Kunisaki Peninsula Loop
国東半島サイクルルート「仁王輪道」半島１周コース33°29′ N 131°44′ E132.2 km · 1,392 m up · 31% quiet roadsHardRoad bike, Touring
The Kunisaki Peninsula loop is the longest of the Nio Rindo courses that Kunisaki's four towns publish, and it suits riders who want castle towns and coast roads in one long day from Oita Airport; the trade-off is a hilly western half.
Photo RyotaFuno · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 4.0 and others, credited in the gallery
HardLoopRoad bike, Touring, E-road bike
KonbiniDrinking waterToiletsBike shopsTop of chart 400 m
Routed over OpenStreetMap with BRouter fastbike-asia-pacific and measured against Copernicus DEM GLO-30 30 m on 2026-10-12. The waypoints run clockwise. 4.2 km crosses bridges or water, where the elevation is drawn straight across. 5.8 km runs through tunnels, drawn straight through the hill.
On the road
- Start
- Oita Airport. The official full-loop course starts and finishes at Oita Airport on the east coast of the peninsula.
Ride safely
- Route 213 passes through tunnels on the north coast, and Fujinoki Tunnel is one of them. Carry front and rear lights.
- The organisers warn of more hills on the west side of the loop around Yamaga.
Wind at Aso-Otohime, 1991-2020 normals
Which way to ride, month by month風
Jan
SW 2.1
Either way
Feb
SW 2.2
Either way
Mar
SW 2.4
Either way
Apr
SW 2.4
Either way
May
SW 2.3
Either way
Jun
SW 2.5
Either way
Jul
SW 2.6
Either way
Aug
SW 2.2
Either way
Sep
ENE 1.9
Either way
Oct
ENE 1.9
Either way
Nov
SW 1.7
Either way
Dec
SW 1.9
Either way
Arrows point the way the wind blows. Speeds are monthly means in m/s. The wind on any day can differ from the monthly pattern, so check the forecast.
Where to stop
Stops along the way寄り道
Kitsuki CastleSight
The castle stands above the samurai town of Kitsuki.
Ninomaru-kanCafe
Ninomaru-kan serves as a Cycle Oasis in Hiji's old castle town.
Showa Roman GuraSight
Showa Roman Gura serves as a Cycle Oasis in Bungotakada's Showa-era shopping streets.
Michi-no-eki KunisakiCafe
The roadside station doubles as Kunisaki city's cycling terminal and a Cycle Oasis.
Every stop OpenStreetMap lists along the line (17): konbini, cafés
- 7-ElevenKonbinikm 2.7
- LawsonKonbinikm 3.1
- 紙ふうせんCaféskm 14.5
- ローソンKonbinikm 21.6
- 7-ElevenKonbinikm 22.5
- 7-ElevenKonbinikm 27.6
- ファミリーマートKonbinikm 28.8
- ポプラKonbinikm 30.5
- ファミリーマートKonbinikm 69.7
- CafésCaféskm 83.3
- Yamazaki ShopKonbinikm 97.6
- Yamazaki ShopKonbinikm 104.4
- LawsonKonbinikm 116.5
- FamilyMartKonbinikm 120.9
- 7-ElevenKonbinikm 121.8
- LawsonKonbinikm 123.1
- 7-ElevenKonbinikm 123.3
From OpenStreetMap, within each kind’s reach of the line. Opening hours change; check before you rely on one.
Ways off the route
YokokuRail
The JR Nippo Line stops here in Hiji's castle town.
HijiRail
The JR Nippo Line stops here.
KitsukiRail
The JR Nippo Line stops here, a short ride inland from the loop.
Oita AirportBus
Airport buses leave from the start and finish.
KitsukiStation · km 20.6 · 2.0 km off the line
九州旅客鉄道
ŌgaStation · km 22.5 · 177 m off the line
九州旅客鉄道
HijiStation · km 26.1 · 540 m off the line
九州旅客鉄道
YokokuStation · km 27.5
九州旅客鉄道
Bungo-ToyookaStation · km 30.7
九州旅客鉄道
Naka-YamagaStation · km 51.2
九州旅客鉄道
TateishiStation · km 56.4
九州旅客鉄道
Stations from OpenStreetMap within 2 km of the line. Check whether the line takes bikes before you plan to use it.
Tunnels
The line runs through 20 tunnels, 5.8 km in all; the longest is 1,025 m.
Kitsuki, Hiji, Bungotakada and Kunisaki drew up nine cycling courses on the peninsula under the name Nio Rindo, and the full loop is the longest of them. The peninsula hosted the Tour de Kunisaki for 40 editions until 2023, and the event drew about 2,500 riders.
From Oita Airport the loop heads south to the castle town of Kitsuki and the old streets of Hiji. It turns inland towards Maki Odo temple and the Showa-era shopping streets of Bungotakada, then follows the north and east coasts home past the Matama coast, Nagasakibana, the roadside station at Kunimi and the beaches at Aki.
The organisers note that Route 213 carries many of the main sights and aid stops, and that the western roads around Yamaga have more hills, so they suggest an onsen inn to wash off the day. Cycle Oasis stops along the way lend repair kits and bike stands. Ninomaru-kan in Hiji and the cycling terminal at the Kunisaki roadside station are two of them.
Worth knowing
- Maki Odo and Nagasakibana sit a little off the line; the course page lists both, so add the detours if you have the legs.
- Take the train to Yokoku Station in Hiji and join the loop there if you'd rather skip the airport.
Quick answers about Kunisaki Peninsula Loopよくある質問
Where does the Kunisaki Peninsula loop start?
At Oita Airport. The official Nio Rindo full-loop course starts and finishes there, and it passes Yokoku Station in Hiji on the JR Nippo Line for riders arriving by train.
Is there a shorter Kunisaki cycling course?
Yes. Nio Rindo also publishes half-loop courses and short courses on the Kunisaki Peninsula, among them the Bungotakada Showa Retro course and the Hiji and Kitsuki castle-town course.
How long is the Kunisaki Peninsula Loop ride?
The Kunisaki Peninsula Loop ride is 132.2 km with 1,392 m of climbing by our route data, routed over OpenStreetMap and measured against Copernicus DEM GLO-30 30 m. The highest point is 374 m, and the steepest 200 m averages 19.5%.
Where can you buy food and water on the Kunisaki Peninsula Loop ride?
OpenStreetMap lists konbini at 15 points within reach of the Kunisaki Peninsula Loop line, and drinking water at none. The longest stretch without konbini is 39.2 km, so carry what you need for it.
Which way should you ride Kunisaki Peninsula Loop in April to May and October to November?
In April to May and October to November the most frequent wind at the nearest weather station blows from the south-west at about 2.1 m/s on average. By our calculation the Kunisaki Peninsula Loop ride finishes with less headwind either way.