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Routes · Asia

Madrid to Kyushu: Fukuoka, Beppu and Yufuin

Madrid → Fukuoka → Beppu

Fukuoka
"Fukuoka_Skyline_of_Seaside_Momochi.jpg" by Nryate, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons· licence
Fukuoka Skyline of Seaside Momochi (Fukuoka)
Photo: Nryate, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Street food & hot spring towns Best season (general guide): Mar–May, Oct–Nov

Kyushu, Japan's southern main island, is known for volcanoes, hot springs and some of the country's best food. This route spends three nights in Fukuoka and three in Beppu. From Madrid you'll connect through Tokyo, Seoul or another hub to Fukuoka.

How to pace it: Spend days one to three in Fukuoka: day one, Nakasu yatai; day two, Ohori Park and the castle ruins; day three, Dazaifu Tenman-gū. Then spend days four to six in Beppu: day four, train to Beppu, then first onsen; day five, the Hells of Beppu; day six, day trip to Yufuin.

Start in Fukuoka, a lively city with a relaxed feel. In the evening, yatai, small food stalls, open along the river in Nakasu and elsewhere, serving ramen, grilled skewers and oden. Hakata ramen, with its rich pork-bone broth, comes from here.

Walk around the large lake in Ohori Park, with the ruins of the city's castle nearby. Dazaifu Tenman-gū, a short train ride away, is a major shrine dedicated to the god of learning, approached through a street of shops selling sweet rice cakes.

A train crosses Kyushu to Beppu, one of Japan's great hot-spring towns, where steam rises from vents across the hillside. Visit the Hells of Beppu, colourful hot springs, some bright blue, others red, meant for looking at rather than bathing.

Try one of Beppu's many public baths, including sand baths and mud baths. For a day trip, take the train inland to Yufuin, a quieter town with ryokan inns, small museums and a lake at the foot of a mountain.

Spring and autumn are the most comfortable seasons. Summer is hot and humid, and typhoons are possible in late summer.

Yatai stalls are small, so expect to share a bench and order a dish or two before moving on. In Beppu, many inns have their own baths, so you can soak at any hour.

Practical notes: trains link the towns, and a Kyushu rail pass may save money. Learn the etiquette of onsen bathing: wash before entering the bath, and keep towels out of the water. Some baths may restrict tattoos.

Suggested outline

  1. Madrid

    Start

  2. Fukuoka

    By air · 3 nights suggested

    Riverside yatai stalls, tonkotsu ramen and the shrine at Dazaifu.

  3. Beppu

    By train · 3 nights suggested

    A steaming hot-spring town, with the colourful 'hells' and Yufuin nearby.

    Hells of Beppu
    "180131_Umi-Jigoku.jpg" by Totti, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons· licence

Day by day

  1. Day 1 · Fukuoka — Arrive; Nakasu yatai· Madrid → Fukuoka (by air) — long-haul; may arrive the next calendar day
  2. Day 2 · Fukuoka — Ohori Park and the castle ruins
  3. Day 3 · Fukuoka — Dazaifu Tenman-gū
  4. Day 4 · Beppu — Train to Beppu; first onsen· Fukuoka → Beppu (by train)
  5. Day 5 · Beppu — The Hells of Beppu
  6. Day 6 · Beppu — Day trip to Yufuin
  7. Day 7 · Beppu — Travel home from Beppu· Beppu → Oita (by train), then Oita → Madrid (by air)

A suggested pace only; expedition days are set by the operator.

Flights, leg by leg

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Fukuoka

More about Fukuoka →

Plan the trip: Fukuoka

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Beppu

Nearest airport: Oita

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