5 day trip around Fukuoka

Hi everyone!

I am planning to travel to Japan with my wife and my child which will be 2 years old when we travel.
I usually like to cover a lot of ground, but with the 2 year old I want/have to travel slowly this time.

I have been to Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto, so I am thinking about the Fukuoka area.
We like to explore cities, do some shopping, go on nature day trips, do some cycling near mountains/rivers...

We are not sure whether we should travel in April or May 2019, is there a big difference weather-wise?

I was hoping for itinerary suggestions. Travel time would be in April/may from Monday to Friday (days).

Thanks!

Hi. We went to Kyushu in mid to late May 2016. It was quite warm at Fukuoka and Nagasaki, a little cooler at Kurokawa and Yufuin. Probably a few weeks earlier might have been more mild. To be honest, Fukuoka itself doesnt have much for a tourist to do maybe without a car. The people are nice and the food is good, but it isnt geared up for tourism to the extent that areas of Honshu are. I liked Yufuin (nice train trip away through some hills) and Karatsu (nice train trip away along the coast), though, and the Nagasaki Bio Park was probably the most fun place I've ever visited, but that would be a big day trip from Fukuoka.

I was just in Kyushu last month and spent five nights in Fukuoka City, and I thought there was plenty to do and see for that stretch of time. In the city there are plenty of museums, there's a big aquarium, and just walking around the city is a lot of fun. There's plenty of shopping.

Tenmangu Shrine in Dazaifu is about 30 minutes away, and worth a visit, and Karatsu is nice, if a little quiet. Kumamoto and Kita-Kyushu are really easy to get to via Shinkansen if you want to check out some other big cities.

I also went to Nagasaki Biopark and it was fantastic, but it is pretty inconvenient for a day trip - you have to take the train to Huis Ten Bosch, then a 45-minute shuttle bus to the park. (I stayed overnight in Sasebo to make it easier.)

Fukuoka has many nice places to see - those who don't know them keep repeating the same nonsense that there aren't. It's only 20 minutes by train from Hakata Stn to the Nanzoin Temple, which is one of the best you will ever see in Japan.
http://bit.ly/1KAm8cU
http://www.thejapanfaq.com/fukpic.html

There are also several preserved old villas and traditional gardens, like Rakusuien, Yusentei, Shofuen, the Ohori Park Teien, and Nokonoshima Island Park. If you are there in early April, there are several very good places to see the cherry blossoms, which are not overrun by people like in bigger cities or Kyoto. One of the best yet completely off the tourist radar is in nearby Kasuya, at the Kayoicho Park.
https://youtu.be/pYKNmvevAC4
If that is too early for you, I suggest you try the last part or end of April. That is azalea season, and there are some very good places to see them - Mifuneyama in Saga is wonderful, and so is the Daikozenji Temple in Kiyama. Kurume, about 30 minutes south of Fukuoka by train, is also famous for them, as well as the giant Naritasan Jibo Kannon Great Buddha.
https://youtu.be/G1SBtmqXteE

You also have a shot at seeing the wisteria - which at its peak is just heaven. The end of April and Golden Week (a busy holiday season from the end of April) can get busy, but the Kawachi Fujien in Kitakyushu is one of the best places to see them. Getting tickets and getting there can be troublesome though. There is an equally sized place without the crowds in Yame, at the Kurogi Ofuji.
https://youtu.be/23MpyQPPhAw

How far you want to go matters a lot though - or really, the time it takes. If you get a Kyushu Rail Pass, you could get over to Kagoshima in 90 minutes. Nagasaki is one of the most interesting cities in Japan, and best as an overnight.
http://bit.ly/2ob4u8i
Along the way is one of Japan's most beautiful yet unknown places, the Yutoku Inari Shrine. You may have seen Fushimi Inari in Kyoto, but this place doesn't have the tourist mobs and is in some ways even more enjoyable.
https://youtu.be/2UU_1Aip_l4

Nearby is Unzen with some good hot springs, the Biopark was mentioned, plus at good flower seasons like then, Huis Ten Bosch is very beautiful.
https://youtu.be/JIKAjc5MfPs
Another great activity is the 99 Island cruise in Sasebo.
http://travel.sasebo99.com/en/99islands.php

There is no shortage of great places in Kyushu.

Fukuoka is a great base to see a lot of places and a nice town in itself. I was there in late March 2017 and it thoroughly enjoyed myself. Others have mentioned Dazaifu and Nagasaki which are both great. I really enjoyed Uminonakamichi Seaside Park which I went to on my last day as the cherry blossoms were falling https://uminaka-park.jp/en/ Further afield Kagoshima has a lot going for it with Sakurajima & Sangen-en plus all the restoration history.

Something you need to consider when deciding when to go is golden week which is going to be very long next year. I would very strongly suggest you avoid it if you can. Scroll down this page https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2282.html

Regarding cycling you may want to check here: https://www.welcomekyushu.jp/cycle-in-kyushu/en/courses/

Adding to the above, I think one can easily spend an entire day in Dazaifu. The main shrine and the path to it can get a bit crowded but there are many other smaller temples which make for a nice stroll through the countryside/village. A temple not to miss is the one really that outside the shrine. It has a wonderful zen garden:

http://bicycletraveljapan.blogspot.com/2017/11/day-55-dazaifu-to-fukuo...

Plus there is a very interesting and well done museum in Dazaifu.

Regarding museums in Fukuoka I was only in the Fukuoka city museum which was surprisingly well done. A bit far from the center but good for rainy days. (If you know the Edo museum in Tokyo it�fs kind of similar). But I�fd understand that with a 2 yr old museums aren�ft ideal.

If you are up to getting a bit further afield the Yoshinogari Park is great. You can see reconstructions of yayoi culture houses and are in a big park. I guess for a small kid quite nice: http://bicycletraveljapan.blogspot.com/2017/11/day-53-yanagawa-to-saga...

The other big thing in Kyushu is onsen.

Regarding when to go I went once in golden week (last April , first May days) and weather was perfect. As generally in GW in Japan. So I would roughly aim at that period. I can imagine that late May may get hot and rainy season will also start then.

Enjoy your trip to Kyushu!

Plenty to see and do in and around Fukuoka to keep you busy. Allowa minimum of two days for the city itself. And do a couple of day trips. It really depends on your interests to what you see and do.

https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2161.html Start here.

One I will add (which isn't listed on this website) is the Nanzo-in Temple and giant buddha. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nanzo-in It takes about 30 minutes train ride to acess, and you need around 2 hours to explore the temple grounds.

Some other sights not listed on this website:-
(No need for car)

Atago Shrine - city views, near subway
Fukuoka castle ruins + Shiomi Tower - near subway
Nishi Park good for cherry blossums, bus or longish walk from subway
Gokuku Shrine, near Ohori Park
ARCOS building, Tenjin Central Park - near subway
Hakozaki Temple - near subway
Chikuzen Sumiyoshi - bus or longishwalk from Hakata station

Have you thought about Nagasaki?