Itoshima Bus Tour 2026: Fukuoka's Coastal Gems & Pottery Village

Fukuoka

Itoshima & Pottery Village One-Day Bus Tour

Just 40 minutes from Fukuoka by subway

and about 1 to 1.5 hours by bus!

If you are looking for

a coastal day trip

near the city,

you will definitely want to search

for Itoshima.

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There were both

half-day tours and

full-day tours available.

The travel time by bus

isn't too long,

and while the time at each stop

might feel a little short,

I chose the full-day tour

so I could easily see

multiple spots

without having to rent a car!

Through Klook,

I booked the Soso Bus Tour

Course A (Pottery Village Course).

Itoshima "Stairway to Heaven" (30 mins)

Futamigaura Meoto Iwa / Wedded Rocks (40 mins)

Tottan Cotton Salt Factory (40 mins)

Nijinomatsubara Pine Grove (Window view)

Karatsu Aeon Mall (Lunch - 60 mins)

Kagamiyama Observatory (30 mins)

Imari Okawachiyama Pottery Village (50 mins)

And off we went!

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Book Here

Rating: 5.0

Itoshima Tour Bus - Get a ~$2 discount when you leave a review!

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Price

Price: ~$35

~$2 discount for writing a review

Free Tottan salt pudding included!

Korean-speaking guide

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Tour Schedule

It was a full day itinerary

running from 8:00 AM to 5:30 PM.

The meeting spot was

at the Chikushi Gate of Hakata Station,

right in front of the Lawson convenience store under the Oriental Hotel.

We gathered by 7:40 AM,

and boarded the bus at 7:50 AM.

It was a minibus,

and it was completely full!

Only water or bottled drinks are allowed onboard.

Since foods with strong odors aren't allowed,

I just brought along

some coffee and water.

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Our guide

shared so much detailed info

about Fukuoka,

the Itoshima Wedded Rocks, and more.

Because they explained each spot so well,

the ride was super engaging,

and time just flew by

while we were on the move!

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Itoshima "Stairway to Heaven" & Swings

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We got off at the parking lot,

and the beach was right in front of us!

There was a little shopping area selling ice cream,

and a seafood spot right next door.

They were also selling grilled oysters!

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Itoshima's

Stairway to Heaven

is a famous social media hotspot.

When I visited,

it wasn't very crowded

and was so peaceful,

so I went right up and took some photos!

There might be a queue during the summer.

It's actually higher than it looks!

It can be a little scary when the wind blows.

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The palm trees

against the backdrop of the ocean

made for the perfect photo spot.

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I absolutely loved the calm sea

and how peaceful this place felt.

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Itoshima, Sakurai Futamigaura (Husband and Wife Rocks)

Futamigaura

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After driving a little further,

we got out at the Husband and Wife Rocks.

Around this area, there are cafes,

restaurants, and seafood spots.

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The ocean is beautiful and the breeze is so refreshing,

but the sun can be quite intense!

It would be a good idea to bring a parasol.

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Since we are a married couple,

we had to take a photo together in front of the rocks!

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Tottan Salt Workshop

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The coastal road heading to Tottan Salt Workshop

is absolutely stunning.

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They make Mataichi Salt here,

boiling seawater in traditional flat kettles

to produce handmade salt.

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The salt is famous for being delicious,

and even our tour guide highly recommended it.

So, I decided to buy the classic

blue-packaged salt

to try it out!

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The price was 540 yen,

and they accepted

card payments.

The drink shop next door

only takes cash,

so I couldn't try any.

Make sure to bring some cash with you! ^^

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You can actually taste-test each of the different salts!

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They kindly gave us some free pudding,

so we happily dug in!

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The stairs are pretty steep,

but we climbed up to the rooftop area,

sat on the chairs,

looked out at the ocean,

and enjoyed our salt pudding.

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It was incredibly rich and delicious!

Even though it's called 'salt pudding,'

it didn't taste overly salty at all.

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Lunch at Aeon Mall Karatsu

SHOYA Restaurant

Open Daily: 10:45 AM – 9:00 PM

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For lunch, we ended up eating at Shoya,

which is inside Aeon Mall.

You can also choose to eat

at other nearby restaurants,

and we were given one hour.

After finishing our meal,

we browsed the Aeon Mall supermarket.

They had Saga Prefecture and Karatsu specialties,

and the market had such a wide variety of products,

making it really fun to explore!

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We tried the 1,380 JPY (~$9) Sukiyaki Set and

the 1,530 JPY (~$10) Steak Set.

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Even more than the sukiyaki, the sashimi and

the egg were incredibly savory and delicious!

An hour wasn't particularly long,

but it didn't feel rushed either.

We had a very satisfying and

delicious meal!

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Kagamiyama Observatory

We hadn't seen many cherry blossoms in Fukuoka,

but Kagamiyama Observatory

is located at the peak of a mountain.

The drive up

felt winding and high, just like the roads of Hallasan Mountain,

and we saw so many cherry blossoms!

It was absolutely beautiful.

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From the parking lot to the observatory,

it's about a 5 to 7-minute

walk.

Even after getting out of the car, there were plenty of cherry blossoms and lovely flowers everywhere!

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It was a bit cloudy on the day we visited,

so the panoramic view

wasn't perfectly

clear and crisp,

but seeing it in person still

filled my heart with warmth.

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The wide-open

boundary between the ocean and trees,

the islands,

and the little village below...

Photos really don't do it justice,

but it was absolutely fantastic

and stunning!

It would've been quite hard to get here

on my own as a solo traveler,

but the day tour made it so easy and comfortable to visit.

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And

right next to us,

people were paragliding!

It was my first time

seeing it up so close.

I was terrified

just watching them,

but seeing older folks take off so energetically

on their paragliders

was incredibly fascinating.

So respect! They're amazing!

Imari Porcelain Village

It's no exaggeration to say this is the home of traditional Japanese porcelain,

and its roots actually

began with Korean pottery-making techniques!

From pretty teacups to mugs and plates,

it was filled with so many adorable pieces

that I wanted to take them all home.

The village itself felt

just like an open-air gallery,

so just strolling through the streets was a joy.

There were actually quite a few people

who came with professional photographers

and models to do photoshoots.

Our visiting time was a bit too short

to do any leisurely shopping,

but with prices ranging from around ~$6

to upwards of ~$64,

there were plenty of small, practical items too.

They weren't exactly cheap, but they were so beautiful.

I really wanted to buy some small items

and pack them home, but I ended up not getting larger pieces fearing they might break

on the way.

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Maybe I should have bought at least one small souvenir after all.

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During the Imjin War,

skilled Korean potters were brought here

and kept isolated

to prevent their ceramic secrets from leaking.

Though they were confined to this hidden valley,

leaving behind a bittersweet, poignant history...

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It is such a quiet and beautiful village

that I already find myself wanting to visit again.

Most of the stops were under an hour's drive away,

and with such short travel times between places,

it was a super easy and relaxing trip

without feeling tiring at all.

From Itoshima's Tottan Salt Workshop

to Karatsu and the Imari Porcelain Village in Saga Prefecture,

every single spot was so unique.

Being able to immerse myself in both nature and tradition in one day tour

made this adventure so much more fun and memorable!