We'll be going to Fukuoka sometime late this year (possibly December, waiting for updated Autumn Foliage Forecasts) for 5D4N and plan to stay near Hakata Station. Me and my buddies come from a tropical country so we really want feel the autumn vibes during our stay.
While I've done my research, of course, we cannot realistically cram all of these amazing places during our stay. Our itinerary isn't finalized yet, but we will definitely reserve a full day for exploring Beppu, a half day for Daizaifu (I'm aware Kamado shrine is a really good autumn spot), and a half day for Yanagawa. That leaves two half days for the other autumn spots. The last day is for shopping around Tenjin/Hakata.
There will be three of us traveling and we're all quite fit (can handle 20-25k steps everyday). We're very used to starting very early and ending the day very late.
So anyway here are the spots I've been contemplating.
- Nomiyama Kannon-ji ( Can we get there via taxi from Sasaguri station?)
- Daikozen-ji (taxi from Kiyama station)
- The ones in the city center: Maizuru-Ohori Park, Yusentei Park, Momiji Hachimangu
- Raizan Sennyo-ji (unlikely, I think the travel time is not worth it)
- Akizuki Castle Town (also unlikely, not very accessible without a car)
Here's a sample plan I have for Nomiyama and Daikozen-ji. I didn't include all the specific time stamps but I did account for the travel times.
Nomiyama – Yanagawa
(7AM) Travel to Sasaguri Station -> Taxi to Nomiyama Kannon-ji -> Explore -> Back to Hakata Station for Lunch -> Travel to Yanagawa Canals -> River cruise, explore, eat unagi -> Return to Hakata Station
Dazaifu – Daikozen-ji
(7AM) Travel to Dazaifu -> Explore Tenmangu, Kamado Shrine, Komyozenji, eat lunch, drink coffee -> (2PM) Travel to Kiyama Station – > Taxi to Daikozen-ji -> Explore -> Back to Hakata Station
Would love to hear your thoughts on this, especially if you've been to Nomiyama Kannon-ji and Daikozen-ji. Would you say it's worth going to both of them and skipping the city spots (Maizuru park etc.)? Or are they not worth the travel time? Thanks guys.
by cyanogastra