As part of my journey to complete my travels around main land Kyushu, I recently visited both Fukuoka and Saga prefectures. Getting into Fukuoka from Tokyo is no easy feat and it is recommended to take a flight as opposed to a train. Once you’re there, there are plenty of options for rent a car. The website Tocoo is highly recommended for finding the rent-a-car spot nearest to your hotel in Japan.

Fukuoka itself is a modern city with numerous interesting sights. Some of the best spots are Fukuoka Tower, Tenjin Underground for excellent shopping and Hakata Station for delicious Tonkotsu Ramen.

Once you have picked up your car, driving around Fukuoka can be a difficult task in comparison to other cities in Japan. There are an abnormal amount of buses for public transport and often these will monopolise most of the road, thus making traveling around the city centre quite difficult. It is recommended to pay for the toll routes that your navigation recommends whilst in the city, otherwise you might end up being stuck in traffic for a long time.

The journey from Fukuoka to Saga, depending on where you choose, is an easy and uncrowded ride. The most popular route is to take the expressway straight into Saga. If you take the express way, Dazaifu is along the route into Saga followed by the Yoshinogari National Park. Dazaifu is famous for its stunning temple and this is often frequented by visitors looking for good luck ahead of their exams and studies. The Yoshinogari Park is famous for a burial mound found in 1989 with history dating from the 3rd century. When in Saga, the city does not have a whole lot to offer, but it is well known for a stunning view from up top of the city.

Afterwards, you can travel back from Saga into Fukuoka through the mountains, of which there is a tunnel that goes straight through a range. This will also send you out to the coast of Fukuoka and following this route will then bring you straight into Fukuoka Tower.