[Hakodate Sightseeing] The Million Dollar Night View✨️ I went to Mount Hakodate twice in one day by bus!

If you go to Hakodate, the million-dollar night view is something you want to see at least once.
I had always thought, "Mount Hakodate means the ropeway."

However, my frugal husband said one thing.
"Why don't we just take the bus?"

Huh? We could go by bus? 🤔 I didn't know that.

The Hakodateyama Ropeway costs 1,200 yen one way and 1,800 yen round trip.
The ride takes about 3 minutes.
*Separate travel to the ropeway base station is required.


The Mount Hakodate Mountain Climbing Bus costs 700 yen one way and 1,400 yen round trip. (1,000 yen one way from Yunokawa Onsen)The travel time is about 30 minutes one way.
*Bus stops: Hakodate Station → Hakodate Morning Market → Hakodate Kokusai Hotel → Meijikan → Jujigai → Tozanguchi (Trailhead) → Mount Hakodate
*Please check as it does not operate in winter.

Whether to prioritize time, cost, or value for money.
It's an amount that people will likely judge differently.
*Information as of June 2026

First, we went to Mount Hakodate by bus on the afternoon of our second day in Hakodate, which was a weekday.

I recommend sitting on the right side of the bus on the way there!
Beautiful scenery occasionally peeks through the bus windows.

We boarded the bus at Meijikan, and it was relatively empty—or rather, deserted—so we were able to sit back, relax, and listen to the sightseeing announcements all the way to the summit.

We enjoyed the view at the summit at our leisure.
Although it was slightly cloudy, the view overlooking all of Hakodate was truly magnificent, and we were able to fully enjoy the daytime scenery of Mount Hakodate.

But perhaps the night view is in a league of its own?

While sightseeing at the Old Public Hall of Hakodate, I asked a guide about this.

"Is the night view really that crowded?"

Then, they said,

"Even on weekdays, it gets quite crowded between 7:00 PM and 9:00 PM. There will be a long line for the ropeway on the way back, too."

"If you want to avoid the crowds, I recommend watching the sunset and heading down early, or conversely, going at a later time."

They told me. I see.

Following that advice, we decided to head to Mount Hakodate for the second time on the mountain climbing bus that arrives at the summit around 6:30 PM, before sunset.

However, it was a completely different world from the daytime.

Even though it was a weekday, there were many people lined up at the bus stop, and the bus was packed. We had to stand all the way to the summit.

It seems there are many people who are looking forward to the night view from Mount Hakodate.

At the summit, we were able to leisurely watch the scenery during the magic hour as it transitioned from dusk to night view.

The sight of the sunset sky gradually dyeing into indigo and the lights turning on in the city of Hakodate was truly beautiful.

However, around sunset, the summit became crowded with people, and it was overflowing with people looking for photo spots.

The sunset on this day was at 19:17.
We decided to head down the mountain before the crowds became full-scale, and we decided to take the 19:40 bus.

Thanks to returning to the bus stop 5 minutes early, this time we were able to sit side-by-side as a couple.
At the bus departure time, although not as crowded as the ascent, it was quite crowded with standing passengers.

And, just one thing here.

For those who are going to see the night view by mountain bus from now on, here is a small recommendation from me.

For the return trip, I recommend the seats on the left side in the direction of travel!

From the seats on the left, the night view of Hakodate spread out across the window from time to time, and it looked very beautiful✨️

On the other hand, we somehow sat on the right side, so we could only catch a glimpse of the night view from the bus on the way back.

"Ah, so that was the side!😂"

I felt a little regret (lol).

At first, I thought, "I wanted to ride the ropeway," but when I actually experienced it, the bus was more fun than I thought.

We were able to listen to the in-bus announcements while slowly climbing the mountain road, and it was also nice to see the scenery change little by little.

The bus is convenient as it goes directly to Hakodate Station, and if your goal is to see the night view, I think it's a very satisfying choice to enjoy the magic hour and sunset at the summit before it gets crowded, and then enjoy the night view from the early bus ride down!

Please use this as a reference if you are planning to go.

I'm also grateful to my husband, who, despite being frugal, took me to Mount Hakodate twice because I kept making a fuss about the night view! (lol)

Of course, I also have a desire to ride the ropeway, so I'll save that for next time?