A Three Day Itinerary For Fukuoka, Japan

Looking to go to Fukuoka, Japan for a long weekend? Just you wait for all of these amazing sights and tastes! Fukuoka is a popular weekend getaway from South Korea and the surrounding countries. For foreigners working in Korea, Fukuoka has the closest Korean Embassy should they need to do a visa run and you can even travel to Fukuoka via ferry from Busan easily.

But, it’s not just for visa runs. Fukuoka, Japan has a lot of great things to see and delicious food to eat. With three days being a normal turn around rate for a visa, here is how to spend three days in Fukuoka, Japan. Your three day itinerary for Fukuoka, Japan awaits… down below.

Get ready for a weekend away in Fukuoka, Japan:

What to know about Fukuoka
How to get around Fukuoka
Where to stay in Fukuoka
What to do in Fukuoka
Walking tours in Fukuoka
Daytrips from Fukuoka
Fukuoka, Japan: 3 Day Itinerary
Day 1: Walking Tour and Yatai Eating
Day 2: Daytrip from Fukuoka and an onsen
Day 3: Castles, shopping, and eating

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What to know about Fukuoka

Fukuoka is the largest city in Kyushu and is one of the most populated cities in Japan, though it doesn’t feel like that at all as you can easily walk the streets and see a ton. Fukuoka, Japan today is actually two cities that joined in 1889; the port city of Hakata and the castle town of Fukuoka. Today, Hakata is the name of a central district in the city and the main railway station which you will no doubt visit at some point during your visit.

The city has a rich history, delicious food as we found out, and the people were very kind. For centuries, Fukuoka was a vital port city which made it a significant cultural and economic center during the Edo Period in Japanese history. When you head there today though, you’ll find that it is popular for beautiful parks, beaches, hot springs and tonkatsu ramen. Yum!

How to get around Fukuoka

Fukuoka is a pretty easy city to navigate, which is a good thing because transportation is not cheap. You will need to get transportation from the airport into the city though so book a transfer service to make it easier from the get go. Even if you do get lost, the people are lovely and helpful. If they can’t speak English they just smile and, in my experience, go out of their way to get me to someone that can help me. For the rest of the time in the city, you can really get around on your feet! Just get a map and get ready to go.

How to get from Fukuoka International Airport to the city center

You can choose from a taxi, bus, or subway. The subway takes about 15 minutes to get downtown while the bus takes about 30 minutes. If you have a lot of luggage, you might opt for the taxi route to get directly to your hotel.

How to get around Fukuoka

The subway is the most convenient way to get back and forth and all around. There are three lines that make up the subway system and cover the major areas of the city, including the shopping district of Tenjin and the historic areas of Hakata. Of course, for much of the time, you might just hit the pavement with your shoes and walk it like we did.

Where to stay in Fukuoka

Candeo Hotels Fukuoka Tenjin

If you’re headed to Fukuoka, make sure you know where to stay. One great option is the Candeo Hotels Fukuoka Tenjin. Near Tenjin Minami Subway Station, the location is easy to get to and find and the comfort is on point not to mention you can swim a bit if you want to rest and relax while you’re in the city.

You can book a room at Candeo Hotels Fukuoka Tenjin easily on Booking.com or on Agoda.com

Hotel Marinoa Resort

Another option if you’re looking to stay closer to the water is Hotel Marinoa Resort. The ocean view rooms are gorgeous and spacious and will leave anyone feeling great. The fresh air is just the thing for someone looking to get away and enjoy a weekend or a week in Fukuoka, Japan.

You can book a room at Hotel Marinoa Resort on Booking.com or on Agoda.com.

What to do in Fukuoka

There are some really cool things to do in Fukuoka. Definitely get out and about, but join a class or an event to really get to understand the culture a bit more. I have been to Fukuoka, Japan twice, once for a visa run from Seoul, Korea, and another trip just for fun. There’s plenty to do for a weekend in Fukuoka.

EZO Fukuoka Teamlab Forest Exhibition: If you’ve never visited a Teamlab experience, definitely go! Teamlab creates amazing immersive art experiences with light and mirrors.
- Buy your tickets online on Klook
Rent a Kimono: If you’ve ever wondered what it was like to wear a Kimono, now’s your chance. Take a boat ride, take some photos, and you’ll have some beautiful memories of your trip.
- You can book this experience on Klook
Fukuoka HAWKS Baseball Game: If you can catch a baseball game in Japan, definitely do it. It’s super fun. The Fukuoka team is a popular team in Japan and you can see them in PayPay Dome.
- Book your seats on Klook
Yanagawa River Cruise: See the views from a different vantage point. The area is considered the “Venice of Japan” and you can see why when you get there.
- Book a ride on Klook

Walking tours in Fukuoka

There are some great walking tours available in Fukuoka. We wandered and wandered, but signing up for a tour would be a good idea to get more information in the moment. With a knowledgeable guide, you’ll be able to learn and see a lot more in a shorter amount of time than just wandering. It depends what kind of traveler you are.

The Ultimate Fukuoka Sunrise to Sunset Tour: If you’re looking to see a lot, but maybe aren’t great at reading maps or want to learn more along the way, definitely look into getting a guide to take your group around. I love learning about the places I’m visiting and usually hire a guide for at least a portion of the time to get more out of our trips. We have Japanese friends that live in Fukuoka so didn’t need to hire a guide this time, but I always recommend a guide if you have the funds. It’s totally worth it in my experience.
- You can book a guide on Klook
Hakata Alleyway Tour: If you want to learn more about the historic area of Fukuoka specifically, join this walking tour of the Hakata area and learn about the Meiji period while seeing the first Zen temple in Japan. It’s three hours and will give you a great basis of knowledge for the rest of your time in the city.
- You can book this tour on Klook

Daytrips from Fukuoka

There are some great daytrips from Fukuoka that you can plan if you don’t want to spend all of your time in one place. We decided that Dazaifu was a great day trip option for us, but there are some other great day trip options. Check them out to see what works in the season you’re hoping to visit.

Dazaifu Shrine, Yufuin, and Beppu Onsen: We opted to visit Dazaifu on our last trip to Fukuoka. Considered to be the most important of the Tenmangu shrines in the country, walk by the plum trees and offer prayers for good fortune. It’s a beautiful area.
- Book this daytrip on Klook
Yamaguchi Tsunoshima Bridge, Karata Market, and Motonosumi Inari Shrine: Visit what is regarded as a “power spot” by locals, dine on seafood and sushi, and cross an epic bridge often shown on TV.
- Book this daytrip on Klook
Miyazaki: Visit Kamishikimi Kumanoimasu Shrine, the setting for several popular comics, and see the unspoiled natural surroundings of the area. Admire ancient buildings and learn about the mythical shrines in the area.
- Book this daytrip on Klook

Fukuoka, Japan: 3 Day Itinerary

Day 1: Walking Tour and Yatai Eating

Tochoji Temple

Set up by Monk Kobo-daishi after his return from China in 806, it is one of the oldest temples in Japan that Monk Kobo-daishi set up and is the head temple of Shingon Buddhism Kyushu. It contains the largest wooden seated Buddha statue in Japan, completed in 1992. It became a temple of the Kuroda family and so now has a small cemetery for the family members on the land. There is also an impressive brightly colored five story pagoda that was my favorite part.

Address: 2-4 Gokushomachi, Hakata Ward, Fukuoka, 812-0037, Japan
Hours: Every day: 9:00am ~ 4:45pm

Kenzo Cafe

After Tochoji Temple, we followed the green subway line on our map a ways and branched off onto a side street to find some food. We happened upon a small ramen restaurant named Kenzo Cafe that struck our fancy with everything adorning the outside and stepped in to try our fate. Kenzo cafe was originally a yatai, or food cart, and had all of the aesthetics.

After it was determined that the chef didn’t speak English, Jae-oo said “tonkatsu ramen”, since that’s a Fukuoka specialty, and that’s what we got along with a fried noodle dish called yaki ramen as well. It filled us right up and we got on our way again.

Address: 2-16 Kamikawabatamachi, Hakata Ward, Fukuoka, 812-0026, Japan
Hours: Monday – Saturday: 11:30am ~ 1:30pm and 6:00pm ~ 10:30pm Sunday: 11:30am ~ 1:30pm

Kushida Shrine

Just a few steps away were the entrances to the Canal City shopping complex as well as the Kamikawabata Shopping Avenue and the Kushida Shrine. The shrine which is said to have been founded in 757. The open mouthed face beckoned us to enter and that’s just what we did. This face is the Goddess Ameterasu and she adorns this doorway around New Years each year. If you want to join a walking tour to learn a bit more about the area.

Address: 1-41 Kamikawabatamachi, Hakata Ward, Fukuoka, 812-0026, Japan
Hours: Every day: 9:00am ~ 5:00pm

Kamikawabata Shopping Center & Canal City

We weren’t really interested in shopping on this trip, but since it was in every tourist article I read, we decided to walk around Canal City for a bit. If you go, you will no doubt buy something. We didn’t go intending to buy much but ended up with postcards, stamps, a wooden phone case and some Lego-like building boxes.

Address: 6-135 Kamikawabatamachi, Hakata Ward, Fukuoka, 812-0026, Japan

Yatai Street

We took a little rest, washed up and then headed back out to find the yatai street in the Nakasu area. These guys bring their food carts out at dusk and set up for a night of good food and conversation. All of the vendors had a guy outside yelling in any language he thought customers walking by spoke trying to get people in. We weren’t sure how you tell what makes a good yatai tent or not, but we ended up in a great one if my taste buds are any good.

The food was very “oishii”, or delicious. Of course the whole menu was in Japanese and I knew I didn’t want ramen again because we’d just had it for lunch so we set about trying to have a conversation with the cook. He couldn’t speak all that much English or Korean, but he seemed like he was having fun trying and we were having fun with the little Japanese that we knew. After he understood that we didn’t want ramen, he motioned toward some skewers. We thought that would be a good start. We got a bottle of Asahi and a plate of skewered mushrooms, pork, chicken, and some other goodies on a bed of cabbage.

We took our time savoring the delicious skewers and the crisp Asahi and watched as the cook went from person to person or couple to couple keeping people actively present in the situation. When he’d come back to us and tried his English again, “Taylor Swift” was all he could say.

I tried to explain that Adele is much better in my opinion, but he didn’t get it. I could tell by the way another customer on the other end was watching that he could understand me and as I’d read that when in a yatai we should be conversational and open with other patrons, I struck up a conversation with him. He was from Tokyo and was enjoying a trip around Japan on a break.

In the midst of our conversation with him we ordered a plate of roe stuffed chicken to follow up the skewers. It was my first experience with such a dish and it was just delightful. I came back home and immediately surfed the web for a good recipe to try and make this myself, it was so good.

Jae-oo and I stayed through a number of couples coming and going before we packed it in for the night. We ended the night with a rather hefty bill, though everything in Japan seems pricier than Korea. The food was so good and our experience with the cook and the other patrons was fun and interesting, so we felt the money was well spent. The first day was done and we’d walked all around for the majority of it, talked with a few people, most of whom couldn’t speak English or Korean but smiled the whole way through it, and enjoyed a taste of the city. Success.

Address: Japan, 〒810-0801 Fukuoka, Hakata Ward, Nakasu, 8, 那珂川通り
Hours: Every day: 6:00pm ~ Midnight

Day 2: Daytrip from Fukuoka and an onsen

Tenjin Station

After breakfast we headed out to Tenjin Station to catch a train to Dazaifu. Dazaifu is the only place we were planning on using the train to get to. As I mentioned before, transportation is expensive not to mention how confusing the station itself is. We took our time looking at the subway map on the wall to ensure that we got the right ticket and plugged it into the machine, which thankfully had English.

Upon entering the gate, however, there were no English signs and we weren’t really sure what platform to head toward of the four there. Luckily, a woman was walking by who spoke some English and she directed us toward the proper platform.

The proper platform however seemed to have three different kinds of trains that came and left. There was the normal train that stopped at every station, the semi-fast train that skipped every other stop and then the express which went well, expressly. Jae-oo set about trying to figure out the time table on the wall, while I decided it’d be more pertinent to just ask other people standing around. We waited as a train came and left and as another one came and stopped.

We weren’t sure if it went to Dazaifu, but when listening to the Japanese announcement I was sure I heard Dazaifu so we hopped on. The doors didn’t shut for some time and when the English announcement finally came over the speakers it confirmed this was the proper train. While we were able to figure everything out, I would recommend going with a tour because I think there’s more to see out that way but we didn’t really want to go gallivanting around and get lost. Klook has a great tour out to Daizaifu Tenmangu Shrine and then continues on to explore the towns of Yufuin and Beppu.

We had to transfer once at Nishitetsu Futsukaichi Station, but luckily at the transfer point there were signs indicating in English where we should go to get to the Dazaifu train.

I asked a woman just to confirm we were in the right place and just at that moment a subway attendant walking by jumped into the conversation to help out and directed us to another platform. We got on the correct train and went the one stop to Dazaifu. Out of the Dazaifu Station everyone seemed to be heading the same direction, so we followed the crowd up a main street lined with restaurants and souvenir shops under stone gates to Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine.

Dazaifu Tenmangu

Dazaifu Tenmangu is a shrine built on the grave of Michizane Sugawara. Michizane was born in Kyoto in 845 to a scholarly family with a long tradition of loyal service to the Emperor. He also grew up to serve the Emperor as a trusted Minster of the Right, but fell into disfavor due to slander from his rivals and was exiled to Dazaifu.

From Dazaifu he continued his studies and died rather unhappily a few years later. For two years following his death the city of Kyoto was plagued by disasters and the government took this to mean that Michizane was unhappy and punishing them. The government nullified his demotion and named him God of Scholarly of Achievement.

To get to the shrine, we first walked over the Taikobashi Bridge which spans the Shinji Pond. The bridge is made up of three parts, the arch representing the past, the flat part representing the present and the second arch representing the future coming from a Buddhism concept that only one thought should be held at any one time.

Address: 4 Chome-7-1 Saifu, Dazaifu, Fukuoka 818-0117, Japan
Hours: Every day: 6:00am ~ 7:30pm

Dazaifu Main Hall

After crossing the pond that is in the shape of the Japanese character for “heart”, there is an archway and gate that opens up to Honden, the main shrine. Two years after the death of Michizane, his follower Yasuyuke Umasake built a shrine for him. In 919, a larger structure was constructed by the Fujiwara family but was burnt down during a civil war.

The shrine that now stands here was built in 1591 and because it represents the God of Literature and Scholarly Pursuits, students from all over come to pray for help on their exams. This day was no exception. There were buses of students in uniforms walking up and down the path to the shrine all around us. There was even a group of kindergarten students.

As I sat taking a break on a bench the group stopped in front of me and I heard about fifty hellos, one from each child down the line, which I responded to with a hello to each one politely. Subsequently, when they left I heard fifty goodbyes I also felt I should respond to. It was amusing and interesting at the same time because we really hadn’t met that many people that were comfortable speaking English here, but these little ones were all over it.

We took our time enjoying the scenery after that, especially the plum tree blossoms that were just beginning to bloom. Spring seems to be coming to Japan while it’s still below freezing in Seoul. While we meandered in the courtyard in front of the main hall Jae-oo snapped a photo of me in front of a tree beginning to blossom on the right side of the courtyard.

Today, when I was reading more about Dazaifu I came upon an interesting anecdote regarding this tree. Known as the legendary tobiume, or the flying plum tree, according to the legend it flew from Kyoto to Dazaifu to be with Michizane in exile. Michizane was fond of plum trees and wrote poems about them starting when he was only five years old. They say that this tree is the first to bloom every year and is quickly followed by the other 6000 trees on the grounds. Many of them certainly seemed to be following suit.

Lunch Near Dazaifu

The city around the shrine was very quiet so after a quick walk and a bite to eat at a local vendor’s stall, we decided to get back on the train to head back to Tenjin. Again we had to buy a ticket and once we entered the gate there was an attendant that I asked for direction. I think I’m more adept at understanding hand motions than Jae-oo is because I immediately understand her point and wave to mean that the train just ahead of us was the one we wanted and it was about to leave so I set off running. Jae-oo caught up beside me asking quickly if I was sure this was the train and I said that’s what she said and we jumped on just before the train shut its doors and departed.

The train conductors here still step off the train to check down the platform to make sure people are on and blow their whistles when they are about to take off. Thankfully, the conductor saw us and I like to think waited that extra 30 seconds for us to get there as we ran. We made it back to Tenjin, got a bowl of ramen, because you can’t have too much in Japan, and headed to a nearby manga shop so Jae-oo could look around. I’m into the historical and outside adventures, whereas he’s more interested in music, games and anime.

Onsen Time

After a day out and about trying to figure out trains and more, it was time to visit a Japanese onsen. Having come from Korea where saunas and Korean bath houses are a must experience, we were very interested in partaking in a dip here. Manyo No Yu is a recommended onsen in Fukuoka with natural pools filled with high-quality mineral-rich waters. Similar to Korea, it’s also open all night so you can really fit it in anywhere in your schedule. They even have a breakfast buffet for people that do stay all night. Do with that information what you will.

You can pre-purchase entrance tickets for Manyo No Yu online. You can usually get a discount if you do this. Tickets are available on Klook.

Kyotani Sushi

After washing up, we walked down the same street as the night before from Tenjin-Minami Station toward Canal City to see what restaurants looked tasty. Most of them looked tasty, but we noted time and time again that when we peered into each place there seemed to be a lot of people eating alone in each eatery. You don’t see that too often in Korea. Koreans eat with people and eating alone, unless it’s in a Kimbob Restaurant, is quite strange after living there for so long.

We walked up the street taking in all of the choices and then back down. There was everything from octopus and crab to lobster and sushi rolls. We went back to one of the first places we saw that had the only group of people we saw. Unlike Korean style sushi, the soy sauce was a bit sweeter and they didn’t put wasabi in the sauce. I wondered why until I tasted the sushi. There enough wasabi on there already. We savored each bite with some saki and left to find some place a little more lively.

We headed back to the Nakasu yatai strip to see if our friends from the night before were there again. Unfortunately, the yatai hut we’d stopped into just one night before wasn’t there so we walked toward the Tenjin yatai street to see if maybe he was there. He wasn’t but we did find yet another great yatai hut. The Tenjin strip didn’t have as many choices as the Nakasu strip, but the guy trying to get us in convinced us. I was skeptical because the place looked full but he went in and got people to move around to make room.

As soon as we sat down people on all sides were talking to us and asking questions, though only the woman to my right and the cook could speak some English. At first I thought everyone inside knew each other because they were talking across the tent so much, but soon realized it was just different couples and the cook was doing a great job of making it one big friendly conversation. The cook that ran this yatai had Korean grandparents too and was having a lot of fun speaking Korean with us, which the other patrons seemed to enjoy as well. The food wasn’t nearly as chic as the Nakasu yatai tent we’d been in, but this one was also cheaper. The night before we’d been surrounded by other tourists, but tonight these were all Japanese locals, which was a different atmosphere all together.

We ended the night laughing and talking with them ready to meet our friends the next day.

Day 3: Castles, shopping, and eating

It was our last whole day in Fukuoka and the weather was getting pretty strange outside. We awoke to some light flurries, which isn’t all that surprising for February, except that the last two days had been sunny with a welcoming of spring sort of attitude. By the time we’d gotten dressed and walked outside, the wind had picked up and the flurries were sticking to our clothes.

Underground Shopping Arcade

Instead of walking above ground, we opted to walk through the Underground Shopping Arcade which stretches from Tenjin Minami Station to a block past Tenjin Station. It is 590 meters of fashionable clothing shops, diners and cafes that also connects to all of the department stores above ground.

You could spend a whole day in stores going from department store to department store without ever going outside to get to one if you wanted to. We weren’t really looking to shop, but it was warmer than outside and a good place to get a scope on Japanese fashion. We found a diner at the end near Tenjin Station for some simple sandwiches and coffee for breakfast and plotted our next move.

Fukuoka Castle Ruins

I wanted to head toward the Fukuoka Castle ruins and Jae-oo wanted to hit up some manga shops. We decided to walk down Meiji-dori Avenue from Tenjin to the castle ruins and see if we couldn’t find some good manga shops along the way.

We got really lucky with a huge store with everything from old vintage comic books and toys to the newer games and figurines as well. It was half way to the ruins and that was lucky because the weather wasn’t letting up one bit. This just goes to show how going off plan and keeping your eyes peeled can provide some great stops along the way. I really don’t know much about any of the characters, but had fun looking at some of the vintage stuff while Jae-oo had his own fun in the place.

By the time we left, the snow had let up, but the temperature had dropped significantly. We made it to the ruins, which weren’t all that spectacular to see, but along with us meandering around the paths were a group of about ten photographers getting those first blossoms of the season on film. I think a couple weeks from now would have been beautiful up there, but as it was it was a nice walk and break from the city streets.

There is a substantial park known as Ohori Park and pond to walk around and enjoy as well and we did catch sight of some beautiful early spring blooms. Since it’s so close to Fukuoka Castle it’s not to be missed but it’s also one of the area’s top tourist sites as it is said to be one of the most beautiful water parks in Japan. After having a good shiver, we went back to the hotel to get in a rest before meeting our friends for dinner.

Address: 1 Jonai, Chuo Ward, Fukuoka, 810-0043, Japan
Hours: Every day: 9:00am ~ 5:00pm

Noh Theatre

We had initially planned to stay outside and would have gone to the beach for a bit as it had been warm enough for that the first two days we were in Fukuoka. But as the weather had shifted, we looked for something to do indoors. Noh is a theater performance that has been handed down for more than 650 years and if you visit, you can learn, watch a performance and even get in on the act yourself by trying on the costumes and masks as you follow the demonstrations of the artists and Master Morimoto. It’s a great learning opportunity.

You can pre-book this experience and choose a time. They have various times available throughout the day and into the evening so it can suit many itineraries as well. Book this experience on Klook.

Motsunabe Yamanaka

For our final meal in Japan, Jae-oo wanted to try motsunabe, a soup made from beef innards. I have had the Korean version and am not a big fan, though I’ve also eaten it grilled in Korea and that was better than I expected. One just never knows with guts and innards. That being said, I had no idea what to expect with this soup, and I was so delightfully surprised. Our friends took us to a pretty popular place called Motsunabe Yamanaka. This is one of the best restaurants in the area to try this delectable Japanese cuisine and it would be wise to make a reservation.

There were three options, the milder option with a soy sauce broth base up to the strongest with a miso broth base. Our friends got two orders of the mildest to introduce us to the dish. The beef offal, cabbage and tofu boiled away in the middle of the table and once it was ready, it went from the communal pot to our individual bowls that had soy sauce mixture. It was absolutely delicious.

Next up was the miso sauce version. There was no sauce on the side, this cloudier version boiled away in front of us while we enjoyed the edamame and other side dishes, one of which had this amazing sour sauce concoction that I couldn’t get over. Our friends bought us some of the sauce to take back with us afterward. The miso version was definitely stronger and with a completely different taste but no less delicious. The dinner was a complete success and made me wonder what other dishes we had missed along the way without our Japanese friends to point them out to us.

Address: 2 Chome-2-12 Mukaino, Minami Ward, Fukuoka, 815-0035, Japan
Hours: Monday, Wednesday, Thursday: 4:00pm ~ 10:00pm; Friday: 4:00pm ~ 11:00pm; Saturday & Sunday: 12:00pm ~ 2:00pm, 4:00pm ~ 10:00pm

Grocery Store Stop

Last on our list was to stop at a grocery store with our friends and get the goods to take home with us. Shopping in any country is fun, but Japanese markets have some great things to explore. We stocked up and it was worth it!