FUKUOKA SHORE EXCURSIONS: DAZAIFU TENMANGU, OLD HAKATA & OHORI PARK

Ships dock at Hakata port, right in Fukuoka. The city itself is modern, but the temples of old Hakata and the shrine town of Dazaifu, about 40 minutes away, show its long history.

Route 1: Dazaifu (about 4 hours)

• Dazaifu Tenmangu, the shrine of the god of learning. Students come to pray before exams. The plum trees bloom in February and early March.
• The shop street on the way in. Try umegae mochi, a warm rice cake with sweet bean filling.
• The Kyushu National Museum, reached by a long escalator through a tunnel.

Route 2: Dazaifu and old Hakata (about 7 to 8 hours)

• Dazaifu as above.
• Kushida Shrine, home of the tall floats of the summer Yamakasa festival.
• Tochoji Temple with its big wooden Buddha.
• Ohori Park, a large lake park, and a stop at Fukuoka Tower.

Fukuoka is the home of Hakata ramen. If you want a bowl for lunch, tell your guide.

How these shore excursions work

• Private tour for your group only, from a few people in a van up to a full coach.
• An English-speaking local guide meets you at the cruise terminal (or at the tender pier if your ship anchors).
• We plan the day around your ship's times and bring you back well before all-aboard.
• Send us your ship name, port date and docking hours, and we fit the route to them.

Included

• English-speaking local guide
• Private vehicle with driver
• Entrance tickets and boat rides in the route you choose

Not included

• Lunch and drinks, unless we agree on a lunch stop in the price
• Tips for the guide and driver

Price

The price per person depends on your group size and the route. Tell us your ship, date and number of people and we will send a plan and a price.

More in Japan: all Japan shore excursions. Other ports: Nagoya, Otaru, Miyazaki & Aburatsu. Or see all our cruise port tours in Asia.