https://https://au.trip.com/toplist/tripbest/recommend/otaru/best-things-to-do/10070014565090
Best Things to Do
Top 10 Best Things to Do in Otaru [2025]
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Otaru Tenguyama
4.6
/5
269 reviews
6.7
From MYR 51.40
Based on 402 reviews
3.2 km from downtown
Phone +81134337381
Address: 2-chōme-16-15 Mogami, Otaru, Hokkaido 047-0023, Japan
Recommended sightseeing time: 3-5 hours
No.1 of Night Attractions in Otaru
Highlights:
Hokkaido night view & "Love Letter"
"Love Letter" movie snow scenes site
Saved by 498 users121 positive reviews
Verified user reviews
The cable car experience at Tengu Mountain in Otaru is amazing! The couple took the cable car from the foot of the mountain and slowly ascended. It took ten minutes to reach the top of the mountain, overlooking the panoramic view of Otaru City and the blue bay. The romantic index is full! The wind on the top of the mountain is slightly cool, and the photos taken while walking are all great. Although the stay is only one hour, the cable car is efficient and the scenery is magnificent. It is definitely worth including in the Hokkaido itinerary list!
it is so very cold in Hokkaido, once you have taken the cable car you will reach the top mount and go for some snowy weather mountain experience
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Otaru Canal
4.6
/5
1177 reviews
6.5
Based on 3,155 reviews
1.4 km from downtown
Address: 047-0007 Minatomachi, Otaru, Hokkaido
Recommended sightseeing time: 1-3 hours
No.2 of Night Attractions in Otaru
Highlights:
Rickshaw ride & canal views
Rickshaws | Traditional attire drivers
Saved by 971 users354 positive reviews
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So nice to go and wander around the city famous scenic spot, it is always nice to come back there for a chill afternoon
Meet Hokkaido in "Love Letter", walk through Funamizaka, avoid the crowds and frantically press the shutter at the Shukutsu Observatory to record the photos of life. Life is for experience😝
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Otaru Aquarium
4.6
/5
107 reviews
6.4
From MYR 51.40
Based on 424 reviews
5.3 km from downtown
Phone +81134331400
Address: 3 Chome-303 Shukutsu, Otaru, Hokkaido 047-0047, Japan
Recommended sightseeing time: 3-4 hours
No.1 of Family-Friendly Attractions in Otaru
Highlights:
Annual special exhibitions held
Touch octopus & watch walrus
Saved by 229 users67% positive reviews
Verified user reviews
We went quite late, so it was hard to get a taxi. Maybe it was because we were traveling and getting married. Because we went quite late, we didn't see the penguins, but the other things were pretty good. It's worth a visit. I cried so much that I cried for two hours before I fell asleep.
I didn't expect that Otaru's official online ticket booking channel was Ctrip. It's so convenient. It feels the same as buying tickets in China. I'll come back every day to watch the performance time. The penguin show is really good and impressive.
No.
4
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Otaru Music Box Museum
4.7
/5
515 reviews
5.7
1.1 km from downtown
Phone +81134221108
Address: 4-1 Sumiyoshicho, Otaru, Hokkaido 047-0015, Japan
Recommended sightseeing time: 1-2 hours
Highlights:
Unique DIY music box experience
DIY unique music box experience
Saved by 601 users152 positive reviews
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Otaru Music Box Museum is the oldest and largest music box museum and specialty store in Japan. Generally, group tours don't come to Otaru, but in-depth tours. So it is recommended to travel independently.
Otaru Music Box Museum Romantic Music Box Paradise 🥰
🌟Highlights:
Founded in 1912, the Otaru Music Box Museum is the oldest and largest music box museum in Japan. It collects and displays more than 3,000 kinds of music boxes, clocks and puppet crafts, including classical music boxes, jewelry music boxes, sushi music boxes, doll music boxes, etc.
🕙Business hours: 9:00-18:00
📍Detailed address: 〒047-0015 4-1 Sumiyoshi-cho, Otaru City, Hokkaido
⏳Visiting time: 2-3 hours
❤Recommended reason: The various music boxes on display in the store are very distinctive and can be used as a good souvenir
The classical steam clock at the door is very distinctive. It is one of the only two steam clocks in the world. It releases steam every 15 minutes with the ringing of the bell. It is a good sight accompanied by heavy snow. The side door of the museum is suitable for taking pictures
No.
5
Asari
4.6
/5
61 reviews
5.4
6.4 km from downtown
Address: Otaru, Hokkaido 047-0151, Japan
Recommended sightseeing time: 1-2 hours
No.1 of Water fun & Cool Retreats in Otaru
Highlights:
Otaru seaside train station spot
Beach relaxation in summer
40% positive reviews
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Asari is a seaside station on the way from Sapporo to Otaru. If you go to Otaru, you can get off the train and take a look. If it is sunny in winter, the scenery should be good! The blue sea, the beach covered with snow, and the train passing by should be a beautiful scenery.
On the way to Otaru, many people choose to get off at Asari to enjoy the beautiful seaside scenery. The seaside is very cold in winter and the wind is very strong, but accompanied by the blue sea and the reflection of the white snow, trains pass by from time to time, and the Japanese atmosphere is full.
No.
6
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Otaru Mt.Tengu Ropeway
4.4
/5
10 reviews
5.3
From MYR 51.40
2.1 km from downtown
Phone +81134337381
Address: Mogami 2-chome 16-15,Otaru 047-0023
Highlights:
Take a 5-minute cable car to the summit of Mt. Tengu
Cable car stroll overlooking nostalgic street views
Verified user reviews
The location is quite remote! I don't know how to take the bus, so I can only take a taxi, 1700 yen, the price from the Otaru Canal check-in point! It cost another 1600 yen to go back to Otaru Station! The scenery is nice, the weather is very good, and the wind is quite strong! There should be some entertainment projects, but I just came here to escape the heat! For safety reasons, anything beyond the physical range is not allowed! 30 minutes is enough! It's not a must-see attraction! I've probably seen too many scenery all over the world, and this one seems average
The cable car is open for the first day after the suspension! The scenery is beautiful! Whether it is snowy or sunny, it has a different style
No.
7
Kitaichi Glass Otaru
4.4
/5
204 reviews
4.8
Based on 107 reviews
1 km from downtown
Phone +81134331993
Address: 7-26 Sakaimachi, Otaru, Hokkaido 047-0027, Japan
Recommended sightseeing time: 1-3 hours
Highlights:
Centuries-old glass craftsmanship
Glassmaking DIY experience
Saved by 183 users
Verified user reviews
Otaru Kitaichi Whistle
Oh my god, Hokkaido is so worth it
I took a day off to come to Otaru, and it snowed heavily. The southern children were so touched
Seeing these glass cups...I felt that my wallet couldn't bear it
It's so beautiful, Japanese craftsmanship is really great
Kitaichi Glass is an ancient building with a long history. The building itself is well preserved. The route to visit is very simple. You can find it along the Otaru Canal. The environment itself is also very interesting and you can experience Japanese culture.
No.
8
Funamizaka
4.5
/5
60 reviews
4.4
928m from downtown
Phone +81134324111
Address: 2 Chome-12 Tomioka, Otaru, Hokkaido 047-0033, Japan
Recommended sightseeing time: 1-2 hours
Highlights:
Otaru Port's charming slopes
Ocean views & train tracks
36% positive reviews
Verified user reviews
A must-visit in Hokkaido: Funamizaka in Otaru
The popularity of Otaru in the travel circle is largely inseparable from the movie "Love Letter". Funamizaka is actually very close to Otaru Station, but it requires climbing a slope, so it still takes some effort to walk.
Funamizaka is a slope in Otaru, and its overall appearance is similar to Hachimanzaka. Looking down from the hillside, the road is long and goes all the way to the ocean, with small buildings on both sides. It is even more interesting when it snows. The road here is not as straight and wide as Hachimanzaka in Hakodate, and the bay scenery is slightly worse, but the cultural atmosphere is better, coupled with the aura of the filming location, it is still worth a visit.
No.
9
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Otaru Snow Light Path
4.6
/5
73 reviews
4.2
Based on 56 reviews
747m from downtown
Address: 1 Chome-9 Ironai, Otaru, Hokkaido 047-0031, Japan
Recommended sightseeing time: 1-2 hours
No.3 of Night Attractions in Otaru
Highlights:
Romantic and charming canal candlelight in the snow
Snow Lantern Ice Sculpture Dreamlike Light Corridor
Saved by 119 users33% positive reviews
Verified user reviews
The scenery is different during the day and at night. It is still very beautiful. However, there are a lot of people and it ends at 10 o'clock. The staff started to turn off the lights before 10 o'clock. It takes a long time to turn off the candles one by one. It probably means that it will be 10 o'clock after the lights are turned off, hahaha
This road is very famous. People who come to Otaru will come here. The movie Love Letter was also filmed here. I came during the day and didn't see the lights on. If you stay for a long time, you can come and see it at night.
No.
10
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Sakaimachi Hondori Street
4.5
/5
62 reviews
4.1
Based on 247 reviews
944m from downtown
Phone +81134271133
Address: Japan, 〒047-0027 Hokkaido, Otaru, Sakaimachi, 堺町本通り
Recommended sightseeing time: 2-3 hours
Highlights:
Savor Otaru's Double-Layer Cheesecake
Stroll cobblestone streets and feel the historic charm
29% positive reviews
Verified user reviews
The shopping street is also a very suitable channel for shopping. The entire shopping street is quite large, and you can buy many Japanese tourist souvenirs. Wine, medicines, and electrical appliances are among the most popular ones. The entire tourist program is also very rich.
Otaru Sakaimachi Shopping Street is the commercial center here. The whole street is not too long and can be walked through in more than ten minutes. I especially recommend the Detachi Alley here, which is a very distinctive shopping district full of old-time Japanese-style buildings. The shopping street covered with snow adds to the romantic atmosphere.
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