Beppu produces more hot-spring water than any other city in Japan — steam vents dot every block, giving the place an almost mythical look. The 7 Hells (Jigoku Meguri) have drawn visitors since the Meiji era, but there's more: a beach sand bath where staff bury you up to your chin, sulfur onsen in the hills at Myoban, and a 45-minute train ride to Yufuin that fits neatly into a single day.
#1 Umi Jigoku — Sea Hell · Umi Jigoku (Sea Hell)
The largest of Beppu's hells, its cobalt-blue water contrasting sharply against stone edges and lush greenery. The temperature hits 98°C — the pool formed after a volcanic eruption around 1,300 years ago. A free foot bath (ashiyu) sits at the edge for visitors to test the heat, and staff sell onsen tamago — eggs slow-cooked in the spring itself.
- Buy the 7-site Jigoku Meguri Pass — significantly cheaper than individual tickets
- Soak your feet in the free ashiyu before moving on
- Arrive before 9:00 AM for the thinnest crowds
#2 Chinoike Jigoku — Blood Pond Hell · Chinoike Jigoku (Blood Pond Hell)
Japan's oldest hell — over 1,300 years of recorded history. The deep red color comes from iron and magnesium in the hot clay beneath the surface, and the effect is genuinely unsettling. It's been designated a place of scenic beauty at the national level. There's a hot foot bath here too, and the site sells a skin cream made from the clay itself.
- This is in the Shibaseki zone — you'll need to travel separately from the Umi Jigoku cluster
- Pick up Chinoike clay cream as a distinctive souvenir
- Free foot bath is available at the pool's edge
#3 Kamado Jigoku — Cooking Pot Hell · Kamado Jigoku (Cooking Pot Hell)
The most hands-on of the hells, and the one international visitors tend to remember most. You can taste onsen water at a dedicated tasting station, soak your feet in five pools at different temperatures, let the steam open your pores, and pose with the red oni demon — the site's mascot and recurring face of Beppu tourism.
- Don't skip the onsen water tasting station inside the grounds
- Try the multi-temperature foot baths before you head out
- There's a large souvenir shop on-site if you want to stock up here
#4 Tatsumaki Jigoku — Tornado Hell / Geyser · Tatsumaki Jigoku (Tornado Hell / Geyser)
The only geyser in Beppu's hell circuit. Water erupts every 30 to 40 minutes and would reach 30 metres without the containment roof above it. Seating surrounds the pool so you can wait in comfort. The combination of the eruption sound and the blast of steam makes this one of the most memorable stops on the Jigoku Meguri — and it's covered by the combined pass.
- Ask staff when the last eruption was so you can estimate your wait time
- Sit on the closer side to feel the steam as the geyser blows
- Pair this with Chinoike Jigoku — both are in the Shibaseki zone
#5 Beppu Kaihin Sunaba — Beach Sand Bath · Beppu Kaihin Sunaba (Beach Sand Bath)
There's nothing quite like it: attendants bury you in sodium-chloride-rich sand — body fully under, face exposed — heated by geothermal spring water flowing beneath. About 15 minutes is enough to feel the warmth work through your whole body. The beachside setting makes this version more scenic than the indoor sand baths elsewhere in Beppu.
- Wear the yukata provided by the facility before entering the sand
- Tell staff if you're too hot — they'll mix in cooler sand
- A rinse shower after is recommended to wash off the mineral residue
#6 Myoban Onsen — Sulfur Baths & Yunohana · Myoban Onsen
Onsen in a hillside valley above Beppu, with a distinctly sulfurous smell and milky-white water known for softening skin. The highlight is the <em>yunohana-goya</em> — traditional thatched huts where mineral bath salts called <em>yunohana</em> are harvested by a method designated as an important national intangible folk cultural property. The seasonal flower garden on the grounds is worth a slow walk.
- Take home yunohana bath salts — it's one of the most authentic Japan-made souvenirs you'll find
- Try a milky-white onsen soak at one of the Myoban-area ryokan
- Cherry blossoms in spring and hydrangeas in early summer make the garden particularly good
#7 Takasakiyama — Wild Japanese Macaque Colony · Takasakiyama Natural Zoological Garden
A wildlife park on the slopes of 628-metre Mt. Takasaki with no fence between visitors and more than 1,200 Japanese macaques. The colony is split into two troops — B and C — that take turns descending to the feeding area. Troop C comes in the morning, Troop B in the afternoon. The park has been running since 1953 and remains one of Oita's most-visited family attractions.
- Don't make eye contact or show your teeth — both read as aggression to macaques
- Don't bring food into the grounds; the monkeys will take it
- Morning visit for Troop C, afternoon for Troop B
#8 Yufuin — Romantic Onsen Village · Yufuin Onsen
A traditional onsen village at the foot of Mt. Yufu — walkable, unhurried, and a sharp contrast to Beppu's geyser-and-crowds energy. The Yufuin Floral Village shopping street is lined with craft shops, cafes and art galleries. The main draw is Lake Kinrinko (<em>Kinrin-ko</em>), where onsen water creates a mist that drifts over the surface at dawn. The torii gate standing in the lake has become the symbol of the town.
- Leave Beppu early — most Yufuin shops close by 5:00–6:00 PM
- Check the JR Yufuin no Mori scenic train from Hakata or Oita
- Book a ryokan months ahead for holiday weekends
Where to stay in Beppu for this trip
A well-located hotel means less commuting and more sightseeing. Here are real, top-rated stays in Beppu — compare Agoda · Booking · Trip.com in one click.
Yufuin Sansou Murata (Sanso Murata)
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ANA InterContinental Beppu Resort & Spa
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Hoshino Resorts KAI Beppu
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Kannawaen (Traditional Ryokan)
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Tours, tickets & activities in Beppu
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Before You Pack
Beppu suits every kind of traveler — families watching Japanese macaques roam free on a forested hillside, couples soaking in a private ryokan pool at Myoban, solo visitors ticking off all 7 hells in a single morning. Few cities in Japan guarantee experiences this distinct.