Hakata

Airport currency exchange is very convenient; you can basically break even after three flights. Thumbs up!

I felt it was a great deal because you can recoup the cost just by making a round trip within Kyushu. The payment method is also simple, making it very convenient to use.

The flight from Osaka to Hakata is direct, takes just over two hours, has comfortable seats, affordable fares, and frequent departures. If you have large luggage, it's easy to reserve a seat at the counter or at the airport on the same day; just follow the signs.

I highly recommend this tour. Our guide, Xiao Li, is fluent in English, Japanese, and Mandarin. The tour involves many ups and downs of stairs, so please assess your physical condition accordingly. Especially the second stop, Takachiho; I booked a tour including lunch, and the restaurant arranged transportation back. Otherwise, group members would have to walk up the mountain back to the starting point, which I imagine would be very tiring.

The scenery was beautiful, but it was a pity it rained. Our tour guide, Mr. Cai, was conscientious, responsible, and humorous.

Besides the paid entrance fee for sightseeing, Fukuoka Tower also has photo spots on the ground where you can put your phone for selfies. The views and memories are well worth the ticket price.

It was a very unique experience; booking tickets using KKDay was very convenient.

The travel time was quite long, probably 6-7 hours in total, but I slept most of the time, so I didn't feel it much. The longest stretch was the last leg from Ten'yangu Temple back to Fukuoka, about 3 hours one way, with only one rest stop. People with bladder problems might want to consider this (a little tip: eat some mochi, bean daifuku, or honey cake before the journey; they're sold at Lawson convenience stores at the departure point, and it can effectively relieve the urge to urinate). Our tour leader, Koishi, was very friendly and dedicated, providing explanations and translations in Chinese, English, and Japanese. He also helped take photos along the way. Overall, I was very satisfied. Although we didn't spend too much time at each attraction, honestly, there's not much to see if you stay too long in those places anyway—the trees, water, and rocks are all the same. The first five minutes after arrival are beautiful, but afterwards they all look the same. Still, it's quite worth the trip.