I personally think 3-4 days is a good amount of time to explore Fukuoka. My 3-day Fukuoka itinerary includes two leisure days exploring Fukuoka itself, and a couple of additional day trips to nearby famous shrines/temples, islands, and onsen towns in the Kyushu region.
If you have only 1 day in Fukuoka, you can try some famous food, do some shopping, and see the top sights in the city only. Highlights for one day include the Ohori Park, Castle Ruins, Fukuoka Tower observation deck, Fukuoka City Museum, and Kushida Shrine. You can go shopping at the Canal City Hakata, Kawabata Arcade, and Tenjin Underground Mall. End your night at the Nakasu nightlife district.
If you have two days in Fukuoka, you can spend one day exploring Hakata – the eastern part of the city, and one day exploring Tenjin – the western part of the city. Another option for 2 days is to spend one day in the city and one day trip to nearby Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine and Nanzoin temple.
Generally, Fukuoka can be explored in 1 to 2 days, but it is a good base to explore many other interesting attractions in the Kyushu region. So, consider what you want to do and see, as well as how many day trips you’d like to take from Fukuoka, when planning the number of days you intend to spend.
Popular day trips from Fukuoka include the Nanzoin Temple, Dazaifu Shrine, Yanagawa for boat tours, Yufuin onsen town, Kurokawa Onsen, Mount Aso, Kumamoto Castle, Nagasaki, and Takachiho.
Here are my itinerary for 3 days in Fukuoka:
Day 1: Hakata and Nakasu, the eastern part of Fukuoka
You can spend one day exploring Hakata Ward, the eastern part of Fukuoka. Hakata is one of the most popular tourist areas in Fukuoka, along with Nakasu and Tenjin. It is a busy business district that is home to Hakata Station, numerous temples, shrines, delicious restaurants, and department stores.
Start your morning at the Tochoji Temple, one of the oldest temples in Japan located in the heart of Hakata district. It is usually open from 9am to 5 pm. There is no entrance fee, but it is 50 yen if you want to see the giant wooden Buddha. I think it is well worth it and a great place to visit while in Hakta.
Then you can walk to Kushida Shrine, a beautiful Shinto shrine that hosts the annual Hakata Gion Yamakasa festival every July. Kushida Shrine is easily reachable from Nakasu kawabata station or Gion stations. If you are still interested in shrines, you can take a look at the nearby Sumiyoshi Shrine.
For some shopping, Hakata Ward is home to the Canal City Hakata and Kawabata Shopping Arcade. Canal City Hakata is a huge shopping complex where you can find a Ramen Stadium on the fifth floor that serves all kinds of ramen and local Hakata Ramen.
Kawabata Shotengai, located close to Nakasu island, is one of the oldest shopping arcades in Fukuoka, packed with specialty shops and souvenir stores. I think it is a great place to browse for souvenirs.
For some views over the city, you can head to the Hakata Port Tower, close to the ferry terminal. It is free to enter, and it offers panoramic views of Fukuoka and the sea.
Nakasu is a small island located between Hakata and Tenjin. It is the entertainment hub of the city and of the largest red light districts in all of Japan after the one in Tokyo and Sapporo. This area is packed with bars, pubs, and yatai street-food stalls where you can try Hakata ramen, or chicken skewers yakitori.
Yatai street-food stalls can be found along Central Street and the Nakasu Yatai Yokocho along the riverside, close to Nakasukake Bridge and Seiryu park.
Day 2: Tenjin and Momochi Seaside area, the western part of Fukuoka
You can spend a full day exploring Tenjin district and the western section of Fukuoka. Start your day at Ohori Park and Maizuru Park where you can find the famous Fukuoka Castle ruins.
Ohori Park is a huge beautiful park in the middle of the city. It is a popular place for relaxing, walking, jogging, and taking a boat ride on the lake. The park is home to a large pond, a Japanese garden, and an art museum. It is especially beautiful during the cherry blossom season. The entrance fee is 200 yen.
Adjacent to Ohori Park is the Maizuru Park and Fukuoka Castle ruins. It is great for hanami cherry viewing from mid march to early April and for camellias viewing in October. You can walk up to the ruins to have a nice view of the city.
After exploring the park and castle, you can head to the Momochi Seaside area where you can visit several cultural attractions such as Fukuoka City Museum, Fukuoka Tower, and Nishi Park.
Fukuoka City Museum is a great place to learn about the history of Fukuoka and Hakata. It is open daily except Monday, from 9:30am to 5:30pm. It cost 200 yen to see the permanent exhibition.
Next, you can find the way to the modern Fukuoka Tower, home of an observation deck with stunning city views and ocean views. The tower is open everyday, 9:30 am–10 pm. The regular fee is 800 yen for adults. I think it is better to visit the towel before sunset and or at night.
Within the Momochi Seaside area, you can explore the TeamLab Forest Museum, a fun and kid-friendly area to visit. You can probably spend one or two hours exploring the museum. The ticket is 2200 yen, you can buy it both online and onsite, but I think online is a little cheaper.
Along the seaside area, you can visit Nishi Park, which is a beautiful and peaceful park located on the hill. Great place for flower viewing and enjoy some views from the ocean. While in the park, you can take a look at the Terumo shrine, which is dedicated to the Kuroda family, the feudal lords of Fukuoka.
Then, you can head to the downtown area in Tenjin to do some shopping, dining, and enjoy the nightlife. Tenjin Underground Shopping Mall is the largest underground shopping mall in Kyushu, packed with shops, cafes, and restaurants.
You can take a stroll around the trendy Daimyo area where you can find many clothing shops, eateries, bars, and karaoke centers. The Oyafuko Dori Street attracts lots of young people, and is a great place to enjoy the city’s nightlife with many bars, clubs, and ramen shops.
In addition to shopping, there are several parks and cultural attractions to take a look at in the Downtown area including the City Hall, Acros Fukuoka building, Central Park, Kego Park, and Kego Shrine.
Day 3: Day trips from Fukuoka
Fukuoka is a great base to explore the Kyushu region, so you can spend your day 3, day 4, day 5, or even day 6 to take day trips from Fukuoka. The city is home to Hakata station, which is a transportation hub of northern Kyushu.
Option 1: A day trip to Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine and Nanzoin Temple
Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine is a famous shinto shrine dedicated to the god of learning. It is located 30 mins from downtown Fukuoka. Due to its popularity, it can be crowded and expect long queues for food stalls. You can spend 1 to 2 hours exploring the highlights like Tenmangu Shrine and Kyushu National Museum.
In the afternoon, you can visit Nanzoin Temple, located within 20-25 minutes one way from Hakata Station in Downtown Fukuoka. The temple is famous for its bronze statue of a reclining Buddha, one of the biggest bronze statues in the world.
Option 2: A Day trip to Yutoku Inari Shrine
Yutoku Inari Shrine, situated in southern Saga Prefecture, is one of the most famous Inari shrines in Japan along with Fushimi Inari Shrine and Toyokawa Inari Shrine. It is the shrine dedicated for the Shinto deities of rice, prosperity and foxes.
It is a one hour express train from Hakata Station in Fukuoka to Hizen-Kashima station, from where you can take a taxi to Yutoku Inari Shrine (10 mins ride away).
Option 3: A day trip to Yanagawa
Yanagawa is a popular tourist destination on Kyushu island. It’s famous for its many canals, where you can take leisure boat tours, and try barbecued eel from many local unagi restaurants.
Yanagawa is only a 45 mins Nishitetsu train ride from Nishitetsu Fukuoka Station to Yanagawa Station, from where you can easily walk to the town center of Yanagawa.
Option 4: Takeo Onsen
Takeo Onsen is a fascinating onsen resort town and popular day trip from both Fukuoka and Nagasaki. It is where you can see the famous public bath house and Gosha Daimyo Jinja, which is the oldest shrine in Saga. It is easily accessible from Hakata Station on the JR express train to Takeo Onsen Station.
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That is my 3 days in Fukuoka itinerary. I think 3 days is a good amount of time to explore the city and take day trips to other places in Kyushu like Nanzoin, Dazaifu, or Yanagawa. You can try delicious local ramen, do some shopping in Tenjin, see some major attractions, and enjoy the nightlife in Nakasu.
So, how long are you planning to stay in Fukuoka? Do you think three days is enough? Which day trips do you want to take from Fukuoka? Feel free to comment down below. I would love to read it.