Cruises to Hakodate

23 Reviews
Hakodate, Japan (Photo: Sean Pavone/Shutterstock.com)

About Cruising to Hakodate

Hakodate is a popular port city on many Japan cruise itineraries. This city of about 280,000, is located on the southern tip of Japan's northernmost major island, Hokkaido. The city was Japan's first modern international trading port, opening in 1859. Today, it is known for its morning market, with more than 250 shops, including many selling local seafood. Hakodate is particularly famous as a squid-fishing port, and you can even find squid-ink ice cream cones here.

In addition, you can see interesting evidence of outside influence around town, including houses that combine Japanese and Western elements, foreign churches, brick warehouses, a Trapistine convent, a star fort -- and even yoshoku, the Japanese take on Western food, including items like deep-fried hamburgers or omu rice, an omelet stuffed with ketchup-seasoned rice.

Outside of the city are mountains and parks, including Shikotsu-Toya National Park, which has a lake, hot spring and smoking volcano.

  • More about Hakodate

  • Why Cruise to Hakodate?

  • Currency & Best Way to Get Money?

Loading...

We found you 96 cruises

Loading...
Loading...
Norwegian Spirit
Norwegian Spirit (Photo: Adam Coulter)

18 Night
Transpacific

2,122 Reviews
Leaving:
Cruise Line:
No prices currently available for this sailing.
  • Itinerary
  • Ship
  • Reviews
  • View All Prices
  • Fare Insight
  • Price Tracker
Royal Princess
Royal Princess

15 Night
Far East Cruise

1,777 Reviews
Leaving:
Cruise Line:
No prices currently available for this sailing.
  • Itinerary
  • Ship
  • Reviews
  • View All Prices
  • Fare Insight
  • Price Tracker
Regatta
Regatta

41 Night
World Cruise

423 Reviews
Leaving:
Cruise Line:
No prices currently available for this sailing.
  • Itinerary
  • Ship
  • Reviews
  • View All Prices
  • Fare Insight
  • Price Tracker
Seven Seas Mariner
Seven Seas Mariner (Photo: Regent)

150 Night
150 Night World Cruise

392 Reviews
Leaving:
Cruise Line:
No prices currently available for this sailing.
  • Itinerary
  • Ship
  • Reviews
  • View All Prices
  • Fare Insight
  • Price Tracker

14 Night
Circle Japan

827 Reviews
Leaving:
Cruise Line:
No prices currently available for this sailing.
  • Itinerary
  • Ship
  • Reviews
  • View All Prices
  • Fare Insight
  • Price Tracker
Cruise Critic Favorite

19 Night
Transpacific Cruise

782 Reviews
Leaving:
Cruise Line:
No prices currently available for this sailing.
  • Itinerary
  • Ship
  • Reviews
  • View All Prices
  • Fare Insight
  • Price Tracker
Cruise Critic Favorite

13 Night
Transoceanic Cruise

267 Reviews
Leaving:
Cruise Line:
No prices currently available for this sailing.
  • Itinerary
  • Ship
  • Reviews
  • View All Prices
  • Fare Insight
  • Price Tracker

25 Night
Transpacific Cruise

423 Reviews
Leaving:
Cruise Line:
No prices currently available for this sailing.
  • Itinerary
  • Ship
  • Reviews
  • View All Prices
  • Fare Insight
  • Price Tracker

16 Night
Transoceanic Cruise

14 Reviews
Leaving:
Cruise Line:
No prices currently available for this sailing.
  • Itinerary
  • Reviews
  • View All Prices
  • Fare Insight
  • Price Tracker

12 Night
Best Of Japan Cruise

1,738 Reviews
Leaving:
Cruise Line:
No prices currently available for this sailing.
  • Itinerary
  • Ship
  • Reviews
  • View All Prices
  • Fare Insight
  • Price Tracker

10 Night
Southeast Asia Cruise

920 Reviews
Leaving:
Cruise Line:
No prices currently available for this sailing.
  • Itinerary
  • Ship
  • Reviews
  • View All Prices
  • Fare Insight
  • Price Tracker

12 Night
Best Of Japan - Gion Festival

1,738 Reviews
Leaving:
Cruise Line:
No prices currently available for this sailing.
  • Itinerary
  • Ship
  • Reviews
  • View All Prices
  • Fare Insight
  • Price Tracker

12 Night
Best Of Japan Cruise

1,738 Reviews
Leaving:
Cruise Line:
No prices currently available for this sailing.
  • Itinerary
  • Ship
  • Reviews
  • View All Prices
  • Fare Insight
  • Price Tracker

65 Night
World Cruise

423 Reviews
Leaving:
Cruise Line:
No prices currently available for this sailing.
  • Itinerary
  • Ship
  • Reviews
  • View All Prices
  • Fare Insight
  • Price Tracker

12 Night
Best Of Japan Cruise

1,738 Reviews
Leaving:
Cruise Line:
No prices currently available for this sailing.
  • Itinerary
  • Ship
  • Reviews
  • View All Prices
  • Fare Insight
  • Price Tracker

More about Hakodate

Why Cruise to Hakodate?

Pros:

Interesting history of early Japanese interaction with international traders

Cons:

Beside the bustling morning market, there are not a lot of sights in the city

Bottom Line:

Best visited when the cherry blossoms are in bloom at Fort Goryokaku

Currency & Best Way to Get Money?

Currency in Hakodate is the Japanese yen. The best way to get cash is to use an ATM at a convenience store. Look for a 7-Eleven, Lawson's or Family Mart. You'll find plenty of them in the city center, about 15 minutes from the port.

Language?

Japanese is Hakodate's official language. Some younger people and those at tourist attractions will likely know some English, but there are fewer English speakers here than in other major Japanese cities.


Hakodate Cruise Reviews
Loved the fact that you can tour Hakodate on your own. The Unlimited Use Day bus pass was very reasonable. So many interesting places to explore. It was raining a lot so we could not go to the Tower but just staying Read More
gellybeans59
we arrived at 9am. Sunny and pleasant. It took 20 minutes on the free shuttle to town. We headed for morning market, helped by local school girls happy to practice some English conversation with the visitors. We gRead More
onyourmark
Best to get a Taxi from the ship to Goryokaku Fort good views from the top of Tower and information about the Fort, Cherry blossom was almost out here still enjoyable, taxi back to port, 10,000 yen each way, Then weRead More
Lily George
We did Hakodate on our own, we caught the ship shuttle into the town centre (JR Hakodate Station), where we bought an all day transport ticket (Y1000) and caught the bus to the Goryokaku Park and Tower. Best thing wRead More
Shamrocker

Related Cruises

Cruises to Virgin Gorda

77 Reviews

Cruises to Montreal

94 Reviews

Cruises to Amsterdam

1,057 Reviews

Cruises to Rouen

121 Reviews

Cruises to Saint John (New Brunswick)

449 Reviews

Cruises to Gdansk (Warsaw)

120 Reviews

Cruises to Marseille

934 Reviews

Cruises to Izmir

187 Reviews

Cruises to Adelaide

106 Reviews

Cruises to Lima

110 Reviews

Cruises to Rangiroa

30 Reviews

Cruises to Buzios

27 Reviews

Cruises to Picton

165 Reviews

Cruises to Mainz

18 Reviews

Cruises to Cinque Terre

354 Reviews

Cruises to Speyer

48 Reviews

Cruises to Bernkastel-Kues

37 Reviews

Cruises to Kinderdijk

8 Reviews

Cruises to Dawson City (Yukon)


Get special cruise deals, expert advice, insider tips and more.By proceeding, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

© 1995—2024, The Independent Traveler, Inc.