Sightseeing, shopping and onsens in Fukuoka: Where to go and stay for the best experience

Itching to go back to Japan for a holiday?

If you're already familiar with the major cities and popular tourist spots like Tokyo, Osaka, and Kyoto, might we suggest venturing further down south to Fukuoka?

Located on Kyushu Island, Fukuoka is Japan's sixth-largest city and has plenty to offer visitors. And as we found out on our trip, it also serves as a convenient base for day trips to other destinations in the Kyushu region, where you can bask in nature and even soak in a natural hot spring.

Where to stay in Fukuoka

If you're planning for day trips around the Kyushu region, it just makes sense to stay near a major train station. For that, we chose Nest Hotel Hakata Station, which is a quick 5-minute walk (or a leisurely 10-minute stroll) from Hakata Station.

Part of the Nest Hotel brand, this hotel is very affordably priced for all that it offers - a great location, modern design and interiors, warm service, and well-maintained rooms. It also has all the basic amenities one would expect from a hotel, a pretty decent breakfast buffet - unlimited mentaiko (pollock roe), anyone? - and even two coin-operated washing machines on the first floor should you need to do laundry.

Besides being just 5 minutes away from the shinkansen, Nest Hotel Hakata Station is also a hop and a skip from most attractions in Fukuoka - from shopping malls to street food. But more on that later!

Book your stay at Nest Hotel Hakata Sation via Klook here.

Things to do in Fukuoka

Top on our list of things to do in Fukuoka is teamLab Forest. The exhibit opens with the stunning Catching and Collecting Forest, where you can "capture" the various animal projections with your phone. Tip: wear comfortable shoes, as your balance will be tested in the Athletics Forest!

Given how popular teamLab exhibits are, it's best to book tickets in advance - purchase them via Klook here.

Fukuoka is also known for its vibrant yatai culture. Come nightfall, you'll see the appearance of food stalls - also known as yaitai - at various spots across Hakata. There are plenty of food options, from ramen to oden to yakitori, best enjoyed with an ice-cold beer or warm sake, depending on the season.

If you're staying at Nest Hotel Hakata Station, the nearest cluster of yatai would be along Naka River - you could walk or take a 5-minute cab ride there.

Canal City Hakata, a quick ten-minute walk from Nest Hotel Hakata Station, is a large shopping and entertainment complex where you can easily spend half a day or more.

There, you'll find a dizzying array of stores to shop, including familiar names such as Onitsuka Tiger, Muji, ABC-Mart, and Matsumoto Kiyoshi. For those looking for character merchandise, there's Disney Store, Sanrio Gallery, Bandai Namco Cross Store, The Gundam Base, Jump Shop, and many more.

No trip to Fukuoka would be complete without at least a bowl of Hakata Ramen. Hakata Ramen is characterised by its creamy and rich tonkotsu broth, coupled with thin noodles.

If you've worked up an appetite after all that shopping at Canal City Hakata, head up to the fifth floor where you'll find Ramen Stadium, a collection of eight famous ramen stalls from across Japan.

Or you could also visit Ichiran's original shop, which is just a short ten-minute walk from Canal City Hakata!

Day trips out of Fukuoka

Mt Aso

Big on nature? Then we'd highly recommend a day trip to Mt Aso, Japan's largest active volcano.

If you prefer to sightsee at a leisurely pace, it's best to rent a car. Otherwise, there are bus services from Aso Station that will take you to the sprawling Kusasenri grassland plateau and even up close to Mt Aso's craters!

Don't forget to factor in some time to soak in an onsen after all that hiking. Aso Bochu Onsen Yume Hot Spring is a no-frills public onsen conveniently located right next to Aso Station; entry fee is at JPY400 per adult.

Kumamoto

Less than an hour from Hakata by shinkansen, Kumamoto is a city rich with history. Here, you'll find Kumamoto Castle, which is a must-visit for history buffs. Next to it is Josaien, quaint shopping and food area designed to look like an old castle town. It is a great spot for souvenir shopping, and adventurous foodies shouldn't miss the chance to try some horse sashimi here.

You'll also spot Kumamon - a wide-eyed black bear with red cheeks - plastered all over town as the mascot of Kumamoto. One Piece fans will also get a kick out of spotting all ten statues of the infamous Straw Hat Pirates crew installed around the Kumamoto prefecture.

Yufuin

A picturesque hot spring town surrounded by mountains, Yufuin is a must-visit when you are in the Kyushu region. There's plenty to do here, so we recommend setting aside a full day to stroll about this fairytale-like locale.

Highlights of our day here include Comico Art Museum - where we got to view works by Yayoi Kusama, Takashi Murakami, Yoshitomo Nara and more - and Yufuin Floral Village, a unique shopping destination designed to look like a medieval English village.

Don't forget to pop by Lake Kinrin for a magnificent view of the surrounding mountains, and drop by one of the many ryokans or public baths for a relaxing soak.

Tip: if you're travelling to or from Hakata, definitely make a reservation on the Yufuin no Mori, a sightseeing train that runs between Hakata and Yufuin. From the scenic route to the special food and drinks available on board, this train ride is truly an unforgettable experience for travellers.

Kitakyushu

One of Kitakyushu's most popular attractions would be the Kawachi Wisteria Garden, which is only open to visitors during wisteria season (mid/late Apr - early May) and autumn colour season (mid-Nov - early Dec).

Nonetheless, if you're travelling there outside of these two seasons, there's still much to see in Kitakyushu. There's Kokura Castle and its adjacent garden, as well as Mt Sarakura. There, you can take the cable car up to its summit, where you'll be treated to panoramic views of the city. We recommend going at night - the night view is recognised as one of the New Three Major Night Views of Japan.

Save up to $300 off your Fukuoka trip

Before you pack your bags and go, here's how you can score exclusive deals and freebies for your holiday. Klook Travel Fest is back again for its fourth edition, with the theme Reclaim Your Joy. Entry is free, but you need to book your free entrance pass here.

Held this weekend (Oct 12-13) from 10am to 9pm at Plaza Singapura, you will enjoy exclusive onsite offers of up to $300 off, with an additional $120 off with perks from MariBank. There's also up to $100 off for Klook Gold Members, and an additional 10 per cent discount with no minimum spend for Pioneer and Merdeka Generation cardholders.

Pro-tip: make sure to time your visit with the flash deals happening at Klook Travel Fest 2024, including $80 off hotels and 1-for-1 deals for Universal Studios Japan, Hongkong Disneyland, and more!

Need more reason to head down? There will also be interactive zones where you'll get a chance to win car rental coupons, vouchers and promo codes.

Also, did you know that Klook is celebrating its tenth anniversary? To celebrate, the travel platform has launched a whole bunch of travel deals and rewards for its users, including free eSims and daily promo codes.

Users can also stand to win the experiences on their wishlist, and even exclusive Money Can't Buy Experiences (MCBE) - which are unique travel experiences such as a personalised samurai culture immersion in Tokyo, mushroom foraging adventure in the Swiss Alps, and sleeping underneath the stars in a Dubai desert oasis. Click here for more details.

sophie.hong@asiaone.com

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