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Beppu and Yufuin, in Kyushu, are two of Japan’s most famous hot-spring destinations — one dramatic and steamy, the other chic and tranquil. Here’s how to enjoy them.
Beppu: steam and spectacle
- The “Hells” (jigoku) — vividly colored hot-spring ponds to look at (not bathe in), from cobalt blue to blood red.
- Sand baths — get buried in naturally heated sand, a unique experience.
- Endless onsen — Beppu produces more hot-spring water than almost anywhere on earth. Read our onsen etiquette guide first.
Yufuin: chic and calm
- A stylish, artsy hot-spring town with boutiques, cafes, and galleries.
- Lake Kinrin — misty and beautiful at dawn.
- Upscale ryokan with private baths and Mt. Yufu views; see our ryokan guide.
Getting there
- Both are near Fukuoka — reachable by train or bus (Yufuin has a scenic limited express).
- They pair well together and with a wider Kyushu trip.
- Book onsen ryokan early — compare on Booking.com .
Tips
- Tattooed? Choose private baths or check policies; see our tattoo & onsen guide.
- Beppu for spectacle and variety; Yufuin for a relaxed, refined stay — do both if you can.
- Compare with other soak spots in our best onsen towns guide.
What it costs & how long to stay
- Beppu’s “Hells” circuit costs around JPY 2,000-2,500 for a combined ticket to the main viewing sites, or JPY 400-500 per site individually; most visitors comfortably see the highlights in half a day.
- A sand bath session runs roughly JPY 1,500-1,600 including a yukata rental, and lasts about 10-15 minutes buried, which is plenty for most people.
- One night is enough to sample Beppu’s variety, but Yufuin rewards a slower pace — a two-night combo (one per town) is the most common and satisfying split.
Best time to visit & avoiding crowds
- Yufuin’s Lake Kinrin is famous for autumn and winter mornings when mist rises off the warm water into cold air — arrive right at sunrise for the classic photo, before day-tripper buses arrive from Beppu and Fukuoka.
- Weekday visits make a noticeable difference in Yufuin, which is a popular domestic weekend getaway; the main shopping street can feel genuinely crowded on Saturday afternoons.
- Winter is a great time to visit both towns — cold air makes the hot springs more rewarding, and the Hells’ colors read even more vividly against grey winter skies.
Getting between the two towns
The JR Yufuin no Mori limited express connects Beppu and Yufuin directly in about 15 minutes and is scenic enough to be worth taking even without a fixed schedule need — reserve a seat in advance in peak season, since it is popular in its own right. Local buses also run the route roughly every 30-40 minutes and are cheaper if you do not need the scenic train.
Budget, mid-range & splurge options
- Budget: public bathhouses (sento-style onsen) in Beppu cost as little as JPY 100-300 entry, some of the cheapest hot-spring bathing anywhere in Japan.
- Mid-range: a standard ryokan with a shared or semi-private bath in Yufuin, JPY 15,000-25,000 per person with dinner and breakfast.
- Splurge: a Yufuin ryokan with a private open-air bath and Mt. Yufu view, often JPY 40,000-80,000+ per person for a full kaiseki-dinner stay.
A one-day Beppu walking route
Start at Umi Jigoku for the cobalt-blue pond, walk or shuttle to Chinoike Jigoku (blood-red pond) and Tatsumaki Jigoku (a real geyser that erupts roughly every 30 minutes), then finish the afternoon at a sand bath before dinner. Most of the Hells cluster in two groups a short bus ride apart, so a single combined ticket and a loop bus ticket cover the whole circuit without much backtracking.