The essential Hakodate experience is the night view from Mount Hakodate — take the ropeway after dark and stay until the city lights are at their best around 9pm. The following morning, the Hakodate morning market near the station opens at 5am for fresh seafood and is best visited before 9am.
Goryōkaku, the star fort about 3 kilometres from the station, rewards a half-day visit: walk the moat circuit, climb the adjacent tower for the aerial view, and allow time for the history museum. The Motomachi hillside district is Hakodate's most atmospheric walking ground — the Kanemori Red Brick Warehouses at the waterfront make a natural starting point before climbing the slopes past the Holy Resurrection Orthodox Church and the Former British Consulate. End a full day at Yunokawa Onsen on the eastern edge of the city.