Getting to Hokkaido is simpler than its far-north position may suggest. New Chitose Airport (CTS), just outside Sapporo, has direct flights from Seoul, Taipei, Hong Kong, Bangkok, and other Asian hubs, plus quick domestic hops from Tokyo, Osaka, and other major Japanese cities.

Once you land, the JR Hokkaido Rail Pass links the main romantic stops without a car, though in summer and autumn, a rental is needed to visit the far-flung lavender farms and lakes, which I highly recommend.

While the rest of Japan has basically said goodbye to sakura by late April, Hokkaido's blooms have peaked. That's the main draw of this season: the same pastel-pink spectacle, weeks later and with fewer crowds.

Blossoms first unfurl in Hakodate. Head up Goryokaku Tower for a view of the star-shaped fortress traced by 1,500 cherry trees, then wander the port town's sloping streets, with the rattling of passing trams as a cinematic background score.

Two hours west, Matsumae is Hokkaido's loveliest sakura town. This "Little Kyoto of the North" has 10,000 trees blooming in waves through May behind the white walls of Matsumae Castle. Time your visit to the Matsumae Sakura Festival, and keep an eye out for merchants selling Abashiri Sakura Ale, brewed with real cherry blossoms.

Sapporo has its fuchsia charms, too. Pick up some sublime Mifuyu Sakura that graces the spring menu of Shiroi Koibito Park, then spread a blanket in Maruyama Koen for a picnic beneath the drifting petals.

Noboribetsu, one of Hokkaido's most celebrated onsen towns, has 2,000 cherry trees lining the path to the baths each spring. Book a ryokan with a private open-air bath, and soak away.

While mainland Japan swelters, Hokkaido stays cool, green, and in some parts, even purple.

The postcard-perfect towns of Furano and Biei are unmissable for their idyllic summer views, usually from late June to early July. Furano's lavender runs in violet bands to the horizon, best seen at Farm Tomita, where you should share a lavender soft-serve and a wedge of sweet Yubari melon before wandering out among the flowers.

Biei's patchwork hills roll out in every shade of green and gold, and the Blue Pond is worth a quick stop at golden hour, when the water glistens with an unearthly turquoise tinge. Summer doubles as festival season, and the fireworks here are a masterpiece. End a warm evening watching them explode over Lake Toya.

For something wilder, drive the Shakotan Peninsula, the only stretch of Hokkaido with sea cliffs this dramatic. The water is a color they've named after the place itself, "Shakotan blue," and early summer is peak uni season, so a fishing-village ryokan will serve you sea urchin so fresh you'll be thinking about it for days. Walk out to Cape Kamui at dusk, with the impossibly blue sea on both sides.

Then, if you have days to spare, go further than most honeymooners ever do: catch the ferry to Rebun and Rishiri, two islands off the northern tip. Rishiri rises straight from the sea as a near-perfect volcanic cone, and Rebun is laced with wildflower trails that bloom only up here in summer.

Opposite to the sakura schedule, autumn arrives first in Hokkaido. While the rest of the country is still waiting on summer to break, the north is already turning gold and crimson, which makes this the ideal season for couples who'd like to see fall without elbowing through a crowd.

With blazing colors and boutique hotels, Daisetsuzan National Park is my favorite place to experience fall. Check into a luxury ryokan in Sōunkyō, lace up your boots to tramp through autumn trails, and reward yourself with an evening soak in an onsen.

Short on time? Just an hour from Sapporo lies Jōzankei, an easy onsen getaway sitting along a river valley and framed, come October, by red maples. It's close enough for a single dreamy night away in a riverside ryokan with a private bath.

Autumn's theatrics put on a real show at Lake Akan, where volcanic scenery adds to the romance. Expect to linger on the Takimi Bridge for an hour or two, taking in the blanket of Japanese maples.

Athletic couples can then take the short hike along the Bokke Trail to see bubbling mud pools and more foliage, while others (like me) can set sail on a boat tour, all that majesty gliding past while you do nothing but relish the views. This is the heart of Ainu country too, where you can watch traditional performances by Hokkaido's Indigenous people.

Winter has drawn couples to Hokkaido from all over the world, and how could it not? Pristine white snow and plush ryokan with private hot springs, winter tasting menus at Michelin-starred tables, mist curling off the baths, steam rising from a bowl of ramen into the freezing air. This is the season that made the island famous.

A port town with European-style architecture, old brick warehouses, and frozen canals glowing under gas lamps, Otaru exudes romance. Duck into a glass-blowing studio to create a piece of art to take back home, or sit down together at a ring-making workshop and design a piece of jewellery to commemorate your Hokkaido honeymoon. Visitors in February can experience the Otaru Snow Light Path, when the whole town flickers gold in the dark.

For dinner, book a Michelin-listed omakase at Isezushi, where the second-generation chef turns Hokkaido's winter catch, botan ebi, surf clam, and sea urchin, into what can only be described as edible art.

Out east, where the Sea of Okhotsk freezes solid in the depths of winter, lie Abashiri and the Shiretoko coast. Board an icebreaker and push out through the drift ice. It's an experience few places on earth can offer.

Powderhound couples, put Niseko at the top of your list. Spend your days snaking through the lightest snow on the planet and your evenings deep in the après-onsen culture that makes this resort town ultra special. Make that slow dinner count at KITCHEN by Kamimura, a Niseko legend plating French technique over Hokkaido winter produce, seared scallop, snow crab tartare, duck in sansho sauce, with the snow falling beyond the glass.

And if possible, time your trip around the Sapporo Snow Festival in early February, when Odori Park fills with massive illuminated ice sculptures. Wander through after dark, gloved hand in gloved hand, trying not to slip, with the whole park lit up and glittering.

Some nights are worth blowing the budget on, and for a honeymoon, what better way to experience the glorious Japanese hospitality than at a Ryokan? While on the pricier side, a full-fledged ryokan stay includes a meal - often with vegetarian choices when requested in advance - and perks like a shared hot spring or private onsen. You're paying for the whole evening, not just a place to rest your head. For a honeymoon, one or two ryokan nights are absolutely mandatory.

Here are some exceptional stays we cannot stop raving about.

Check-in into one of the fifteen suites of Zaborin, Niseko, and resist the urge to head straight for the outdoor onsen. Go out for a forest bath, explore Niseko, and return to your heated villa for Yoshihiro Seno's special kaiseki meal so phenomenal, it easily rivals the best restaurants in Japan. It's the definition of a once-in-a-marriage splurge.

Over on Lake Toya is The Lake Suite Ko No Sumika, which also has outstanding suites. Book the Terrace Room with Open-air Hot Spring Bath for a proper romance-filled getaway.

In Noboribetsu, the intimate Takinoya is the refined alternative to the big resort hotels, with honeymoon-level luxury and perfect service.

At Hoshino Resorts Tomamu, every season is magical. In summer, ride the gondola up to the Unkai Terrace at dawn to stand above a rolling sea of clouds. Come by in the depths of winter for the Ice Village, where you can drink at an ice bar, marry (or renew vows) in a chapel carved from a single block of ice, and even spend the night in a room made entirely of it. Warm rooms in the resort's towers are also there for when you would prefer something comfier and heated.

First-timers, especially couples making the long trip from India, should start in Sapporo. It's the most connected city on the island, with easy airport access, direct trains to Otaru and Noboribetsu, and enough restaurants, bars, and day trips to fill the gaps between excursions.

Couples returning for a second trip can base themselves somewhere slightly more far-flung. Hakodate for port-town romance in the south, or Furano for a summer wrapped in flower fields, are both fabulous options.

For a train-based trip, the JR Hokkaido Rail Pass covers unlimited travel on JR lines for a set number of days and links most of the romantic stops without a car. For summer and autumn escapes, we highly recommend renting a car to see the corners of Hokkaido that trains don't reach.

Winter is the exception. Snow, black ice, and sudden whiteouts make driving super hard, so unless you're used to driving on winter roads, stick to taking trains, buses, and ryokan shuttles.

As a rough guide, a mid-range honeymoon runs somewhere around 350,000 yen to 450,000 yen per couple (roughly US$2,300 to US$3,000) for seven days on the ground, not counting international flights. That buys comfortable Western-style hotels with a private-onsen ryokan night or two, your meals, intercity transport, and the odd splurge like an icebreaker cruise or a Michelin dinner. Sweethearts planning to splurge on a luxury ryokan every night, expect to climb well past this budget.

For couples flying in from India, Hokkaido is more affordable than a European honeymoon and, with the recent easing of visa rules, easier to plan than ever. For context, Japan's government tourism figures put the average Indian travellers spend at around 277,000 yen per person across a much longer two-and-a-half-week trip, so a shorter but more indulgent honeymoon sits comfortably within the range above.

The romance of Hokkaido is in the steam rising off your skin in an outdoor bath, the late-night vending machine runs when you and your love are craving a Hokkaido milk ice cream, the exquisite service of every ryokan, and the changing views of every season.

Whether you come for the sakura or the lavender, the drift ice or the autumn fire, Hokkaido has a love story waiting for you and yours.