Which museum should you visit on day two of a Fukui trip?
Spend two days exploring Eiheiji’s corridors followed by dinosaur skeletons and fossils or Ichijodani artefacts. Arrive in Fukui in the morning, use the Eiheiji Liner and stay one city night. For the dinosaur museum, secure the entry slot first and coordinate Katsuyama trains and buses. Leave time after the final museum return before your onward train.
Choose a 1 night, 2 days itinerary
Eiheiji and the dinosaur museum
Spend two days exploring Eiheiji’s corridors, then dinosaur skeletons and fossils. This course suits a morning Fukui arrival for the Liner and enough time after the final-day museum return to catch your next train.
Eiheiji and the dinosaur museum →1 night, 2 days BEiheiji and Ichijodani Site Museum
Spend two days visiting the temple and exhibits about life in the historic castle town. Choose this for Ichijodani’s history and artefacts rather than dinosaurs. Finish the final-day museum visit in time for your JR return.
Eiheiji and Ichijodani Site Museum →Eiheiji and the dinosaur museum
Spend two days exploring Eiheiji’s corridors, then dinosaur skeletons and fossils. This course suits a morning Fukui arrival for the Liner and enough time after the final-day museum return to catch your next train.
Day 1: Eiheiji temple visit
Eiheiji Temple · 永平寺
Follow Eiheiji’s visitor route through temple buildings linked by corridors. Afterwards, have lunch and a break at nearby restaurants before taking the Eiheiji Liner back to Fukui Station.
- Fukui Station east-side stand 1 → Eiheiji bus stop
Take the Eiheiji Liner to its terminus. The adult one-way fare is JPY 1,000, with daily operation. Seats are first come, first served without reservations; check both travel-date departures and return services, and arrive at the stand with time to spare.
- Eiheiji bus stop → Visitor reception and temple grounds
The official guide gives about five minutes on foot from the stop to visitor reception. General adult admission is JPY 700. Visiting hours are 08:30–16:30, with guidance to arrive by 16:00. There are indoor stairs and pushchairs must be left at reception; enquire about accessible visiting areas for your group first.
- Around the temple → Eiheiji bus stop → Fukui Station east side
After the visit, have lunch and a break at an open restaurant. Return to the same Eiheiji stop for the east-side Fukui Station Liner. The adult return fare is also JPY 1,000. Allow for road delays and full buses; avoid relying solely on the final service.
Zen meditation and overnight experiences are separate from general temple visits. Meals are excluded from the transport and admission subtotal below.
Day 2: A day at the dinosaur museum
Fukui Prefectural Dinosaur Museum · 福井県立恐竜博物館
Explore dinosaur skeletons and fossils, then exhibits on Earth and the history of life. Connect Katsuyama-bound trains and museum buses with your ticket’s entry slot.
- Echizen Railway Fukui Station → Katsuyama Station
Take the Katsuyama-bound Katsuyama Eiheiji Line to its terminus. The adult one-way fare is JPY 820. Allow bus transfer time in addition to the roughly one-hour railway journey.
Current Katsuyama Station rail faresBus and car-park access guide
- Museum-bound bus from Katsuyama Station → Geo Terminal → main-building admission gate
Change to the D Line bus, operating on museum opening days, at JPY 300 one way for an adult. Alight at Geo Terminal, follow signs for the main-building entrance and third-floor general admission gate, and present your QR ticket. Allow walking and waiting time between bus arrival and gate entry.
Railway and bus connectionsMuseum admission procedureOfficial location mapEntry slots and fees
- Museum permanent exhibition → Exhibits, lunch and a break
General adult permanent-exhibition admission is JPY 1,000. Hours are 09:00–17:00, with admission until 16:30. Allow lunch and breaks between exhibits, including restaurant waits. Special exhibitions, the outdoor museum, experiences and meals cost extra.
- Geo Terminal, Katsuyama Station-bound bus → Katsuyama Station → Fukui Station
Take your prechecked museum bus to Katsuyama Station, then change to a Fukui-bound train. Fares are JPY 300 for the bus and JPY 820 for the train. The last museum bus and last train are different services; check their connections together.
Railway and bus connectionsCurrent Katsuyama Station rail fares
Check the official closing calendar and available entry slots first. Follow separate shuttle guidance on dates with temporary park access restrictions.
Included: The subtotal covers Eiheiji admission and return Liner travel at JPY 2,700, plus dinosaur museum general exhibition admission and return railway and bus travel at JPY 3,240.
Extras and conditions: Accommodation, meals, long-distance travel to and from Fukui, special exhibitions, extra experiences, sightseeing boats, observation facilities, luggage storage, hotel transfers and additional transport cost extra.
The total adds the listed transport and admission for one general adult. Accommodation, meals, long-distance travel to and from Fukui and separate experiences are excluded. Check travel-date fares in official guidance. No transport pass discounts are applied.
Official temple visitor guideLiner timetable and faresMuseum fees and hoursCurrent Katsuyama Station rail faresRailway and bus connections
Eiheiji and Ichijodani Site Museum
Spend two days visiting the temple and exhibits about life in the historic castle town. Choose this for Ichijodani’s history and artefacts rather than dinosaurs. Finish the final-day museum visit in time for your JR return.
Day 1: Eiheiji temple visit
Follow Eiheiji’s visitor route through temple buildings linked by corridors. Afterwards, have lunch and a break at nearby restaurants before taking the Eiheiji Liner back to Fukui Station.
- Fukui Station east-side stand 1 → Eiheiji bus stop
Take the Eiheiji Liner to its terminus. The adult one-way fare is JPY 1,000, with daily operation. Seats are first come, first served without reservations; check both travel-date departures and return services, and arrive at the stand with time to spare.
- Eiheiji bus stop → Visitor reception and temple grounds
The official guide gives about five minutes on foot from the stop to visitor reception. General adult admission is JPY 700. Visiting hours are 08:30–16:30, with guidance to arrive by 16:00. There are indoor stairs and pushchairs must be left at reception; enquire about accessible visiting areas for your group first.
- Around the temple → Eiheiji bus stop → Fukui Station east side
After the visit, have lunch and a break at an open restaurant. Return to the same Eiheiji stop for the east-side Fukui Station Liner. The adult return fare is also JPY 1,000. Allow for road delays and full buses; avoid relying solely on the final service.
Zen meditation and overnight experiences are separate from general temple visits. Meals are excluded from the transport and admission subtotal below.
Day 2: Ichijodani Site Museum
Ichijodani Asakura Family Site Museum · 福井県立一乗谷朝倉氏遺跡博物館
Explore excavated artefacts and reconstructed displays about life in the historic castle town. The actual reconstructed townscape is elsewhere; today’s route visits the museum exhibits.
- JR Fukui Station → Ichijodani Station
Take the Etsumi-Hoku Line (Kuzuryu Line) to Ichijodani Station. Calculations use JPY 260 one way for an adult; recheck travel-date return services and fares with JR’s official search. Ichijodani does not support ICOCA, so prepare a ticket.
Official JR time and fare searchJR Etsumi-Hoku Line outbound servicesIchijodani Station facilities
- JR Ichijodani Station → Site Museum main building
The official guide gives about three minutes on foot to the main entrance. General adult basic-exhibition admission is JPY 700; special exhibitions cost extra. Hours are 09:00–17:00, with admission until 16:30. Distinguish the main building from the annex and take breaks between exhibits.
- Site Museum → Ichijodani Station → Fukui Station
Finish visiting in time for your return train and walk back to the same station. Board a Fukui-bound service; the adult return fare is also JPY 260. Gaps between trains can be long, so plan visits and meals after checking both journeys.
Check the visit-date calendar for Monday, New Year and temporary closures. The reconstructed townscape’s weekend shuttle is unavailable on weekdays.
Included: The subtotal covers Eiheiji admission and return Liner travel at JPY 2,700, plus Ichijodani Site Museum basic-exhibition admission and return JR travel at JPY 1,220.
Extras and conditions: Accommodation, meals, long-distance travel to and from Fukui, special exhibitions, extra experiences, sightseeing boats, observation facilities, luggage storage, hotel transfers and additional transport cost extra.
The total adds the listed transport and admission for one general adult. Accommodation, meals, long-distance travel to and from Fukui and separate experiences are excluded. Check travel-date fares in official guidance. No transport pass discounts are applied.
Official temple visitor guideLiner timetable and faresMuseum hours and feesOfficial JR return time/fare search for 14 October 2026
Frequently asked questions
Can I visit the dinosaur museum and Eiheiji in two days in Fukui?
Yes, on separate days if you arrive in the morning for the Eiheiji Liner and coordinate day-two museum tickets with Katsuyama trains and buses. Allow time between the museum’s railway/bus return to Fukui Station and your onward train.
Liner timetable and faresRailway and bus connectionsEntry slots and feesLuggage storage guide
What is the JR return fare from Fukui to Ichijodani Site Museum?
Calculations use JPY 260 adult one way or JPY 520 return. The two-day Eiheiji/Site Museum subtotal of JPY 3,920 includes this JR return. Recheck actual travel-date services and fares with JR. Long-distance travel to Fukui costs extra.
Sources and confirmation dates
- Luggage storage guide ·
- Liner timetable and fares ·
- Walking access to the temple ·
- Railway and bus connections ·
- Museum admission procedure ·
- Entry slots and fees ·
- Bus and car-park access guide ·
- Official location map ·
- Official JR time and fare search ·
- JR Etsumi-Hoku Line outbound services ·
- Ichijodani Station facilities ·
- Museum access ·
- Museum hours and fees ·
- Museum fees and hours ·
- Official temple visitor guide ·
- Current Katsuyama Station rail fares ·
- Official JR return time/fare search for 14 October 2026 ·