Where to Stay in Beppu & Yufuin: Choosing the Right Area

From Beppu Station down to Kitahama by the sea, hotels, ryokan inns, old-fashioned shopping streets and public baths are packed together. Limited express trains, airport buses and local buses all stop here, making it a base for the Hells of Beppu tour and trips toward Yufuin.

Best for

• ✓First trips to Beppu
• ✓Traveling by train or bus
• ✓Dining and bar hopping in the evening

Keep in mind

Getting to Kannawa, where the Hells of Beppu are, means taking a bus.

Nearest stations

🚉 JR Beppu Station

A hot spring area where steam rises from all over town, and you can try jigoku-mushi, cooking food in hot spring steam. The Hells of Beppu are nearby, and there are ryokan inns and kashima rental-room lodgings that keep the feel of a traditional toji healing retreat.

Best for

• ✓Soaking up a classic hot spring town atmosphere
• ✓Family trips centered on the Hells of Beppu
• ✓Hopping between hot springs

Keep in mind

There is no railway station, so you will need to take a bus from Beppu Station.

Nearest stations

🚉 Kannawa bus stop (Kamenoi Bus; nearest railway station is JR Beppu Station)

A hot spring town spread out at the foot of Mt. Yufu, where you can walk between the shops of Yunotsubo Kaido and Lake Kinrin. Calm lodgings, including ryokan with private detached rooms, are scattered among the fields.

Best for

• ✓Relaxing at a quiet hot spring inn
• ✓Riding the Yufuin no Mori sightseeing train
• ✓Couples

Keep in mind

Yunotsubo Kaido gets crowded during the day, so mornings and evenings are best for strolling.

Nearest stations

🚉 JR Yufuin Station

The center of Oita city, with a station building and hotels clustered together. You can reach Beppu and Yufuin by train, and Umitamago aquarium and Mt. Takasaki by bus. It also works as a base when hot spring town lodgings are hard to book.

Best for

• ✓Touring the prefecture by train
• ✓Traveling light with a business hotel stay
• ✓Sightseeing in Oita city as well

Keep in mind

To enjoy the atmosphere of a hot spring town, you will need to travel to Beppu or Yufuin.

Nearest stations

🚉 JR Oita Station