THE 6 BEST THINGS TO DO IN BEPPU IN ONE DAY

Beppu is one of the most popular places to visit on Kyushu island in the west of Japan. With more than 2,000 onsen (hot springs), this seaside city is known as the Hot Spring Capital of Japan.

Domestic and international tourists come to Beppu for its hot spring culture, which consists of regular hot water baths, mud baths, sand baths, and steam baths. After all, it’s common to walk 20,000+ steps a day on a trip to Japan, so relaxing in some of these onsen is highly recommended!

Besides, if you’re visiting this city, don’t miss the seven Hells of Beppu. While they are too hot to bathe in, they are a unique and breathtaking collection of natural hot springs to look at that cannot be found anywhere else in Japan.

Other attractions in Beppu include impressive Kifune Castle and going up Mt. Tsurumi and Beppu Tower for amazing views. Finally, Beppu is worth visiting thanks to great shopping, cozy ryokans (traditional Japanese guesthouses), and nice restaurants.

While traveling around Japan in May 2025, I stayed in Beppu overnight and I’m really glad I did! So in this post, I’m sharing the 6 Best Things to do in Beppu, Japan in One Day with you!

Disclosure: I only recommend products that I’ve used in the past, and all opinions expressed in this post are my own. This post contains affiliate links. If you use one of the links throughout the page to buy something, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you!

The 6 Best Things to Do in Beppu

Try a Sand Bath

I learnt that Beppu is famous for sand baths while watching Our Man in Japan, so I had to try it out! In Japan, sand baths are a traditional way to relax but also detoxify your body thanks to the black sand’s anti-inflammatory properties. This helps with body aches and pains as well.

Many visitors take a sand bath at Beppu Beach Sand Bath next to Shoningahama Park to enjoy the breeze and view of Beppu Bay. Since it’s quite popular, the staff recommends booking a sand bath session through their website in advance.

Upon arrival, guests change into a special yukata. Then you lie down in the sand pit and the staff will cover you with warm sand all the way up to your neck! The session ends after 15 minutes and after taking a shower, guests are welcome to relax in their Grand Bath onsen as well.

The volcanic sand is heated with hot spring water nine times a day and each heating cycle takes 30 to 40 minutes to keep it clean. Besides, guests are taken to different sand pits, so the same sand is never used twice. Beppu Beach Sand Bath is open daily and admission for the Sand bath & Grand Bath is 2,500 ¥.

Another great spot in Beppu to take a relaxing sand bath is Hyotan Onsen (159-2 Kannawa, Beppu, Oita 874-0042, Japan). They use 100% natural sand from Beppu Beach, which is heated by natural hot springs, at this facility.

Guests can rent a yukata and paper shorts to wear during the sand bath at the reception. The baths happen in their sand bath room, where guests lay next to each other. Unlike at Beppu Beach, the staff doesn’t cover you with sand, so you need to do this to yourself or each other if you’re traveling with someone.

Hyotan Onsen is open from 9 am to 1 am daily and the cost for sand baths is 2,000 ¥ (including the yukata and shorts). You can rent a towel at an extra fee as well. There’s also a large Public bath, foot bath, and restaurant at Hyotan Onsen.

Entrance to the sand bath and the sand bath room (photo credit: Hyotan Onsen).

Kifune Castle

Address: 926 Kannawa, Beppu, Oita 874-0000, Japan

If you feel energized after the sand bath, walking up the hill to explore Kifune Castle is an awesome idea! This castle is a replica of the original castle that dates back several centuries. It was rebuilt in 1957 and aside from the castle, it offers amazing views of Beppu and the area.

Visitors need to take a guided tour to learn about the castle’s history (in English or Japanese) and you cannot miss its guardian: an albino python! Touching the snake is supposed to bring wealth and good luck.

Kifune Castle’s interior features vintage Japanese artwork, shrines, furnishings, and be sure to step on the balcony at the top floor for the best view!

Admission to Kifune Castle is 300 ¥ and it’s open daily from 8 am to 5 pm. While Kifune Castle is much smaller than other castles in Japan, it’s worth visiting for sure.

The Hells of Beppu

Address: 559-1 Kannawa, Beppu, Oita 874-0000, Japan

Another one of Beppu’s attractions are the seven Hells of Beppu (Beppu jigoku). These famous hot springs are in Beppu’s Kannawa district and in the Shibaseki district, just a short bus ride from Beppu Station.

While they are way too hot to bathe in (the water is 99C/ 210F hot!), each one of these bubbling springs looks different. So they shouldn’t be missed on your visit to Beppu!

For example, check out the blood-red Chinoike Jigoku, Umi Jigoku with its boiling blue water, and Oniishibozu Jigoku with its mud bubbles. By the way, these hot springs are called “hells”, because of their hot and steamy nature, which reminds many people of hell!

Hot springs at the Hells of Beppu. Photo #2 is credit of Raita Futo and photo #3 is credit of Totti (both Wikimedia Commons).

Another cool thing to do at the Hells of Beppu is trying jigoku mushi (it literally means “hell steaming”)! This is a traditional way of cooking food by using the steam of boiling hot springs which dates back to the Edo period. Visitors can try boiled eggs or baked pudding that were cooked in the steam of the Hells of Beppu.

Admission to visit all Hells of Beppu is 2,200 ¥ (or 450 ¥ for each individual hot spring) and this attraction is open daily from 8 am to 5 pm.

Beppu Tower

Address: 3 Chome-10-2, Kitahama, Beppu, Oita, 874-0920, Japan

While strolling around Beppu’s city centre, there’s no way to miss its highest building: Beppu Tower. It’s 100 meters (328 feet) tall and was completed in 1957. Beppu Tower is one of the six iron towers in Japan, which are also called “The Six Tower Brothers”.

This TV tower has an observation deck on the 16th and 17th floor that offers a 360-degree panoramic view of hot spring steam going up in Beppu City, Beppu Bay, and its surrounding mountains!

But the other floors also feature fun things to see, like Beppu Art Museum and Beppu Tower Space Deck (with a BBQ and sauna). Finally, Beppu Tower is lit up at night, which looks super cool as well!

Admission to the observation deck on the 16th and 17th floor is 800 ¥. Beppu Tower is open daily from 9:30 am to 9:30 pm.

Hike up (or take a ropeway) to Mount Tsurumi

If you’re into hiking and stunning mountain views, be sure to visit Mount Tsurumi! This active volcano is 1,375 meters (4,511 feet) high and several observation decks at the summit offer scenic views of Beppu City and Beppu Bay, Mount Yufu, and as far as the Kuju Mountains if visibility is good.

Visitors start at the trailhead which leads to the top of Mount Tsurumi. The trail to the top and back is 5.5 km (3.41 miles) long and takes you through Aso-Kuju National Park. There’s a peaceful forest of native Japanese beech trees, too.

The trail is well-marked, but some sections can be steep or slippery, so it’s important to wear sturdy footwear and bring water (and snacks!) to keep you going.

Panoramic view from the summit of Mount Tsurumi. Photo credit: Dime Gontar on Wikimedia Commons.

For an easier way to get up to Mount Tsurumi, ride bus #36 from Beppu Station to the lower Beppu Ropeway station. The ropeway takes you to Tsurumi Sanjo Station in only 10 minutes and it’s a short 15-minute walk to get to the actual summit. The ropeway runs daily from 9 am to 5 pm (4:30 pm from mid-November to mid-March).

The trailhead and lower Ropeway Station is just a 30-minute local bus ride from Beppu Station. You can hike up or ride up the ropeway to Mount Tsurumi all year. While hiking up the trail is free, admission for the ropeway is 1,800 ¥ (roundtrip) or 1,200 ¥ (one-way).

Go Shopping in Beppu

If you like shopping, Beppu has tons of cool and some unique stores to offer! For example, check out Beppu’s gift shops, which often feature onsen-themed items, as well as bath salts and other cosmetics.

Besides, Beppu Station Market (underneath Beppu Station) has a great selection of shops selling vegetables, meats, seafood, Japanese deli-style foods, and confectionary shops.

My favourite shopping mall in Beppu is YouMe Town Beppu, just a short walk from Beppu Station. This three-storied shopping mall has tons of cool stores, two food courts, cafés, and offers scenic ocean views from the top floor! Examples include Uniqlo, ABC Mart, Tully’s Coffee, Daiso, houseware, gaming, and toy stores.

I was psyched to find an Onigiri Bento lunch bag and a pair of chopsticks with rats on them at the stores at YouMe Town Beppu!

Where to Stay in Beppu

As a popular tourist destination, Beppu City has a big selection of accommodations. From hostels, to Western-style hotels, to traditional Japanese guesthouses (ryokan), there’s something for every traveler’s budget. Many are close to Beppu Station, hot springs, Beppu Tower, and the Hells of Beppu.

I stayed at Beppu no Oyado Kagaya (3 -12-14, Kitahama, Beppu, Oita 874-0920, Japan), a traditional Japanese ryokan near the city centre. My Japanese-style room was very cozy and quiet, and featured tatami mats on the floor, a futon bed, and seating area.

But the best part is that they have three kinds of private onsen (rock, wood, and open air), which guests can book at night and in the morning for an hour each (at no extra cost). Besides, the ryokan was spotless and the staff was very friendly.

The only downside was that there was no breakfast option, but coffee shops and konbini (convenience stores) are nearby.

Japanese-style room and rock onsen at Beppu no Oyado Kagaya (photo #2 is credit of Beppu no Oyado Kagaya).

Where to Eat & Drink in Beppu

Of course, Beppu also has many nice restaurants to choose from.

As mentioned earlier, Beppu is famous for its hell-steamed cuisine (e.g. vegetables, eggs, seafood, chicken, and pork buns) that you can try not only at the Hells of Beppu, but also at multiple local restaurants. One example is Jigokumushikobo Kannawa
restaurant.

Other local specialties to try in Beppu include toriten (chicken tempura), kabosu (a local citrus fruit that grows in the area), and fresh seafood (e.g. oysters, crab, clams, and shrimp).

Thankfully, some Beppu restaurants also have great vegan and vegetarian options! For example, Takito (2 Chome-7-31 Kitahama, Beppu, Oita 874-0920, Japan), a Mexican restaurant near Beppu Tower, offers yummy food to everyone.

I ordered their Guacamole with Tortilla chips and Calabacitas (tacos filled with zucchini stewed with spices, tomato, garlic, onion, and corn kernels). Both were super yummy and very affordable. Finally, the owner was very kind and the colourful décor adds to the warm and cozy vibe of Takito.

How to Get to and Around Beppu with Public transportation

It’s pretty easy to get to Beppu with public transportation. The closest big city is Fukuoka. From Hakata Station (Fukuoka’s main station), it’s only a 2-hour train ride via the JR Sonic Limited Express to Beppu Station.

From Tokyo or Osaka, just hop on the Tokaido and Sanyo Shinkansen to Kokura Station, then transfer to the JR Sonic Limited Express train to Beppu (4 to 6.5 hours total).

It’s also possible to fly to Oita Airport from Osaka, Nagoya, or Tokyo many times per day. It’s about an hour bus ride from the airport to Beppu’s city centre.

Beppu’s local buses go pretty much to every tourist attraction in the city. But since Beppu is quite spread out, it can take a bit of time to get there, depending on your destination.

Final Thoughts on The 6 Best Things to Do in Beppu

I highly recommend adding Beppu to your Japan itinerary. There are many reasons to visit the Hot Spring Capital of Japan, such as the seven Hells of Beppu, impressive Kifune Castle, and of course, taking advantage of its onsen and sand bath culture!

With the opportunity to hike up Mount Tsurumi and many exciting gift shops and malls, Beppu also has plenty to offer for outdoor lovers and shopping enthusiasts. Finally, Beppu Tower is a stunning Beppu landmark (especially after dark) that cannot be missed while visiting this city!

If you have more tips on the Best Things to do in Beppu, feel free to share them in the comments. Arigato gozaimasu! 😀

Traveling around Japan for a while? Then feel free to check out these posts:

The Top 5 Things to Do in Kamakura, Japan

How to Spend a Day in Moji, Japan

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