Things to do in Oita

I would like to commend our tour guide Helen. He speaks English fluently and patiently answering all questions. She has a lot of knowledge about the tourist spots and willing to take a photo for you. That’s a plus especially for solo travel. Thank you so much, Helen!!! Sayonara…..

The guide was on time and easy to talk to. We encountered an unforeseen closure or unavailability of an activity in my itinerary, he was helpful to suggest an alternative nearby. And was patient to wait for us to be done at each place.

It is nice trip. Arrangement is suitable. We enjoyed the time. I will suggest my friends to join.

Totally awesome! I am so glad we went with this private tour and did the tour based on our preference. My driver Wang Yuting is very good. Highly recommend her. She is a very good driver and very flexible. I appreciate she accommodates our itinerary and my request to start at 7am. The visit to the Kyushu Animal Park is great for family with kids! My 4 kids from 10-18 enjoyed. Even the parents too! Getting on the jungle bus is a must!

Our driver and tour guide, Gyu-Yeong Jeon, was very professional. He took me to better spots to photograph Yufuin and the Jumonjibaru Observatory. He also proactively offered to take photos and even picked me up from Tatsumaki Jigoku (Tornado Hell) because the bus was taking too long to return to the Umi Jigoku (Sea Hell) parking lot.

I visited the Umitamago Aquarium with my kids, and it was a really satisfying family travel destination. We used a rental car to get around, and the accessibility wasn't bad. More than anything, there were many hands-on experience spaces where the kids could participate directly, so there was no time for them to get bored. It's not just an aquarium where you simply look around, but there are well-prepared experience zones where you can touch and feel, so the kids' reactions were especially good. Being able to see sea creatures up close naturally aroused their curiosity and interest. Also, there were various programs and performances prepared where you could interact with sea lions, otters, dolphins, etc., so it was great for both kids and adults to enjoy together. The distance from the animals was close, so it felt lively, and it was really good for taking pictures. Overall, the facilities were well-maintained and the flow was convenient, so I thought it was a good aquarium to visit leisurely with children. I would definitely recommend visiting once for family travel, especially with children.

I highly recommend taking a rickshaw ride if you can find one! Even if you don't speak Japanese, they'll mix in a bit of English and Korean and give you witty and humorous explanations, making the whole tour really fun! It was a little rainy the day I went, but they covered us with waterproof fabric to keep the rain from splashing on us, and they stopped at key points to explain the location and take beautiful pictures. My friends and I were all very satisfied that day!!