How Do You Get to Furano from New Chitose Airport, Sapporo or Asahikawa? Trains via Takikawa, Highway Buses and the Lavender-go

Published 2026-10-04 · Sources checked 2026-10-04 · Treasure Hunting Co., Ltd.

This guide is for visitors heading to Furano, in the middle of Hokkaido, from New Chitose Airport, Sapporo or Asahikawa. It compares the train, the highway bus from Sapporo, the local bus from Asahikawa Airport, and driving.

We used pages from Furano City, JR Hokkaido, Hokkaido Chuo Bus, Furano Bus and the Furano Tourism Association. All were read on 2026-10-04. Timetables change with the seasons, so check each operator's page before you travel.

The short answer

• From New Chitose Airport: take the train to Sapporo, then continue by train or highway bus. There is no direct public route listed by Furano City.
• From Sapporo: the train changes at Takikawa for most of the year. A direct summer train and a direct highway bus also run.
• From Asahikawa Airport: the Furano Bus "Lavender-go" runs to Furano Station in about an hour.
• From Asahikawa city: take the JR Furano Line or the same Lavender-go bus.

Furano City's access page gives a total of about 2 hours 35 minutes by train from New Chitose Airport, not counting the time spent changing trains.

From New Chitose Airport by train

The first leg is the JR Airport Train to Sapporo. JR Hokkaido says six trains an hour run from the airport to Sapporo between 9:00 and 16:00. The fastest takes 33 minutes.

Most seats on the Airport Train are non-reserved. IC cards such as Suica, ICOCA, PASMO and Kitaca can be used on this section.

From Sapporo, Furano City describes the year-round route like this. Take a limited express on the Hakodate Line to Takikawa, about 50 minutes. Then change to a local train on the Nemuro Line to Furano, about 70 minutes.

JR Hokkaido says all seats on all its limited express trains are reserved. With a normal ticket, you need a basic fare ticket plus a reserved seat limited express ticket.

IC cards have a limit here. JR Hokkaido says they cannot be used between Takikawa and Furano. On the train, fares can only be settled in cash, so buy a paper ticket before you board.

The direct summer train: Furano Lavender Express

In summer, the Furano Lavender Express links Sapporo and Furano in about two hours with no change. JR Hokkaido lists its 2026 operating dates as June to September.

It runs Sapporo, Iwamizawa, Takikawa, Ashibetsu, Furano. It is a limited express, so all seats are reserved. JR Hokkaido notes that dates and cars can change without notice.

A rail pass for visitors: the Sapporo-Furano Area Pass

JR Hokkaido sells the Sapporo-Furano Area Pass to holders of non-Japanese passports. It covers four consecutive days of travel around New Chitose Airport, Sapporo, Otaru, Furano, Biei and Asahikawa. Tomamu is not included.

On 2026-10-04 the page listed the adult price as 11,000 yen if bought in advance and 12,000 yen if bought at a station. You must show your passport when you exchange or buy it.

The pass covers reserved seats, but you still need to collect a reserved seat ticket before boarding. It is not valid on JR Hokkaido Bus, or on Sapporo's streetcar and subway.

From Sapporo by highway bus: Kosoku Furano-go

Hokkaido Chuo Bus runs the Kosoku Furano-go highway bus from Sapporo Station to Furano Station. Its page showed a summer timetable, updated on 1 July 2026, with seven departures a day from Sapporo Station.

For example, the 8:50 bus from Sapporo Station is timed to reach Furano Station at 11:27. The bus has a toilet, reclining seats and free Wi-Fi. There is no rest stop on the way.

You pay when you get off. IC cards can be used if you tap the reader both when you board and when you get off. Large bags go in the luggage hold. If the bus is full, staff may offer a fold-down seat or the next bus.

From Asahikawa Airport and Asahikawa city

There is no train station at Asahikawa Airport. Furano City suggests the Furano Bus "Lavender-go", which takes about an hour from the airport to Furano.

The Furano Bus timetable revised on 1 April 2026 shows seven buses a day in each direction. The route runs between Asahikawa Station and Furano via Asahikawa Airport, Biei, Kamifurano and Nakafurano.

Seats cannot be reserved. Furano Bus states that the buses are not timed to connect with flights or JR trains. Take a numbered ticket when you board and pay when you get off.

From Asahikawa city, Furano City gives about 60 minutes on the JR Furano Line, which runs between Asahikawa and Furano. JR Hokkaido offers a GPS audio guide app for local trains on this line.

Driving

Furano City gives these driving routes and times:

• New Chitose Airport via the Doto Expressway to Shimukappu, then Route 237: about 124 km, about 2 hours.
• New Chitose Airport via Sapporo and Mikasa: about 140 km, about 2 hours 30 minutes.
• Sapporo via Mikasa: about 106 km, about 2 hours.
• Asahikawa Airport on Route 237: about 43 km, about 1 hour.
• Asahikawa city on Route 237: about 56 km, about 1 hour.

The Furano Tourism Association says its own driving times assume summer roads and no stops. It also warns that most petrol stations outside the big cities open only in the daytime. Fill up before early-morning or late-night drives.

In the lavender season, the association says traffic from Sapporo and around Furano can be very heavy. Winter roads are a different matter; see our winter safety guide below.

If you come from Obihiro or the east, note that the JR Nemuro Line between Furano and Shintoku closed on 1 April 2024. Furano City lists replacement buses, and one of them needs a reservation.

What we could not verify, and therefore left out

• The Kosoku Furano-go fare. Two Hokkaido Chuo Bus pages showed different one-way fares on the same day, so we did not print either.
• Winter timetables for the Kosoku Furano-go and the Lavender-go. The pages we read showed the current summer and April timetables only.
• Whether the Lavender-go accepts IC cards. The Furano Bus page we read did not say.
• Seasonal ski buses from New Chitose Airport sold by private companies. We could not find a current timetable on an official page.
• The 2027 dates of the Furano Lavender Express.

Related guides

• When do Furano's lavender fields bloom? Bloom stages, the July peak and how to visit without harming the farms
• How do you stay safe in Furano in winter? Cold, snowy roads, blizzards and emergency numbers

Sources

All URLs retrieved 2026-10-04.

1. 富良野市へのアクセスについて (Furano City) — (train route via Takikawa and times; Lavender-go from the airport; Furano Line; driving routes, distances and times)
2. New Chitose Airport - Sapporo - Otaru (JR Hokkaido) — (Airport Train frequency, fastest time, non-reserved seats, IC cards)
3. Limited express trains (All seats reserved) (JR Hokkaido) — (all limited express seats reserved; tickets needed)
4. Sightseeing Trains, Take JR Trains to Furano and Biei (JR Hokkaido) — (Furano Lavender Express dates, route and time; no IC cards between Takikawa and Furano; cash only on board)
5. Hokkaido Rail Pass and area passes (JR Hokkaido) — (Sapporo-Furano Area Pass: area, eligibility, price, rules)
6. Travel Information (JR Hokkaido) — (Furano Line between Asahikawa and Furano; audio guide)
7. 高速ふらの号 時刻表 (Hokkaido Chuo Bus) — (summer timetable, departures, payment, IC cards, facilities, luggage)
8. 路線バス (Furano Bus) — (Lavender-go route, seven buses a day, no reservations, no guaranteed connections, payment)
9. Access (Furano Tourism Association) — (driving times assume summer; petrol stations open in daytime)
10. FAQ (Furano Tourism Association) — (no train station at Asahikawa Airport; heavy traffic in lavender season)
11. JR根室線廃止に係る代替交通のダイヤについて (Furano City) — (Nemuro Line Furano to Shintoku closure and replacement buses)