JR Pass Plan a trip

秋

Currently in season

AutumnSep–Nov

Now in Eiheiji · cedar and maple, late Oct–mid Nov

Autumn colour peaks at Eiheiji and Ichijōdani from late October to mid-November. Queue early for the Eiheiji Liner on leaf-season weekends.

春夏秋冬

Zen head temple, founded 1244

Fukui · Eiheiji & Katsuyama

Eiheiji & the Dinosaur Museum永平寺・恐竜博物館

Q: Do I need to book zazen at Eiheiji?

No, not the day session. Drop-in zazen runs at 10:00, 13:30 and 15:30 (about 50 minutes); sign up at reception at least 5 minutes before. The overnight practice needs booking on set dates (0776-63-4361).

Q: How do I get to Eiheiji from Fukui?

The Eiheiji Liner bus from Fukui Station East takes about 30 minutes: ¥750, rising to ¥1,000 on 1 October 2026. Or take the Echizen Railway to Eiheiji-guchi (25 minutes, ¥490) and a local bus.

Q: Do I need to book the Fukui Dinosaur Museum?

Yes. The museum uses timed-entry tickets: buy a date and time online or at convenience stores. Same-day tickets are sold at the museum only if slots remain.

Q: How much is the Fukui Dinosaur Museum?

¥1,000 for adults, ¥500 for elementary and junior high pupils and visitors aged 70+. The 2-hour Field Station dig at the real quarry is ¥1,300 and needs booking at least 2 days ahead.

Inland from Fukui city, one valley holds a 13th-century Zen monastery still run by its monks, and the museum beside the quarry where most of Japan's named dinosaurs were found. Both are on the same local railway.

Eiheiji ¥700 Museum ¥1,000 Fukui + 30–75 min

Echizen Railway · えちぜん鉄道 7 min read

In brief

Both sights are on the Echizen Railway Katsuyama-Eiheiji Line from Fukui, and both pair well with a night in Fukui city, where the Shinkansen station is fronted by moving robot dinosaurs. Neither the JR Pass nor the Arch Pass covers Echizen Railway or Keifuku buses.

Two sights, one valley

Temple and museum

Eiheiji大本山永平寺

Eiheiji Liner, 30 min from Fukui Station

Founded in 1244 by Dōgen, who brought Sōtō Zen from China. Visitors walk the covered wooden corridors linking the halls up the cedar hillside: the Sanmon gate, Butsuden, Hattō and the monks' hall. Photographing monks is discouraged.

Drop-in zazen at 10:00, 13:30 and 15:30, about 50 minutes, no booking. For dawn sutras, request the morning service the day before (0776-63-3102), or stay overnight on set dates.

Admission

¥700

Hours

08:30–16:30

Zazen

Drop-in

Fukui Prefectural Dinosaur Museum福井県立恐竜博物館

Echizen Railway to Katsuyama (54 min) + bus

Fukui has produced most of Japan's named dinosaurs from the Kitadani quarry just outside Katsuyama, including Fukuiraptor, Fukuisaurus and Fukuititan. The museum reopened on 14 July 2023 after a renovation and extension.

Book a timed entry. In season, the 2-hour Field Station tour takes you to the real quarry to split rock for fossils (¥1,300, book 2 days ahead, guided in Japanese).

Admission

¥1,000

Closed

2nd & 4th Wed

Allow

2–3 hours

Hours and access

Plan the day

	Eiheiji	Dinosaur Museum
Hours	08:30–16:30 (arrive by 16:00)	09:00–17:00 (last entry 16:30); 18 Jul–16 Aug 08:30–18:00
Closed	Open all year (halls close for rites)	2nd and 4th Wednesdays, 31 Dec, 1 Jan
Adult	¥700	¥1,000 (70+ ¥500)
From Fukui	Eiheiji Liner 30 min (¥1,000 from 1 Oct 2026)	Echizen Railway to Katsuyama 54 min (¥820) + bus
Best ticket	Asakura and Eiheiji 1-day pass ¥2,000 (from 1 Oct)	Echizen Railway Dinosaur set ¥1,700 (rail + Katsuyama buses)

By car: Fukui Station to Eiheiji about 30 minutes; to the museum about 30 minutes from Fukui-kita JCT on the toll-free Chūbu-Jūkan Expressway.

Practical tips

Before you go

Things first-time visitors usually wish they'd known.

01
Start early at Eiheiji. The 10:00 zazen is the easiest to reach from Fukui on the first Liners.
02
Book the museum before the train. Buy your timed entry first, then the Echizen Railway Dinosaur set ticket.
03
Check the museum calendar. Closed on the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays plus occasional maintenance days; open daily in the summer holidays.
04
Leaf-season queues. The Eiheiji Liner is first come, first served. Late October to mid-November weekends fill fast.
05
Kids and dinosaurs. The Katsuyama Dinosaur Forest park around the museum has a pay-per-go digging playground for younger children.

FAQ

Eiheiji and museum questions, answered

Do I need to book zazen at Eiheiji?

No, not the day session. Drop-in zazen runs at 10:00, 13:30 and 15:30 (about 50 minutes); sign up at reception at least 5 minutes before. The overnight practice needs booking on set dates (0776-63-4361).

How do I get to Eiheiji from Fukui?

The Eiheiji Liner bus from Fukui Station East takes about 30 minutes: ¥750, rising to ¥1,000 on 1 October 2026. Or take the Echizen Railway to Eiheiji-guchi (25 minutes, ¥490) and a local bus.

Do I need to book the Fukui Dinosaur Museum?

Yes. The museum uses timed-entry tickets: buy a date and time online or at convenience stores. Same-day tickets are sold at the museum only if slots remain.

How much is the Fukui Dinosaur Museum?

¥1,000 for adults, ¥500 for elementary and junior high pupils and visitors aged 70+. The 2-hour Field Station dig at the real quarry is ¥1,300 and needs booking at least 2 days ahead.

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