Overview
Niseko is the powder capital of Japan - the most famous and popular of all of the Japanese ski resorts
This resort features truly international ski villages with a variety of accommodation, fantastic restaurants and modern facilities to complement the epic mountain.
With well-established and smoothly operated transport routes, Niseko is accessible to travellers from overseas and within Japan.
Where is Niseko?
Niseko is located approximately 100km South-West of Sapporo city in the Western region of Hokkaido, Japan's northernmost and snowiest of snowy islands.
A common cause of confusion when planning a trip to Niseko is the names of the ski areas and villages.
Niseko United is the name of the combined four ski areas of Hanazono, Hirafu, Niseko Village and Annupuri.
These ski areas are connected at the top of the mountain via the top ski lifts. At the base of each ski area is a village of the same name as its ski area.
As well as Niseko being the name of the ski resort as a whole, there is also a small town called Niseko Town, located a few miles away from Niseko Village and Annupuri.
Kutchan Town is the closest town to Hirafu and Hanazono villages.
How can you get to Niseko ski resort?
Chitose Airport (CTS), sometimes referred to as Sapporo Chitose Airport or New Chitose Airport, is the closest airport and is Hokkaido's largest.
Chitose Airport to Niseko
Chitose Airport is the main gateway for passengers coming in and out of Hokkaido from within Japan and internationally.
The transfer time from Chitose Airport to Niseko is between 2.5 and 3 hours depending on your choice of transfer.
Sapporo to Niseko
Sapporo, the capital of Hokkaido, is Japan's 5th largest city and has a population of around 2 million people.
Sightseeing, shopping, dining, nightlife and the famous Sapporo Snow Festival that takes place every February are the main draws for visitors.
The transfer time from Sapporo to Niseko is 2 hours.
Narita Airport to Niseko
Tokyo Narita Airport is one of two international airports serving the Greater Tokyo Area, the other one being Haneda Airport, which together forms the main gateway in and out of Japan.
Narita is a larger airport than Haneda and is located further away from the center of the city but is well connected to the city via rapid train services.
The transfer time from Tokyo Narita Airport to Niseko is between 6.5 and 10.5 hours depending on your chosen method of travel
Haneda Airport to Niseko
Tokyo Haneda Airport is one of two international airports serving the Greater Tokyo Area, the other one being Narita Airport, which together form the main gateway in and out of Japan.
Haneda is a smaller airport than Narita but is located much closer to the center of the city.
The transfer time to Niseko is between 6.5 and 9.5 hours depending on your chosen method of travel
Tokyo to Niseko
Tokyo is the primary gateway in and out of Japan. To the outsider, Tokyo's myriad sights and sounds are as compelling as they are exotic.
The scale and the pace of life can be a little disorientating at first but the buzz quickly gets under the skin. It's a city to return to again and again and experience something new every time.
The transfer time to Niseko is between 7 and 9 hours depending on your choice of transfer.
Otaru to Niseko
Otaru is a charming seaside port town with a pretty canal and is well known for its seafood and glass works.
The transfer time to Niseko is between 60 and 75 minutes depending on your choice of transfer.
Rusutsu to Niseko
Rustusu Resort offers a fantastic Ski In / Ski Out resort hotel holiday experience for everyone.
The transfer time to Niseko is just 30 to 40 minutes depending on your choice of transfer.
Combining a trip to Niseko with a few days in Rusutsu or staying in Niseko and doing a day trip to Rusutsu are both popular options.
Kiroro to Niseko
Kiroro is medium-sized resort with fantastic tree skiing and quieter than most other Japanese ski resorts.
Kiroro offers a fantastic Ski In / Ski Out destination resort hotel holiday experience for everyone.
Located 1-hour drive North East of Niseko, Kiroro is close to the coast and gets a lot of the powder snow that Hokkaido is famous for.
Furano to Niseko
Located in central Hokkaido, Furano offers a lot to those wanting to experience the best of Japanese skiing in a truly Japanese environment.
Furano also serves as a great base to explore the ski resorts and backcountry mountains of central Hokkaido such as Tokachidake, Asahidake, Kamui, Tomamu and Sahoro.
The transfer time to Niseko is between 4.5 and 7 hours depending on where you are staying in Niseko and Furano and your choice of transfer.
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Niseko Transfers
Whether you are coming from Chitose Airport, Sapporo, Otaru, Hakodate or one of the other Hokkaido Ski Resorts, there are numerous options for the transfer to Niseko.
Book now through our Pre-Trip Concierge Service.
Available for guests that have booked accommodation with us.
Getting Around Niseko
Whether you prefer to jump on a shuttle bus, book a taxi or hire a car and drive yourself, there are plenty of options to get around the Niseko area.
Niseko Accommodation
With the healthy mix of visitors from East and West, there is a variety of styles to suit everyone.
All information is correct to the best of our knowledge at the time of writing.