Beppu

One full day for the Hells circuit and one bathhouse. Two days lets you tour multiple districts (Kannawa, Myōban, Hamawaki) and have a sand-bath experience at Takegawara. Three days opens up Yufuin overnight (40 min away).

Yes — visitors view from designated boardwalks; no swimming. The water is 78-100°C. ¥2,200 combination ticket covers all eight Hells. Each takes 15-20 min; full circuit 3-4 hours.

Public sento (Hamawaki Onsen-yu, Takegawara Bathhouse — both ¥100-300), the new Beppu Hatto Onsen complex (¥300), or your ryokan. The Hells themselves are not for bathing.

The world's biggest hot-spring volume, the eight Jigoku Meguri Hells, the sand-bath ritual at Takegawara, and the steam-cooked jigoku-mushi cuisine. Plus the working-class onsen culture across eight districts.

Yes — the unique experience of being buried in volcanically-heated black sand for 10 minutes is worth the ¥1,500 fee. Strenuous (it's hot and heavy); not for those with heart conditions or claustrophobia.

Possible but tight (4 hours round-trip travel). Most travellers overnight to enjoy a ryokan dinner and morning onsen. Combining with Yufuin (40 min) makes a 2-day onsen weekend.

The mountain Myōban Onsen district with its thatched yunohana huts producing bath salts, the working-class Hamawaki Onsen-yu (¥100 public bath), and the panoramic baths at the Suginoi Hotel hilltop pool overlooking the bay.

Beyond the obvious draws, Takegawara Onsen, Mount Tsurumi, Beppu Rakutenchi, Ekimae Ichiba, Usuki Stone Buddhas reward travelers willing to step off the main route — local pace, fewer crowds, and a closer feel for the everyday rhythms of the region.