The Hakata Gion Yamakasa (博多祇園山笠) is one of the most interesting festivals in Japan. It is held every year during the first half of July and climaxes with a spectacular time trial race in the early morning hours of July 15. In the race, seven neighborhoods of Fukuoka's Hakata district compete in pushing beautifully decorated festival floats along a five kilometer long course through the city.

Fukuoka's open air food stands (屋台, Yatai) are possibly the city's best known symbol. Yatai can generally seat about seven or eight people and provide an atmospheric outdoor environment to enjoy various foods that are generally simple and filling. There are over 150 yatai scattered across Fukuoka but the best place to find them is on the southern end of Nakasu Island. Located in the middle of the city, Nakasu Island has a long row of around 20 yatai that are attractively situated along the water.

Uminonakamichi Seaside Park (海の中道海浜公園, Uminonakamichi Kaihin Kōen), is a sprawling, family oriented public park located on a narrow peninsula across the bay from central Fukuoka. The park is made up of several different areas including flower gardens, playgrounds, an amusement park with ferris wheel, sports fields, a water park, a zoo and large open spaces and lawns perfect for picnicking.

Ohori Park (大濠公園, Ōhori-kōen) is a pleasant city park in central Fukuoka with a large pond at its center. There is a walking path around the circumference of the pond that is just a little over two kilometers long and is popular for jogging, walking pets and leisurely strolls by the water. Ohori is Japanese for moat, and the pond at the center of the park once served as part of the moat system of the neighboring Fukuoka Castle. The park was constructed between 1926 and 1929 and designed after the classical garden style of the West Lake in China. There are three islands in the middle of the pond that are connected to the mainland and each other by elegant stone bridges.

Shofukuji (聖福寺, Shōfukuji) has the distinction of being the first Zen temple constructed in Japan. It was founded in 1195 by the priest Eisai, who introduced the Rinzai sect of Zen Buddhism from China into Japan. Although the temple buildings cannot be entered, visitors can walk through Shofukuji's attractive temple grounds and observe the buildings from outside.

Seaside Momochi (シーサイドももち, Shīsaido Momochi) is Fukuoka's modern waterfront located on reclaimed land along Hakata Bay. The area was originally developed as the site of the 1989 Asia Pacific Expo and was designed with attractive, modern features such as wide, tree lined streets, futuristic buildings, public parks and no phone or electricity lines above ground.

Canal City Hakata (キャナルシティ博多) is a large shopping and entertainment complex, calling itself a "city within the city". Attractions include about 250 shops, cafes and restaurants, a theater, game center, cinemas, two hotels and a canal running through the complex. Visitors, who are planning on shopping, will likely be able to find something of interest in one of Canal City's many stores, whether it be in a shop unique to Japan or a branch of an international company. There is also a wide variety of restaurants, offering Japanese and international food, that generally have reasonably priced menus. The fifth floor consists of the "Ramen Stadium", which has eight ramen shops with noodle dishes from across Japan, including the local specialty Hakata Ramen.

The ruins of Fukuoka Castle (福岡城跡, Fukuokajōato) are located in the middle of the city in Maizuru Park, named after the castle's alias, Maizuru Castle. During the Edo Period (1603-1867), Fukuoka Castle used to be the largest castle on Kyushu, but it was almost completely torn down after the Meiji Restoration as an unwanted symbol of the feudal past. Nowadays only ruined walls and a few turrets remain, and the park attracts visitors with walking trails and a few lookout points. Fukuoka Castle was built in the beginning of the 17th century by Kuroda Nagamasa, who was appointed lord of the surrounding Chikuzen feudal domain (part of today's Fukuoka Prefecture) for his support of Tokugawa Ieyasu during the battle of Sekigahara. The Kuroda clan ruled from the castle for more than two centuries until the abolition of the feudal system in 1870.