Townscape or hot springs for an extra day in Fukui?
Stay three nights in Fukui to see artefacts and reconstructed houses without changing hotels. Use the free weekend shuttle on the final day. For rocky coast and hot spring rest, stay the first night in Fukui and the next two in Awara Onsen. Take the Awara-Yunomachi-bound bus from Tojinbo and return to Fukui on the last day for the Site Museum.
Choose a 3 nights, 4 days itinerary
Site museum, dinosaur museum, Eiheiji and reconstructed townscape
Spend four days viewing artefacts and walking among actual reconstructed houses on different days. Stay three nights at the same Fukui hotel and visit the dinosaur museum and Eiheiji too. Fit the final-day townscape visit around Saturdays, Sundays or public holidays during the free shuttle season.
Site museum, dinosaur museum, Eiheiji and reconstructed townscape →3 nights, 4 days BEiheiji, Tojinbo, Awara Onsen and Ichijodani
Spend four days with the temple, rocky coast and an extra day at a hot spring hotel. Stay the first night in Fukui and the next two in Awara Onsen. Return to Fukui on the final day for Ichijodani Site Museum. From Tojinbo, take the Awara-Yunomachi-bound bus.
Eiheiji, Tojinbo, Awara Onsen and Ichijodani →Site museum, dinosaur museum, Eiheiji and reconstructed townscape
Spend four days viewing artefacts and walking among actual reconstructed houses on different days. Stay three nights at the same Fukui hotel and visit the dinosaur museum and Eiheiji too. Fit the final-day townscape visit around Saturdays, Sundays or public holidays during the free shuttle season.
Day 1: 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.
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.
Day 3: 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 4: Ichijodani reconstructed townscape walk
Reconstructed Townscape of Ichijodani · 一乗谷朝倉氏遺跡 復原町並
Walk among reconstructed samurai residences and artisans’ houses, and view displays recreating life inside. This is a separate day from the museum exhibits, using the weekend shuttle.
- JR Fukui Station → Ichijodani Station → Site Museum shuttle stand
Take the Kuzuryu Line to Ichijodani Station, then walk about three minutes to the museum. Calculations use JPY 260 one way for an adult; look up travel-date return services. Today does not revisit the museum exhibits.
- Site Museum shuttle stand → Reconstructed Townscape stop
Take the free shuttle to Reconstructed Townscape (復原町並), rather than continuing to Karamon. The 2026 guide lists Saturday, Sunday and public-holiday operation from 4 April to 29 November, capacity 24, with guided-tour participants given priority.
- Reconstructed Townscape stop → Reconstructed townscape entrance and visit
Follow on-site admission signs to the entrance. Admission is JPY 330 for ages 15 and above. Hours are 09:00–17:00, with admission until 16:30. Walk the reconstructed streets at your own pace, then return to the stop for your shuttle.
- Reconstructed Townscape stop → Site Museum → JR Ichijodani Station → Fukui Station
Take the museum-bound shuttle back, then a Fukui-bound JR train from Ichijodani Station. The adult return rail fare is also JPY 260. Shuttles and JR trains are separate; include waiting time when choosing connections. If a full or suspended shuttle prevents boarding, recheck the next shuttle/JR connection or shorten the visit.
2026 Ichijodani free weekend shuttle timetableOfficial JR time and fare search
Closed 28 December–4 January. Outside the shuttle season or on weekdays, use other transport in the official access guide rather than following this course unchanged.
Included: The subtotal covers Ichijodani Site Museum basic-exhibition admission and return JR travel at JPY 1,220, dinosaur museum general exhibition admission and return railway and bus travel at JPY 3,240, Eiheiji admission and return Liner travel at JPY 2,700, and reconstructed townscape admission and return JR travel at JPY 850.
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 feesMuseum fees and hoursCurrent Katsuyama Station rail faresRailway and bus connectionsCurrent reconstructed townscape hours and fees2026 Ichijodani free weekend shuttle timetableOfficial JR return time/fare search for 15 October 2026Official JR return time/fare search for 18 October 2026Four-day A free shuttle timetable in both directionsRechecked current townscape hours and individual admission
Eiheiji, Tojinbo, Awara Onsen and Ichijodani
Spend four days with the temple, rocky coast and an extra day at a hot spring hotel. Stay the first night in Fukui and the next two in Awara Onsen. Return to Fukui on the final day for Ichijodani Site Museum. From Tojinbo, take the Awara-Yunomachi-bound bus.
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: Tojinbo, then the hot springs
Tojinbo Cliffs · 東尋坊
See Tojinbo’s rocky cliffs and sea, then move to Awara Onsen. Take the Awara-Yunomachi-bound bus instead of returning to Mikuni Station.
- Echizen Railway Fukui Station → Mikuni Station
Take a Mikuni-bound Mikuni Awara Line train to Mikuni Station. The adult one-way fare is JPY 780. Distinguish weekend/public-holiday and weekday timetables, checking the return too.
Official Mikuni Station fare tableRail operator’s weekday return connection table
- Keifuku bus at Mikuni Station → Tojinbo bus stop → coast
Change to a Tojinbo-bound bus and alight at Tojinbo. The adult one-way fare is JPY 280; the official guide gives about five minutes on foot from the stop to the coast. Distinguish services starting at Mikuniminato or Awara-Yunomachi stations.
Tojinbo route section fare tableOfficial Fukui tourism transport guide
- Tojinbo coast → Walk, lunch and a break
Walk the coast according to weather and on-site access notices, and rest at an open nearby shop. Choose a sightseeing boat only after confirming that day’s operation. Boats, observation facilities and meals are excluded from the subtotal below.
Boat operator’s access guideOfficial Fukui tourism transport guide
- Tojinbo stop, Awara-Yunomachi-bound service → Awara-Yunomachi Station → hot spring hotel
Take the Awara-Yunomachi-bound bus at JPY 570 one way for an adult; distinguish it from the Mikuni-bound direction. Follow your booked hotel’s access guide onwards. This course has two hot spring nights; station arrival, check-in and dinner are separate times.
Tojinbo route section fare tableOfficial Awara Grand Hotel access guideOfficial Awara Grand Hotel check-in/out guide
Reduce coastal visits during bad weather or access restrictions. Weekday connections do not apply on Saturdays, Sundays or public holidays.
Day 3: Rest in Awara Onsen
Rest at your hot spring hotel today before a second night. If going out, visit the footbath in front of Awara-Yunomachi Station.
- In front of Awara-Yunomachi Station → Yunomachi Plaza and Ashiyu footbath
Check the walk between your hotel and Yunomachi Plaza in front of Awara-Yunomachi Station. This is separate from JR Awaraonsen Station. Awara City lists free use, 07:00–23:00 and year-round opening; follow any temporary restrictions on site.
Awara Onsen Association station-front footbath guideAwara City footbath hours and fees FAQ
- Footbath and Yunomachi Plaza → Same hot spring hotel
Bring a towel, then return to your hotel for the second night. Stay indoors if it rains or access from your hotel is inconvenient. Daytime room use, baths and meals depend on your booked plan.
The footbath is free; buying towels, meals and accommodation cost extra.
Day 4: Ichijodani Site Museum
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.
- Awara-Yunomachi Station → Echizen Railway Fukui Station → JR Fukui Station
Leave your hot spring hotel and take a Fukui-bound train from Awara-Yunomachi Station at JPY 730 for an adult. Change in Fukui to the JR Kuzuryu Line, allowing time to buy tickets and reach the JR platform.
Awara-Yunomachi Station Fukui-bound timetable and faresEchizen Railway 1 April 2026 timetable: hot springs → Fukui
- 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, railway and bus travel via Tojinbo to the hot springs and back to Fukui at JPY 2,360, and 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 Mikuni Station fare tableTojinbo route section fare tableAwara-Yunomachi Station Fukui-bound timetable and faresOfficial JR dated return search for 16 October 2026Echizen Railway 1 April 2026 timetable: hot springs → FukuiEchizen Railway station locker locations, sizes and fees
Frequently asked questions
Do I walk straight from the Site Museum to the townscape?
The three-night Fukui course uses the free shuttle on the final day. The 2026 guide lists operation on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays from 4 April to 29 November, capacity 24 with guided-tour priority. Alight at Reconstructed Townscape and follow admission signs. This shuttle is unavailable on weekdays.
Four-day A free shuttle timetable in both directionsRechecked current townscape hours and individual admission
Should I alight at Awaraonsen Station for the hotel?
JR Awaraonsen and Echizen Railway Awara-Yunomachi are different stations. Courses moving from Tojinbo to the hot springs take the Awara-Yunomachi-bound bus. Check your booked hotel’s access from that station. For pick-up at JR Awaraonsen, arrange transport to that station and a separate transfer reservation.
Official Awara Grand Hotel access guideOfficial Awara Grand Hotel check-in/out guide
Sources and confirmation dates
- 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 ·
- Official Fukui tourism transport guide ·
- Boat operator’s access guide ·
- Rail operator’s weekday return connection table ·
- Official Mikuni Station fare table ·
- Current Katsuyama Station rail fares ·
- Current reconstructed townscape hours and fees ·
- Awara-Yunomachi Station Fukui-bound timetable and fares ·
- 2026 Ichijodani free weekend shuttle timetable ·
- Awara City footbath hours and fees FAQ ·
- Awara Onsen Association station-front footbath guide ·
- Tojinbo route section fare table ·
- Official JR return time/fare search for 15 October 2026 ·
- Official JR return time/fare search for 18 October 2026 ·
- Four-day A free shuttle timetable in both directions ·
- Rechecked current townscape hours and individual admission ·
- Official JR dated return search for 16 October 2026 ·
- Echizen Railway 1 April 2026 timetable: hot springs → Fukui ·
- Echizen Railway station locker locations, sizes and fees ·
- Official Awara Grand Hotel access guide ·
- Official Awara Grand Hotel check-in/out guide ·
- Echizen Railway day pass, dinosaur transport set and hot spring accommodation pass ·