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Self-Guided Adventure
Kyushu Uncovered
from US$5778 per person (twin share)
11 Nights Trip Code: KSHC
See another side of southern Japan on this rail-based journey through Kyushu, where historic ports, traditional crafts and volcanic landscapes reveal an island shaped by trade, creativity and steaming hot 'onsen'. Read more >
Whether you’re returning for a second visit or simply want to take a less familiar route from the start, this tour through Kyushu is an adventure through one of Japan's steamiest parts of the country. You’ll cycle through city neighbourhoods, make traditional crafts with local artisans, cruise along historic canals and spend the night in ryokan inns, with plenty of hot-spring bathing along the way.
Your journey starts and ends in Fukuoka, Kyushu’s lively northern gateway. You'll explore the city by bike, while learning how thin strips of cedar are shaped into a traditional magewappa bento box along the way. You then have a seasonal lunch from the box you’ve made to look forward to, and take home the bento box as a practical souvenir. In Fukuoka you can also step into the immersive digital worlds of teamLab Forest, where the digital artworks respond as you move through them.
From Fukuoka, travel by limited express and Shinkansen bullet train to Nagasaki, a port city whose streets bear the influence of centuries of contact with the wider world. A private guide will help you understand the city from several perspectives, beginning at the Atomic Bomb Museum and Peace Park before continuing to the former trading post of Dejima. You’ll also make a traditional kite and pause for tea at a temple. Your guide here will introduce you to Nagasaki’s deep international history with the traditions still practiced there today.
Next comes Yanagawa, where canals thread between former samurai residences and old merchant neighbourhoods. Take an evening cruise aboard a traditional donko-bune boat, then stay at Ryokan Ohana, the former residence of the Tachibana family, who ruled the area as feudal lords. With dinner, gardens and centuries of history gathered in one place, this is much more than an overnight stop but a cultural adventure.
In Kumamoto, a private guide will introduce you to the city before you try Higo Zogan, one of the region’s most distinctive crafts. The technique involves working fine gold and silver decoration into iron, and you’ll learn from artisans at a long-established local maker before creating a charm of your own. Kumamoto Castle provides another window onto the city’s past, including the restoration work that followed the 2016 earthquakes.
The scenery changes as you take the train into Aso. Here, you'll join an e-bike tour and make light work of the rolling terrain as you ride across open grasslands within the vast volcanic caldera. After four hours in the mountain air, spend the night at a traditional hot-spring inn in Uchinomaki Onsen, with dinner and a long soak waiting when you return.
But perhaps the most memorable stop is Beppu, a city where hot water shapes everyday life. In the hillside district of Kannawa, steam escapes from drains, vents and cooking pots between the houses. Your guide will take you to the cobalt-blue Umi Jigoku and bubbling mud of Oniishi Bozu Jigoku, before leaving the main sightseeing route to explore the surrounding streets. We think this is the best way to understand Beppu, not as a collection of famous “hells”, but as a neighbourhood that has learned to live with the geothermal landscape beneath it.
What's included
11 nights' accommodation (four nights Japanese style)
Breakfast every day and four evening meals
All transport between destinations
Airport transfers
Pocket WiFi device
Guided Tours in Fukuoka, Yanagawa, Nagasaki, Kumamoto, Aso and Beppu
Charm Making in Kumamoto
Cycling Tour in Aso
Canal Cruise in Yanagawa
Bento Making in Fukuoka
teamLab Fukuoka Tickets
Your personalised InsideJapan Tours Info-Pack
What's NOT included:
International flights
Local transport (buses, subways, taxis) at any destination unless otherwise specified
Any entrance fees including those for shrines, temples and museums
Baggage handling and luggage forwarding
Trip Highlights
- Make a traditional cedar bento box during a cycling tour of Fukuoka
- Cruise through Yanagawa's historic canal district
- Ride an e-bike across the volcanic grasslands of Aso
- Explore Nagasaki's wartime history and international heritage with a private guide
- Create a Higo Zogan metal-inlay charm in Kumamoto
- Walk through Beppu's steam-filled streets and geothermal “hells”
Ready to plan your trip?
For more information email us: [email protected] or call: 720 744 0205
What, where, when and how...
Kyushu Uncovered - 12 Days
Kyushu Uncovered - 12 Days - Day by Day
Kyushu Uncovered - 12 Days - Accommodation
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Day 1-2
Touch down in Kyushu and settle into Fukuoka, your starting point for the journey south.
Arrive in Fukuoka, where a private car takes you from the airport to your hotel. The next day begins on two wheels, with a cycling tour to the historic Hakozaki district and a workshop devoted to magewappa, the craft of shaping thin strips of cedar into elegant bento boxes. After lunch, change pace completely at teamLab Forest, where digital artworks respond to movement and turn the gallery into a space to explore rather than simply observe.
Overnight: The Gate Hotel Fukuoka by HULIC
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Day 3-4
Explore Nagasaki's layered history, from Peace Park and Dejima to temples, kites and tea.
Travel by limited express and Shinkansen bullet train to Nagasaki. Your privately guided day begins with the city's wartime history at the Atomic Bomb Museum and Peace Park, then moves into its longer story of international exchange at Dejima. Kite-making, tea at a temple and a walk through Teramachi bring the city's traditions into the present.
Overnight: Hotel Indigo Nagasaki Glover Street
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Day 5
Swap city streets for Yanagawa's canals, with an evening boat ride and a historic ryokan stay.
Travel back through Fukuoka and continue south to Yanagawa, a small city shaped by its network of canals. An evening cruise aboard a traditional donko-bune boat gives you a water-level view of the historic district before dinner and an overnight stay at Ryokan Ohana, once home to the Tachibana clan.
Overnight: Ryokan Ohana
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Day 6-7
Meet local artisans and try Higo Zogan, Kumamoto's intricate art of decorating iron with gold and silver.
Continue by train to Kumamoto. A private guide introduces the city's culture and history, with time to explore by foot and public transport. You'll also visit a long-established local maker for a Higo Zogan workshop, learning how fine gold and silver decoration is worked into iron before making a small charm of your own.
Overnight: The Blossom Hotel Kumamoto
-
Day 8
E-bike across Aso's open grasslands, then unwind at a traditional hot-spring inn.
Take the train into the Aso caldera, then head out across its grasslands by e-bike. The four-hour guided ride uses electric assistance to make the rolling terrain accessible while opening up wide views across one of Kyushu's defining volcanic landscapes. Finish the day at a traditional hot-spring inn in Uchinomaki Onsen.
Overnight: Sozankyo Ryokan
-
Day 9-10
Discover Beppu's bubbling “hells” and see how geothermal steam shapes everyday life in Kannawa.
Travel via Oita to Beppu, where hot water has shaped everything from bathing and cooking to local crafts. A private walk through Kannawa visits the cobalt-blue Umi Jigoku and bubbling mud of Oniishi Bozu Jigoku before continuing into the steam-filled neighbourhood beyond. With two nights here, there's also time to make use of the hot spring baths and explore independently.
Overnight: KAI Beppu
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Day 11-12
Return to Fukuoka for one last evening in Kyushu's lively northern city.
Return to Fukuoka by limited express train for a final night. The following morning, a private car takes you to Fukuoka Airport for your onward flight.
Overnight: The Gate Hotel Fukuoka by HULIC
-
Day 1-2
Touch down in Kyushu and settle into Fukuoka, your starting point for the journey south.
Arrive in Fukuoka, where a private car takes you from the airport to your hotel. The next day begins on two wheels, with a cycling tour to the historic Hakozaki district and a workshop devoted to magewappa, the craft of shaping thin strips of cedar into elegant bento boxes. After lunch, change pace completely at teamLab Forest, where digital artworks respond to movement and turn the gallery into a space to explore rather than simply observe.
Overnight: The Gate Hotel Fukuoka by HULIC
-
Day 3-4
Explore Nagasaki's layered history, from Peace Park and Dejima to temples, kites and tea.
Travel by limited express and Shinkansen bullet train to Nagasaki. Your privately guided day begins with the city's wartime history at the Atomic Bomb Museum and Peace Park, then moves into its longer story of international exchange at Dejima. Kite-making, tea at a temple and a walk through Teramachi bring the city's traditions into the present.
Overnight: Hotel Indigo Nagasaki Glover Street
-
Day 5
Swap city streets for Yanagawa's canals, with an evening boat ride and a historic ryokan stay.
Travel back through Fukuoka and continue south to Yanagawa, a small city shaped by its network of canals. An evening cruise aboard a traditional donko-bune boat gives you a water-level view of the historic district before dinner and an overnight stay at Ryokan Ohana, once home to the Tachibana clan.
Overnight: Ryokan Ohana
-
Day 6-7
Meet local artisans and try Higo Zogan, Kumamoto's intricate art of decorating iron with gold and silver.
Continue by train to Kumamoto. A private guide introduces the city's culture and history, with time to explore by foot and public transport. You'll also visit a long-established local maker for a Higo Zogan workshop, learning how fine gold and silver decoration is worked into iron before making a small charm of your own.
Overnight: The Blossom Hotel Kumamoto
-
Day 8
E-bike across Aso's open grasslands, then unwind at a traditional hot-spring inn.
Take the train into the Aso caldera, then head out across its grasslands by e-bike. The four-hour guided ride uses electric assistance to make the rolling terrain accessible while opening up wide views across one of Kyushu's defining volcanic landscapes. Finish the day at a traditional hot-spring inn in Uchinomaki Onsen.
Overnight: Sozankyo Ryokan
-
Day 9-10
Discover Beppu's bubbling “hells” and see how geothermal steam shapes everyday life in Kannawa.
Travel via Oita to Beppu, where hot water has shaped everything from bathing and cooking to local crafts. A private walk through Kannawa visits the cobalt-blue Umi Jigoku and bubbling mud of Oniishi Bozu Jigoku before continuing into the steam-filled neighbourhood beyond. With two nights here, there's also time to make use of the hot spring baths and explore independently.
Overnight: KAI Beppu
-
Day 11-12
Return to Fukuoka for one last evening in Kyushu's lively northern city.
Return to Fukuoka by limited express train for a final night. The following morning, a private car takes you to Fukuoka Airport for your onward flight.
Overnight: The Gate Hotel Fukuoka by HULIC
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