Motonosumi Shrine and Mount Sarakura One-Day Tour Experience
- A one-day tour highly recommended by a travel blogger who has lived in Fukuoka for ten years
- Reach multiple popular attractions in one day, with a rich and colorful itinerary
- Fresh seafood paradise: Feast at Karato Market
- The most beautiful torii gate: Motonosumi Shrine, a stunning landscape of blue sky and sea
- Magnificent night view: Enjoy the prosperity of Shimonoseki from the Sarakurayama cable car
- Save the trouble of changing trains, direct access to classic attractions in Kitakyushu
What to expect
Motonosumi Shrine Visiting Hours: From March 1st, the main hall of the shrine will be closed for worship on Saturdays, Sundays, Japanese national holidays, and during May 2nd–10th and August 8th–16th; the red torii gate area along the coast can be visited as usual. Embark on a healing journey intertwined with gourmet food, shrines, and breathtaking scenery. Want to experience the freshest seafood market in Japan? Want to visit Motonosumi Shrine, known as the “most beautiful torii gate”? Today’s itinerary will fulfill all your expectations for food and scenery!
- First Stop: Karato Market | A Feast for Seafood Lovers Karato Market is a famous fresh fish market in Kanto and a paradise for food lovers. Here, you can taste seafood dishes freshly caught from the sea, as well as a variety of local specialty snacks.
- Second Stop: Motonosumi Shrine | Experience the Beautiful Scenery Where Sea Breeze and Torii Gates Blend Located along the coast of the Sea of Japan, Motonosumi Shrine is famous for its 123 red torii gates and is known as Japan’s most beautiful “hidden shrine.” Every step here makes one feel as if they are in paradise, with the arch-shaped tunnel formed by the bright red torii gates against the blue sky and sea being breathtakingly beautiful. • Stroll through a hundred torii gates: Walk among the winding torii gates and feel the solemn combination of the sea and the shrine. • Prayer Challenge: Try throwing a coin into the top of a torii gate on the cliff to pray for good fortune; it is said to be very effective! • Stand in the center of the torii gate passage and use a wide-angle lens to capture the blending scenery of the red torii gates, the clear blue sky, and the boundless ocean. • Climb high to overlook the torii gates and the coast; the picturesque scenery is perfect for taking grand landscape photos.
- Third Stop: Sarakurayama Cable Car | The Ultimate Romance of Overlooking a Million-Dollar Night View Mount Sarakura is known as the “ten billion star night view spot.” Taking the cable car up the mountain is the best way to enjoy the panoramic view. Standing on the summit, in winter, you can overlook the dazzling lights of Shimonoseki and the Kanmon Strait area, which is incredibly stunning! In summer, you can see a beautiful sunset, watching the setting sun merge with this beautiful city. • Cable Car Experience: The cable car slowly ascends the mountain, gradually appreciating the changing scenery from day to night. • Summit Observation Deck: From the observation deck, the dynamic and static beauty of the city is captivating.
Reviews
I highly recommend this tour. Our guide, Kevin, was excellent. He speaks English, Chinese, and Japanese. Luckily, he spoke English, as I don't understand Chinese. This route involves a long journey, and some spots are not accessible if you travel independently, so this day trip is essential to reach the shrine. The scenic views are absolutely beautiful; I highly recommend visiting. I think it's even more stunning than Hakodate. It would be even better if we could have stayed to see it at night.
Our guide is the best! very clear with the details of our trip, everyone easily followed all his instructions. we love how he inserted his own story or experiences and gave us tips and guides. Thank you very much sir Jimmy! and also to the driver who brought us back in hakata safely.
小石导游 is a good guide. helpful too. but according to the guide, the tour is either a choice between Mojiko Port or Karato Market. As the majority of the tour chose the port, I had to forego my intended choice. felt disappointed by klook because the itinerary stated did not state this and I signed up because the market was a key factor in deciding the tour. felt that klook "cheated" me. saving grace was the tour was good overall.
I love this tour because it's not as crowded even with the event in Karato Market. The fresh seafood is a must try. Highlight of our trip is the shrine with 123 torii gates. You can also see Busan from afar. In addtion the slope cable car is a nice experience too because it will let you admire the view from the cable car to the top of mt sarakura. I also appreciate Nicole/Yang for being patient and so accommodating. Thank you.
Wendy was so fun and accommodating! She did our tour in English, Chinese, and Japanese, and made sure everyone was comfortable and had a good experience. she even lent me her scarf for the mountain overlook because I was under dressed.
Lunch stop at the karato market was amazing! so value for money and high quality! The rides to both the shrine and cable car ride were some distance away but worth the drive for the gorgeous scenic views. Overall the trip was worth it considering the fact that getting to them on our own would have been quite challenging and costly. Kudos to our tour leader Wendy who conversed seamlessly in 3 languages. She was also helpful in ensuring that the group stays together and enjoy the trip:)
This was my first time choosing a one-day tour, and the experience was fantastic! I had the pleasure of having a great guide, Jimmy Liu, who was responsible and gave clear instructions! I especially appreciated his language skills; he was fluent in Mandarin, English, and Japanese. Since the tour group consisted of people from different places, he definitely took great care in communication! There was a small incident during the tour; while waiting in line for the cable car, I might have walked too fast, and when he was counting heads, he suddenly asked, "Where's the Hong Kong lady?" (because I was the only person from Hong Kong). That's me, the Hong Kong lady! 😂 Actually, I was right in front of him 😂 He remembered every single member of the group! He was truly dedicated! Overall, it was a very good experience! If I have the opportunity to join another tour, I hope I can meet Jimmy again! 😃✨
I really enjoyed our tour with Wendy! Even though I was the only one in the group who spoke English, she made sure I never felt left out. She always took the time to explain every place in English so I could follow along. She also takes great photos (thank you for all the shots!), recommended good food during the tour, and even suggested restaurants to try after. Most of all, she was very caring throughout the trip, which made the experience feel very personal and comfortable. Highly recommend her as a guide!
this tour was so much fun! we got to see a lot of picturesque views in one day. we tried fresh sushi bowls in a restaurant in Karato market (p.s. better book this on fri-sun to experience fresh sushi fair) nevertheless this is a great tour! I've never imagined I'd get go to these beautiful places.
We had a really great tour with Wendy our guide. She was very informative and accommodating. The fish market was a great highlight. Lots of fresh nigiri and happy to try pufferfish upon recommendation of Wendy.
Good to know
Pre-Departure Information
We will contact you between 17:00 and 21:00 the day before departure using the contact information you provided. If you do not receive the information, please check your email. Emails may sometimes mistakenly go to the spam folder. During peak tourist seasons, there may be slight delays in sending emails. If you receive multiple emails, please refer to the latest one. If you have not received travel information on the day of departure, please arrive at the meeting point 10 minutes before the scheduled meeting time and look for the JRT tour guide flag for assistance. Thank you for your patience and cooperation.
• If the minimum number of participants is not reached, you will be notified of the cancellation by email the day before departure. In the event of extreme weather conditions such as typhoons or heavy snow, we will confirm whether to cancel by 18:00 local time the day before departure and notify you by email. Seats and Vehicles • The itinerary is a group tour, and seats are allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. If you have any special requests, please make a note, and we will do our best to arrange it, but the final arrangement will be subject to the actual situation on site. • The type of vehicle used depends on the number of people, and the type of vehicle cannot be specified. When there are few people, a driver may also serve as an escort, and the explanation may be brief. • If you need to bring luggage, you must inform us in advance. If you bring luggage without prior notice, the tour guide has the right to refuse boarding and no refund will be given. Eating and drinking are prohibited in the vehicle. If any damage is caused, compensation will be required according to local standards. Itinerary Adjustment and Safety • Japanese law stipulates that operating vehicles must not be driven for more than 10 hours per day. If the time is exceeded, additional fees will be charged (¥5,000–10,000/hour or more). • The itinerary is for reference only. Actual transportation, stopover, and tour times may be adjusted due to weather, traffic jams, facility maintenance, etc. The tour guide may reasonably replace or reduce attractions depending on the actual situation. • If cable cars, cruises, and other facilities are suspended due to weather or force majeure, you will visit other attractions or adjust the length of stay. • No refunds will be given for late arrivals, temporary changes to meeting points, or leaving the group midway due to personal reasons. You will be responsible for any accidents and additional expenses incurred after leaving the group. Season and Scenery • Seasonal limited events such as flower viewing, autumn foliage viewing, snow scenery, and fireworks displays are greatly affected by the climate. The peak flowering and autumn foliage periods may be earlier or later than expected. Even if the expected scenery is not reached, the itinerary will still depart as normal and no refunds will be given.
Other Notes • Please arrive at the meeting point on time. We will not wait for latecomers, and you cannot join the tour midway. • It is recommended to wear light clothing and shoes. Please bring warm clothing for winter or mountain itineraries.
* The itinerary does not include personal travel and accident insurance. It is recommended to purchase your own insurance. Outdoor activities and high-risk sports have certain risks. Please sign up carefully according to your health condition.
* After the itinerary departs, if it is forced to be terminated due to natural disasters or force majeure, no refunds will be given, and passengers will be responsible for their own return or additional accommodation costs.
* During peak travel periods on Japanese red days and weekends, there are often serious traffic jams or attractions close early. It is recommended not to book flights, Shinkansen, or dinners for that evening, and to bring your own snacks and power bank.
Contact us
You might also like...
Yamaguchi Nagato One-Day Tour | Motonosumi Shrine, Tsunoshima Bridge, Nagato Yumoto Onsen | Departing from Fukuoka Hakata
Motonosumi Shrine Red Torii & Mojiko/Karato Market & Sarakurayama Cable Car Day Trip (Departing from Fukuoka)
Fukuoka Mt. Sarakura Cable Car & Motonosumi Shrine Private Day Tour
JR Kyushu Rail Pass
Kitakyushu One-Day Tour: Karato Market / Mojiko & Motonosumi Shrine & Sarakurayama Cable Car (Departing from Fukuoka)
Fukuoka Akiyoshido Cave & Motonosumi Shrine Full-Day Tour
Fukuoka Kanmon Bridge and Motonosumi Shrine Guided Tour