severely damaged by the 2011 tsunami. Driving through Rikuzentakata and Ofunato today means seeing a working coastline shaped by that recovery. The sea walls are new. The towns are partly rebuilt. The fishing fleets are back. It’s a region worth driving slowly and respectfully, not a region to rush.

Route at a glance

Tokyo → Sendai → Matsushima → Sanriku Coast → Miyako → Hachinohe → Aomori → [Ferry] → Hakodate → Lake Toya → Sapporo → Shakotan → Otaru → Wakkanai → Abashiri → Shiretoko → Kushiro → Furano/Biei → Hakodate → [Ferry] → Aomori → Tokyo

Duration: 21 days, round trip from Tokyo, with two ferry crossings
Best season: Late May to early October. Outside this window the route gets significantly harder.
Recommended vehicle:
1. Mid-Size CampervansIdeal for Hokkaido long distances, winding mountain passes, and ferry crossings.
2. Large CampervansComfortable for long coastal drives, extra luggage, or family groups.
  Mid-Size Campervans | Large Campervans
Critical confirmation: ferry permission on your rental plan; book ferry tickets 4+ weeks ahead in July–August

Road trip map

Tokyo pickup, light star

Day 1

Collect the campervan from the Tokyo branch. Day one is a setup day, not a driving day. Stock the vehicle for the longer journey Hokkaido stretches are not the place to discover you’re short on something basic.

If you’re new to campervan travel, read the beginner’s guide to campervans before departure. Confirm your ferry booking timing and route before leaving Tokyo.

Day 1 overnight: Odaiba Seaside Park RV Area ¥3,000/night

First proper driving day. About 350 km on the Tohoku Expressway. Treat this as a transition day, not a destination day. Sendai itself is a working city gyutan (grilled beef tongue) is the local speciality, and it’s genuinely worth eating, not just a marketing item. The technique was developed by a single Sendai restaurant in the 1940s using cuts other shops were discarding.

Where to eat gyutan: Gyutan Lunch: Aji no Gyutan, Sendai

Day 2 overnight:Sendai Green Park RV ¥4,200/night

Tokyo to Sendai

Stop 2(Day 2＆3)

Matsushima Bay

Day 3

Matsushima is one of the ‘three views of Japan’ a classification from the 17th century that named the three most scenic landscapes in the country. The other two are Amanohashidate in Kyoto and Miyajima in Hiroshima. Whether you agree with that ranking or not, Matsushima Bay is genuinely beautiful small pine-covered islands scattered across protected water, viewpoints from hillside pavilions, a working oyster industry.

Half a day is enough. The seafood especially oysters in winter is the food anchor.

Day 3 overnight: Matsushima Bay RV Park ¥3,800/night

The route turns north along the coast. Ishinomaki is the largest town on the southern Sanriku and a useful resupply stop. From here the coastline gets dramatic and quieter. Drive slowly. The roads are narrower than the highway you’ve been on, and the views from the coastal sections genuinely reward the lower speed.

Day 4 overnight: Sanriku Coast Campground ¥3,900/night

Ishinomaki and the southern Sanriku

Day 4

Kesennuma

Day 5

Kesennuma is one of Japan’s major bonito and shark fin ports. The morning market starts early. The local katsuo (bonito) preparation particularly katsuo tataki, where the fish is seared on the outside and raw in the centre is genuinely better here than the version you’ll get in Tokyo. Worth a slow lunch.

Where to eat: Uogashi Kaisendon Kesennuma Market

Day 5 overnight: Kesennuma Bay RV Park ¥4,000/night

This is the section of the route most directly shaped by the 2011 tsunami. Rikuzentakata’s town centre was rebuilt on raised ground. The Iwate Tsunami Memorial Museum, opened in 2019, is one of the more honest disaster memorials in Japan it doesn’t romanticise. Worth two hours.

Drive slowly through the coastal towns. This isn’t a region to power through.

Day 6 overnight: Ofunato Coastal RV ¥4,000/night

Rikuzentakata and Ofunato

Day 6

Miyako and Jodogahama

Day 7

Jodogahama is the standout of the Sanriku coast a beach of pale white rocks framing impossibly clear blue water. The geological term is rhyolite, the result of ancient volcanic activity. Walk the loop trail in the morning before crowds arrive. The water is genuinely swimmable in summer.

If you’re going to take one photo from this entire trip that surprises your friends, it’ll be Jodogahama in morning light.

Day 7 overnight: Miyako Seaside RV Park ¥3,900/night

Kitayamazaki cliffs

Day 8

North of Miyako, the coastline gets even more dramatic. Kitayamazaki has cliff viewpoints up to 200 metres high. The Michinoku Coastal Trail a 1,000 km walking route established after the 2011 tsunami to support coastal communities runs through here. You’re not walking the trail (it would take 6 weeks), but the viewpoints at Kitayamazaki are some of the best.

Driving here is slower than the map suggests. The roads are narrow, winding, and the views constantly demand pull-offs. Don’t try to cover too much ground.

Day 8 overnight: Northern Iwate Coastal RV ¥4,200/night

Hachinohe morning market, on to Aomori

Day 9

Hachinohe’s Sunday morning market (Minato Asaichi, March–December) is one of the largest in northern Japan over 300 stalls along the harbour. If you time your route to hit it, this is the local-food highlight of the Tohoku section. If you can’t, the daily Mutsu-Minato-eki Asaichi runs year-round and is excellent.

Then drive to Aomori. Refuel, restock supplies, do laundry, check your ferry booking. Tomorrow is the crossing.

Day 9 overnight: Aomori Port RV Area ¥4,100/night

Aomori to Hakodate by ferry

Day 10

Take the Tsugaru Kaikyo Ferry. The crossing takes about 3 hours 40 minutes. The Seikan Tunnel the world’s longest undersea tunnel runs under you, carrying the Shinkansen. The ferry above it is the older route, and the more interesting one if you have a vehicle.

Hakodate in the afternoon. The morning market at the harbour runs early squid sashimi, ikura don, fresh scallops. If you can’t make it for breakfast, the harbour-side seafood restaurants serve through lunch.

Day 10 overnight: Hakodate Bay RV Park ¥4,500/night

Hakodate morning market, then Lake Toya

Day 11

Hakodate morning market first. Then drive to Lake Toya about 2.5 hours. Lake Toya is a 70 km² caldera lake formed roughly 110,000 years ago. Mount Usu, on the southern shore, is one of Japan’s most active volcanoes, with major eruptions in 1910, 1944, 1977, and 2000.

This is the day to do laundry, restock, and prepare for the more remote Hokkaido sections. The campervan-friendly facilities at Lake Toya are some of the best you’ll find before the wild coast.

Day 11 overnight: Lake Toya Camper Area ¥4,200/night

Sapporo, briefly

Day 12

Drive to Sapporo. The city is on this route only because it’s a useful logistics stop supermarkets, outdoor stores, fuel, urban food culture. Park outside the centre and use the subway. Don’t waste an afternoon driving in Sapporo proper.

Sapporo miso ramen, soup curry, and jingisukan (grilled lamb) are the food anchors. All three are local inventions, not just regional adaptations.

Where to eat:

Ramen:Ramen Shingen Sapporo
Soup curry:Suage+ Sapporo

Day 12 overnight: Sapporo Periphery RV Park ¥4,500/night

Otaru and the Shakotan Peninsula

Day 13

Otaru in the morning canal district, sushi, glass-making workshops. The town was a major commercial port in the late 19th century, and the warehouse district has been preserved.

Then drive the Shakotan Peninsula. This is one of Hokkaido’s best coastal drives the water at Cape Kamui and Cape Shakotan is the famous ‘Shakotan blue,’ the result of mineral content and the way the seabed reflects sunlight. It works in clear weather. In fog, it looks like grey water. Check forecasts before committing.

Day 13 overnight: Yoichi Seaside Campground ¥4,000/night

Long drive north

Day 14

This is a movement day. The drive up Hokkaido’s west coast toward Wakkanai is genuinely long roughly 400 km of coastal road, with services spread out. Fill fuel before you need it. Pack lunch. Stop at scenic viewpoints rather than trying to make destination time.

Day 14 overnight: Northern Hokkaido Coastal Campground ¥4,200/night

Wakkanai

Day 15

Northernmost point of Japan that you can drive to. Cape Soya is the actual northern tip there’s a monument, a Russian-direction sign (Sakhalin Island is visible across the strait on clear days), and a strong sense of being somewhere far from anywhere.

Wakkanai is also the gateway to Rishiri and Rebun islands both worth visiting, but on a separate ferry trip. Don’t try to add them to this 21-day route without extending.

Where to eat sea urchin: Uni Donburi at Maruka Seafood, Wakkanai

Day 15 overnight: Wakkanai Bay RV ¥4,500/night

Wakkanai to Okhotsk coast

Day 16

Turn east along the Okhotsk side. Different feel from the west coast colder sea air, smaller fishing towns, open agricultural fields. A driving day more than a sightseeing day.

Day 16 overnight: Okhotsk Coast RV Camp ¥4,000/night

Abashiri

Day 17

Abashiri sits on the Okhotsk Sea. In winter (January–March), the sea here ices over the southernmost place in the northern hemisphere where drift ice arrives naturally. You won’t see that in late spring or summer, but the museums and the coastline still tell that story. The Okhotsk Ryuhyo Museum covers the drift-ice ecology if you’re curious.

Day 17 overnight: Abashiri Sea Campground ¥4,100/night

Shiretoko

Day 18

Shiretoko is the strongest natural highlight of the entire route, and the place to take seriously. UNESCO Natural Heritage site since 2005. Japan’s densest brown bear population. The peninsula’s eastern tip is unreachable by road you’d need a boat but the road as far as the Shiretoko Goko (Five Lakes) area is one of the most dramatic drives in Japan.

Bear safety is real. Check the daily report at the Shiretoko Nature Centre before any walk. Some trails close when bears are sighted nearby. Do not carry food in open bags on trails. Store all food in scent-proof containers in the vehicle.

The Shiretoko peninsula is the closest thing Japan has to wilderness on the European or American sense. Take it seriously.

Brown bears are active May–November and regularly seen on Shiretoko Goko trails. The wooden boardwalk loops are electric-fenced for a reason. Carry a bear bell. Don’t hike alone in the early morning or late evening when bears are most active. Check the visitor centre daily closures happen.

Day 18 overnight: Utoro Camper Park ¥4,500/night

Kushiro wetlands

Day 19

Drive from Shiretoko toward Kushiro. The landscape shifts from dramatic coast to flat wetlands Kushiro Shitsugen is Japan’s largest wetland and home to the red-crowned crane. The cranes are most visible in winter when they gather at feeding sites, but you’ll see other waterbirds year-round.

Kushiro itself is a working port city. The robatayaki (charcoal grill) tradition originated here small fish, vegetables, and seafood grilled at a counter in front of you. Worth one slow dinner.

Day 19 overnight: Kushiro Wetlands RV Park ¥4,200/night

Furano/Biei or direct return

Day 20

The return decision: route through central Hokkaido via Furano and Biei (longer, more scenic flower fields in July, lavender, rolling agricultural landscape) or drive more directly toward Hakodate (shorter, lets you protect energy for the ferry day).

If you have stamina, take the Furano/Biei route. If you’re tired and after Shiretoko, you might be take the direct route. The ferry day tomorrow is long.

Day 20 overnight: Furano Hills Campground ¥4,300/night

Ferry back, drive to Tokyo

Day 21

The return ferry from Hakodate to Aomori, then the long drive south to Tokyo. This is a roughly 12–14 hour total travel day. Build in buffer. Refuel and clean the vehicle along the way, not at the very end.

Return the campervan to our Tokyo branch. Allow generous time for the inspection.

Unlock Japan’s Wonders One Stop at a Time

Pickup and return at our Tokyo branch. Contact us to confirm ferry permission on your plan before booking. Browse the fleet longer Hokkaido distances favour the larger mid-size models.

Have Questions?

Common Questions About Exploring Northern Japan by Campervan

Read our FAQ sections, we have collected the most asked questions.

Q How much petrol does 21 days cost?

Yes, but plan an extra 3–4 days. The islands have their own ferry from Wakkanai. Not all rental plans permit vehicle transport to the small islands confirm before booking.

Q Can I add Rishiri or Rebun islands?

Yes, but plan an extra 3–4 days. The islands have their own ferry from Wakkanai. Not all rental plans permit vehicle transport to the small islands confirm before booking.

Q Is this route doable in winter?

No, not as written. Many Hokkaido coastal roads close or require winter tyres and chains. Shiretoko largely closes. The ferry runs year-round but the rest of the route becomes a serious winter driving challenge. Plan a different itinerary if you’re travelling December–March.

Is it really necessary to take 21 days for this route?

You can drive from Tokyo to Hokkaido and back in less time, but you’ll spend most of it looking at the tarmac of the Tohoku Expressway. The 21-day timeframe accounts for the reality of Hokkaido distances, where a single leg often requires five hours of focused driving. It allows for rest days in places like Shiretoko and the Sanriku Coast, ensuring you aren’t too exhausted to actually enjoy the scenery once you arrive.

Can I take any rental campervan on the ferry to Hokkaido?

Not automatically. While the Tsugaru Kaikyo Ferry is a public service, many rental agreements have specific restrictions regarding sea crossings or geographic limits. You must confirm ferry permission with the Samurai Campers team during the planning stage to ensure your insurance and rental plan cover the island transit. We handle the vehicle length brackets and logistics with you before you pick up the keys in Tokyo.

What are the main risks when driving through Shiretoko and Northern Hokkaido?

Distance and wildlife are the two biggest factors. Petrol stations become scarce once you move north of Asahikawa, making it vital to refuel whenever you see a station rather than waiting for the light to come on. In Shiretoko, the brown bear population is dense and active; you need to check the daily trail reports at the Nature Centre and carry a bear bell for any hikes. Mobile reception also becomes unreliable in these remote coastal stretches.

When is the best time of year to attempt this road trip?

The window between late May and early October is the safest and most rewarding time for this specific itinerary. Outside of these months, you’ll encounter heavy snow in the mountain passes and potential road closures that make a 21-day schedule impossible to maintain. If you’re aiming for the famous flower fields in Furano or the best hiking conditions in the national parks, July and August are ideal, though you’ll need to book ferry tickets at least four weeks in advance.

How much should I budget for fuel and overnight stays?

For a 21-day trip, expect to spend between ¥40,000 and ¥60,000 on petrol depending on your vehicle’s size and your driving style. Most campervan-friendly RV parks and campgrounds along this route charge between ¥3,800 and ¥4,500 per night. These costs are separate from ferry fares, which vary based on the length of the campervan you choose.

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