Furano and Biei Flower Field Drive Course

With its gentle hills and colorful flower fields, the Furano and Biei area is perfect for a drive. Tour the scenery of Hokkaido by rental car, from lavender fields to hills striped with flowers and a mysterious glowing blue pond. July, when the lavender is at its best, is especially recommended. Allow about eight hours.

Course Route

9:00 Start from Asahikawa Airport Rent a car and set off. From Asahikawa Airport to central Furano is about 45 kilometers south on Route 237, roughly one hour and twenty minutes by car. The airport has rental car counters, making it an ideal starting point for a drive.

9:45 Lavender at Farm Tomita Head to the lavender field that represents Furano. A purple carpet spreads across the slope and a gentle fragrance fills the air. Admission and parking are both free, and the usual hours are 9:00 to 17:00 (they vary by season). Lavender soft serve ice cream is a local favorite.

11:30 Lunch in the Furano area Fill up on local flavors such as curry or cheese dishes made with Furano produce. Many places let you dine while looking out over the fields.

13:00 Drive the hills of Biei Move from Furano to Biei and drive through the gently rolling hills. Roads of constant ups and downs and lone standing trees appear one after another. From Farm Tomita toward Biei takes about 30 to 40 minutes by car.

14:00 Flower panorama at Shikisai no Oka Visit this vast hilltop flower garden where colorful blooms form stripes across the land. During the peak from July to September, admission is around 500 yen for high school age and above, while from October to June it is free. There is also an alpaca ranch, and the view from the hill is breathtaking.

15:30 The Shirogane Blue Pond Visit the clear blue and mysterious pond dotted with bare standing trees. The color shifts with the light, and the still surface creates a dreamlike mood. Viewing the pond itself is free, but the parking lot charges a fee, so it helps to carry some coins.

16:30 Stop at Shirahige Falls At this waterfall near the Blue Pond, water springs from partway up the cliff and falls in many strands. Parking is free and it is only a few minutes by car from the Blue Pond. Together with the blue river flow it makes a fine finish to the drive.

Highlights

• The purple lavender fields and rich fragrance of Farm Tomita
• The vivid flower stripes drawn across the hills of Shikisai no Oka
• The mysterious blue of the Shirogane Blue Pond, changing with the light
• The exhilarating drive weaving through the hills of Biei

Access and Tips

• The area is wide, so driving a rental car is by far the most convenient
• Lavender is usually at its best from early to mid July
• Popular summer spots get crowded, so an early start is recommended
• Days are long in Hokkaido, so you can tour at leisure into the evening

Practical Travel Notes

• Best season and time of day: If lavender is the goal, July is the prime month. The flower fields photograph beautifully in the soft light of the morning, when crowds are also lighter. The Blue Pond shows its most vivid blue on clear days around midday.
• Avoiding crowds: Farm Tomita, Shikisai no Oka, and the Blue Pond are busiest during the daytime in July and August. Touring the main spots first thing in the morning and saving driving for the afternoon eases the search for parking.
• Time estimates: Asahikawa Airport to Furano is about one hour twenty minutes by car, Farm Tomita to the Biei area about 30 to 40 minutes, and central Biei to the Blue Pond and Shirahige Falls about 20 to 30 minutes.
• Budget sense: Most sights are free or only a few hundred yen, so the main costs are the rental car, fuel, and parking. The Blue Pond parking is paid, so keep some cash ready.
• Nearby stops: The Biei hill area is dotted with easy roadside viewpoints such as Zerubu Hill and the Patchwork Road. If you have time to spare, add them to the route.

A Quick Tip

The flower season is limited, so if lavender is your goal, plan a trip in July. Some hill roads are narrow, so do not get too lost in the scenery and keep your driving safe. Fuel stations are sparse on some stretches, so filling up early is reassuring.

Practical Information for Your Visit

About this route Roughly 8 hours by rental car starting and ending at Asahikawa Airport. The driving distance is long, so plan your refueling and rest stops.

Opening hours and closing days of each facility

• Farm Tomita: Varies by season. As a guide, 8:30-17:00 from May to mid-June, 8:30-17:30 from late June to mid-August when the lavender is at its peak, and 9:00-17:00 from late August through September
• Shikisai-no-oka: Opening hours change month by month; 8:40-17:30 from June to September (last entry 17:15 from July to September). Open year-round except December 31 and January 1. The restaurant in the grounds is closed on Wednesdays (last order 15:00)
• Shirogane Blue Pond: Viewing itself is unrestricted. The parking lot is open 7:00-19:00 from May to October and 8:00-21:30 from November to April

Guide to fees

• Farm Tomita: Admission free of charge
• Shikisai-no-oka: An admission fee applies only from July to September, at 800 yen for high school students and older and 500 yen for elementary and junior high school students (free of charge for children under elementary school age). The \"Norokko-go\" tractor bus costs 500 yen for high school students and older and 300 yen for elementary and junior high school students, buggies cost 800-1,200 yen, and the alpaca ranch costs 500 yen for high school students and older and 300 yen for elementary and junior high school students, all of which are charged separately
• Shirogane Blue Pond: Viewing free of charge; parking costs 1,000 yen for an ordinary car, 300 yen for a motorcycle and 6,000 yen for a large vehicle (revised July 1, 2026)

Access From Asahikawa Airport to central Furano it is about 45 km, roughly 1 hour 20 minutes via National Route 237. Allow 30-40 minutes from Farm Tomita toward Biei, and 20-30 minutes from central Biei to the Blue Pond and Shirahige Falls.

Parking Farm Tomita is free of charge. The Blue Pond has a paid parking lot with an automatic payment system where you take a ticket at the entrance gate.

What needs to be reserved No reservation is required to visit the flower fields. Rental cars fill up in the high season, so arrange yours early.

Points to note

• The volcanic alert level for Mt. Tokachi was raised from 1 to 2 on June 18, 2026. If you are heading toward Shirogane or Bogakudai, check the latest volcanic information
• All of the scenery on the hills of Biei is privately owned farmland. Be sure to observe the rules: do not enter farmland, farm roads or gravel tracks, and do not walk into the flower fields
• Flying drones is prohibited in principle

Note: The Blue Pond is most crowded between 13:00 and 15:00 on clear days. Visiting the main spots in the morning makes it much easier to find parking.

(Sources: Shikisai-no-oka official website, Farm Tomita official website, Biei Town Tourism Association official website. As of July 2026)