We are at Part 3 of our 2-week Kyushu trip and would continue the itinerary from Day 7. You’ll see us explore the quaint onsen town of Yufuin, climb Mount Kuju (one of 100 famous mountains in Japan) and visit Beppu, a city known for its numerous hot spring pools.
For a better story flow, do check what we did the days leading to this post:
- Part 1: Arriving in Fukuoka and exploring sights in Nagasaki
- Part 2: Kumamoto city and the stunning volcanic landscape surrounding it
Done, that? Let’s continue our itinerary from Day 7.
Day 7: Climb Mount Kuju & Explore Yufuin Town
The original itinerary was to climb Mt Kuju the day before (enroute from Kumamoto to Yufuin on Day 6). But time was tight and I was quite sick the past few days.
So we tweaked the plan, and headed straight to Yufuin yesterday. This would require us to back-track an hour’s of drive today to get to Mt Kuju.
The good thing, we would have lots of time to conquer the 4-hour return climb. The bad thing – there would be less time to explore Yufuin as things closed early there.
Breakfast at Yufuin Hotel
To start the day, let’s enjoy the complimentary breakfast from our Ryokan in Yufuin – at Yufuin Nanairo No Kaze.
Though the hotel was quite run-down, breakfast was actually not too bad. Having a close view of Mt Yufuin was perhaps the best selling point of this hotel.
It seems like although the ryokan’s facilities couldn’t keep up with time, human-related services such as room cleanliness and food quality were still okay.
Climbing Mount Kuju – 100 Famous Mountain in Japan
We departed at 8am and only reached Mount Kuju trail entrance (at Makinoto Rest House) at 9am. As all parking lots were taken, we had to parked a bit of distance away, along the main road.
Did you know? The Kuju mountain range has the highest peak on the island of Kyushu.
Now, Kuju mountain has lots of different trails and summits that you can venture to (and different trail heads to begin your climb). From where we started, it was a relatively easy climb.
We saw lots of elderly and even toddlers on our way up Mount Kuju – so it’s a very friendly, albeit congested trail. However, you’ll have to bear with the 4 hours return climb.
INFO: The highest summit in Kyushu is Mt Nakadake (1791 metres). The peak we ascended (Kuju) is slightly shorter, standing at 1786 metres. Refer trail map here.
Do note that as you get nearer to the Mt Kuju summit, the trail would become more rocky and slippery. Both of us slipped on our way down, and we witnessed a few others fell too. Nothing serious – a good laugh when our butts landed on the small rocks.
This is also the first hike where I ended with blisters on both my toes despite wearing a good and comfortable hiking shoes. Too slippery!
In terms of view, the climb offered superb scenery of wild and rugged volcano landscape.
Though I think the “Return on Investment (ROI)” was better when we ascended Kishima-take near Mount Aso. That was a shorter climb and the view was even better!
But no regrets at all. Both mountains offered superb views and a good workout!
Exploring Yufuin Town
After the climb, we returned to Yufuin town at 3pm, leaving us just 2 hours to explore the town before everything closed.
Strategically, we’d marked out the good food to try in Yufuin, mainly along Yunotsubo Street (see location). The first stop was at Milch Cheese Cake where we chose an Original Cheesecake (hot) and Pistachio Cheesecake (cold). The man liked the creamy dessert! (¥650).
Next on the list was Cucuchi where we bought a Dakoyaki (pancake filled with red bean) for ¥350. I thought it was pretty normal and too big and filling as part of a street-food experience. I took a bite and kept the rest in my bag to ensure I have stomach space for other great food along the street.
The third food to try was a random find – Bun with Spicy Fish Roe (¥300) that was served piping hot.
Next was Beef & Cheese Croquette (¥400) from Yufuin Kinsho Croquette.
Shopping-wise (also along the same street), there were lots of unique souvenir shops and cartoon-themed shops, such as a Totoro shop, a bakery selling Miffy breads, or a Snoopy shop selling food and merchandise.
The man bought me a cute and fluffy woodstock, that reminded me of a toy I had when I was a kid.
Another interesting place was Yufuin Floral Village – a small site that would transport you to the medieval world. You can shop, pet owls or rest at a cat cafe.
And final sight today was Kinrin Lake, located at eastern end of Yufuin town. By the time we reached the lake, our legs were jelly and I was so dead tired (remember we’d a 4 hours hike in the morning).
My nose was “running” non-stop by then (due to illness) and all I wanted to do was to sleep. Luckily, the lake was quite pretty, though the toilet there was very filthy, and it reminded me of my experience in Arashiyama!
Is Yufuin worth going?
Yufuin pales in comparison to Hakone as it is small and the experience isn’t as diverse and memorable.
>> MUST-READ: Things to do in Hakone, a resort town near Tokyo
Also, there were more tourists (Taiwanese & Koreans) than locals here at Yufuin. But it should still make a good one night stay if you happen to be around the area.
Dinner & Onsen: Yufuin Town
Still full from the street food, we “tabao” dinner from 7-eleven. After another round of onsen dip that boosted a view of Mt Yufuin, we were ready to depart Yufuin and move to the next town tomorrow.
Map Location for Day 7 (Yufuin Onsen Town)Yufuin Nanairo no Kaze Hotel >> Mt Kuju Trail Entrance (Makinoto Rest House) >> Mt Kuju Peak >> Yufuin Town (Yunotsubo Street) >> Donguri No Mori (Totoro)>> Milch Cheese Cake >> Cucuchi >> Yufuin Kinsho Croquette >> Miffy Mori no Bakery >> Snoopy Chaya Yufuinten >> Yufuin Floral Village >> Kinrin Lake |
Day 8: One Day in Beppu City
I started the day early with one last onsen session of the trip at Yufuin hotel. Life’s good! :) Then it was the same good complimentary breakfast at the hotel.
Full and satisfied, it was time to depart for Beppu city, which would take just 30 minutes to reach!
Aso-Kuku National Park Sagiridai Overlook
A short drive from our hotel was an observation deck located by the road. Check out this fantastic view of Yufuin town and Mt Yufuin!
Global Tower at Beppu City
The first stop after arriving in Beppu was to deposit our luggage at Beppu Daiiti Hotel. Thereafer, we made our way to the Global Tower.
Here, you take a lift to the top (just 100 metre tall) which was so windy, that I was Marilyn Monroe the entire time, trying to keep my skirt from lifting. Admission was cheap at ¥300.
Umi Jikogu – Hot Thermal Valley (The “Sea” Hell)
Tourists can do a “Hell” tour in Beppu city, visiting many Jikogu (defined as “hell”) geothermal pool.
Umi Jigoku, also known as sea hell was the first one that I visited. It was named as such probably due to how blue the pool was.
TIP: You can pay ¥450 to visit each Jigoku or ¥2200 to gain access to all seven “hells”.
However, the pool was quite small, and the entire place felt super touristy – not the natural thermal area that I saw on Day 3, at Unzen Jigoku.
At Umi Jigoku, you’ll see shrine, foot bath, gardens etc – all miniature in size. When we were about to leave, we were delighted to see a red pool, which saved us a trip to visit the second “hell” – Chinoike Jigoku that was originally on my to-go list.
Shopping & Relaxing in Beppu City
We scrapped the plan to visit more “hells” in Beppu. Instead, we chose to relax and sip Matcha Latte at a cafe in Umi Jigoku.
Then we shopped at YouMe Town Beppu, and enjoyed delicious cakes at Italian Tomato Cafe.
FYI, the food court here offered a really good view!
After 3 hours of shopping and dining, we checked into Beppu Daiiti Hotel. The room we got was tiny, but it’s alright for a one night layover.
TIP: One of the key things to do in Beppu is to enjoy hot spring bath. You can find lots of bathing facilities, ranging from thermal water bath to even sand and steam baths.
For us, we chose to enjoy our onsen experience in Yufuin town. So Beppu was just a short layover before we would move on to the next town.
We had the BEST SUSHI in Beppu City
Unexpectedly, the best sushi we had in this 2-week trip was here in Beppu – at Kamesho Kurukuru Sushi.
The long wait to enter the restaurant was worth it. Sushi was generous in portion and fresh! This restaurant offered a good vibe because there were more locals than tourists (unlike the Michelin-starred Tonkatsu we had in Kumamoto on Day 5).
This ends the day. Tomorrow, we would head to Kitakyushu City.
Map Location for Day 8 (Beppu City)Yufuin Nanairo no Kaze Hotel >> Aso-Kuku National Park Sagiridai Overlook >> Beppu City >> Global Tower >> Umi Jikogu >> Youme Town Beppu (shopping mall) >> Beppu Daiiti Hotel >> Kamesho Kukukuku Sushi |
That’s all to Part 3 of our Kyushu trip. Continue with Part 4 on how we spent the next few days in Kitakyushu city. Stay tuned to more fun on Kyushu island.
- Things to do around Fukuoko in 14 days (Part 1)
- Super beautiful scenery near Kumamoto & Mount Aso (Part 2)
- What to do in and around Kitakyushu City? (Part 4)
Essential Info:
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