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Beppu Jigoku Meguri (Hell Tour)

jigokugeothermalhell tourBeppuhot springs

Oita · Beppu

33.3244°N, 131.4739°E

Beppu's 'Hells' (地獄, jigoku) are seven spectacular geothermal hot springs too hot and chemically extreme for bathing — created purely for viewing. Each hell displays different natural phenomena: Umi Jigoku (Sea Hell) is cobalt blue from dissolved minerals, Chinoike Jigoku (Blood Pond Hell) is bright red from iron oxide, Tatsumaki Jigoku (Tornado Hell) erupts boiling water 20 meters high every 30 minutes. The water temperatures range from 95°C to 99.5°C.

Beppu sits atop the world's second-largest geothermal field (after Yellowstone) with over 2,800 active hot spring sources, making these viewing hells just a small sample of the underground thermal activity.

Essential Information

Opening Hours

8:00 AM – 5:00 PM

Closed: Open year-round

Entrance Fee

Combined 7-hell ticket ¥2,200. Individual hell ¥450. Jigoku tamago (hell eggs) ¥300 for 5.

Best Season

Year-round; morning (8:00–9:00) before tour buses; winter for most dramatic steam visibility

Visit Duration

2.5 hours for all seven hells at a steady pace

Getting There

Access Information

Seven hells spread across two areas: 5 in Kannawa district, 2 in Shibaseki. Combined ticket: ¥2,200 (all 7), individual entry ¥450 each. Kannawa accessible by bus from Beppu Station (20 min).

Insider Guide

Premium

**Optimal route:** Start at Umi Jigoku (largest, most photogenic) at opening time (8:00) before tour bus crowds. The seven-hell circuit takes 2.5 hours at a steady pace. Bring towel — the steam creates humidity that dampens clothing. **Oniishi Bozu Jigoku bonus:** This hell is included in the 7-hell ticket but often skipped. The bubbling gray mud creates 'monk head' formations (bozu = bald monk) as bubbles rise and burst — hypnotic to watch and uncrowded. **Jigoku tamago:** Eggs and vegetables boiled in the hell steam are sold at Umi Jigoku and Kamado Jigoku (¥300 for 5 eggs). The mineral water gives eggs a subtle sulfur flavor. Fresh pudding steamed in hell steam (jigoku mushi pudding, ¥350) is the signature dessert.

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