13 Recommended Places to Stay in Fukui by Area: Where to Stay for Dinosaurs, Zen, and Famous Hot Springs

13 Recommended Places to Stay in Fukui by Area: Where to Stay for Dinosaurs, Zen, and Famous Hot Springs

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Written by :  GOOD LUCK TRIP

Fukui Prefecture is a popular destination in the Hokuriku region, offering diverse attractions ranging from spectacular views of the Sea of Japan and famous hot springs to Zen culture and its reputation as Japan’s dinosaur kingdom. Its distinctive sights include the towering cliffs of Tojinbo, Eiheiji Temple—the head temple of the Soto school of Zen Buddhism—and the Fukui Prefectural Dinosaur Museum, one of Japan’s largest museums of its kind.
At Awara Onsen, Fukui’s signature hot spring resort, visitors can experience Hokuriku’s refined ryokan culture. Fresh Echizen crab and other seafood are also major highlights of a trip here.
Access has improved in recent years with the extension of the Hokuriku Shinkansen, drawing even more attention to the prefecture. To make the most of Fukui, it is important to choose an area and accommodation that suit the purpose of your trip.
This article highlights recommended areas and places to stay for exploring Fukui.

4 Best Areas to Use as a Base for Exploring Fukui

Each part of Fukui Prefecture has its own distinct character, so where you stay will shape how you experience your trip.
The ideal base will depend on whether you want to relax at a hot spring ryokan, take in spectacular views of the Sea of Japan, or visit the Dinosaur Museum and Eiheiji Temple.
The opening of the Hokuriku Shinkansen extension has also made the area around Fukui Station more convenient and travel throughout the prefecture easier.
Use the characteristics of each area as a guide to find a place that suits your travel style.

Tojinbo offers enchanting sunset views over the Sea of Japan
Tojinbo offers enchanting sunset views over the Sea of Japan
Fukui Station Area
Excellent transportation links make it easy to reach destinations throughout the prefecture. Recommended for first-time visitors and short stays.
Awara Onsen Area
A hot spring resort with one of Hokuriku’s finest mineral springs. Recommended for travelers who want to unwind at an upscale ryokan.
Tojinbo and Mikuni Area
A popular area for spectacular views of the Sea of Japan and fresh seafood. Recommended for travelers who want to watch the sunset and explore a historic harbor town.
Eiheiji, Katsuyama, Tsuruga, and Wakasa Area
An area rich in Zen culture, dinosaur attractions, and outdoor experiences. Recommended for travelers seeking a peaceful escape from everyday life.

If you would first like a broader overview of Fukui’s attractions, be sure to check out the article below.

Convenient for Transportation and Sightseeing: 3 Recommended Places to Stay Near Fukui Station

The area around Fukui Station is the hub of sightseeing in the prefecture and has become even more convenient with the extension of the Hokuriku Shinkansen.
Shopping facilities and restaurants cluster around the station, making it easy to sample Fukui specialties such as Echizen soba and sauce katsudon.
It is also a convenient starting point for trips to destinations such as the Fukui Prefectural Dinosaur Museum, Eiheiji Temple, and Tojinbo, and is well suited to travelers renting a car.
This area is recommended for first-time visitors and anyone who wants to explore Fukui efficiently.
Here are three accommodations convenient for both sightseeing and business travel.

1. Courtyard by Marriott Fukui

Opened in 2024, this lifestyle hotel is directly connected to the west exit of Fukui Station on the Hokuriku Shinkansen.
Its sophisticated design and comfort make it convenient for both sightseeing and business travel.
The upper floors offer sweeping views of Fukui City, while the hotel also features a restaurant and lounge serving ingredients from the Hokuriku region.
With easy access to destinations throughout the prefecture, including the Dinosaur Museum and Eiheiji Temple, it is also a good choice for first-time visitors to Fukui.

Located a 2-minute walk from the west exit of Fukui Station
Located a 2-minute walk from the west exit of Fukui Station

2. Houei Ryokan

Located in central Fukui City, this ryokan offers a welcoming, home-like atmosphere.
It is a 9-minute walk from Fukui Station, served by the Hokuriku Shinkansen, making it a convenient base for exploring the city and surrounding area.
Both Japanese- and Western-style rooms are available, accommodating everyone from solo travelers to families and groups.
There is also a popular Dinosaur Room for children.
Meals include Echizen soba and dishes made with local ingredients, along with additional Fukui specialties available to order.
The warm hospitality of the proprietress and staff is another highlight.

Dinner featuring homemade roast beef and Fukui regional dishes
Dinner featuring homemade roast beef and Fukui regional dishes

3. Hotel Keifuku Fukui Ekimae

Conveniently located about a 1-minute walk from the east exit of JR Fukui Station, this hotel is well suited to both business and sightseeing.
Despite its location in front of the station, it offers a calm environment. Its wide range of accommodations includes moderate rooms, an accessible room, Japanese-style rooms, and dinosaur-themed concept rooms.
Services such as free Wi-Fi and luggage storage are also available. Its proximity to the Echizen Railway and highway bus stops makes it a convenient base for traveling throughout Fukui Prefecture.

A comfortable hotel for travel and business, just a 1-minute walk from JR Fukui Station
A comfortable hotel for travel and business, just a 1-minute walk from JR Fukui Station

Experience One of Hokuriku’s Finest Hot Springs: 4 Recommended Places to Stay in Awara Onsen

Awara Onsen, Fukui’s signature hot spring resort, is a popular area known for its celebrated springs, first opened in 1883.
Hot spring ryokans are scattered throughout the area, each offering a distinctive stay with features such as open-air garden baths, private baths, and seasonal Hokuriku kaiseki cuisine.
It also provides easy access to Tojinbo and Mikuni Minato, making it convenient to combine sightseeing with a hot spring getaway.
Many travelers visit in winter for Echizen crab, while every season offers the distinctive atmosphere of Hokuriku.
Here are four recommended accommodations for travelers who want to leave everyday life behind and relax.

1. Grandia Housen

This relaxing accommodation stands amid tranquil rural scenery.
Its interiors blend Japanese and modern design, and guests can choose from rooms with distinctive styles. Options include a playful Dinosaur Room, Sakura-tei SUITE rooms with private semi-open-air baths, detached Yutorogi-tei rooms with open-air baths overlooking the garden, and the upscale detached Kotobuki-tei rooms with private open-air baths.

A stylish space blending Japanese and modern design
A stylish space blending Japanese and modern design

2. Seifuso

This long-established ryokan has a history of about 70 years and stands in Awara Onsen, Fukui Prefecture, a hot spring resort founded in 1883.
It offers a wide variety of accommodations, from luxurious options such as the 13 suite types of Jusan no Kaze and the secluded atmosphere of RO-AN, limited to just 2 rooms, to Japanese-inspired rooms in the Honjin, Gyoen, and Kyakuden wings.

The spacious open-air garden bath is among the largest in Hokuriku
The spacious open-air garden bath is among the largest in Hokuriku

3. Traditional Ryokan Haiya

This long-established ryokan was founded in 1884.
Beyond its stately entrance inspired by elegant traditional Japanese architecture, guests enter a Japanese-modern lobby decorated with coffered ceilings and round pillars. Farther inside lies a Japanese garden whose appearance changes with the seasons.
The natural sodium chloride hot spring drawn from the property’s own source is said to help relieve neuralgia and muscle pain and promote healthy skin.

An open-air bath overlooking a beautiful garden
An open-air bath overlooking a beautiful garden

4. Mimatsu

This ryokan stands in Awara Onsen, one of Fukui Prefecture’s leading hot spring resorts.
Even among Awara Onsen’s 74 hot spring sources, the property stands out for its variety of baths fed by its own source. The spacious Taiyoden and the atmospheric, moon-themed Meigetsuden alternate between male and female guests.
Meals feature seasonal Fukui ingredients such as Echizen crab and Wakasa beef, making this a good choice for travelers who want to experience both hot springs and regional cuisine.

The property also features a traditional stroll garden
The property also features a traditional stroll garden

Explore a Harbor Town and Spectacular Sea of Japan Scenery: 3 Recommended Places to Stay in Tojinbo and Mikuni

The Tojinbo and Mikuni area is a popular sightseeing destination where visitors can see the towering cliffs of Tojinbo and explore the historic streets of Mikuni, which once flourished as a port town.
In addition to the dramatic Sea of Japan scenery and spectacular sunsets, fresh seafood is another major attraction.
Around Mikuni Minato, where a retro atmosphere remains, renovated traditional homes and stylish auberges are scattered throughout the area, offering a leisurely stay in a harbor town.
This area is ideal for road trips, adult getaways, and travelers seeking an escape by the sea.
Here are three accommodations where you can experience scenic views, seafood, and the atmosphere of a historic harbor town.
For more details about Tojinbo, see the article below.

1. Tojinbo Mikuni Onsen Ootoku

This culinary ryokan stands in Anto, Mikuni-cho, overlooking scenic Tojinbo and Oshima Island.
In its quiet location facing the Sea of Japan, guests can relax while experiencing Tojinbo Mikuni Onsen and Fukui’s seasonal cuisine.
Just a 5-minute drive from Tojinbo, it is also a convenient base for sightseeing.

Dishes prepared with seasonal seafood
Dishes prepared with seasonal seafood

2. Kyukamura Echizen-Mikuni

Located on elevated ground near Tojinbo, this resort hotel offers spectacular views of the Sea of Japan.
Its spacious communal bath and open-air bath overlook the sea, providing scenery that changes with the seasons.
The cuisine featuring Echizen crab and locally caught fish is also highly regarded, making the hotel popular with travelers seeking nature and regional food.
With a lawn and walking paths nearby, it is also well suited to family trips.

The Sea of Japan stretches beyond the lawn
The Sea of Japan stretches beyond the lawn

3. Auberge Homachi Mikuniminato

This dispersed-style auberge occupies renovated traditional homes throughout Mikuni Minato, a historic harbor town.
Guests stay among Mikuni’s streets as if they were living in the community.
Its cuisine featuring local ingredients and sophisticated interiors are also highly regarded, making it popular for stylish adult getaways.
It is recommended for travelers who want to take their time exploring a harbor town with a retro atmosphere.

Renovated historic townhouses
Renovated historic townhouses

Unwind with Zen, Nature, and Scenic Views: 3 Recommended Places to Stay in Eiheiji, Katsuyama, Tsuruga, and Wakasa

The Eiheiji, Katsuyama, Tsuruga, and Wakasa area offers experiences distinctive to Fukui, including Zen culture, abundant nature, and spectacular coastal scenery.
At Eiheiji Temple, the head temple of the Soto school of Zen Buddhism, visitors can enter a tranquil world of Zen. In Katsuyama, they can visit the Fukui Prefectural Dinosaur Museum and enjoy a highland resort.
Along the Echizen Coast and Wakasa Bay are hot spring inns with beautiful ocean views and facilities offering nature-based activities.
The area is popular with travelers who want to leave the bustle of the city behind and enjoy a slower pace.
Here are three accommodations where you can refresh both body and mind.

1. Eiheiji Hakujukan

This is an ideal accommodation for those who want to do more than simply visit Eiheiji Temple. Along with the comfortable facilities and service of a ryokan, guests can experience the world of Zen as they would at a temple lodging through zazen meditation, morning services, Buddhist ceremonies, and sutra copying.
The restaurant also serves shojin ryori Buddhist vegetarian cuisine and renowned sake from Echizen.
Guests can deepen their connection with Zen, experience Echizen hospitality, and refresh both body and mind.

Combining the benefits of temple lodging and a ryokan, this inn is ideal for those seeking a deeper connection with Zen
Combining the benefits of temple lodging and a ryokan, this inn is ideal for those seeking a deeper connection with Zen

2. JAM Fukui Katsuyama Mountain Resort

This year-round resort is surrounded by the abundant natural scenery of Katsuyama, Fukui Prefecture.
In winter, it is directly connected to one of western Japan’s largest ski areas, offering convenient ski-in, ski-out access. From spring through fall, guests can take part in a variety of activities that make use of the highland setting.
It also provides easy access to nearby attractions, including the Fukui Prefectural Dinosaur Museum, making it a convenient base that combines sightseeing with a resort stay.

Guests can soak in the hotel’s natural hot spring
Guests can soak in the hotel’s natural hot spring

3. Wakasa Kajitsu

Surrounded by tranquil Wakasa Bay and mountains, this inn offers an opportunity to experience Wakasa’s culinary culture, history, and local character.
A former ryokan has been renovated into 13 rooms across 3 distinctive buildings: the main building, annex, and detached wing.
The main building and annex preserve the historic architecture while providing modern amenities.
The detached suites offer sweeping views of Wakasa Bay and distinctive bathrooms, creating an escape from everyday life.

A secluded fishing-village inn immersed in the sea and culinary culture of Wakasa, once an imperial food province
A secluded fishing-village inn immersed in the sea and culinary culture of Wakasa, once an imperial food province

Frequently Asked Questions About Accommodations in Fukui

Q

What is the most convenient area to stay when sightseeing in Fukui?

A

For a first trip to Fukui, the area around Fukui Station is recommended because of its convenient transportation links.

Q

Which area is best for a family trip to Fukui?

A

The Katsuyama area, which offers easy access to the Dinosaur Museum, and large ryokans with extensive facilities in Awara Onsen are recommended.

Summary

This article has introduced suitable areas and recommended accommodations in Fukui, a destination rich in attractions such as hot springs, scenic views, Zen culture, and fresh seafood.
Choose a place that fits your travel companions, the sights you want to visit, and your preferred travel style.
When planning your trip in detail, refer to the article below for information on popular attractions such as Tojinbo, Eiheiji Temple, and the Fukui Prefectural Dinosaur Museum, as well as Echizen crab, local Fukui cuisine, and souvenirs.

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