Where is Moiwa Ski Resort?

Moiwa Niseko is a 2 hour drive southwest of Sapporo Hokkaido and 2 hours west of the New-Chitose International Airport.

Moiwa is just a 3 minute drive from the Annupuri ski area which is part of Niseko United, and a 10 minute drive from Hirafu (11km), the main heartbeat of Niseko. Moiwa Ski Resort is 8km northwest of the town of Niseko (which is not to be confused with the Niseko Ski Resort aka Niseko United).

The Konbu Onsen area is just down the road from the Moiwa slopes, and various hotels make the most of the hot springs.

Flights to Sapporo

The Sapporo New Chitose International Airport is the main gateway for Niseko and Moiwa. See our travel to Hokkaido page for information on flying into Sapporo.

Shuttle Bus to Moiwa from Sapporo or the Airport

There are shuttle bus services from the New Chitose Airport to Moiwa Niseko (bookable from August onwards) with Hokkaido Resort Liner. If you’re staying in the Moiwa village, choose the Hotel Kanro-no-mori in Konbu Onsen as your drop off point.

Hokkaido Resort Liner also offers morning shuttle bus transport from the city of Sapporo (including various Sapporo hotels). Once again, Moiwa overnighters should pick the Kanronomori drop-off point.

If you’re not staying at Hotel Kanronomori which is about 700 metres from the slopes, check that your Moiwa accommodation provider can pick you up from the bus stop.

Private Transfers to Moiwa

Alternatively you can get a door-to-door private transfer from either Sapporo City or the New Chitose Airport. You can book here. 

Getting to Moiwa from Sapporo by Train

Niseko station is the closest train station to Moiwa (as opposed to Kutchan station which is the closest to Hirafu). The train from Sapporo (JR) to Niseko goes via Otaru and takes anywhere from 1.5 hours to almost 3 hours depending on connections and whether it’s an express train. See google maps, Jorudan or Japan Navitime for train schedules and fares.

You can also catch the train from the New Chitose Airport to Sapporo JR Station and then onto Niseko.

There is a bus service from the Niseko train station, you can catch a taxi (5-10 minute ride) straight to the door of your Moiwa accommodation, or some of the hotels and lodges provide arrival and departure transfers to/from the Niseko train station.

Getting Between Hirafu and Moiwa

If you don’t have your own wheels or don’t want to catch a taxi, the breadth of shuttle options has diminished, especially if you’re staying in Hirafu.

A few of the Moiwa lodgings provide shuttles to Annupuri, and from there you could ski/ride via the slopes to Hirafu, or get another bus.

If you’re staying at Hotel Kanronomori, the hotel offers a regular shuttle service to/from Annupuri and Hirafu.

It’s also possible to ski between Moiwa and Niseko. From the top of the quad chair at Moiwa, head through the backcountry gate #6 with your avalanche beacon on and wander up the trail. From there you can drop into the Annupuri ski area. Getting from Moiwa to Niseko United is for experienced riders only, and it’s probably not wise to try this for the first time on a white-out day. Be aware that gate #6 may close mid-afternoon and on days when there is considerable avalanche risk, as with the other Niseko sidecountry gates.

Other Ski Resorts Nearby

Rusutsu is fantastic for powder hounds and another good opportunity to get away from the crowds of Niseko. Rusutsu is 29km southeast of Moiwa which equates to a 25 minute drive.

Kiroro is 61km northeast of Moiwa (an hour drive).

The former ski resort of Chisenupuri is the next ski area over from Moiwa to the northwest, which is 8.5km away by road. It is now used for cat skiing with Chisenupuri Snowcats.

Iwanai Resort is located 50km northwest of Moiwa and is now primarily used for snowcat skiing with Iwanai Cat Skiing.

Guided Day Trips

Another option of getting to Moiwa is to stay in/near Niseko and jump on one of the many guided day-trips to Moiwa. This service if offered for private groups (in other words you can't join a group as a solo/couple) so you may want to get a group of 4 - 5 together to make it financially viable.

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