Things To Do in Hakuba in the Winter (Besides Snowboarding and Skiing)
Hakuba is known for its snow sports, but some of us prefer to admire the snow from a cafe instead. I spent 3 days in Hakuba and made a guide on what to do in Hakuba besides skiing and snowboarding.
As someone who is a nervous wreck trying to get off the snow lift, I had to look into other wintertime activities while my travelling partner hit the slopes. Even for those not chasing the “Japow”, Hakuba’s tranquility and winter beauty made it an enjoyable part of my Japan trip.
Disclosure: Some of the links on this page are affiliate links, meaning I may earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase—at no additional cost to you. All opinions are my own and based on my personal travel experiences.
Contents of this Guide:
3-Day Hakuba Itinerary (Without Skiing or Snowboarding)
Day 1: Arrival, Onsen & Echoland
Day 2: Shrines, Shopping, and Snow Peak Land
Day 3: Iwatake Gondola & Mountain Harbor
Where to stay in Hakuba
Is Hakuba Worth Visiting Without Skiing or Snowboarding?
Yes, Hakuba is worth visiting even without skiing or snowboarding. The main draw is the beautiful mountain views, especially the ones at Iwatake Resort. With that said, since Hakuba is a ski town, food and lodging were a bit more expensive in the winter than in some other Japanese destinations. It is worth a stop, especially if you’re already visiting areas nearby such as Nagano or Matsumoto.
Getting to and Around Hakuba Without a Car
If you’re planning your own route into Hakuba, check out my guide here. Getting around Hakuba was easy even without a car. We stayed in Happo One and found that there were plenty of shops and restaurants that were walkable within 10-15 minutes. For further locations, we took the Hakuba Valley Shuttle Bus.
Hakuba Valley Shuttle Bus
The shuttle runs between all major ski resorts, including Happo-one, Iwatake, and Tsugaike, making it convenient to explore different areas each day. If you have a multi-resort lift pass, shuttle access is included.
Pricing:
The shuttle bus costs 800 yen per ride when purchased online in advance. Online tickets must be used within one hour of purchase
1,000 yen when paying cash onboard.
How to Purchase:
Tickets can be bought by scanning QR codes posted at major bus stops or through the Hakuba Valley Shuttlebus site.
Night Transportation in Hakuba
The Hakuba Valley shuttle bus also operates a night bus with tickets at 500 yen if purchased online. Taxis are avaliable but there is a limited number of them. Our hotel recommended reserving them in advance, ideally at least a few hours ahead.
Things to Do in Hakuba Without Skiing or Snowboarding: 3-Day Itinerary
Day 1 - Arrival, Onsen & Echoland
Onsen
After checking into the Moegi hotel, the first amenity we took advantage of was the hotel's onsen. An onsen is a Japanese hot spring bath, that are traditionally fully undressed in facilities separated by gender. There are a couple of public ones that I did some research on, if your hotel doesn’t have one.
Echoland
Echoland is the main entertainment area in Hakuba, and has many restaurants, bars, and izakayas within walking distance. At Echoland, we ate dinner at AGURAYA, which is an izakaya that specializes in oden. My favorite was the burdock root wrapped in fish cake. While I was eating my meal, a group of about 8-9 young Aussies stopped in and asked to drink the snake liquor. It looked like some type of liquor with a whole snake infused in it. Honestly, it looked horrifying to see the snake floating in the bottle, as I am queasy around snakes. They asked the bartender to partake with them, and he joked back, “Nah, that stuff isn’t good for you”.
Bar hopping was a little harder than we expected, as we were doing this without a reservation. So if you are looking to go out during peak ski season, try to make a reservation if you can!
Day 2 - Shrines, Shopping, Snow Peak Land Station
⛩️Shimofurimiyahosonosuwa Shrine 細野諏訪神社
Start the day in tranquility with a visit to the local shrine. It’s a small shrine, but it looked beautiful in the snow and was at least worth stopping by to admire.
The pathway is in front of the Unajune restaurant. You will see a wooden Tori gate along the path. I will link it in the map that I share about Hakuba. The steps were icy when I went, so snow cleats might have been helpful here.
📷Hakuba Ohashi Bridge
If you feel like continuing on this morning trek, walk to the Hakuba Ohashi Bridge that crosses over the Matsukawa River. You will be rewarded with another vantage point of the mountains with a riverbed covered in snow.
The Hakuba Ohashi Bridge takes about 30 minutes from Happo-One’s main area. The path to the bridge was more icy near the main Happo-One’s area, because there are no sidewalks, so the cars melt snow, which becomes ice by the next day. Once you leave the Happo-One main area, there are designated pedestrian walkways, and it is less slippery. I still found it to be a nice and relaxing morning stroll, even as I gingerly walked through the icy areas.
Lunch at Koiya
If you like unagi don or broiled eel with rice, I highly recommend getting lunch at Koiya. At dinner time, there can be a line, but when we went for lunch, we had no issues getting a table.
Snow Peak Land Station
A shopping stroll, even if it’s just to window shop, is a nice way to digest lunch. Unless you’re looking to buy any outerwear at full price, I would just check out Snow Peak Land Station. The architecture of the building is interesting, and you can enjoy a drink at Starbucks with a great view.
If you like Japanese drugstore cosmetics or want a greater selection of canned highballs, alcohol, etc., check out the drugstore chain Matsumoto Kiyoshi.
🛒Snow Peak Land Station area shopping
Outerwear / Clothing: Snow Peak, Columbia, North Face
Vintage: Kasamo Vintage
Drug Store: Matsumoto Kiyoshi
While we opted to walk back to Happo-One (~20-30 minutes, flat terrain), you could take the bus or the JR line back.
🛒Happo-One area shopping
If Snow Peak Land Station wasn’t enough, these are some of the other shopping options in the Happo-One area:
Outerwear or accessories: Oyuki, Rhythm
Convenience Stores: Lawson’s
Sake or Gifts: シオール白馬
Day 3 - Iwatake Resort and Mountain Harbor
Ride the Iwatake Gondola for the Views
No one says you can’t ride the gondola just for views. For a picturesque view of the Japanese Alps, head to Iwatake Resort. Purchase an adult tourist ticket (2900 yen in 2026) and ride the gondola up to Hakuba Mountain Resort.
After getting off the gondola, you will immediately be greeted with sweeping mountain views. It is hard not to pause and stare in awe at the Japanese Alps before you.
Activities at Iwatake Park (no skis or snowboards required)
At the summit, there are activities at the Iwatake White Park, such as:
Yooho-Swing: Swing in front of the mountain scenery for 500 yen.
Explore snow caves and snow walls
City Bakery: A couple of the items actually sell out, so get there early if you want something specific, but I was very happy with my butter milk biscuit!
Hakuba Mountain Harbor terrace: enjoy your snacks here and take pictures, including the Instagram-famous photo spot (featured on the cover photo of this post)
A small souvenir shop inside the resort for some Hakuba-themed gifts
Chavaty Bakery via Chair Lift
After spending hours at the Iwatake White Park, take the 5 Line South Lift to descend to Chavaty Bakery. No additional lift tickets are required to use this lift. There are also great views here and plenty of outdoor seating options, and much less crowded than City Bakery.
If you’ve already had baked goods at City Bakery, then just come for the tea lattes and views. Once you’ve had your fill, ride the chair lift back up to get back to the main summit area. There are plenty of lunch options if you are looking for something substantial back at the main lodge or around the Iwatake White Park area.
After your adventure in Iwatake Park, enjoy the izakayas or onsen near the Happo-One area one last time.
Hakuba met my expectations this winter. While it’s definitely a ski town, there was plenty for me to do and beautiful mountain scenery that is easily accessible for a non-skier like me!
Frequently Asked Questions
Where to Stay in Hakuba?
Since my boyfriend wanted to ride the Happo-One lift, we decided to locate ourselves at Hotel Moegi so that it would be convenient when he hit the slopes early in the morning. The lifts are within minutes of the hotel, and the center of Happo One is within 10-15 minutes, making it easy to get to restaurants and shops.
Check out my experience at the Hotel Moegi in my YouTube short here. Hotel Moegi is a cute hotel with a nostalgic, older feel. We were treated kindly by the staff and found that it met all our needs at the price of ~$200 per night.
✅Pros:
Breakfast sandwiches were delightful
location was great( minutes to the lifts, close to food and bus station),
ski/snowboard locker
shuttle to/from the train or bus station when you arrive or depart
❌Cons:
No elevators, only stairs
The bathroom is a bit older, so it had a bit of a musky smell, but we used the public bath, so this wasn’t too much of an issue for us.
🏨Booking link for Hotel Moegi
Interactive Hakuba Map
To make it easier on your trip planning, I am sharing the locations that I spoke about in a Google Map list that might be helpful for your trip.
Do I need to be able to speak Japanese in Hakuba?
Unfortunately, the truth is that you will see more foreigners than Japanese people in Hakuba during the winter. So yes, while you can totally get by with Google Translate or another translation app, I always recommend learning at least basic greetings and simple phrases.
How Long Should I Stay in Hakuba in the Winter?
If you aren’t with any skiers or snowboarders, I’d say a visit to Hakuba for 1-2 days should be enough to hit the main attractions and onsen. However I had plenty of things to do for 3 days and could’ve stretched longer even. There are other activities like snowshoeing and tubing that I didn’t explore.
Other Hakuba Travel Planning Resources
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