Yufuin Bus Tour from Fukuoka: Hita vs Dazaifu

Yufuin bus tours from Fukuoka leave from near Hakata Station at 8:30 a.m. and pack Yufuin, Beppu and either Hita or Dazaifu into one day. I did the Dazaifu course in July 2024 and the Hita course in August 2025, and I liked Hita more. The brewery in Hita is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays, though, so if your tour falls on one of those days, Dazaifu is the better pick.

Unlike Osaka or Tokyo, central Fukuoka is compact enough to cover in a day or two. That's why, on a four-day trip, I always spend one day on a bus tour out of the city. I did both courses with the same company, so the tour itself ran the same way. Only the stops were different.

Hita course vs Dazaifu course

Both courses include Yufuin and Beppu. The difference is the first stop.

Hita is sometimes called "Little Kyoto," and it felt like Kyoto without the crowds, which made it more relaxing to explore. Dazaifu was the one where the guide's stories made it. If it's your first time, go with Hita, and on a Monday or Tuesday, go with Dazaifu.

How the tour works

You meet around 8:10 at a bus terminal near Hakata Station, where the guide holds up a flag and checks everyone in. It used to meet out on the street, but now it's inside the terminal, so you can wait indoors. Since it leaves from the Hakata Station side, staying in Hakata made my mornings much easier.

Seats aren't assigned. It's first come, first served, so get there early if you want a particular spot. They send anything from a small van to a full-size coach depending on numbers. My bus wasn't full, so even traveling alone I had the seat next to me free. There are USB charging ports on board, which was handy for topping up my phone on the road.

The guide doesn't walk around with you. They hand out brochures and explain things on the bus, then you're on your own at each stop. Before we got to Yufuin, they even went through good restaurants and ryokan that take day bathers. If you're switching hotels after the tour, you can leave your luggage on the bus, and you can also get off in Beppu or Yufuin.

Here's the actual schedule for the Hita course (as listed for 2026).

The Hita, Yufuin and Beppu course was about $32 per person, and the Dazaifu, Yufuin and Beppu tour was around $35 to $40.

Hita Mameda-machi and the beer brewery

Hita centers on Mameda-machi, a street that dates back to the Edo period. The part tourists walk isn't big, so an hour was plenty. It's all low buildings, so almost any shot looks good. There's hardly any shade, though, so bring a parasol in summer.

Hita is known for soy sauce, yokan and sake. You can try small samples of soy sauce in the shops, and I liked the sashimi soy sauce enough to buy a bottle. I still use it at home for sashimi and sushi. The guide said they buy theirs there too.

The Sapporo beer brewery is one of the reasons to pick the Hita course. I've also been to the beer museum in Sapporo, but the Hita brewery, where you see the actual production line, stuck with me more. No photos inside the facility. You get your fresh beer by buying a ticket from a machine, and since the screen is in Japanese, the guide helped us out. I don't drink, so I had a non-alcoholic beer.

Right across from the brewery is the Attack on Titan museum. It's about 700 yen for adults, paid separately. Doing both in 30 minutes is tight, so have your beer first and then hurry over. I've never seen the show, and it was mostly artwork and cutouts, so it didn't do much for me, but fans spent a good while in the gift shop at the end.

What Dazaifu Tenmangu is like

The Dazaifu course starts at Dazaifu Tenmangu, the shrine to Sugawara no Michizane, the god of learning. Students facing entrance exams come here with their parents to pray to pass. There are bull statues all over the grounds, and everyone was rubbing their noses and horns for photos.

On the way to the main hall you cross three bridges for the past, present and future. You're not supposed to look back on the past bridge, stop on the present bridge, or trip on the future bridge, so I crossed them carefully. To make a wish, drop in a 5 or 50 yen coin, bow twice, clap twice, make your wish, and finish with one more bow. The shops along the approach sell umegae mochi, a grilled rice cake filled with red bean paste, and the texture is unusual enough that I'd definitely try one. The grounds are full of plum trees, so it's prettier in spring.

Free time in Yufuin and Kamado Jigoku in Beppu

On either course, Yufuin is the longest stop. On the Hita course we had about three hours, and with all the character shops and little snack stands, there was plenty to see even on my second visit. The popular spots are the music box shop, the Miffy and Snoopy shops, and Lake Kinrinko. It looks big on the map, but it's very walkable. There were fewer cafés to sit down in than I expected.

I have lunch at Koharu Udon every time. The first time I ate there I couldn't believe noodles could be that chewy. The line gets long, so head straight there when you get off the bus. For snacks, I had Kinsho croquettes and Milch cheesecake. Some ryokan take day bathers, but only two or three groups on my bus did it, and it eats into your time for lunch and wandering, so I wouldn't bother unless you're staying the night.

The last stop in Beppu is Kamado Jigoku, one of the town's seven "hells." These are hot springs you look at, not bathe in. A local staff member gave us about a 10-minute talk, then we were free to use the foot bath. The 450 yen entry was included in the tour, and the onsen eggs and drinks you used to pay extra for are now free. You can taste the spring water too, but it was hot and salty, and I couldn't finish the cup. Even a short foot bath took the edge off a whole day of walking.

If you're giving a day of your Fukuoka trip to the countryside, a Yufuin bus tour was the least effort way to do it. Check the day of the week first, and if Hita works, go with the Hita course. If you're curious how a bus-tour style day trip works from another city, see my Kyoto day trip from Osaka.