Beppu 2 Day Itinerary: Resort Stay, Onsen & Hell Tour

A Beppu 2 day itinerary has one non-negotiable rule: book two nights, not one. One night gets you there, checked in, and maybe a bath — but the hell tour, the sand bath, the Kannawa walk, and a proper dinner at the hilltop resort each need time. Here's the concrete plan, with the ANA InterContinental Beppu Resort & Spa as your base and Day 2 devoted to the city.

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Of the 7 Beppu hells covered in the Day 2 circuit, 5 are clustered in Kannawa and 2 are in Shibaseki, with the combined adult entry ticket priced at ¥2,400 (checked July 2026).

Where to Base for This Itinerary

This itinerary is written for guests staying at the ANA InterContinental Beppu Resort & Spa. If you're basing at a station-front hotel instead, the order of activities is the same — you'll just spend more time on local buses. See our Beppu area guide for the full base comparison.

Why 2 Nights, Not 1

Night 1 is arrival. The airport bus from Oita Airport takes roughly 50 minutes, and by the time you're checked in it's late afternoon. You can use the onsen and have dinner at Atelier & Bar — but you're not doing anything in the city tonight.

Day 2 is the city day: the hell tour, Takegawara sand bath, and a Kannawa walk fill a full day if you start at 8 a.m. Night 2 is when the resort pays off — you return, use the infinity pool, and have a proper second dinner. Without Night 2 you're paying resort prices for one bath and breakfast.

Day 1: Arrival + Resort

Getting There

The Oita Airport Airliner bus (Oita Kotsu) runs to Beppu Kitahama and Beppu Station in approximately 50 minutes. Cost: ¥1,600 one way. Around six to seven buses run per day — check the timetable before you land, as missing one means a taxi of roughly ¥8,000–¥10,000.

From Fukuoka: the Limited Express Sonic from Hakata takes approximately 2 hours, departs roughly every 30 minutes, and is JR-Pass-eligible. Use this if your flight lands at Fukuoka Airport or you're already in Fukuoka — the metro from Fukuoka Airport to Hakata Station is one stop.

A helicopter charter from Oita Airport may be available — contact the hotel directly to arrange; specific pricing and operator details require confirmation at booking.

Afternoon and Evening: Check In, Onsen, Dinner

The ANA InterContinental Beppu opened in August 2019. It has 89 rooms, all overlooking Beppu Bay. Check-in is at 3 p.m. The infinity pool is heated to 27°C year-round with 12 sunloungers and a jacuzzi. The HARNN spa offers treatments — book in advance.

For dinner, book Atelier & Bar before you arrive. The all-day venue is divided into a main dining room, a counter-seat atelier, and a bar. The atelier runs a seasonal tasting course built around Oita produce. If you prefer sushi, Bungomae Musui at the resort offers counter-seat omakase. The resort's two communal onsen (women's and men's, rotating daily) each have outdoor baths with cedar shading. Note: onsen interiors are no-photography zones throughout Beppu — this is standard visitor etiquette, not just a resort rule.

Day 2: City Day

Leave bags at the front desk and take the shuttle or taxi to Beppu Station — about 10-15 minutes. Everything below is reachable by local bus or on foot.

Morning: Jigoku Meguri (Hell Tour)

The seven hells of Beppu — jigoku meguri — are observation-only hot springs. They are not for bathing. Temperatures reach approximately 99°C, and the springs are geological attractions: pools of vivid blue, red, and bubbling mud. Budget 2.5 to 3 hours to see all seven comfortably without rushing.

• Combined ticket: ¥2,400 for adults (¥1,200 for children). The ticket is valid for two days from purchase.
• Opening hours: 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. daily.
• Start point: Begin at either Umi Jigoku or Chinoike Jigoku to collect your combined ticket. Five of the seven hells are clustered in Kannawa; two (Chinoike and Tatsumaki) are about 3 km away in Shibaseki. Local buses run between both clusters.
• Tattoo policy at the hells: These are outdoor viewing attractions, not bathing facilities. No tattoo restrictions apply at any of the seven hell sites.

Individual entry per hell is also available if you only want to see a few. The combined ticket is the better value if you're doing the full circuit.

See our hell tour hotel guide for more on using Kannawa as a base.

Late Morning: Takegawara Onsen Sand Bath

Takegawara Onsen is a 10-min walk from Beppu Station toward the old town. Built in 1879, it's Beppu's oldest bathhouse and a designated Tangible Cultural Property. Reserve your sand bath slot in person when you first arrive — no phone or online bookings.

• Sand bath (suna-yu): ¥1,500. Hours: 8:00 a.m.–10:30 p.m. (last entry 9:30 p.m.). Closed the third Wednesday of each month.
• Regular onsen: ¥300. Hours: 6:30 a.m.–10:30 p.m.
• How it works: Change into a provided yukata, lie in a trough, and an attendant buries you in onsen-heated volcanic sand for roughly 15 minutes, then you rinse in the regular bath.
• Tattoo policy: Confirmed tattoo-friendly — no covering required. Staff assist foreign visitors with English explanations of the process.
• Bring: Cash. A small towel. Yukata is provided for the sand bath.

Lunch: Jigoku-Mushi in Kannawa

Jigoku-mushi is Kannawa's steam-cooking method: ingredients go into a bamboo steamer over a geothermal vent. Standard plates include eggs, sweet potato, and seasonal crab. Several restaurants and cook-it-yourself facilities in Kannawa offer this — it's a functional, good lunch.

Afternoon: Kannawa Walk

Kannawa is a compact neighbourhood where steam rises from road vents and small communal baths sit alongside houses. An hour covers most of it. Key etiquette if you use a communal bath:

• Wash at the shower station (araiba) before entering — non-negotiable.
• Full nudity required; swimsuits are not allowed.
• The Kannawa mushiyu (steam chamber) is confirmed tattoo-friendly. Sessions are 8-10 minutes, followed by a soak in the communal bath.
• Bring cash, a small towel, and a change of clothes. Soap may not be provided — check each facility.

More on communal baths and etiquette: our traditional onsen guide.

Evening: Return to the Resort

Catch a local bus from Kannawa back toward Beppu Station, then taxi or shuttle back up the hill to the resort. This is Night 2 — use the infinity pool before it closes (check current hours at check-in), and if you didn't do the atelier counter the previous evening, try it tonight. The bar at Atelier & Bar is also a reasonable end to the day.

Optional Extensions

Add Fukuoka: The Limited Express Sonic makes it easy to add Fukuoka to either end of this trip — approximately 2 hours from Hakata, trains every 30 minutes, JR-Pass-eligible. If your international flight lands at Fukuoka Airport, the metro to Hakata Station is one stop.

Practical Constraints

• Bus timetable: The Oita Airport Airliner runs six to seven times per day. Check the schedule against your flight — a missed connection means a taxi of roughly ¥8,000–¥10,000.
• No phones in bathing areas: Onsen interiors are no-photography zones at the resort, Takegawara, and communal baths throughout Beppu.
• Tattoo policy: Takegawara and Kannawa steam bath are confirmed tattoo-friendly. Always verify with individual facilities before visiting.
• Rates vary by season: The ANA InterContinental Beppu rate varies by season; peak periods are significantly higher. Reserve resort dinners well in advance.
• Cash: Takegawara and communal baths are cash-only. ATMs at convenience stores near Beppu Station.

Hotels for This Itinerary

Trip Essentials for Beppu

Things worth booking before you land, all in English:

• eSIM — Airalo's Japan eSIM: install it at home and data works as soon as you switch off airplane mode at Oita Airport. Comparing providers? See our Japan eSIM guide.
• Tickets and day trips — Klook covers Beppu hells tours and Kyushu rail passes; booking ahead skips the ticket-window line.

FAQ

Is 1 night enough in Beppu?

Not if you want to do the hell tour, a sand bath, and use the resort properly. One night means choosing between the city and the resort — you can't do both without rushing. Two nights is the functional minimum.

Can I do the jigoku meguri hell tour and Takegawara in the same day?

Yes, easily. Start at Umi Jigoku at 8 a.m., complete the Kannawa cluster by 10 a.m., take the bus to Chinoike/Tatsumaki (30 minutes), finish by 11:30 a.m., then head to Takegawara for a late-morning or midday sand bath. Reserve your Takegawara slot when you arrive in the morning.

Do I need a car in Beppu?

No. Local buses cover Kannawa, the hells, and the city well enough. The ANA InterContinental Beppu operates a shuttle to Beppu Station. A car is useful for day trips to Yufuin or Kurokawa Onsen, but not for the itinerary above.

Are the communal baths in Kannawa suitable for foreign visitors?

Yes. Several are confirmed tattoo-friendly, etiquette signage is increasingly available in English, and the core rules are simple: wash first, no swimwear, no cameras in the bathing area. Takegawara's staff actively help foreign visitors through the process.

When should I fly into Oita vs travel from Fukuoka?

Fly into Oita if you're coming from Tokyo or international destinations that connect there, and your primary destination is Beppu. Travel from Fukuoka if your international flight lands at Fukuoka Airport, you're doing a Kyushu rail trip, or you want to see Fukuoka first. The Sonic from Hakata is approximately 2 hours, is JR-Pass-eligible, and avoids the bus-timing constraints of the Oita Airport route.

Information audit: Last fact-checked July 2026 · Prices checked July 2026 (all rates are “from” floors that vary by season) · How this guide was researched: hotel facilities, prices and access details are verified against official and primary sources; we have not personally stayed at every property listed. The author has traveled in this area personally; original photographs on this site are from those trips · How this site verifies information: About NipponStays.