Kyushu African Safari, Yufuin, and Beppu Hell Tour – Visiting Oita places in a day seemed daunting, especially if you travel by train. Thankfully, there’s a tour you can book so you don’t have to think about the transportation and directions on how to get inside these Oita tourist attractions.
Before we learned about this tour at Klook, we were already eyeing the 3 famous Oita places to visit. So, when we learned we could get there with a tour guide, we didn’t think twice about getting it. And the rest was history.
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What to do in Beppu and Yufuin?
You might think that there’s nothing worthwhile to do in the 2 Oita tourist places, Beppu and Yufuin. But they’re actually very fun places. What you’ll see there aren’t just the usual city view with lots of shopping places to go.
You’re actually experiencing the nice slow culture you wouldn’t find in most famous cities in Japan. If you don’t like staying the night there, you can always book Beppu Yufuin day trip, so all you have to do is sit back and enjoy the bus ride, and you’ll be back in Fukuoka in no time!
So what’s there to see in Beppu and Yufuin?
Let’s check Beppu first.
Hells of Beppu
Majority of the Beppu places to visit are hot springs – the 7 Hells of Beppu is famous for the different colored hot springs, which aren’t for dipping, mind you. But it’s nice to see and explore them if you have the time.
Kijima Kogen Park
Another thing we loved about Beppu is the underrated theme park, which houses Japan’s first wooden roller coaster. And you don’t even have to wait in line, because there’s almost no people at all!
The not-so-famous theme park, called Kijima Kogen Park, has lots of exciting and thrilling rides not found in most crowded theme parks. The place is so huge that it’s hard to meet other visitors.
Check my Kijima Kogen Park review here.
Beppu Ropeway
Another famous place to go to is the Beppu Ropeway.
Why? Because it’s the largest cable car in Kyushu traveling 1,816 meters in 10 minutes. But make sure to check the website before going there as they sometimes stop the operation depending on the weather.
As of writing, it’s closed. But if you want to have a panoramic view of Beppu, include it in your Beppu itinerary and make sure to check it ahead of time!
✨Don’t forget to use Klook code: 𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐏𝐈𝐊𝐋𝐎𝐎𝐊 to get discounts before checking out!✨
Beppu Jigoku Onsen
Save time as you visit the 7 Hells of Beppu when you book this Beppu Jigoku Onsen tickets. To visit them all, you’ll have to allot at least 4 hours, where you may also soak your feet in some of the hot springs.
Make sure to print the voucher before going! (According to Klook)
Kyushu African Safari, Yufuin tour package
We checked and found many different Kyushu African Safari, Yufuin tour prices, and while they only differ in small amount, it still matters, right? In the end, hubby chose the one he probably first saw, and booked it.
What made us choose this Yufuin and Beppu day trip is the Kyushu Wildlife Park African Safari. First of all, Kyushu African Safari is a place not easily reached via bus or train, so it’s either you will drive to get there or book a tour.
If you’re like us, who don’t want to rent a car, pay for parking and gas, it’s best to pay for the Kyushu African Safari tour price instead.
✨Don’t forget to use Klook code: 𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐏𝐈𝐊𝐋𝐎𝐎𝐊 to get discounts before checking out!✨
And what’s so good about booking tours is that you don’t have to worry about anything for a whole day! I didn’t have to find the right station to get off (we usually ride trains), and I don’t have to worry about the time.
All I have to worry about is how to get to the bus stop at the exact time the tour guide gave us. But, apart from that, she tells us all about the place we’re going to, and sometimes she shares tips and the best food to eat in the places we’ll be going to.
Meetup point
According to the voucher, we have to be at the Lawson Oriental Hotel Fukuoka before 8:30 AM because the bus leaves at 8:30. Just outside the Hakata station, you’ll find lots of people waiting for their tour guides.
Be careful not to join other tours, but you can check with the tour guide’s name list if you’re a part of their team. In this tour that we booked, the tour guide was holding a yellow flag with the words Gogo Day written on it.
Thanks to that flag, they were very easy to find, and thankfully, we didn’t have problems getting to the meetup point that day. The bus left the place at exactly the time indicated on the itinerary, so if you need to use the toilet, be there earlier than 8:30!
You can also buy some snacks from the convenience store inside the train station!
Kyushu Wildlife Park African Safari
The first stop of the the Safari Beppu Yufuin day tour we booked was the African Safari. It was 9:35 AM when we got there, so manage your expectations if you need to pee very often, and avoid drinking too much!
On the Klook itinerary, it says that the first stop is Yufuin, but I’m not sure why they switched the itinerary, but as long as all the places are covered, it doesn’t matter to us.
Anyway, the tour guides are the experts in the places we’d be visiting, so why fret?
The only downside to this tour is that we weren’t able to ride the jungle bus, because they were going to book the tickets by the time you arrive at the place. So maybe the reason they moved the Kyushu safari earlier was to secure jungle bus tickets.
However, to our dismay, we didn’t have the chance to ride it.
Thankfully, my son was in a good mood at that time that he even said it was okay. To know more about my Kyushu Wildlife Park African Safari review, check here.
At 12 NN, we left Kyushu African Safari, and headed off to the second stop, which is Yufuin.
Yufuin and Kinrin Lake
After about an hour, we finally reached Yufuin, and the tour guide went with us along the way. She led the way until we reached Kinrin Lake, and told stories you wouldn’t actually know if you don’t have a guide.
After that, she led us to Yufuin Floral Village and then left after reminding us that the bus leaves at 2 PM. Read my full Yufuin review here.
Umi Jigoku
On the last stop is one of the Beppu tours you shouldn’t miss.
Beppu’s hot springs are one of the most famous Oita tourist attractions. In this tour that we booked, only 2 out of 9 Hells of Beppu are included. And you’ll be amazed at the hot springs because of how hot they are.
A person also performs shows about how hot the natural hot springs are at Beppu. And since we don’t understand what he’s saying, we just applaud every time he does. Haha!
It was already quarter to 5 PM when we went back to the tour bus, and about an hour after, we were back at Hakata station. And that concludes the Kyushu Safari, Beppu, and Yufuin tour Klook has to offer.
Kyushu African Safari, Yufuin tour review conclusion
Planning a day trip to Beppu from Fukuoka might not be on your plan. But if you still have a lot of time, why not include this tour to your Fukuoka itinerary? Anyway, you have one day less to stress about if you just let the tour guide do the work.
For us, we don’t mind the extra cost you have to pay especially if we want to go back and want a Yufuin and Beppu day tour without worrying about the transportation. However, we just wish that we’d be able to ride the jungle bus in the future.
Have you ever been to these places? Which one’s your favorite? I’d love to hear your comments in the section below!
Want to hear about the complete Fukuoka itinerary we had? Check the parts 1 and 2 of my blog posts so you know the full story behind!
If you’re here for the first time, I’d like to invite you to follow me on my socials – Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok so you’re updated on our recent food, hotel, and travel reviews!
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