The ULTIMATE Miyazaki travel guide: Top attractions, what to eat, where to stay & MORE

If you are planning a trip to Miyazaki, this is the article for you. In this article, Living Nomads will reveal from A to Z places to eat, have fun, entertain and even quality accommodation for your upcoming trip. In particular, read the entire article below to know how to own a budget trip with us! So, is miyazaki worth visiting, what to do in miyazaki? Let’s check out The ULTIMATE Miyazaki travel guide: Top attractions, what to eat, where to stay & MORE in this post!

Miyazaki travel guide: Where is Miyazaki?

Miyazaki is a province located on the east coast of Kyushu, famous as one of the most worth-experienced tourist destinations in Japan. The beauty of Miyazaki comes from the clear, poetic blue beaches and ancient and traditional spiritual temples. It is the intersection between nature and unique religious culture that has created a very beautiful, very poetic but very mysterious Miyazaki.

What to prepare when traveling to Miyazaki?

Carefully prepare important documents as well as necessary items to make your trip simpler and more relaxing. Some things you will need to prepare for your trip to Miyazaki are:

1. Passport: The passport you bring to travel to Miyazaki must be valid for at least 6 months and have at least 2 blank pages for stamps. If you have a passport from a country exempted from a Japanese visa, bring it with you to be able to enter successfully at the airport.

2. Visa: This is a must if you travel to Miyazaki. You can apply for a visa yourself or use the Japanese visa service on Klook. If you want to experience applying for a Japanese tourist visa yourself, follow the information in the following article of Living Nomads.

3. Prepare a daily itinerary: This is one of the necessary factors for your trip to Miyazaki to be successful. In particular, preparing a daily itinerary will increase your chances of getting a visa to Japan.

4. Air tickets, hotel rooms and entertainment venues: Booking air tickets, hotel rooms and entertainment venues in Miyazaki in advance will help you save time and ensure your trip will be smooth and convenient. To save money on your trip, you can use the attractive Klook discount code.

5. Digital entry form: This is one of the necessary steps when you enter the airport in Miyazaki. You need to fill out the entry form (Arrival Card) 72 hours before departure on Visit Japan Web.

6. Travel insurance: For any trip to Miyazaki, you should prepare additional travel insurance for the trip. Currently, travel insurance is classified as follows: Health insurance; Lost luggage insurance; Flight delay insurance; Flight cancellation insurance;… Depending on your needs, you can choose the type of travel insurance that suits your trip.

7. Currency and payment methods in Miyazaki: There are three forms of payment for you to choose from, you can pay in cash or pay with electronic cards, international bank cards.

• If you pay in cash, you need to exchange VND to JPY (Japanese Yen) at reputable currency exchange locations or exchange at the airport.
• If you use international bank cards, you need to prepare cards such as VISA, Mastercard, JCB,…
• The remaining form of payment is IC card, contactless prepaid card that is extremely popular in Japan. One of the popular IC cards is Suica card.

eSIM Japan | NTT DOCOMO

8. Japanese SIM or eSIM: If you want to contact relatives, use payment applications, surf the internet,… when traveling in Miyazaki, you need to prepare a physical travel SIM or eSIM for Japan travel.

9. Necessary applications: Some useful applications for your trip are: Taxi go or Uber: Book a taxi; Flush: Find the nearest restroom; Mymizu: Find a place to refill drinking water; Navitime: Use to look up train routes; Tabelog/ Yelp: Find quality places to eat. Refer to this article: 17+ most useful, must-have & best apps for Japan travel.

10. Other necessary items: Sunglasses, power adapter, sunscreen, seasonal jacket, dry tissues, wet tissues, hand sanitizer, spare charger, personal medicine,… are the things you should prepare in your luggage when traveling to Miyazaki.

How to get to Miyazaki?

In addition to fly, you can choose to go to Miyazaki from major cities such as Tokyo, Yatsushiro, Kagoshima,… by JR Tokaido, Sanyo or Shinkansen Kyushu trains. You can book train tickets from now on Klook to save costs.

Means of transport in Miyazaki

JR Kyushu Rail Pass

There are many public transport options for you to use in Miyazaki. Specifically as follows:

Train: The main means of transport in Miyazaki. Trains in Miyazaki have Miyazaki station as the center, making it easy for you to travel to famous tourist attractions such as Miyazaki Shrine, Miyazaki Provincial Museum, Seagaia Resort,…

Bus: You can travel everywhere in the Miyazaki area by bus. Similar to the train, the bus system in Miyazaki also takes Miyazaki Station as the center, making it easy for you to get to famous tourist spots. The bus fare is about 700 JPY (~122,000 VND)/trip on holidays or weekends. In addition to paying for bus tickets in cash, you can choose a monthly bus card of about 1,000 JPY (~175,000 VND)/person or use an IC card.

Car rental: This will be a suitable means of transport for those who own an internationally valid driver’s license. When renting a car, you can easily travel to tourist attractions outside the city, typically Udo Shrine. You can find car rental locations around the airport and city center. If you want to quickly have your car delivered to you to travel around Miyazaki, rent a car on Klook.

The best time to travel to Miyazaki

The best time to travel to Miyazaki is spring and autumn. Spring (March – May) in Miyazaki has pleasant weather, temperatures ranging from 18 – 24°C, suitable for walking, sightseeing or visiting outdoor places. In particular, spring in Miyazaki is the cherry blossom season, which usually blooms in late March, making the place filled with sweet and romantic pink.

Autumn in Miyazaki (September – November), with temperatures of about 20 – 24°C, is the time when you can easily see the bright red and yellow leaves in Gokase Valley or Ebino Plateau. In particular, if you want to see autumn in Miyazaki or across Japan at the most ideal time, you can consider the days of October – November. At this time, the entire sky of Japan is a beautiful landscape painting, making many tourists want to witness this moment at least once in their life.

In addition, summer (June – August) and winter (December – February) are also suitable times to come to Miyazaki. Summer is suitable for water activities, enjoying fresh, cool dishes or participating in fireworks festivals on the beach. Winter in Miyazaki is suitable for enjoying dishes with hot broth or participating in unique winter festivals (Daikon Yagura; Aoshima; …).

Where to go, what to do in Miyazaki : Suggestions for famous tourist attractions when traveling to Miyazaki

If you are traveling to Miyazaki for the first time, save the famous tourist attractions below. These are all tourist attractions that attract many visitors to Miyazaki.

Sun Messe Nichinan (Sun Messe Nichinan Park)

• Address: 2650 Miyaura, Nichinan, Miyazaki 887-0101, Japan
• Opening hours: 09:30 – 17:00 (Closed every Wednesday)

You don’t have to go to Chile to see the giant Moai statues on Easter Island. Now, with Sun Messe Nichinan Park, you can witness with your own eyes the giant Moai statues standing tall in the middle of the turquoise water gently moving towards the Pacific Ocean. In particular, these are the statues recognized by the Easter Island government as the only replicas.

Amano Iwato Shrine

• Address: 1073-1 Iwato, Takachiho, Nishiusuki District, Miyazaki 882-1621, Japan

Amano Iwato Shrine is located in the Takachiho area of ​​Miyazaki Prefecture, and is one of the most popular shrines for tourists. It mainly worships the sun goddess Amaterasu – the ancestor of the Japanese Imperial Family and the daughter of gods such as Izanagi and Izanami. The unique feature of this shrine is the small path leading to the shrine, thousands of small stone towers are lined up along the path to mark this sacred place.

In addition, Amano Iwato Shrine is also the venue for the Amano Iwato Kagura festival from November to February every year. This is a festival where people will perform 33 dances all night long to pray for a bountiful harvest, drive away evil spirits and invite the gods to the Kagurayado building. According to legend, these dances are one of the secrets that make the gods bring Amaterasu out of the Amano Iwato cave.

Udo Jingu Shrine (Udo Jingu Shrine)

• Address: 3232 Miyaura, Nichinan, Miyazaki 887-0101, Japan
• Opening hours: 06:00 – 18:00

One of the things that makes Udo Jingu Shrine a “holy land” to check-in for many tourists is its geographical location. Located on the coast of Nichinan, the shrine is surrounded by clear blue waves and the morning sunlight to the sunset. This is the breathtaking natural scenery of Miyazaki city that you should definitely not miss on your trip.

Udo Jingu Shrine worships the father of Emperor Jimmu – Yamasachihiko, the first emperor in Japanese legend. There are many legends surrounding this emperor, but the only thing they have in common is that the oval rocks on the cave wall nurtured him to become a talented person for the country. Besides, the shrine is also known as a place of prayer to bring couples or newlyweds who wish to have children.

Takachiho Shrine

• Address: 1037 Mitai, Takachiho, Nishiusuki District, Miyazaki 882-1101, Japan
• Opening hours: 08:00 – 17:00

Takachiho Shrine is one of the sacred and ancient shrines in Japan, built 1,900 years ago. The shrine is dedicated to Ninigi no Mikoto, who is both the grandson of the sun goddess Amaterasu Omikami and the great-grandfather of Emperor Jimmu. The attraction of Takachiho Shrine is the nightly Kagura dance performance, reenacting the story of Amaterasu Omikami who was lured out of the cave by the vibrant and attractive dances. In particular, this place is also known as a place to pray for a happy and fulfilling marriage.

Miyazaki City Phoenix Zoo

• Address: Japan, 〒880-0122 Miyazaki, Shioji, 浜山3083-42
• Hours of Operation: 09:00 – 17:00 (Closed every Wednesday)
• Admission Price: From only 840 JPY (~146,000 VND)/person

The Phoenix Zoo in Miyazaki City is home to about 1,200 animals from 100 species around the world. Each area in the Phoenix Zoo Miyazaki is a small house for each group of species, such as the African Garden with giraffes, zebras, ostriches; Chimpanzee Forest with chimpanzees living in groups; Flamingo Village with groups of flamingos;… In particular, from 10:00 – 16:00 every day, every 30 minutes there will be an animal event, you can interact or take souvenir photos with these lovely animals.

Takachiho Gorge

• Address: Mukoyama, Takachiho, Nishiusuki District, Miyazaki 882-1103, Japan
• Opening hours: 08:30 – 17:00

Takachiho Gorge is one of the tourist attractions in Miyazaki, Kyushu that you should definitely not miss. When visiting the gorge, you can experience the feeling of going by boat along the winding river and looking straight up at the 17-meter high Manai Falls with the roaring water. This scene is extremely majestic and spectacular, leaving a deep impression on you. Besides, Takachiho Gorge is the place to see the beautiful autumn scenery of Miyazaki. In autumn, the gorge is filled with red and orange leaves, creating a very majestic natural scene.

In addition to visiting famous tourist attractions of Miyazaki on your own, you can choose a Kyushu day tour departing from Fukuoka. The tour passes through most of the typical landmarks of Miyazaki, making it easy for you to complete your checklist.

Ideal Miyazaki hotels for your trip

Miyazaki is a very popular destination for tourists as well as Japanese people. Therefore, the availability of rooms at Miyazaki hotels is often sold out very quickly. To ensure you will have a night stay here, book a hotel room from now on Klook.

According to many visitors, hotels near Miyazaki Station are the ideal choice for those who want to travel around here by public transport. Besides, if you want to listen to the sound of the waves from early morning to late night, Miyazaki hotels or resorts near the sea are the number one choice. In particular, if you want to see the magnificent autumn scenery of Miyazaki, you can consider hotels near Takachiho.

If you have too many choices and are wondering where to stay on your journey to explore Miyazaki, please refer to the following places:

Phoenix Seagaia Resort

• Address: Hamayama Yamasakicho, Miyazaki, 880-8545, Japan
• Room price per night from: 3,325,488 VND

Phoenix Seagaia Resort is one of the 4-star hotels in Miyazaki, with rooms with a vast and immense ocean view. In particular, the hotel is also very close to Miyazaki’s typical attractions such as the Miyazaki City Phoenix Zoo, Miyazaki Prefectural Art Museum, Miyazaki Shrine, etc. Modern and luxurious facilities, close to train stations and famous tourist attractions have made the hotel a favorite accommodation for many tourists. (klook, agoda)

Hotel JAL City Miyazaki

• Address: 4 Chome-2-30 Tachibanadorinishi, Miyazaki, 880-0001, Japan
• Room rates per night from only: 1,957,842 VND

Hotel JAL City Miyazaki is one of the hotels located very close to Miyazaki Station. It only takes a few minutes to get to the station, using public transportation to start your travel journey. In particular, the hotel is also very close to famous tourist attractions such as Miyazaki Shrine, Miyazaki Prefectural Art Museum, Miyazaki Prefectural Museum of Nature and History, etc. Staying at Hotel JAL City Miyazaki will make you satisfied and happy. (klook, agoda)

Must-try dishes when traveling to Miyazaki

Miyazaki is also a famous place with countless delicious dishes. If you are traveling to Miyazaki for the first time, save the following list of restaurants to easily enjoy the specialties here!

Jidori Sumibiyaki (Charcoal-grilled chicken)

Although the appearance is not eye-catching and attractive, the taste of Jidori Sumibiyaki (Charcoal-grilled chicken) is extremely stimulating to the taste buds. The chicken is marinated with salt and pepper, then quickly grilled over charcoal at high temperature. With the first bite, you will feel the sweet, tender, juicy meat with moderate seasoning.

In particular, you can also smell a slight smoky scent on that delicious piece of meat. To make the flavor even more explosive, you can enjoy this dish with local Miyazaki Shochu. This is the perfect combination for a delicious meal. Some restaurants where you can easily have delicious charcoal-grilled chicken are: 炭火焼 地山鶏 本店, 炭火もも焼き 鶏炬, Kurokiya Miyazaki total Honke Tachibanadorinishi,..

Miyazaki Beef

Beef from Miyazaki Prefecture has successfully received the Prime Minister’s Award four times in a row since 2007 in the Wagyu Beef Promotion Contest (Japanese beef). Therefore, many tourists when traveling to Miyazaki often enjoy this tender beef at least once. Some restaurants that have Miyazaki beef with a variety of cooking styles for you to enjoy are: Miyachiku Beef Teppanyaki Steakhouse, Miyazaki; Oyodo River Miyachiku; Miyazaki Beef Yakiniku Restaurant Hajime;…

Chicken Nanban

Miyazaki’s famous chicken Nanban originated from two restaurants in Nobeoka City. This dish was originally just chicken pieces coated in flour and fried in hot oil, served with sweet vinegar. The dish was then refined and varied, served with Tartar sauce, creating a crispy taste of the flour, soft, juicy meat, melting in the mouth and a bit of fatty cream and spices of Tartar sauce. Some places for you to easily enjoy this delicacy are: 鶏屋たちばな, ジドリトワインノオミセオニユルビ, Miyazaki Hideji Beer in HAROW,…

Traveling to Miyazaki has never been so simple when you travel with Living Nomads. With the above information, we believe that you can plan a travel schedule according to your preferences.

Check out more Miyazaki guide here.