Saga, Kyushu is known for one thing — Huis Ten Bosch.
So if you’re looking for an underrated tourist attraction in Saga, we recommend Saga Balloon Museum for their hot air balloon museum.
Admission fees are ¥500 per adult, and ¥200 for students.
What’s there to do at this attraction?
If there’s one thing you have to do at Saga Balloon Museum, it has to be their hot air balloon simulator.
You can step inside a life-size hot air balloon with huge screen, giving you a fully immersive aerial experience.
The instructions may be in Japanese, but they’re fairly intuitive. Your goal is to reach the destination within three minutes. Wind currents shift the direction of your balloon at different altitudes, which is shown on the screen. Hence you’ll need to adjust your height strategically to catch the right wind and steer your balloon to the target.
There is also the lite version of this game behind the simulator. The screen is about 13 inches, and you control the game with a console instead — almost like regular computer game. This is definitely less immersive, but there are about five stations, so if you’re not willing to queue during peak periods, this is still a good alternative.
Looking for an afternoon tea spot? We recommend Cafe Koumori in Saga
In addition, bring home a souvenir postcard in their Stamp Rally. There are four different stamp outposts placed around Saga Balloon Museum.
Each visitor is also entitled to one try at their claw machine, where you can bring home a collectible card of a hot air balloon model.
How long should you spend at Saga Balloon Museum?
Even if you’re a hot air balloon enthusiast, I’d say one hour is enough for you to cover everything. There aren’t a lot of exhibits, so you’ll spend more time on the activities such as the hot air balloon simulator, stamp rally, and a handful of other games.
Location: 2 Chome-2-27 Matsubara, Saga, 840-0831, Japan
Opening hours:
Monday: Closed
Tue-Sun: 10am-5pm
Planning a trip to Japan?
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- Kyushu Itinerary – Top 10 things to do In Kyushu, Japan
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