Beppu Hells (Jigoku Meguri) 2 Days 1 Night Itinerary: The Ultimate Hot Spring “Steam City” Guide

Cody Tse
Dec 21, 2025
5 min read

My first impression of Beppu was not comfort, but presence. Shortly after arrival, a faint sulfur smell followed me, while white steam rose from street corners, walls, and rooftops, as if the city were constantly exhaling.

Beppu felt “unhealthy”—not in a negative sense, but like a body with a persistent low-grade fever, continuously steaming, always in motion.

For a 2-day, 1-night trip to Beppu, most travelers try to cram all seven hells into one day. After walking the route myself, I’m confident that splitting it across two days is far more comfortable.

On Day 1, I focused on the Kannawa hells, then went to Yunomori Observatory in the afternoon to see the entire city releasing steam. In the evening, I visited the Beppu Global Tower, followed by a walk around the Beppu Tower area and Takegawara Alley / Takegawara Onsen.On Day 2, I used Shiraike Jigoku as a buffer to start at a slower pace, then finished the Shibaseki area with Blood Pond Hell and Tornado Hell. As I was on a working holiday in Japan at the time, I returned to my main base after completing the route.

Read Before You Go: Pass Purchase, Validity, and Opening Hours

Where to buy the Jigoku Meguri PassI didn’t buy tickets online or queue at the station. The pass is sold at the entrance of any hell—I purchased mine at Umi Jigoku, which was the fastest option.

Validity (why it suits a 2D1N trip)The pass is valid for two days (day of purchase plus the following day), with one entry per hell, making it ideal for spreading the route without rushing.

Opening hoursAll seven hells share the same schedule: 08:00–17:00, open year-round. I therefore kept evenings free for towers and city walks, creating a more balanced pace.

Beppu Jigoku Meguri (Beppu Hells) Ticket Prices (From Feb 1, 2025)

Ticket Type	Details	Price
Single Hell Ticket	Entry to any one Jigoku	Adult ¥500 Elementary & Junior High Students ¥250
Jigoku Meguri Pass (7 Hells Pass)	One entry to each of the 7 Hells Valid for two days (day of purchase + following day)	Adults (High School & above) ¥2,400 Elementary & Junior High Students ¥1,200

My break-even logic is straightforward: a single admission costs ¥500 for adults, so visiting five hells totals ¥2,500—already more than the ¥2,400 all-access pass. If you plan to visit five or more, the pass is essentially a no-brainer.

Other Key Spots I Actually Used

Spot	Opening Hours	Fee
Yunomori Observatory (Yunomori Tenbodai)	08:00–21:00 Weekends & Holidays: illumination 19:00–21:00	Free
Beppu Global Tower (B-Con Plaza)	Mar–Nov: 09:00–21:00 Dec–Feb: 09:00–19:00	Adult ¥300 Child ¥200

My Actual 2 Days 1 Night Route (Beppu)

Day 1｜Kannawa “Hell Area” + Afternoon Viewpoint + Night Tower & City Walk

Umi Jigoku → Oniishi Bozu Jigoku → Kamado Jigoku → Oniyama Jigoku →Yunomori Observatory (afternoon / before sunset) → Beppu Global Tower (night) →Around Beppu Tower → Takegawara Alley / Takegawara Onsen

Day 2｜Shiraike as a Buffer + Shibaseki Finish

Shiraike Jigoku → Blood Pond Hell (Chinoike Jigoku) → Tornado Hell (Tatsumaki Jigoku) →End of trip (return to my working-holiday main base)

Day 1 | Kannawa Hell Area: Entering Beppu with the First Breath of Sulfur

Umi Jigoku: Cobalt-blue water and heat that pushes back

Umi Jigoku is the best starting point: it’s the largest, most informative, and the easiest place to buy the all-access pass. The water is a vivid cobalt blue—visually cool, almost misleading—until you step closer. The heat is immediate and forceful, as if the steam were pushing the air back. At around 98°C, the clearer the water looks, the stronger the contrast feels.

Here, I did two practical things: bought the Jigoku Meguri Pass at the entrance, and picked up Gokuraku manju and onsen pudding. Neither is unforgettable, but on a walking-heavy route, they help stabilize energy and mood.

Oniishi Bozu Jigoku: Humor at first glance

Right next to Umi Jigoku, this stop requires almost no detour. Gray mud bubbles up in round domes that resemble shaved monk heads. It doesn’t demand much time, but it leaves a clear visual impression—ideal for resetting the pace.

Kamado Jigoku: The best value in the circuit

Kamado Jigoku works like a condensed sampler of hot spring forms: pools of different colors, steam demonstrations, and small interactive elements all in one place. For time and variety, it offers the highest return in the entire route. I also ate onsen eggs and onsen corn here—not standout food, but practical fuel: calories, salt, and texture when you need them.

Oniyama Jigoku (Crocodile Hell): Awkward, but memorable

This hell uses geothermal heat to raise crocodiles. Most barely move, clustered together, creating an oddly cold atmosphere. At the time it felt absurd—even uncomfortable—but afterward I realized why it stayed with me: it doesn’t try to please, and that makes it hard to forget.

Afternoon / Before Dusk | Yunomori Observatory: Understanding Beppu Itself

I reached Yunomori Observatory in the late afternoon. From above, steam rises not in points but in sheets—from homes, slopes, alleys, and neighborhoods at different elevations. That’s when the city finally made sense to me. Beppu’s hot springs aren’t hidden underground; they’re embedded in daily life, giving the city the feel of a constant low-grade fever.

If the hells explain the attractions, Yunomori explains Beppu.

Evening | Global Tower → Beppu Tower Area → Takegawara Alley / Onsen

After sunset, I went up Beppu Global Tower. From above, the coastline, slopes, and city layout become readable, turning the day’s sulfur smell and steam into a map that finally makes sense.

After descending, I walked around the Beppu Tower area, then through Takegawara Alley and past Takegawara Onsen.

The Showa-era atmosphere here feels unstyled and real. Even without bathing, walking alone reveals Beppu beyond the tourist frame.

Day 2 | Shiraike as a Buffer, Shibaseki as the Finish

Shiraike Jigoku: A quiet start

Shiraike is calmer and slower. Placing it first on Day 2 prevents the day from starting at full speed and makes the overall rhythm more comfortable.

Blood Pond Hell: Red without explanation

The red of Chinoike Jigoku is immediate and unmistakable. One look explains why it became iconic.

Tornado Hell: Ask first, wait less

As an intermittent geyser, Tatsumaki Jigoku is where time is easiest to lose. I asked staff about the next eruption time on arrival, then decided whether to visit Blood Pond first or enter immediately—simple, but it avoids pointless waiting.

After finishing the route, I left Beppu around dusk. At the time, I was on a working holiday in Japan and returned to my main base.

Conclusion: Not Polished, but Unforgettable

Beppu isn’t an easy city to polish. The slopes are steep, the sulfur smell unapologetic, geysers require patience, and the crocodiles often respond with silence. These details invite complaints—but they’re also why Beppu lingers.

What stayed with me most is this: Beppu isn’t about individual sights, but about the city itself. Steam rises from multiple elevations; streets, homes, and geothermal activity overlap in one frame. This isn’t a city where hot springs are scenery—it’s a city shaped by them, and still actively running because of them.

Splitting the hell tour over two days creates a calmer rhythm: visit by area during the day, understand the city from above in the afternoon, and close with towers and city walks at night. What remains isn’t just a checklist of hells, but a clearer sense of Beppu’s unique geothermal character.