Hi everyone,

I’m planning a Hokkaido road trip with my partner and would really appreciate some feedback on our itinerary.

We’ll be traveling from May 19 to June 8, arriving at New Chitose Airport at 11:55. We plan to pick up our rental car around 13:30 on the same day, so the road trip starts immediately after arrival.
At the end of the trip, we’ll return the car at New Chitose on June 8 (09:00) and fly to Tokyo (already booked).

Travel style & preferences:

• We prefer a slow pace and usually stay at least 2 nights per location
• Main focus is nature, wildlife, scenic drives, and national parks
• We’re not big on cities or nightlife
• We enjoy quiet places and small Japanese towns/villages
• I’m interested in trying Japanese food, but my partner doesn’t eat much fish or meat, so food is not a main-priority
• We’ll have a car for the entire Hokkaido portion

Rough itinerary:

• May 19: Arrival at New Chitose (11:55), pick up rental car (~13:30) → drive to Furano / Biei
• May 19–22 (3 nights): Furano / Biei
• May 22–24 (2 nights): Daisetsuzan / Asahikawa
• May 24–26 (2 nights): Abashiri / Okhotsk Coast
• May 26–29 (3 nights): Shiretoko National Park
• May 29–31 (2 nights): Akan / Kushiro region
• May 31–June 2 (2 nights): Tokachi / Obihiro
• June 2–3 (1 night): Noboribetsu
• June 3–5 (2 nights): Lake Toya
• June 5–7 (2 nights): Otaru / coast
• June 7–8 (1 night): Sapporo

Then:

• June 8: Return car (09:00), flight to Tokyo (12:20)
• June 9–11: Tokyo stay

What we’re unsure about:

1. Overall route: Does this itinerary make sense geographically, or are we zig-zagging too much?
2. Order of destinations (important): Would it make more sense to go further northeast (Abashiri / Shiretoko) earlier in the trip due to seasonal conditions, or even start in the southwest instead?
3. Cherry blossoms: Is there any realistic chance to still see late cherry blossoms somewhere in Hokkaido during this period?
4. Nature & wildlife: Are we missing any must-see nature spots, scenic drives, or wildlife areas along this route**?**
5. Nemuro / Kushiro area: Would it be worth adding Nemuro or more of the Kushiro area (I’ve heard great things), and if so, where would you cut time?

Thanks in advance for your help – it’s our first trip to Japan and I really appreciate any advice!