Beppu
Japan · Oita · 15 m
Description
Beppu (別府市) in Ōita Prefecture on Kyūshū is Japan’s most famous hot spring city and a unique center of onsen culture. The city is known for its more than 2,000 thermal springs, the seven spectacular “Hells of Beppu” (Jigoku) with their colorful, steaming pools, and its numerous bathhouses and traditional ryokan inns. Beppu offers an exceptional variety of hot spring experiences, including sand and mud baths, and is famous for Jigoku-mushi, a local cooking method that uses natural geothermal steam to prepare food. Set between Beppu Bay and the surrounding mountains, the city combines volcanic landscapes, Japanese bathing culture, regional cuisine, and traditional hospitality, making it one of Kyūshū’s most distinctive destinations.
Length of stay
Recommended length of stay: 1 to 3 days (optimal 2 days)
Travel season
Best time to visit: November – February
- Jan
- Feb
- Mar
- Apr
- May
- Jun
- Jul
- Aug
- Sep
- Oct
- Nov
- Dec
Highlights
- Beppu Hells (Jigoku Meguri)
- Beppu Onsen & traditional hot-spring baths
- Mount Tsurumi & Beppu Ropeway
- Umi Jigoku (Sea Hell)
- Chinoike Jigoku (Blood Pond Hell)
- Tatsumaki Jigoku (Tornado Hell)
- Oniishibozu Jigoku (Shaven Head Hell)
- Kamado Jigoku (Cooking Pot Hell)
- Oniyama Jigoku (Monster Mountain Hell)
- Shiraike Jigoku (White Pond Hell)
- Jigoku-mushi steam-cooked cuisine
- Kannawa Onsen historic hot-spring district
- Kannawa steam vents & Yukemuri Observatory
- Takegawara Onsen & sand bath
- Beppu Onsen Hoyoland mud baths
- Myoban Onsen & yunohana huts
- Beppu Ropeway autumn foliage (October - November)
- Mount Tsurumi hiking
- Beppu Park
- Beppu Tower
- Beppu Rakutenchi
- Takasakiyama Natural Zoological Garden
- Oita Marine Palace Aquarium Umitamago
- Yufuin Onsen & Lake Kinrin(Day trip)
Getting there
- Train stations:
- Beppu
- Seaport:
- Reachable by ship or ferry