Tocho-ji and the Fukuoka DaibutsuKushida ShrineHakata Machiya Folk MuseumDazaifu TenmanguUmegae mochiKyushu National MuseumOhori ParkYufuin no Mori trainYunotsubo KaidoKinrinko Lake
Tour lengths
Choose how long you'd like
One quote per private group of up to six, in USD, CAD, AUD, NZD, GBP or EUR.
Half day
Dazaifu Tenmangu, umegae mochi and the national museum.
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Full day
Hakata in the morning and Dazaifu in the afternoon, or a day trip to Yufuin.
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Two days
Hakata or Dazaifu and a yatai dinner, then a day in Yufuin.
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From your guide
What I point out on the way
I spent nine years in Brisbane, from junior high to the end of university, and I guide in English or Japanese. I check our food stops with each shop before the day.
Sho's note
Kushida Shrine
A 13-metre Yamakasa float stands here all year except June, next to a ginkgo said to be 1,000 years old.
Sho's note
Umegae mochi
There's no plum inside, just rice-cake dough around sweet red bean paste. It's 150 yen each, from more than 30 shops on the approach.
Sho's note
Kyushu National Museum
Japan's fourth national museum, 10 minutes' walk from Dazaifu Station. It's 700 yen and closed on Mondays.
Tocho-ji is said to have been founded in 806 by Kobo Daishi. Its Buddha is 10.8 metres tall and took from 1988 to 1992 to carve.
Fukuoka had 103 licensed yatai at the end of January 2024, about 90% of Japan's street stalls. We go for the food.
Yunotsubo Kaido, Yufuin's main street, is about 10 minutes' walk from JR Yufuin Station. It runs for about 800 metres past shops, cafes, museums and workshops, with Mt Yufu in view. Kinrinko Lake is at the far end.
Photos
Fukuoka, Dazaifu and Yufuin through my lens
The Naka River at night, with the lit buildings of Nakasu reflected in the water.Hakata Port Tower lit blue across the river at night, with a bridge in front.The vermilion two-storey gate of Dazaifu Tenmangu, with stone lanterns and visitors walking towards it.The shop-lined approach to Dazaifu Tenmangu, busy with visitors under a blue sky.The entrance of JR Yufuin Station in the evening, with its wooden sign and the lights on inside.The green Yufuin no Mori limited express, photographed at Beppu Station.
FAQ
Questions people ask
Why is it called umegae mochi if there's no plum?
The story goes that after Michizane was sent to Dazaifu, an old woman brought him mochi on a plum branch.
Is the yatai dinner a drinking tour?
No. We go to a yatai for the food, not a bar crawl.
Can we fit Yufuin into a half day?
No. The train from Hakata takes about 2 hours 14 minutes, so Yufuin needs a full day, or the second day of a two-day tour.
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Coming to Fukuoka or Yufuin
Tell me your dates, how many of you there are and anything you can't eat. I'll send back a route and a free quote.
