__________
__________
When travelling around Japan, you aren’t exactly short on options. From famous high-speed rails to local train lines and inter-city buses, finding the right one for you will depend on your ideal balance of Price, Speed, and Comfort.
I’m heading to Nagasaki for a couple of days, and while ideally I’d like to get there as fast as possible, I decided to go for the budget-friendly option and check out a regional bus line this time.
So what was the experience like? Was saving a bit of money worth the tradeoff? And is it worth the visit? Let’s get to it. How Good is the Kyushu Kyuko Highway Bus from Fukuoka to Nagasaki Actually?
–Purchasing Tickets–
–At Nishitetsu Tenjin Highway Bus Terminal–
–Highway Bus Interior–
–View Outside the Window–
–Arrival At Nagasaki Prefectural Bus Terminal–
–Things to do at Nagasaki–
–At Nagasaki Prefectural Bus Station–
–Ride from Nagasaki to Fukuoka–
–At Hakata Bus Terminal–
–Things to do at Fukuoka–
–Verdict–
__________
🎟 Purchasing Tickets 🎟
To purchase tickets, your best bet is to reserve via third-party booking platforms – as the other method is via phone. Prices may vary, but ¥2,900 seems to be the standard one-way price during my visit.
The Fukuoka – Nagasaki bus runs at least once every hour, so select the best timeslot for you, pick your preferred Start/End point, and you’ll receive a confirmation email for the trip.
Side Note: Do note that not all timeslots feature the same amount of stops, so if you want to head to Nagasaki as soon as possible, go for the express bus that features 2 stops at Fukuoka and 2-3 stops at Nagasaki.
For reference, here’s how the Kyushu Kyuko bus compares to some other methods of travel from Fukuoka to Nagasaki
Local Trains
¥3,000 // 4 hours
Kyushu Kyuko Highway Bus (cheapest)
¥2,900 // 2hrs30mins
Shinkansen (fastest)
¥3,850-6,000 // 90 mins
__________
🏢 At Nishitetsu Tenjin Highway Bus Terminal (to Nagasaki) 🏢
Ideally, I should’ve started at Hakata Bus Terminal for the sake of the review, but as I was around Tenjin for breakfast – today’s starting point will be at their 2nd (and final) pick-up spot: Nishitetsu Tenjin Highway Bus Terminal.
At Nishitetsu Fukuoka (Tenjin) Station, follow the signs towards “Expressway Bus (Departure)”, take the escalators up, and you’ll arrive at the bus station’s departure halls.
Buses for Nagasaki will be located at Platform 4 – conveniently located right in front of the escalators. (No need to line up immediately, as the gate also serves other bus lines.)
Once your bus arrives at the station, the driver will come out and start the boarding process. Simply show the driver your email/ticket and your name. Once confirmed, pass them your luggage (if any) and head towards the bus to your assigned seat.
__________
__________
🚌 Highway Bus Interior 🚌
As a long-distance highway-coach, the ride itself was very comfortable.
Nicely-sized seats with a reclining function and plenty of legroom, overhead bag storage, A/C, on-board Wi-Fi (decent enough to watch some YouTube videos), and a power outlet.
Nothing too fancy, but it doesn’t need to be.
__________
🏞️ View Outside the Window 🏞️
My journey today from Nishitetsu Tenjin to Nagasaki took around 2hrs10mins (2hrs30mins if you’re starting from Hakata Bus Terminal.)
The ride itself was very comfortable, and if you decide to stay awake throughout the trip, will be treated to some pretty scenic views – from Fukuoka’s urban areas and shipping ports, to the mountains and plains of Saga Prefecture, then finally through the valleys and back to the urban landscape of Nagasaki.
Side Note: Nagasaki Peace Park will be on the left, so if you’re sitting on that side, make sure to keep an eye out for it!
__________
🏢 Arrival At Nagasaki Prefectural Bus Terminal 🏢
Once you arrive at Nagasaki Prefectural Bus Terminal, simply get off the bus, let the driver know if you have any luggage, and you’re pretty much good to go!
To get to Nagasaki Station, take the overpass and follow the route for a quick 5 minute walk.
__________
__________
🗾 Things to do at Nagasaki 🗾
I was only in Nagasaki for around 24 hours on this trip, but if you’re looking for some recommendations of where to visit, I highly recommend the Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum and Peace Park. It’s quite the heavy experience, but the museum is very well-made and 100% worth a visit.
Full Review: Coming Soon!
And for a place to eat, I recommend Tonkatsu Hamakatsu for some great lunch sets! Make sure to grab a set with the local Nagasaki Aji Fry for a regional specialty!
__________
🏢 At Nagasaki Prefectural Bus Station (to Fukuoka) 🏢
To head back to Fukuoka, head over to Nagasaki Prefectural Bus Terminal, located around a 5 minute walk on the overpass from Nagasaki Station – basically the same place you came from.
The buses for Fukuoka will be at Platform 2, so if you enter the building via the front entrance, you’ll have to take the stairs and cross under to the other side of the terminal. (I assume there’s a luggage-friendly route somewhere, but I couldn’t find it)
Other than that, the check-in experience is basically the same: wait ‘till the driver begins the boarding process, present them your ticket/email and any luggage, and head up the bus to your assigned seat.
__________
__________
🚌 Ride from Nagasaki to Fukuoka 🚌
The ride back to Fukuoka is essentially the same experience as before. Only difference for my trip is that it’s at nighttime – so I basically slept the entire journey.
I should also mention it here, but even despite the unpredictability of traffic, the buses were impressively on time, almost to the minute! Great for knowing when exactly you’ll arrive at your destination, but that also means you better be on time when boarding begins!
__________
🏢 At Hakata Bus Terminal 🏢
My final stop today is at their terminal station – Hakata Bus Terminal.
Once you arrive, you can either take the connecting overpass on the same floor for easy access to Hakata Station, or head down to the 1st floor to exit the Bus Terminal.
__________
🗾 Things to do at Fukuoka 🗾
Full Review: Fukuoka Reviews
For more on where to visit at Fukuoka, check out my Fukuoka Review page for some great restaurant locations – including Kiwamiya Hamburg, a Hamburg specialty shop located right below Hakata Bus Terminal
__________
__________
⭐VERDICT⭐
So how good is the Kyushu Kyuko Highway Bus from Fukuoka to Nagasaki actually? I mean, at the end of the day, a bus is just a thing that takes you places, and it doesn’t need to be fancy to be good. But my journey today was very pleasant and smooth-sailing, and I was very impressed with the overall experience.
So if you need to travel from Fukuoka to Nagasaki, do give the Kyushu Kyuko Highway Bus a go!
Kyushu Kyuko Highway Bus (Fukuoka – Nagasaki)
__________
__________
One comment in this post
💬 Final Words 💬
I really wasn’t expecting much when I booked the tickets, but I must say between the efficiency, convenience, and that “Japanese touch” service, the experience was surprisingly enjoyable. No idea if/when I’ll travel to Nagasaki again, but I’d probably take the highway bus again when I do so!