Where should you stay and what should you see in Fukui?
See large dinosaur skeletons and fossils at the dinosaur museum and temple buildings linked by corridors at Eiheiji. In Ichijodani, explore excavated artefacts or walk among reconstructed houses and streets. Stay near Fukui Station and visit each on a separate day. For Tojinbo's rocky coast and onsen rest, add a stay around Awara-Yunomachi. Plan around museum entry slots and closures, coastal buses and townscape shuttle operating days.
Dinosaur displays, temple or coast: what would you like to see?
Choose the dinosaur museum for large skeletons and fossils, or Eiheiji for a leisurely walk through temple corridors. For life in the former castle town, view artefacts and reconstructed displays at Ichijodani's site museum, then travel to the townscape to walk among samurai residences and artisans' houses. For the sea, choose Tojinbo's rocky cliffs and views. You can move to Awara Onsen to rest after the coastal walk.
Itineraries by trip length
Use Fukui Station as a base for museums, temple and historic sites on different days, or move to Awara Onsen after Tojinbo to rest. Dinosaur museum entry slots and townscape shuttle days affect which itinerary fits.
2 days / 1 night
If arriving on the first morning in time for the liner, visit Eiheiji and stay one night in Fukui. Choose the dinosaur museum or Ichijodani's site museum on day two. Allow time after sightseeing for your next departure.
3 days / 2 nights
Stay two nights in Fukui and visit Eiheiji and the site museum on separate days. Add the dinosaur museum for dinosaur displays or Tojinbo for a coastal walk. Choose around museum bookings and coastal bus services.
4 days / 3 nights
Stay three nights in Fukui for two museums, Eiheiji and the townscape without changing hotels. Match the final townscape day with the free weekend shuttle. For onsen rest, stay one Fukui night, then travel via Tojinbo for two nights in Awara Onsen.
5 days / 4 nights
Four nights in Fukui let you give a day each to two museums, temple, coast and townscape. For an onsen rest day, divide your stay into one Fukui night, two onsen nights and another Fukui night. Compare the time left after returning from the dinosaur museum on your final day with your long-distance departure.
Where to stay
Around Fukui Station
Fukui Station is a useful base for visiting museums, the temple and historic sites on separate days. The JR Kuzuryu Line, Echizen Railway and Eiheiji Liner from the station's east side have different boarding points. On your final day, check return transport after sightseeing against your next train.
Katsuyama
Compare accommodation in Katsuyama if you want more time at the dinosaur museum. Museum buses leave from Katsuyama Station; check walking access to the station or museum and any shuttle with your chosen hotel.
Around Awara-Yunomachi
Choose this base for an onsen stay and Tojinbo. Check whether your hotel's access guide refers to Awaraonsen Station or Awara-Yunomachi Station, and ask about pick-up conditions.
Fukui official tourism transport guideRail operator's weekday return connections
Before booking and travelling
Check timetables and closures for your travel date
Book your dinosaur museum entry slot first, then coordinate trains and buses. The Eiheiji Liner runs daily with first-come, first-served boarding. For Tojinbo, distinguish weekday connections from Saturday, Sunday and public-holiday services.
Ichijodani's free townscape shuttle runs on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays from 4 April to 29 November 2026. On weekdays or outside the season, check other transport in the official access guide. If your dates change, recheck return trains and buses alongside facility closure calendars.
JR official time and fare searchJR Etsumi-Hoku Line outbound timetableLiner timetable and fares2026 Ichijodani free weekend shuttle timetableJR official return time and fare search for 14 October 2026JR official return time and fare search for 15 October 20263-day option B: Tojinbo weekday train/bus connections recheckedJR official return time and fare search for 18 October 20264-day option A: free shuttle timetable in both directionsJR official date-specific return search for 16 October 2026Echizen Railway 1 April 2026 timetable · onsen to FukuiEchizen Railway station coin locker locations, sizes and feesAwara Grand Hotel official access guideAwara Grand Hotel official check-in and check-out guideJR official date-specific return search for 3 November 2026JR official date-specific return search for 7 November 2026Dinosaur museum November calendar · next-month view checked5-day option A: weekend shuttle timetable for 7 November5-day option A: weekday Tojinbo return connections for 6 November
When changing accommodation
JR, Echizen Railway and the Eiheiji Liner at east-side stand 1 have different boarding points. On your final day, check return transport from sightseeing against the time needed to catch your next train.
On the day you move from Tojinbo to Awara Onsen, you do not return to Mikuni Station. Check your onsen hotel's station name, access, transfers and meal times.
Luggage storage guideHotel accessRailway transfer guideLiner timetable and faresTojinbo Line section fare tableAwara Grand Hotel official access guideAwara Grand Hotel official check-in and check-out guide
When should you compare Echizen Railway passes?
The Echizen Railway one-day free pass costs JPY 1,200 for junior high school age and over. It is valid only on Saturdays, Sundays, public holidays and 29 December–3 January. It covers all Echizen Railway lines on the stamped date; JR, Keifuku buses and admission are separate. Do not apply this weekend pass to the weekday Tojinbo example.
The dinosaur museum transport set costs JPY 1,700 for an adult on museum opening days and includes Echizen Railway and eligible Daifuku Kotsu buses. It excludes museum admission; book and pay for your entry slot separately. Check that your intended bus is eligible before buying.
The Awara Onsen accommodation free pass costs JPY 2,500 and covers Echizen Railway on the purchase day and following day. First check that your hotel is on the operator's eligible-property list. Obtain the hotel's confirmation stamp at check-in on day one for validity on day two. If staying two onsen nights and leaving on day three, the return day is outside the original two-day pass's validity. Compare bus and return-train costs separately. Itinerary totals use regular tickets.
Echizen Railway day pass, dinosaur transport set and onsen stay pass
Explore further
Fukui food and restaurant guide
Check hours, prices and booking conditions with the business you plan to visit.
Fukui food and restaurant guide →Fukui transport map and timetables
Select a station on the transport map with Fukui selected, then find its timetable. Check services, delays and ticket coverage for your travel date with the operator.
Fukui transport map and timetables →Fukui camera list
Use camera positions and visible conditions as a reference for the neighbourhood you plan to visit. Check facility operations and booking availability with each facility's official guide.
Fukui camera list →How should you divide dinosaur, temple, historic-site and coast visits?
See large dinosaur skeletons and fossils at the dinosaur museum, and life in the former castle town through artefacts and reconstructed displays at Ichijodani's site museum. Follow Eiheiji's visitor route through its corridors. To move to the onsen after Tojinbo's rocky coast, take an Awara-Yunomachi Station bus. Plan the reconstructed townscape around free-shuttle operating days.
Dinosaur museum: a day around your entry booking
Fukui Prefectural Dinosaur Museum · 福井県立恐竜博物館
See large dinosaur skeletons and fossils and displays on the history of the Earth and life. Change to a museum bus at Katsuyama Station. Book your entry slot first, then choose trains and buses. General exhibition admission plus return transport from Fukui totals JPY 3,240 for an adult. Special exhibitions, the outdoor museum, activities and meals are separate.
Entry slots and feesTrain and bus connectionsCurrent train fares from Katsuyama StationMuseum fees and hoursDinosaur museum permanent exhibition guide
Eiheiji: temple visit and lunch nearby
Eiheiji Temple · 永平寺
Follow the visitor route through temple buildings linked by corridors. A direct liner runs from Fukui Station's east side. The official guide allows about five minutes on foot from the stop to reception. Afterwards, plan lunch and a break nearby. There are indoor stairs; ask ahead about mobility assistance and accessible visiting areas.
Liner timetable and faresTemple official visitor guideWalk to the templeFukui Prefecture official Eiheiji visitor route
Ichijodani: museum displays and townscape are separate visits
Ichijodani Asakura Family Site Museum · 福井県立一乗谷朝倉氏遺跡博物館
Explore artefacts and reconstructed displays about life in the former castle town.
Reconstructed Townscape of Ichijodani · 一乗谷朝倉氏遺跡 復原町並
At the separate townscape, walk among samurai residences and artisans' houses. Compare individual admission with the combined ticket in the museum's official guide. The three-night Fukui itinerary visits the two places on different days, with the final townscape day matching the free weekend shuttle.
Museum hours and feesCurrent townscape hours and fees2026 Ichijodani free weekend shuttle timetableIchijodani museum exhibition guide
Tojinbo and Awara Onsen: coast, then an onsen stay
Tojinbo Cliffs · 東尋坊
After cliffs and sea views at Tojinbo, choose whether to return to Fukui or move to an onsen hotel to rest.
Awara Onsen · あわら温泉
Buses back to Fukui and towards Awara Onsen go in different directions. The onsen itinerary takes an Awara-Yunomachi Station bus from the coast rather than returning to Mikuni Station. Plan coastal visiting time around hotel transfers and dinner.
Tojinbo Line section fare tableAwara Grand Hotel official access guideAwara Grand Hotel official check-in and check-out guideSightseeing boat operator's access guide
Which trains and buses do you take from Fukui Station?
JR, Echizen Railway and the east-side liner have different boarding points. Transfers need time for buying tickets, moving through the station and waiting for the next service.
Dinosaur museum: Echizen Railway → Katsuyama → D-Line
Take a Katsuyama-bound train from Echizen Railway Fukui Station to the terminus. Change to a D-Line bus on a museum opening day and alight at Geo Terminal, then go to the main building's general admission gate on Level 3. Choose the return museum bus and Fukui-bound train from Katsuyama together. The last museum bus and last train are different services.
Train and bus connectionsMuseum entry instructionsBus and car park access guide
Eiheiji: liner from east stand 1
Take the Eiheiji Liner from Fukui Station east-side stand 1 to its terminus. It runs daily with first-come, first-served boarding; check the return service. Walk about five minutes from the temple stop to reception. Allow for full buses and road delays rather than relying on the last bus.
Ichijodani: JR Kuzuryu Line → museum
From JR Fukui Station, take the Etsumi-Hoku (Kuzuryu) Line to Ichijodani and walk about three minutes to the museum's main building. Ichijodani does not support ICOCA, so prepare a ticket. To continue to the townscape, the free museum shuttle runs on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays from 4 April to 29 November 2026, with capacity for 24 and priority for guided-tour participants. It is unavailable on weekdays.
Ichijodani Station facilitiesMuseum access2026 Ichijodani free weekend shuttle timetable
What is Echizen soba?
Echizen soba is commonly served as oroshi soba: cooked and cooled buckwheat noodles with cold broth, grated daikon, bonito flakes and spring onion. Look for it on menus if you want noodles with grated daikon. Flavour varies with the radish and serving style.
On the dinosaur museum day, leave time for lunch between displays and before the return bus. After Eiheiji, choose an open restaurant near the temple. If your onsen stay includes meals, check the hotel's dinner time. Food is excluded from the transport and admission subtotal below.
Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries: Echizen and oroshi soba serving guideWalk to the templeMuseum fees and hoursAwara Grand Hotel official check-in and check-out guide
Costs for museum, temple and coast visits
These costs are for one adult leaving Fukui and paying regular fares. Accommodation, meals, long-distance travel to and from Fukui, special exhibitions, boats and extra activities are separate. No transport-pass discounts are applied. Check ticket coverage and eligible days in the transport and booking guide above.
| Journey or facility | Adult cost | What is included and what costs extra |
|---|---|---|
| Dinosaur museum general exhibition day | JPY 3,240 | Exhibition JPY 1,000 + train JPY 820 × 2 + bus JPY 300 × 2. |
| Return Eiheiji visit | JPY 2,700 | Admission JPY 700 + liner JPY 1,000 × 2. Zazen and overnight experiences are separate. |
| Return site museum visit | JPY 1,220 | Basic exhibition JPY 700 + JR JPY 260 × 2. Special exhibitions and townscape are separate. |
| Tojinbo visit and return to Fukui | JPY 2,120 | Fukui ↔ Mikuni train JPY 780 × 2 + bus JPY 280 × 2. Boats and observation facilities are separate. |
| Townscape admission | JPY 330 | This admission fee is for ages 15 and over and is separate from museum admission. The free shuttle has operating-day and capacity conditions. |
Current train fares from Katsuyama StationTrain and bus connectionsMuseum fees and hoursLiner timetable and faresTemple official visitor guideMuseum hours and feesJR official time and fare searchMikuni Station official fare tableTojinbo Line section fare tableCurrent townscape hours and fees
Can I view cameras before going to Katsuyama?
Use camera positions and visible conditions in Katsuyama City's list as a reference for the neighbourhood you plan to visit. Check dinosaur museum closures, entry slots and bookings with its official guide, and train/bus services with their operators.
Katsuyama City official camera list · detailed views unconfirmed
Frequently asked questions
Should I stay near Fukui Station or in Awara Onsen?
Consider Fukui Station as a base for visiting the dinosaur museum, Eiheiji and Ichijodani on separate days. For onsen rest and Tojinbo, compare accommodation around Awara-Yunomachi. Before choosing an onsen hotel, check the station, route to the property, transfers and meal times.
Train and bus connectionsLiner timetable and faresMuseum accessRail operator's weekday return connectionsAwara Grand Hotel official access guide
Are Awaraonsen and Awara-Yunomachi the same station?
They are different stations. Awara-Yunomachi is on Echizen Railway's Mikuni Awara Line. Check the station named in your hotel's access guide before choosing transport. For a hotel pick-up, ask which station it serves and whether advance booking is required.
Awara Grand Hotel official access guideAwara-Yunomachi Station: Fukui-bound timetable and fares
Sources and dates checked
- Hotel access ·
- Luggage storage guide ·
- Liner timetable and fares ·
- Walk to the temple ·
- Train and bus connections ·
- Museum entry instructions ·
- Railway transfer guide ·
- Entry slots and fees ·
- Bus and car park access guide ·
- JR official time and fare search ·
- JR Etsumi-Hoku Line outbound timetable ·
- Ichijodani Station facilities ·
- Museum access ·
- Museum hours and fees ·
- Museum fees and hours ·
- Temple official visitor guide ·
- Fukui official tourism transport guide ·
- Sightseeing boat operator's access guide ·
- Rail operator's weekday return connections ·
- Mikuni Station official fare table ·
- Current train fares from Katsuyama Station ·
- Current townscape hours and fees ·
- Awara-Yunomachi Station: Fukui-bound timetable and fares ·
- 2026 Ichijodani free weekend shuttle timetable ·
- Tojinbo Line section fare table ·
- JR official return time and fare search for 14 October 2026 ·
- JR official return time and fare search for 15 October 2026 ·
- 3-day option B: Tojinbo weekday train/bus connections rechecked ·
- JR official return time and fare search for 18 October 2026 ·
- 4-day option A: free shuttle timetable in both directions ·
- JR official date-specific return search for 16 October 2026 ·
- Echizen Railway 1 April 2026 timetable · onsen to Fukui ·
- Echizen Railway station coin locker locations, sizes and fees ·
- Awara Grand Hotel official access guide ·
- Awara Grand Hotel official check-in and check-out guide ·
- JR official date-specific return search for 3 November 2026 ·
- JR official date-specific return search for 7 November 2026 ·
- Dinosaur museum November calendar · next-month view checked ·
- 5-day option A: weekend shuttle timetable for 7 November ·
- 5-day option A: weekday Tojinbo return connections for 6 November ·
- Echizen Railway day pass, dinosaur transport set and onsen stay pass ·
- Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries: Echizen and oroshi soba serving guide ·
- Katsuyama City official camera list · detailed views unconfirmed ·
- Dinosaur museum permanent exhibition guide ·
- Fukui Prefecture official Eiheiji visitor route ·
- Ichijodani museum exhibition guide ·