Beppu Walking Tour: Local Art and Culture

Immerse yourself in Beppu’s arts, crafts, and onsen on a walking tour. Meet local artists, visit a bamboo craft factory, and experience a hot spring. Discover a century-old Japanese house with a contemporary art gallery and a history room.

Duration: 2 hours, 30 minutes
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Beppu Station Market - Experience a local market offering fresh fish and vegetables, and seize a unique opportunity to engage with local Japanese residents.
  • 永井製竹(株) - Established in 1908, observe the meticulous crafting of bamboo products by skilled artisans using local bamboo from Oita Prefecture. In addition to watching the artisans at…
What's Included
  • All admission fees included
What's Not Included
  • Food, beverage and souvenir costs excluded
  • Bottled water
Additional Information

Looking to steer clear of crowded tourist spots and discover more “local” areas that aren’t typically featured in travel brochures? Join this exclusive, small-group walking tour to dive into the history and culture of downtown Beppu.
Explore the work and daily lives of local artists, visit a bamboo craft factory*, and seize the unique opportunity to meet…

Location
WANDER COMPASS BEPPU
Please gather in front of the Beppu Station tourist information centre, Wander Compass, located just outside the east exit of Beppu Station.
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
5.0
(30 Ratings)
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Kareni949
May 5, 2025
Highly Recommended Walking Tour! - Beppu is a fascinating city with a fascinating history. This tour helped me understand the history--as well as the revitalization efforts fashioning Beppu into a place of art and culture. Beppu is so much more than onsen, rope bridges, and monkeys; it’s a place where artists from all over Japan (and even the world) are coming to challenge cultural norms, preserve traditions, and create beauty in this lovely coastal town. I would not have seen any of this if not for this walking tour. My incredibly educated and gracious guide, Loi, took me all around Beppu–both to the places abandoned when the port moved north and to the places where traditions are preserved (like the Bamboo factory) and where avant-garde art is in full swing. Along the way, I met some incredibly kind and generous people I will not soon forget. I highly recommend this tour! You won’t regret it.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Oldworldt
Apr 22, 2025
Great Day in Beppu - This was a really fun experience. Our guide Loy was very knowledgeable. He introduced us to many of the local artists and answered our questions patiently.
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Jaffac2025
Apr 21, 2025
Fun and interesting - Very informative and the tour guide spoke good English. Definitely worthwhile for anybody interested in learning about Bamboo.
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Donnadi6094ee
Apr 8, 2025
Don’t visit Beppu without doing this tour. - Loi was a charming, knowledgeable, and resourceful tour guide — one of our best ever. We enjoyed learning about Beppu, and the locals we spoke with gave us an understanding of the community and culture we could not have gotten without Loi’s tour!
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Karens9103
Mar 29, 2025
Totally off the beaten track - This tour was a fantastic insight into Beppu's unique culture. Our guide - Audreay - was super engaging and fun to be around. Highlights included the bamboo factory (and meeting the owner) as well as meeting the local artists living in a communal space. We only wished we had more time. It is a totally different way to do a shore excursion in Beppu!
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Roam08179792429
Mar 29, 2025
Impressive exploration of local life and culture - A very unique and unforgettable experience! Audrey is very nice guiding us through a 2-hour journey including traditional instrument experience and visit of local artists apartment, and we had a better understanding of the history and culture of Beppu with the professional introduction of the boss at Space Beppu. Willsurely recommend this tour to everyone
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Hanneszeigmaldrauf
Mar 18, 2025
Must see, feel and smell in Beppu - This was one of a kind tour. Really got to know lot about bamboo. Local Artists are super cool as well and the Safe House, really nice and chill place. Lots of heartwarming and nice people. Keep up the excellent work. You all made my day.
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441ellik
Mar 15, 2025
100% Recommend - I booked the Tour the evening before without problem. My guide Aubrey was very nice and showed me around Beppu telling me a bit about its history, further she showed and introduced me to some local artists. In the end she even showed me some tricks to get cheaper train tickets for my further travels. I also met some other people at Space Beppu who were so nice ☺️ and they gave me great recommendations for shops and cafes in the area! In the end this was a very cool and different experience compared to the typical tourist stuff I've been doing on my travels 🤗
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Onair67098518968
Feb 24, 2025
Insightful and Relaxing Experience - This tour gave me a glimpse into the artistic soul of Beppu. From visiting local markets to artist studios to walking through hidden housing alleys, I felt truly connected to the city. The tour around the bamboo factory was also very insightful as I get to see the meticulous efforts that were put into the production of exported bamboo crafts. Highly recommend this to anyone who wants to experience Beppu beyond the famous hot springs!
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Explore67410112972
Feb 23, 2025
Minami Beppu!! - An excellent trip around the Minami part of Beppu!!! I got a chance to explore more about this city and got to know more about the history behind. At the bamboo factory, there was a big collection of products made with bamboo, highly recommended to bamboo lovers!! The local restaurants and sweets shops are super cheap and super delicious!! But better bring cash cuz most of them might not accept other payment methods.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
From $62
up to 8 guests
1 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).