Where should you sightsee and walk?
Choose Beppu Jigoku Meguri for bubbling hot springs up close, or Beppu Ropeway for mountain views. For gentle hot spring town walks, continue through Yufuin to Lake Kinrin. Give Usuki and Usa a day each for stone buddha and shrine history. Hell sightseeing excludes bathing, and both Usuki and Usa need return station–facility transport.
Attraction prices and access
Beppu Jigoku Meguri
別府地獄めぐり
See hot springs bubbling up close. A combined ticket does not let you bathe in the springs. Allow half a day for five hells, leaving the other two for the following day. Reduce the number to fit entrance walks and return services.
- AdmissionSeven-hell combined ticket: ¥2,400 for high school students and older, ¥1,200 for elementary and junior high school students. Valid for one visit per facility on the purchase day and following day.
- HoursListed as open 08:00–17:00 year-round. These differ from accommodation bathing hours.
- AccessTake a Kannawa-bound route 5 from Beppu Station west bay 3 to Umi Jigoku-mae or Kannawa. Walk the five nearby hells first, then travel separately to Chinoike and Tatsumaki, about 3 km away.
Combined ticketAccess to the two hells areasAPU-bound route 5 timetable
Beppu Ropeway
別府ロープウェイ
Ride Beppu Ropeway up Mount Tsurumi for mountain views and walks near the summit. Allow half a day for travel and visits; switch plans if strong winds or maintenance suspend operation. Check official weekday/weekend timetables to ensure your return route 36 actually stops at the ropeway. Some final services do not. The ¥500 one-way bus fare is separate from the ropeway ticket. Add ticketing and boarding queues to the roughly one-minute stop–facility walk.
- AdmissionReturn fares are ¥1,800 for junior high school students and older, or ¥900 for children aged four through elementary school. City buses and bathing are separate.
- HoursFrom March 15 to November 14, the first departure is 09:00, last ascent 17:00 and last descent 17:30. From November 15 to March 14, these are 09:00, 16:30 and 17:00. There is no regular closure day, but poor weather, maintenance or inspections may suspend operation. Each ride takes about ten minutes.
- AccessTake a Yufuin-bound route 36 from Beppu Station west bay 1 to Beppu Ropeway stop. Official tourism guidance estimates a one-minute walk to the facility. The lower station is Beppu Kogen and the upper station Tsurumi Sanjo. Adult buses cost ¥500 one way or ¥1,000 return; buy ropeway tickets separately. Timetable services marked 不 skip the ropeway, so choose your return first.
Official Beppu tourism ropeway prices and hoursOita tourism association ropeway stop and boarding stationsWeekday route 36Separate timetableCurrent complete fare table
Lake Kinrin
金鱗湖
Continue to Lake Kinrin for a waterside break after walking Yufuin’s streets. Allow separate time for lakeside walks and cafés. Mist sometimes rises on cold mornings, but weather may prevent it. Allow half a day for the station-based return walk and lunch. Cafés and private facilities charge separately. If using ryokan pickup, leave time to return to the station.
- HoursDistinguish lakeside walking from café and shop hours. Autumn and winter morning mist depends on temperature and weather and may not appear.
- AccessWalk from Yufuin Station towards Yunotsubo Street. The city tourism map estimates about 25 minutes to Lake Kinrin; this does not include shopping, photos and breaks.
Prefectural tourism bodyCity tourism map
Usuki Stone Buddhas
臼杵石仏
Look closely at the faces and poses of buddhas carved into rock. The National Treasure statues form several groups you can compare along the visitor path. Allow a day from Beppu for return transport and visiting. The route below uses a booked sightseeing taxi from Usuki Station to the statues and back; JR and taxi costs are excluded from its subtotal.
- AdmissionAdmission is ¥550 for high school students and older, or ¥270 for elementary and junior high school students.
- HoursOpens 09:00–17:00, with last admission at 16:30. Listed as open year-round.
- AccessBook station departure, the stone buddha visit and Usuki Station return with a sightseeing taxi company by the previous day, then choose Beppu return trains. The official facility map estimates a 15-minute taxi ride. The current flexible city course runs July 1, 2026–March 31, 2027; two hours cost ¥7,000 per vehicle. Daily vehicles are limited. Agree on boarding location, visiting time and return train when booking. JR and taxi costs are excluded from route subtotals.
Official stone buddha bus/taxi access and pricesFacility prices and accessOfficial stone buddha station–facility access mapUsuki tourism association 2026 sightseeing taxis and previous-day bookingUsuki taxi operator 2026 plan
Usa Jingu Shrine
宇佐神宮
Usa Jingu Shrine preserves a history of Shinto and Buddhism together. Learning about their combined traditions helps explain the place as you walk its approach. Take a bus from Usa Station to Usa Hachiman, then walk the approach. Allow a day for return transport and worship, separate from Usuki.
- AdmissionWorship is free; parking is separate. Do not assume every associated facility is free.
- HoursThe upper sanctuary opens 06:00–18:00, with New Year exceptions. Check official guidance for your chosen area and visit-date access hours.
- AccessTake a Yokkaichi-bound bus from Usa Station to Usa Hachiman. Cross towards the shrine at the Usa Jingu entrance intersection on Route 10, then follow Nakamise, Shirobashi, Omotesando and Usa Torii to the main sanctuary area. Retrace the same approach to the stop, then take a Bungo-Takada-bound bus via Usa Station. Check on-site controls and actual-date weekday/weekend timetables. JR and bus fares are excluded from route subtotals.
Tourism association access and hoursOperator weekday/weekend Usa Station–Usa Hachiman timetablesOfficial Usa city Usa Hachiman stop and shrine approach map
Frequently asked questions
Does the hells ticket include bathing?
No. It is a sightseeing ticket for views of bubbling hot springs. For bathing, check accommodation or bathing facility prices and hours separately.
Can I walk all seven hells?
Kannawa’s five and Chinoike/Tatsumaki are about 3 km apart. These itineraries use buses to visit the two groups separately.
Is Lake Kinrin’s morning mist visible every day?
No. Mist sometimes rises on cold mornings, depending on temperature and weather. Plan for lakeside walks even without mist.
How do adult age categories differ for hells, ropeway and stone buddhas?
The hells adult rate starts at high school, ropeway at junior high school and stone buddha ordinary rate at high school. Check each facility’s age categories separately.
Combined ticketOfficial Beppu tourism ropeway prices and hoursFacility prices and accessOfficial stone buddha bus/taxi access and prices
Does the Beppu Ropeway ticket include buses?
The ¥1,800 return ropeway ticket and ¥1,000 return route 36 buses between Beppu Station west side and the ropeway are separate. Mini and Wide bus passes do not replace the ropeway ticket. Choose mountain descent and a stopping return bus together.
Official Beppu tourism ropeway prices and hoursWeekday route 36Separate timetableCurrent complete fare tableOfficial Kamenoi Bus My Beppu Free
Official sources and check dates
- Combined ticket ·
- Access to the two hells areas ·
- Prefectural tourism body ·
- City tourism map ·
- Facility prices and access ·
- Tourism association access and hours ·
- APU-bound route 5 timetable ·
- Official Kamenoi Bus My Beppu Free ·
- Weekday route 36 ·
- Separate timetable ·
- Current complete fare table ·
- Official Beppu tourism ropeway prices and hours ·
- Oita tourism association ropeway stop and boarding stations ·
- Official stone buddha bus/taxi access and prices ·
- Official stone buddha station–facility access map ·
- Operator weekday/weekend Usa Station–Usa Hachiman timetables ·
- Usuki tourism association 2026 sightseeing taxis and previous-day booking ·
- Usuki taxi operator 2026 plan ·
- Official Usa city Usa Hachiman stop and shrine approach map ·