Beppu and Oita tickets, plus Kyushu theme parks

The short answer

These eight tickets answer two different questions. Three are Beppu town tickets: a sand bath, a museum with an optional two-hell combo, and a tower. The other five are an aquarium and four theme parks, and the parks are in three different prefectures. Nothing here is bundled: XTOUR's reading is that each ticket stands alone for the one venue it names.[16][14][12][10][8][6][3][1]

Beppu's hot springs: sand bath, museum or hells

The Sand SPA Ticket (Beppu Kaihin Sunayu) is the hands-on option. Its single option, Sand Bath + Public Bath Admission, includes a sand bath followed by a soak in the Grand Bath, with a yukata and towel provided, according to SkyGate.[1] The operator describes it as Beppu's only seaside sand bath, says staff cover you with sand for 15 minutes, and says the sand is heated with hot-spring water nine times a day at different spots.[2] SkyGate's listing says children under 6 are not permitted, that people who are unwell or pregnant may not be permitted, and that the public bath cannot be used before the sand bath.[1] The operator gives seasonal hours, with June to October at 8:00 to 22:00 and last entry at 21:00, and says it closes irregularly twice a month. It asks visitors to reserve in advance on its website and says same-day booking is possible but may involve a wait.[2] SkyGate does not say how a voucher fits with that reservation.

The Jigoku Onsen Museum Ticket is the explanatory option: the operator describes a museum in Kannawa that follows a raindrop's underground journey to becoming hot-spring water, across four scenes, and SkyGate's option covers the museum's films, interactive displays and changing exhibition area.[4] It has two options: museum admission alone, or a combo that adds Umi Jigoku and Oniishi Bozu Jigoku.[3] The hells belong to a different operator, the Beppu Jigoku association, which runs seven of them; it describes Umi Jigoku as a cobalt-blue spring at 98 degrees Celsius and lists foot baths at four hells, Umi Jigoku and Oniishi Bozu Jigoku among them.[5] SkyGate does not say how the combo is honoured at each site. The museum's own operator sells a three-site set ticket for the same three venues, which is consistent with the combo, and says the museum has no car park of its own.[4]

XTOUR's reading: take the Sand SPA if you want to bathe, the museum alone if you want the background to the hot springs, and the combo only if you also want to see two of the hells rather than the full seven.

Beppu Tower: deck, art museum or both

The Beppu Tower Ticket has six options that come down to three choices, each with a youth version for ages 12 to 18. Admission covers the observation decks on the 16th and 17th floors, Beppu Art Museum Admission covers the second-floor museum, and Observatory + Beppu Art Museum Admission covers both.[6] The operator describes a 100-metre tower opened in 1957, with a 55-metre deck, and its floor guide lists the decks on 16 and 17 and the art museum on 2.[7] SkyGate says the museum holds more than 400 works and that the museum's hours are 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, with last admission 30 minutes before closing.[6] The operator's page gives the tower's hours as 9:30 to 21:30.[7] XTOUR's reading: the deck is the choice for a view at any hour the tower is open, and the museum only matters if you can arrive before the museum closes.

Oita Marine Palace Aquarium Umitamago

The Oita Marine Palace Aquarium Umitamago Ticket has two options, Admission and Admission - Preschoolers for ages 4 to 5. SkyGate describes sharks and rays in a Giant Circular Tank, a coral reef display, walrus and dolphin performances, and Asobeach, where dolphins can be seen up close, and says the aquarium is fully wheelchair accessible and that exhibits and performances may change with animal conditions.[8] The operator's English pages, as read, show no address or hours, so check both before you go.[9] See the Oita Marine Palace Aquarium Umitamago page on XTOUR.

Four theme parks: which one to spend a day on

Kijima Kogen Park Ticket covers the park gate only, according to SkyGate. Its option text says rides need separate ride tickets or a ride pass, that some attractions have age or height restrictions, and that attractions can change with weather or maintenance.[10] The operator promotes Jupiter as Japan's first wooden roller coaster, shows an operating-status page, and listed hours of 10:00 to 17:00 for the day XTOUR read it. Its notices include a 13 to 15 October pause for Poseidon 30 and a long-term attraction suspension announcement that XTOUR did not read in detail.[11] SkyGate also says indoor attractions offer options on rainy days.[10] It is the only park here where the ticket alone does not cover rides.

Sanrio Harmonyland Ticket has one option, the Day Passport Ticket, which you present at the entry gate at the address SkyGate gives in Hiji, Oita. SkyGate describes themed rides, a Hello Kitty Angel Coaster, a character boat ride and live shows and parades, and does not itemise which attractions the passport covers. The operator's site could not be read beyond the park's name and location, so hours and show times are unverified; SkyGate points to the park's own calendar.[13][12]

Huis Ten Bosch Theme Park is in Sasebo, Nagasaki, not Oita. The operator describes a European townscape with seasonal flowers and events.[15] SkyGate lists four options: a One-Day Passport and an After 3:00 PM Passport, each for adults and for children aged 7 to 11. Its listing says the passport includes unlimited rides on over 40 attractions, use of in-park buses and the Canal Cruiser, and access to limited-time events, shows and museums. The voucher is exchanged at the 3rd or 4th window at the Import Gate or Port Gate. SkyGate says the tickets are valid only for international travellers, which XTOUR has not verified with the operator.[14] XTOUR's reading: the After 3:00 PM option is the one to look at if you arrive late, since it is valid from 3:00 PM by its title.

Brazilian Park Washuzan Highland Ticket is in Kurashiki, Okayama, according to Wikidata, so it belongs with a Chugoku itinerary rather than a Kyushu one.[18] Its option includes park admission and a one-day free pass for attractions, and SkyGate describes coasters, a Sky Cycle and views of the Seto Ohashi bridges from the Sky View ride. The listing does not say which rides are excluded or restricted, and the operator listed 10:00 to 17:00 hours for the day XTOUR read it, with a samba team among its attractions.[17][16]

How to choose

• To bathe in something Beppu is known for: the Sand SPA Ticket (Beppu Kaihin Sunayu).
• To understand the hot springs, on a wet day or a short visit: the Jigoku Onsen Museum Ticket, with the combo if you also want two hells.
• For a view or an art museum in town: the Beppu Tower Ticket, picking the deck, the museum or both.
• For animals and shows: Oita Marine Palace Aquarium Umitamago Ticket.
• For rides where you pay per ride: Kijima Kogen Park Ticket.
• For a character park: Sanrio Harmonyland Ticket.
• For a whole day with the rides included and a Dutch townscape in Nagasaki: Huis Ten Bosch Theme Park.
• For a Setonaikai hilltop park with a one-day attractions pass, in Okayama: Brazilian Park Washuzan Highland Ticket.

Before you book

• Kijima Kogen Park's ticket does not include rides.[10]
• The Sand SPA operator asks for advance reservation, and closes irregularly twice a month.[2]
• Huis Ten Bosch tickets are listed as valid only for international travellers, unverified with the operator.[14]
• The Jigoku Onsen Museum combo covers two of the seven hells.[5][3]
• Sanrio Harmonyland's and Oita Aquarium's operator hours are unverified.[9][13]