Where is Niseko Village?
Niseko Village is part of
Niseko Japan and is 96km southwest of the city of Sapporo and 112km west of the New Chitose Airport (Sapporo Airport). Niseko Village is 9km southwest of the
Hirafu village (the biggest village of Niseko) by road.
NB If you're looking for general information on getting to Niseko including Hirafu (the main village), see the travel to Niseko page.
Travel from Sapporo Airport to Niseko Village
You can get to Niseko Village from the New Chitose Airport or Sapporo City via shuttle bus, private transfer, train or self-driving.
Airport Shuttle to Niseko Village
Hokkaido Resort Liner provides an inexpensive airport shuttle service about 7 times a day, and the trip takes 2 to 3 hours depending on road conditions. There is a bus stop at the Hilton Hotel, Hinode Hills and Green Leaf Hotel in Niseko Village, or if you’re staying elsewhere in Higashiyama you’ll need to organise a pick-up to get to your accommodation.
Bookings for the airport bus open from early August and must be made at least 9 days in advance.
Private Airport Transfer to Niseko Village
Alternatively you can get a private transfer between the airport and your accommodation, and you can choose the time of the transfer.
Airport private transfers to/from Niseko Village are available for 1-2 persons up to 30 people, and you can pay extra if you want to stop along the way for shopping or the like.
Driving to Niseko Village
Driving is ideal if you want to visit various ski areas in the region. Driving is reasonably easy now that the GPS are in English or you can use google maps, and rental cars are 4WD/AWD and have snow tyres so you won’t need to put chains on. You can
rent a car at New Chitose Airport or in Sapporo. Please note that an international driver's license is required. See our
Japan driving tips for more information.
Transport from Sapporo to Niseko Village
If you're coming from Sapporo City, there is also one
Hokkaido Resort Liner bus to Niseko Village each day that depart from 8 different Sapporo hotels (these are outlined on the
Sapporo accommodation information page).
Or you can get a
private transfer that is door to door from your Sapporo hotel to your Niseko Village hotel.
Or if you’re on a budget, you can get a train from Sapporo (JR) to Niseko station via Otaru.
Travel Around Niseko
The Niseko Village base areas are somewhat spread out. To get between the
Hilton Hotel and the
Green Leaf Hotel you can catch two short gondolas, or there are regular shuttles. There are also shuttles to get to other parts of Higashiyama.
If you want to head from Niseko Village into Hirafu to check out the many restaurants, bars and shops, there are two types of buses and your accommodation will be able to assist with timetables. There are Niseko Village operated buses that are free for Niseko Village hotel guests as well as Niseko United buses which are free for Niseko United lift pass holders.
Taxis are the other option to travel around Niseko.
Ski Areas Near Niseko Village
The other Niseko United ski areas of
Annupuri,
Hirafu and
Hanazono are all close by and inter-connected via the slopes.
Other nearby ski areas (road distances):
The
Niseko cat skiing operations provide transport to/from your hotel.