Beppu Guided Private Driving Tour: Hells, Steam Lunch and Kannawa

Beppu spreads along a hillside above the sea, and its main sights are scattered between viewpoints, geothermal pools and old bathing districts. This listing solves the logistics with a private driving tour in which your English-speaking guide also drives. GetYourGuide shows it from US$474 per group of up to four people, with a rating of 4.9 from eight reviews. The tour lasts five to six hours, hotel pickup is included, and the page says that the car is the guide's own air-conditioned vehicle.

The page offers a sample itinerary that shows the best of the town's geothermal culture, though the timing and the spots can be customised on the day. At nine in the morning, the guide collects you from your hotel and drives to the Yukemuri Observatory, a viewpoint that gives a panorama of Beppu Bay and of the steam that rises from across the city. It is a good place to understand the layout of the town and to see how widely the geothermal activity is spread.

At ten the tour moves to the Hells of Beppu, known as Jigoku Meguri, a group of spectacular hot springs that are for viewing rather than for bathing. The listing mentions the cobalt-blue Umi Jigoku, or Sea Hell, and the vivid red Chinoike Jigoku, the Blood Pond Hell, as examples. Each pool has its own character, from the colour of the water to the smell of the steam, and the guide can recommend which to visit if time is short, and which are worth the entrance fee.

Lunch at noon is the most unusual part of the day. The itinerary describes Jigokumushi, or hell steaming, a historic culinary tradition that uses natural volcanic steam to cook fresh local ingredients. The result is a meal in which vegetables, seafood and meat are steamed in a vent, with a clean taste, and the experience of watching the steam cook the food is part of the appeal. The page notes that food and drinks are not included in the price, so you pay for the meal on the spot.

In the afternoon, at half past one, the tour walks through Kannawa, the old hot spring district. The listing describes steam-filled backstreets, hidden local gems, nostalgic bathhouses and an authentic local atmosphere. The district has narrow lanes and small shops, and the guide can show you where to find the best places to see and to taste. At half past two, the car brings you back to your hotel or to another place in Beppu, and the day ends.

Vehicle and costs are listed clearly. The price includes the English-speaking guide and driving service, the guide's private car with air conditioning, and all fuel costs, parking fees and expressway tolls, limited to city sightseeing areas. Food and drinks and the entrance fees to attractions are not included. The Hells have separate entrance fees, and a combined ticket is available at some of them, so ask the guide which one is the best value.

Some visitors will not be able to take part. The page says that the tour is not suitable for children under six, for people with mobility impairments, for wheelchair users or for people over 80, probably because of the steps at some sites and the long stretches on foot. The tour is not confirmed until your guide contacts you, and the page notes that most guides do so within seven days. The tour is conducted in a private vehicle, which ensures a personalised experience.

Beppu is at its best in spring and autumn, when the air is clear and the temperatures are mild. In summer, the heat and the steam can be intense, so carry water and a hat, and in winter the steam is more visible and the hot lunch is welcome. A private tour is especially useful on days with rain, when the car reduces the time that you spend outside.

Mind the entrance fees at the Hells. Each pool charges its own admission, and a combined ticket for several of them is usually cheaper than buying them one by one, which the guide can explain on the day. The guide-driver format also lets you reach places that are hard to visit by bus, such as viewpoints on the hillside above the town, and the page says that the tour stops at points that are accessible only by car.

Bring a light layer, since the steam makes the air warm near the pools and cooler in the shade, and a small towel if you plan to dip your feet in one of the footbaths in the Kannawa area. Spring and autumn are comfortable, while in winter the steam is thicker, which makes the photographs look their best.

Choose this tour if you want to see the main sights of Beppu in one comfortable half-day, with a guide who also provides the transport. For a longer stay, Excurze lists a shorter, more hands-on onsen and culture tour built around Umi Jigoku and the steam district, and our concierge can combine them with Yufuin, Fukuoka and Kumamoto, and book a ryokan with a private bath so that the day ends in the water.