Hidden Japan: Kyushu Highlights (via Kurokawa)

Itinerary - 8 Days

1. Day 1

   Location

   Fukuoka

   Hotel

   JR Kyushu Hotel Blossom Hakata Chuo

   Welcome to the sub-tropical Kyushu, Japan's third largest island! (Arrive by plane to Fukuoka airport or by train to JR Hakata station.)
   
   At the airport, you will be met by our staff who will help you to transfer to JR Hakata station. If you are arriving there already, great! From Hakata station, we will help you to exchange for your JR Passes and book your seats for this Kyushu adventure. You will then be free to head to your hotel.
   
   After you check-in, you are free to explore Fukuoka!
   
   Fukuoka is known for its nightlife and local cuisine, including the numerous food stalls or 'Yatai' set along the river. Particularly famous in Fukuoka is Hakata ramen, a style of ramen noodles that have led to the creation of restaurants the world over, but nothing quite compares to the authenticity you'll find in Fukuoka.

2. Day 2

   Location

   Ibusuki

   Hotel

   Hakusuikan

   Meal

   Breakfast, Dinner

   With your first full day on Kyushu, you will be travelling to Ibusuki. Check out from your hotel, get back to JR Hakata station and head down to Ibusuki via Kagoshima, where you will have some time to explore.
   Suggested route:
   Hakata 09:32 > Kagoshima-chuo 10:58
   
   You have some free time in Kagoshima. The symbol of Kagoshima is the constantly smoking volcano, Sakurajima, which has minor eruptions several times a day and which can be easily visited by ferry. be a bit careful with your time here, you will be staying in Ibusuki this afternoon!
   
   Kagoshima-chuo 15:01 > Ibusuki 16:15
   
   Your hotel in Ibusuki overlooks Kagoshima bay. It is the perfect location to enjoy a sand bath, a unique experience in Japan where you are buried to your head in sand (don't worry, you can get out anytime!) which is naturally heated from the ground. You emerge feeling like a new-born and can then proceed to the normal hot springs to wash off and relax.

3. Day 3

   Location

   Kumamoto

   Hotel

   Dormy inn Kumamoto

   Meal

   Breakfast

   After your stay in the hotel, you are headed for Kumamoto.
   
   Kumamoto is home of Kumamoto Castle, one of the grandest and most beautiful castles in Japan and home to the mascot 'Kumamon', whose face has become well known worldwide. The castle was infamously sieged in 1877 during the Satsuma Rebellion, a war which took place over disagreement around Japan's modernisation.
   
   Suggested route:
   Ibusuki 11:27 > Kumamoto 13:52

4. Day 4

   Location

   Kumamoto

   Hotel

   Dormy inn Kumamoto

   Meal

   Breakfast

   You are free to explore Kumamoto.
   
   If you haven't done so already, we of course recommend Kumamoto Castle. There is also the lovely Suizenji Garden to explore as well as residences of old important samurai and of a hugely popular writer, Lafcadio Hearn, who was one of the earliest western commentators on Japanese culture.

5. Day 5

   Location

   Takachiho, Kumamoto

   Hotel

   Dormy inn Kumamoto

   Meal

   Breakfast

   Day trip to Takachiho Gorge by bus.
   
   Today you will be exploring the Takachiho area, where there is a beautiful gorge, a true meeting place between nature and spirituality. It is famous in Japanese mythology as the place where Amaterasu, the sun goddess, came to hide. If you're feeling particularly adventurous you can row down this river, the waters of which are very tranquil.
   
   Suggested route:
   Kumamoto Kotsu centre 9:22 > Takachiho Bus Centre - 12:09
   Takachiho Bus Centre16:31 > Kumamoto Kotsu Centre - 19:14

6. Day 6

   Location

   Kurokawa Onsen

   Hotel

   Sanga

   Meal

   Breakfast, Dinner

   Travel to Kurokawa via Mt Aso by bus.
   
   Kurokawa is a charming town, lined with ryokan, cafes, shops and small shrines. The ryokan are renowned for their outdoor baths, which allow you to take in the scenery while you bathe. Kurokawa offers an Onsen hopping pass, the 'Nyuto Tegata' which lets you visit three hot springs for only 1300yen (roughly £10), we highly recommend you take advantage of this!
   
   Along the way, you will be passing Mt. Aso, an active volcano where you can visit the crater itself! This is a unique opportunity!
   
   Suggested route:
   Depart Kumamoto at 10:46, arrive Mt Aso at 12:46
   Spend a couple of hours exploring Mt. Aso.
   Leave Mt. Aso at 14:16, arrive Kurokawa Onsen at 15:31
   
   Enjoy your stay in a ryokan! If you've not tried out an onsen yet, now is definitely the time! Dive in! (Not literally, the water is relatively shallow.)

7. Day 7

   Location

   Yufuin, Fukuoka

   Hotel

   JR Kyushu Hotel Blossom Hakata Chuo

   Meal

   Breakfast

   Today, you will head back to Fukuoka via Yufuin, another charming onsen town.
   
   You are free to explore the picturesque onsen town of Yufuin until your bus departs for Fukuoka. Yufuin's centre is a bit more modern than some others like it in terms of shopping and cafes, but hot springs are still there to be enjoyed as well!
   
   Are you an onsen-o-holic yet?
   
   Suggested route:
   Leave Kurokawa Onsen at 11:26, arrive Yufuin at 13:01
   Leave Yufuin at 16:20, arrive Hakata bus terminal at 18:38

8. Day 8

   Meal

   Breakfast

   All good things must come to an end, and today you have to head back to the UK! We really hope you have enjoyed your trip around one of the most beautiful areas of Japan and have made the most of your time here. After an entire trip around Kyushu, you must be a true seasoned Japan traveller! If you're up for an even bigger challenge next time, how about Shikoku, the smallest of Japan's four main islands and easily the most rural... We await your call!
   
   After you check out from your hotel, make your own way to Fukuoka airport and fly back home.