Kyushu Day Guides
How to Spend a Day in Yufuin Hot Spring Town
Last updated 5/2/2026
Refined onsen resort at the foot of Mt. Yufu: Yunotsubo galleries, mist-wrapped Lake Kinrin, Milch milk rolls, ryokan day-pass bathing.
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A full day, hour by hour
9:30 — Arrive Yufuin
- JR Yufuin no Mori scenic train from Hakata, 2 hr 10 min, ¥5,140
- Or bus from Beppu, 1 hr, ¥1,100
10:00 — Yunotsubo Street
- 1 km pedestrian arcade — galleries + cafés + souvenir shops
- From Yufuin Station up to Lake Kinrin
- Snoopy Tea House Yufuin pastry set ¥1,500
11:30 — Mist on Lake Kinrin
- "Golden-Scale Lake" — morning mist drifts off the water
- 700m loop, free
- Mochi-yaki + grilled-shellfish stalls along the bank
12:30 — Yufuin kaiseki lunch
- Yufuin Hanano-Mai ¥3,000 set
- Or Yufu-no Yado Yamashou wagyu sukiyaki ¥4,500
14:00 — Onsen ryokan day pass
- Yufuin's ryokan offer day-pass bathing without staying overnight
- Sansoumurata ¥4,500 (top-tier with private baths)
- Yufuin Hotel Hanaakari ¥1,000 (cheapest)
- Beppu Suginoi ¥1,800 (terrace pool with Mt. Yufu views)
16:30 — Milch milk rolls
- Milch Yufuin — legendary milk rolls
- ¥350/piece + coffee ¥500
17:30 — Floral Village
- Cotswolds-styled corner of Yufuin
- Hello Kitty + Studio Ghibli + Snoopy stores
18:30 — Back to Fukuoka
- JR Yufuin no Mori scenic train, 2 hr 10 min
Quick facts
- Book JR Yufuin no Mori 1 month ahead — only 4 services/day
- Mid-late November koyo + early April sakura are peak
- Total cost: ¥7,000 transit + ¥3,000 food + ¥2,000 onsen = ¥12,000
Suggested combo
2D1N Yufuin ryokan ¥20,000–35,000/night (with two kaiseki meals) — full onsen experience.