The Yufuin Hot Springs Tourist Information office (84-2446; 9 AM-7 PM) inside the train station has some information in English, including a detailed walking map.
Yufuin Station (由布院駅) is the main train station and it serves as a central point for starting off in Yufuin.
* If coming from Fukuoka, the "Yufuin no Mori" or "Yufu" limited express takes approximately 2 hours and 15 minutes from Hakata. It also stops in Hita, from which point it takes about 1 hour. There are about six such trains per day.
* If coming from Oita, the "Yufuin no Mori" or "Yufu" limited express takes about 1 hour from Beppu and 50 minutes from Oita. There are about four such trains per day. You can also take the local train, about 1 hour from Oita.
Get off at the Oita Expressway Yufuin Interchange. In peak tourist seasons, the most direct route to Kinrinko Lake (Route 206) often experiences severe traffic. Due to this, it's advisable to detour to Minami Yufu and head toward the center of Yufuin instead. Specifically you'll want to get off the Interchange, take Route 210 towards Oita, and get on Route 11 in Minami Yufu.
Due to Yufuin's high elevation, you're required to use chains on the highways and mountain roads when there is snow.
Yufuin's major bus hub is the Yufuin Ekimae Bus Center.
* If coming from Beppu: From Beppu Station's west exit, take the Kamenoi Bus "Yufuin" Liner. It takes approximately 1 hour. It also picks up from the Ferry Port (where ferries come in from Kansai) and takes approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes.
* If coming from Fukuoka: Take the Kamenoi High Speed Bus "Yufuin". It's about 2 hours from Tenjin and 2 hours and 20 minutes from the Hakata Bus Terminal.
* If coming from Kumamoto: Take Kyushu Sanko's Bus, the "Kujuu" Oudan Bus. It's about 4 hours from Kumamoto Station and about 2 hours and 15 minutes from Aso Station.
These are the train stations in Yufu:
* Yufuin (由布院駅) - Minami Yufu (南由布駅) - Yunohira (湯平駅) - Shounai (庄内駅) - Tenjinyama (天神山駅) - Onoya (小野屋駅) - Onigase (鬼瀬駅) - Mukainoharu (向之原駅)
Horse carriages (tsujibasha) leave Yufuin station every 30 minutes from 9AM to 4PM. The this tour takes about 50 minutes and costs ¥1500. Rickshaws (jinrikisha) also operate around Yufuin station and Lake Kinrinko.
Yufuin city boasts many beautiful rural landscapes, and there are many walking routes you can take through them. The Tourist Information Center publishes maps that you can refer to as you walk.
* Yufumi Doori (由布見通り) - The name of the street that continues from Yufuin Station to Yufu-dake. You can see Yufu-dake from almost anywhere on this street.
* Yunotsubo Kaidou (湯の坪街道) - The name of the street that goes from Yufumi Doori to Lake Kinrinko. There are many restaurants and souvenir shops, including a Ghibli store.