Which Fukui attractions should you visit?
Choose the dinosaur museum for large skeletons and fossils, or Eiheiji for a leisurely corridor walk. For castle-town life, explore Ichijodani’s artefacts and museum displays, then travel to the reconstructed houses. For the sea, choose Tojinbo’s rocky cliffs. You can move to an Awara Onsen hotel afterwards to rest.
Attraction fees, hours and directions
Fukui Prefectural Dinosaur Museum
福井県立恐竜博物館
Give the dinosaur museum a full day to examine large skeletons and fossils. The permanent exhibition covers Earth and the history of life as well as dinosaurs. Buy tickets in advance for your date and entry slot, then coordinate trains and buses.
- Admission, excluding special exhibitionsGeneral exhibition admission costs JPY 1,000 for adults, JPY 800 for senior high school and university students, and JPY 500 for primary and junior high school students and visitors aged 70 and above. Preschool children enter free. Special exhibitions and the outdoor museum cost extra.
- Hours, closures and ticketsHours are 09:00–17:00, with admission until 16:30. Usual closures are the second and fourth Wednesdays and 31 December–1 January; check the calendar for public-holiday, summer and other exceptions. Reserve tickets for your date and entry slot in advance.
- Railway, bus and 2026 faresTake the Katsuyama-bound Echizen Railway Katsuyama Eiheiji Line from Fukui to its terminus, then change to a museum bus. Official reference times of about one hour by train and 15 minutes by bus are ride times; waits and transfers are extra. The 1 April 2026 bus timetable lists D Line operation on museum opening days. Katsuyama–museum bus fares are JPY 300 adult/JPY 200 child one way; Fukui–Katsuyama Echizen Railway is JPY 820 adult one way. The C Line has different operation conditions and stop order; check your chosen route.
- October and November park access restrictionsPark traffic restrictions and temporary shuttles are listed for 11 October and 22 November 2026. Check temporary shuttle and car-park access guidance first if visiting on those dates.
- What to seeSee permanent exhibits of dinosaur skeletons, fossils, Earth and the history of life.
Museum fees and hoursEntry slots and feesBus and car-park access guideRailway and bus connectionsCurrent Katsuyama Station rail faresDinosaur museum permanent exhibition guide
Eiheiji
Eiheiji Temple永平寺
Choose Eiheiji for a leisurely visit to temple buildings and grounds. Follow the visitor route through corridor-linked buildings. There are indoor stairs; experiences such as Zen meditation have separate conditions and fees from ordinary visits.
- Temple admissionGeneral admission costs JPY 700 for adults and JPY 300 for primary and junior high school students; preschool children enter free. Check separate conditions and fees for Zen meditation and overnight experiences.
- Visiting hoursHours are 08:30–16:30, with guidance to arrive by 16:00. Check visit-date event restrictions.
- Stairs and pushchairsThere are indoor stairs and guidance prohibits bringing pushchairs inside. Enquire about accessible areas if anyone in your group cannot use stairs.
- Eiheiji Liner, 2026 fares and entranceTake the Eiheiji Liner from Fukui Station east-side stand 1 to Eiheiji. Fares revised on 1 October 2026 are JPY 1,000 adult/JPY 500 child one way. It runs daily without seat reservations; full buses cannot accept more passengers. The official Fukui tourism guide gives about five minutes on foot from the stop to the visitor entrance.
- What to seeFollow the visitor route through corridor-linked buildings and temple grounds. This does not give access to all monastic practice spaces.
Official temple visitor guideLiner timetable and faresWalking access to the templeOfficial Fukui guide to Eiheiji’s visitor route
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 at Ichijodani Site Museum to learn about life in the former castle town. Walking the actual reconstructed townscape requires travel elsewhere; plan it separately from museum exhibits.
- Admission, excluding special exhibitionsGeneral admission costs JPY 700 for adults, JPY 400 for senior high school students, JPY 200 for primary and junior high school students, and JPY 350 for visitors aged 70 and above. Special exhibitions cost extra. A combined ticket with the townscape is also listed; check its price, validity and use on different dates before buying. Itinerary costs use ordinary separate admissions.
- Hours and closuresHours are 09:00–17:00, with admission until 16:30. Check the visit-date calendar for Monday, New Year and temporary closures.
- JR and walking from the stationTake the JR Etsumi-Hoku Line (Kuzuryu Line) from Fukui to Ichijodani, then walk. The official guide gives about 15 minutes by rail and three minutes on foot from the station. Check the Fukui-bound return train.
- 2026 weekend and public-holiday shuttleThe guide lists free Karamon-bound shuttles on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays from 4 April to 29 November 2026. Check other weekday transport in the museum’s official access guide.
- What to seeExplore historic castle-town life through excavated artefacts and reconstructed displays.
Museum hours and feesMuseum accessIchijodani museum exhibition guide
Ichijodani reconstructed townscape
Reconstructed Townscape of Ichijodani一乗谷朝倉氏遺跡 復原町並
Walk among samurai residences and artisans’ houses reconstructed from excavated stone walls and building foundations. Indoor displays recreate period life based on excavated objects. This is separate from the Site Museum; the free shuttle runs on specified weekends and public holidays.
- Museum and reconstructed townscape: different sitesReconstructed houses and streets are separate from the Site Museum galleries. Choose transport between them if visiting both.
- General admissionAdmission is JPY 330 for ages 15 and above. Check the visit-date guide for groups, concessions and temporary restrictions.
- Hours and closuresHours are 09:00–17:00, with admission until 16:30. Closed 28 December–4 January.
- Weekend shuttle and alighting stopUse the free shuttle’s Reconstructed Townscape stop (復原町並) on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays from 4 April to 29 November 2026. Capacity is 24, with guided-tour participants given priority; follow on-site guidance. Follow admission signs from the stop and allow ticketing/waiting time. This shuttle is unavailable on weekdays.
- What to seeSamurai residences and artisans’ houses were reconstructed from excavated stone walls and building foundations. Indoors, see period-life re-creations based on excavated objects.
Fukui City reconstructed townscape guideCurrent reconstructed townscape hours and fees2026 Ichijodani free weekend shuttle timetable
Tojinbo
Tojinbo Cliffs東尋坊
See column-shaped rocky cliffs and the sea at Tojinbo. Walk according to weather and on-site access notices. Change to a bus at Mikuni Station; check sightseeing boat operation separately for your date.
- Railway, bus and walking to the coastTake a Mikuni-bound Echizen Railway Mikuni Awara Line train from Fukui to Mikuni Station. Change to a Tojinbo-bound Keifuku bus, alight at Tojinbo and walk about five minutes. Official reference times of roughly 50 minutes by train and ten by bus are ride times, excluding waits.
- Walking, boat trips and station distinctionsCoastal walks differ from paid boats and observation facilities. Boat operation depends on weather and sea conditions; choose it only after checking that day’s services. Mikuni, Mikuniminato and Awaraonsen stations are different boarding locations.
- Current timetable revision and section faresThe posted weekday connection table was revised on 1 October 2024. Adult one-way fares are Fukui–Mikuni railway JPY 780, Mikuni–Tojinbo bus JPY 280 and Tojinbo–Awara-Yunomachi bus JPY 570. Check the starting station and bus direction. Use separate weekend/public-holiday timetables and check travel-date changes.
- Coastal sceneryView the column-shaped rocky cliffs and sea. Walk according to weather and on-site access notices.
Official Fukui tourism transport guideBoat operator’s access guideCurrent operator’s Tojinbo route listRail operator’s weekday return connection tableOfficial Mikuni Station fare tableTojinbo route section fare tableTojinbo weekday timetable
Frequently asked questions
Can I go to the dinosaur museum without a reservation?
The standard approach is to buy tickets in advance for a specified date and entry slot. Same-day tickets are sold at museum machines only if capacity remains; do not travel assuming you can buy on arrival. Special exhibitions, fossil research experiences and outdoor museum visits have different ticket types and purchase deadlines.
Do the dinosaur museum and Tojinbo use the same railway line?
The museum uses the Katsuyama Eiheiji Line; Tojinbo uses the Mikuni Awara Line. Check return transport separately for each direction.
Railway and bus connectionsOfficial Fukui tourism transport guide
Sources and confirmation dates
- Liner timetable and fares ·
- Walking access to the temple ·
- Railway and bus connections ·
- Entry slots and fees ·
- Bus and car-park access guide ·
- Museum access ·
- Museum hours and fees ·
- Museum fees and hours ·
- Official temple visitor guide ·
- Fukui City reconstructed townscape guide ·
- Official Fukui tourism transport guide ·
- Boat operator’s access guide ·
- Current operator’s Tojinbo route list ·
- Rail operator’s weekday return connection table ·
- Official Mikuni Station fare table ·
- Current Katsuyama Station rail fares ·
- Current reconstructed townscape hours and fees ·
- 2026 Ichijodani free weekend shuttle timetable ·
- Tojinbo route section fare table ·
- Tojinbo weekday timetable ·
- Dinosaur museum permanent exhibition guide ·
- Official Fukui guide to Eiheiji’s visitor route ·
- Ichijodani museum exhibition guide ·