Fukuoka is a gateway to the whole of Kyushu, and the best part is that the choice runs from a ten-minute ferry ride to a ten-hour coach day. Some trips are easy to do alone on trains and buses, while others make more sense on a guided tour because the sights are scattered or far away. This guide groups the options by distance, explains how to get there and suggests which to pick for your interests and season.
Short and easy, under an hour
Dazaifu is the classic. The shrine to the scholar Michizane Sugawara is reached by Nishitetsu train from Tenjin, usually with one change, and takes about half an hour. The approach is lined with shops and stalls selling grilled rice cakes, the pond and bridge are pretty, and the museum quarter next door adds an hour or two. It is most beautiful in late February and early March, when the plum trees bloom, and busy during exam season, when students come to pray. Nokonoshima Island is another short trip: the ferry from Meinohama takes about ten minutes, and the hilltop park is planted with different flowers in every season.
Half a day to a full day, one to two hours each way
Yanagawa is a canal town where flat-bottomed boats are poled slowly through willow-lined waterways, ending in a traditional eel lunch. It is about an hour from Tenjin by train, and it is a delight in any season, with heated kotatsu boats in winter. Itoshima, west of the city, offers the Wedded Rocks at Futamigaura, Shiraito Falls, beaches, cafes and oyster huts in the cooler months, and is easiest by guided trip or bicycle. Yame, in the south of the prefecture, is the place for shaded tea and sake tastings, and combines well with Yanagawa for a longer day.
Long days that reward the effort
Mount Aso in Kumamoto Prefecture is one of the great volcanic landscapes of Japan, with a huge caldera, grassland and, when conditions allow, a view into the crater. Takachiho Gorge in Miyazaki Prefecture combines a basalt canyon, rowing boats and shrines linked to the myth of the sun goddess. Beppu and Yufuin in Oita Prefecture pair steaming hot spring ponds with a pretty mountain town. Akiyoshido Cave and Motonosumi Shrine, in Yamaguchi Prefecture, bring together Japan's largest limestone cave and a line of red torii above the sea. All four are far enough that a guided coach tour is the practical choice, and each takes most of a day.
Choosing by interest
If you love history and shrines, pick Dazaifu and then Takachiho. If you love scenery and photography, choose Aso, Itoshima or Takachiho. If you want food and drink, choose Yanagawa for eel and Yame for tea and sake. If you travel with children, Nokonoshima is a gentle option and Beppu has colourful ponds that kids enjoy. If you want to soak in a hot spring, Beppu and Yufuin are the natural choice, and an overnight stay is better than a rushed day.
Choosing by season
Late winter is plum season at Dazaifu, spring suits Nokonoshima flowers and Aso grassland, summer suits Itoshima beaches and the cool of the gorge, autumn is the time for Takachiho and the mountains, and winter suits Yanagawa kotatsu boats and Itoshima oysters. Weather in the mountains can change quickly, and winter roads can be icy at higher altitudes, so check conditions and dress in layers.
Independent or guided?
Trains and buses work well for Dazaifu, Yanagawa and Nokonoshima, and you can save money by using them. A guided tour is worth the cost for Aso, Takachiho, Beppu, Yufuin and Akiyoshido, because a rental car is demanding for visitors and public transport to the sights is limited. Tours leave early and return in the evening, so give yourself a light day afterwards. Check what the tour includes, whether lunch is covered, and what happens if conditions close a viewpoint or a boat ride.
Practical tips
Keep cash for entrance fees, snacks and small shops, because many rural venues do not take cards. Wear comfortable shoes, carry a spare layer and a compact umbrella, and eat a proper breakfast before long coach days. Do not plan a late dinner reservation on the evening of a long trip, since delays are possible. Luggage can be left at your hotel, and if you are changing hotels it helps to choose a base that makes the return journey simple, such as Tenjin for the railway trips or Hakata Station for early coach pick-ups.
A balanced week
If you have a week, mix one easy trip, such as Dazaifu, with one long day, such as Aso or Takachiho, and leave a free day to rest between them. Keep the city for the evenings, since a bowl of ramen after a long day is hard to beat.
