Beppu and Yufuin guide
A hot-spring city with steam rising all over town. See the colorful "hells", then soak in public baths or a sand bath. Over the mountain lies Yufuin, a quiet resort below Mt. Yufu.
Things to see 9 classics
"Classics" and "Hidden gems" are this site's editorial picks, not a measured popularity ranking.
- 1
Beppu Hells (Umi Jigoku and others)
A tour of "hells": springs of boiling water and mud, for viewing only. Five of them, including the blue Umi Jigoku, are walkable in Kannawa.
- Nature
- Hot springs
about 1.5 hrPaid entryWheelchair & stroller friendly
Bus · About 35 min from Beppu ・ Bus to Umi Jigoku-mae or Kannawa ・ 4.9km
- 2
Chinoike Jigoku and Tatsumaki Jigoku
A pond of hot red mud and a geyser that erupts at regular intervals. They are a little apart from Kannawa, about 5 minutes by bus.
- Nature
- Hot springs
about 45 minPaid entryWheelchair & stroller friendly
Bus · About 45 min from Beppu ・ Bus to Kannawa, then change for Chinoike Jigoku-mae ・ 5.7km
- 4
Takegawara Onsen
A public bathhouse dating back to the Meiji era, in a grand-roofed building from the 1930s. It also has a sand bath heated by the spring.
- Hot springs
- History & buildings
about 60 minPaid entryFine on a rainy day
Walk · About 10 min from Beppu ・ 600m
- 5
Myoban Onsen
A hillside hot-spring village where bath salts are made in thatched huts. Known for milky-white water and pudding steamed over the springs.
- Hot springs
- Food & markets
- Views
about 45 minPartly paid
Bus · About 40 min from Beppu ・ 6.1km
- 6
Mt. Tsurumi (Beppu Ropeway)
A 1,375-meter mountain. The top looks over Beppu, its bay and Mt. Yufu. In winter the trees are sometimes coated in rime ice.
- Views
- Nature
about 1.5 hrPaid entryPartly step-free
Ropeway · About 50 min from Beppu ・ Bus to Beppu Ropeway, then about 10 minutes by ropeway ・ 6.6km
Show on map
ClassicsHidden gems
Suggested routes
Times assume a 9:00 start. Travel times are estimated from distance and vary with waiting and crowds.
The Hells and the steam of Kannawa
Leave 9:00 → until about 15:06 (about 6 hr)
- 9:00Beppu
about 35 min by transport
9:35Beppu Hells (Umi Jigoku and others)stay about 1.5 hrabout 11 min on foot
11:16Kannawa Onsenstay about 60 minabout 15 min on foot
12:31Yukemuri Observatorystay about 15 minabout 25 min on foot
13:11Chinoike Jigoku and Tatsumaki Jigokustay about 45 minabout 10 min on foot
14:06Shibaseki Onsenstay about 60 min
The five hells in Kannawa are walkable. Try steam-cooked "jigoku-mushi" for lunch.
Plan this routeA walk in Yufuin
Leave 9:00 → until about 12:19 (about 3.5 hr)
- 9:00Beppu
about 40 min by transport
9:40Sagiridai Lookoutstay about 15 minabout 15 min by transport
10:10Yufuin and Yunotsubo Streetstay about 1.5 hrabout 9 min on foot
11:49Lake Kinrinstay about 30 min
Includes the round trip from Beppu. Sagiridai is an easy stop on the way if you go by car.
Plan this route
When to go
Values are for Oita; Yufuin, in a basin, is a few degrees cooler. Hot-spring steam is most visible on cold winter days. June–July and September are rainy.
Point at a month to see its temperature and precipitation.
Temperature (line: average; band: low to high)
Precipitation (mm)
Typical seasons
Cherry blossoms (Beppu Park)
Beppu Hatto Onsen Festival
Autumn leaves (Yufuin, Lake Shidaka)
Show as a table
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High (℃) | 10.7 | 11.5 | 14.6 | 19.7 | 24.1 | 26.5 | 30.9 | 32.2 | 28.2 | 23.3 | 18.1 | 13 |
| Avg (℃) | 6.5 | 7.2 | 10.2 | 14.8 | 19.3 | 22.6 | 26.8 | 27.7 | 24.2 | 19.1 | 13.8 | 8.7 |
| Low (℃) | 2.6 | 3 | 5.9 | 10.3 | 15 | 19.3 | 23.5 | 24.3 | 20.9 | 15.2 | 9.5 | 4.6 |
| Rain (mm) | 49.8 | 64.1 | 99.2 | 119.7 | 133.6 | 313.6 | 261.3 | 165.7 | 255.2 | 144.8 | 72.9 | 47.1 |
Temperature and precipitation are Japan Meteorological Agency normals (1991–2020, Oita). Seasons are typical timings and can shift by a week or two each year. JMA data
Main ways to get around
Local buses (to Kannawa and the Hells)
About 20–30 minutes from Beppu Station to Kannawa or Umi Jigoku-mae. For Chinoike Jigoku, take another bus from Kannawa. Day passes are sold.
Beppu – Yufuin bus
About 50 minutes to 1 hour from the west exit of Beppu Station over the mountains to Yufuin, passing the Beppu Ropeway on the way.
JR Nippo and Kyudai lines
About 15 minutes from Beppu to Oita. For Yufuin, change to the Kyudai Line at Oita. Limited expresses also link Hakata and Yufuin.
Beppu Ropeway
About 10 minutes from the base station to the top of Mt. Tsurumi. The base station is about 25 minutes by bus from Beppu Station.
Airport bus
About 45–50 minutes from Oita Airport to Beppu Kitahama and Beppu Station. There are also direct buses to Yufuin.
Getting to Beppu
“Classics” and “Hidden gems” are our editors' picks, not a measured popularity ranking. Travel times are estimates. Please check prices, opening hours and operating days with the official sources before you go.
Photo and data credits
Hot spring steam rising between the houses of Kannawa Onsen 松岡明芳 (CC BY-SA 4.0) / White steam rising from the blue water of Umi Jigoku 663highland (CC BY 2.5) / Steam over the red water of Chinoike Jigoku Leyo (CC BY-SA 2.5 ch) / The wooden Takegawara Onsen with its curved gabled entrance Suicasmo (CC BY-SA 4.0) / Thatched yunohana huts at Myoban Onsen STA3816 (CC BY-SA 3.0) / The street in front of Yufuin Station with Mt. Yufu ahead そらみみ (CC BY-SA 4.0). Cropped and resized.
Local food
Regional dishes handed down in Oita. Many are home and community cooking, so not every dish is served at restaurants.
Dango Jiru (dumpling soup)
だんご汁
“Dango Jiru” (dumpling soup) is a good example of this.
- Where it is made
- The whole prefecture
Yaseuma (Thinly Rolled Out Flour Sprinkled with Roasted Soybean Flour )
やせうま
“Yaseuma” is a traditional snack made with kneaded wheat flour, which is flattened and boiled, and sprinkled with kinako (=roasted soybean flour) and sugar.
- Where it is made
- All of Oita Prefecture
Tori-Meshi (Mixed Rice with Chicken)
鶏めし
“Tori meshi” is mixed rice made with chicken meat, “gobou” (=burdock) and carrots. The number and types of ingredients used differ per region and the family that makes it.
- Where it is made
- All of Oita Prefecture
Tori-Ten
とり天
Among them, “Karaage” is the most famous, but “Tori-Ten”, deep-fried chicken in Tempura Flour, is also widely popular throughout Oita Prefecture.
- Where it is made
- All of Oita Prefecture
Ishigaki Mochi
石垣もち
"Ishigaki-mochi" is a snack that originated from the flour-food culture, and served as a quick bite for farm workers.
- Where it is made
- All areas in Oita Prefecture
Houchou (Thin udon noodles dipped in dipping sauce)
鮑腸
"Houchou" is a noodle dish made by kneading wheat flour into thin udon noodles and dipping them in a dipping sauce (dashi (=Japanese soup stock)) with condiments.
- Where it is made
- Oita City Hetsugi area, Ono River basin
“Find places serving it” opens a map app search for the dish name and the place name. The results are not chosen or recommended by this site. Please check with the shop whether it serves the dish.
Source: “Our Regional Cuisines” (Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries), edited by this site (imported 2026-11-15) https://www.maff.go.jp/e/policies/market/k_ryouri/index.html. Names, areas and ingredients are as written on the source pages; descriptions are excerpts of the original text. No photos are used. This page is not made or endorsed by the ministry.