Kyushu island is the southernmost part of Japan, offers stunning landscapes, rich history, and amazing food. Here is our 6 day Kyushu itinerary which covers the top half of this island. Our trip starts in Fukuoka, the largest city in this region. We rented a car in Fukuoka going to: Huis Ten Bosch, Nagasaki, Kumamoto, Yufuin and returned the car in Beppu City where we boarded the Sun Flower Ferry bound to Osaka. I hope you find this Kyushu itinerary helpful and consider traveling to Kyushu in your next Japan trip.

How we planned our Kyushu Itinerary

Before selecting which cities to visit in Kyushu, we asked AI to list out the top places to visit in Kyushu for a Kyushu Itinerary. In order to maximize our sightseeing, we decided to explore only the top half of Kyushu, which excludes Kagoshima & Miyazaki prefectures. To further reduce travel time, we decided to rent a car in our starting point Fukuoka and return it at our destination Beppu. Following a similar route is also possible traveling by the Shinkansen, train and bus.

Preparations Before You Travel to Kyushu, Japan

Here’s are some crucial steps for your kyushu itinerary:

1. Visa Requirements

Check the visa requirements for Japan based on your nationality. Many countries have visa-waiver agreements with Japan for short-term tourist stays, but it doesn’t hurt to check.

2. Utilize Visit Japan Web (optional)

Japan has streamlined its entry procedures through the Visit Japan Web service. This online platform allows you to pre-register your immigration and customs declarations, as well as quarantine procedures. Complete these steps before you fly to save time upon arrival. Just remember to screenshot the QR code it generates while you have access to the internet.

3. Preparing Your Finances: Cash and Credit Cards

While Japan is increasingly becoming more cashless, there are many small shops and machines that still require cash. I strongly recommend preparing some Japanese Yen (JPY) for the trip. You can also withdraw cash from ATMs at convenience stores, Aeon malls & post offices; just make sure which ATMs are supported by our bank before your trip.

Although touchless payments like Applepay, Googlepay, Wechat & Alipay is supported in some places, we found that a lot of places did not support this payment method. It is highly recommended to bring a physical credit card or two just in case. Visa, Mastercard, American Express & JCB are widely accepted in Japan.

4. Get Mobile Suica (for iPhone Users)

If you’re an iPhone user, consider installing Mobile Suica app. The Suica is a rechargeable IC card used as a cashless form of payment for public transportation and accepted at many convenience stores, vending machines and some chain restaurants. Suica card can be used interchangeably with other major cards like Pasmo, Icoca, Kitaca, Nimoca etc. on public transit systems and everyday shopping throughout Japan. Adding it to your Apple Wallet allows for quick taps at ticket gates eliminating the need to purchase a ticket each time. You can charge this digital Suica with your Apple Pay (you can’t get refunds so don’t charge too much).

• Mobile Suica is only supported for iPhone users overseas.
• You can still purchase physical IC cards in train stations.

5. Download Offline Maps – Kyushu Itinerary

Save your data usage and download an offline map of Japan (e.g. Google Maps) before your trip. This ensures you can navigate and find points of interest in an emergency.

6. Car Preparations (If Driving)

If you plan to rent a car for your Kyushu itinerary, remember to prepare the following:

• Driving license that’s accepted in Japan
• A Phone Holder (holding a phone while driving is illegal in Japan and strictly enforced).
• A car cigar socket phone charger and charging cables.
• Download your offline Map
• Save all your POI (points of interests) on your map (hotels, poi’s, restaurants, car parks).
• When booking your car, ask for the ETC card option. This allows you to drive through the toll gates without stopping, you will be charged for the toll fees when you return the car.
• If the car rental does not have this ETC option on their website, ask for it when you pick up your car. Trust me, you don’t want to fumble around with coins at the toll gates.
• Familiarize yourself with the Japanese road rules
  • Especially how to turn at intersections (pedestrians & cyclists still cross when it’s your green light).
  • Check oncoming traffic when making right turns at intersections.
  • How to make right turns in busy streets (when crossing trams lanes).

7. Prepare Data SIM Cards or Pocket Wi-Fi

eSIMS are convenient these days as you don’t need to struggle with paperclips to replace your physical SIM cards (please check that your phone is compatible, mine wasn’t ). A quick search on reddit suggests Airalo and Ubigi is good in Japan. You can also check out Saily which offers a variety of plans tailored to different trip lengths and usage needs.

8. Ride-Hailing Apps: Uber and GoTaxi

Japan’s public transportation is efficient but sometimes taxi are better, especially with luggage or accompanying children. Download Uber and GoTaxi (Japan’s popular taxi-hailing app) before your trip. These apps can be helpful in places where it’s hard to hail a cab. You can use GoTaxi is most cities, Uber maybe only in large cities. If you have Uber, you can also use UberEats to order food to your hotel or Airbnb.

9. Preparations for the hotel

Newer hotel rooms may come equipped with usb charging ports but some won’t. Japan uses the type A socket plug (without the 3rd earth prong like in the U.S.) runs on 100v at either 50 or 60Hz. You can either bring a universal charger or one of these amazing lightweight options.

10. Protect your devices with a VPN

Hotel Wi-Fi networks and public wifi can be vulnerable to cyber threats, making personal data susceptible to interception by malicious users. A good VPN encrypts your internet connection, safeguarding your personal information such as your financial information from potential hackers. I personally experienced good speeds with NordVPN and PureVPN in Japan.

11. Other random Tips

There is going to be a lot of walking when traveling Japan, so be sure to bring a pair of comfortable walking shoes that you’ve already broken into. Bring some clothing thats suitable for the season, although you can always some at Uniqlo during your trip. During summer, you can also wear a hat and buy an UV umbrella from the local convenience store as the summer here can be unforgiving.

Planning Your Kyushu Itinerary

Once the preparations above are done, we can go into depth with each cities research. Here’s how to approach building your Kyushu itinerary:

1. Choosing Main Cities to Visit

With a 6 day plan, we decided to start with two nights in Fukuoka as it the biggest city in Kyushu. We then travel and spend one night at Huis Ten Bosch which was a 90 min drive and the half way mark to Nagasaki. From Huis Ten Bosch to Nagasaki was an hour drive, we will do one night here. From Nagasaki to Kumamoto city was roughly 2 hours and 40 min drive, we will do 2 nights here to recover from the exhaustion. From Kumamoto we will drive 2 hours and stop by at Yufuin then drive another 30 minutes to our final destination Beppu.

2. Research Points of Interest (POIs) & Local Cuisines

Once we have chosen the cities, and rough transportation route, we listed out all the point of interests in all the cities and regions nearby. We then checked each places reviews, holidays and grouped the POIs close to each other. Make sure to check each venues holidays, it’s very common a place will be closed one day of the week. What we didn’t realize is that google map’s information was not always accurate for restaurants and small shops in Japan. For restaurants, it’s better to check on local websites like tabelog, Gurunavi & hotpepper. If you want to reserve a haircut, nail salon or some beauty salon you can check beauty hotpepper.

3. Research Transportation for each City

We travel by car between cities but within each city we utilized the local train, tram and bus systems. The procedures for riding the bus or tram (Nagasaki) is different per city but they all support same the IC card for payment. Having the goTaxi app also gave us peace of mind as we used it a few times when we were too tired from all the walking.

4. Research Hotels & Airbnbs

Once we had some ideas for things to do in each city, we finally booked our hotels. I usually use hotels.com, other popular local sites include Jalan.net and Rakuten Travel. For this 6 day Kyushu itinerary, we will book a few hotels with a coin laundry service and a car park. I noticed that a lot of hotels in Kyushu provide a large public bath and some even Onsen, a perk not as commonly seen in cities like Tokyo or Osaka. I will go into detail with which hotel we picked for each city and their pros and cons.

5. Book Restaurants, have back up plans

If you absolutely want to experience some of the popular restaurants, make sure to book well in advance (especially for dinner). For some restaurants, it’s almost impossible to walk in without a reservation depending on the season. Since we didn’t book anything on our trip, we couldn’t get into some of the restaurants. Good thing we marked several places we wanted to go in close by. Our Kyushu itinerary also had chunks of backup plans, in case we changed our minds or due to adverse weather.

Booking the Kyushu Trip

With the plan in place, it’s time to make all the bookings:

•Flights: Book your international flights to Fukuoka Airport (FUK), the main international gateway to Kyushu. You can also consider domestic flights to other Kyushu cities if you plan to visit from other parts of Japan before or after Kyushu. We will be flying into Fukuoka and heading to Osaka from Beppu.

•Hotels: Book the accommodations for each city well in advance. We prioritized convenient locations for some of the cities, but made sure we had access to the coin laundry for some of the nights.

•Rental Car (If Driving): If you’ve decided to rent a car, book it ahead of time, ensuring you have the correct pick-up and drop-off locations. Confirm the car type, add the insurance option, and if possible the ETC card option. We chose Times Car Rental as they have a clear map of all their pick-up and drop-off locations, Nippon Rent a Car is perhaps more well known and shows a map for you to select the locations.

Our 7-Day Kyushu Itinerary: A Detailed Journey

Here’s a full breakdown of our 7-day Kyushu itinerary that includes sight seeing, exploring local cuisines, and some shopping. As I mentioned above, many venues in Japan will be closed on certain days of the week so you may need to adjust your schedule accordingly.

Some Points of Interest in Fukuoka:

• Tenjin Underground Mall
• Canal City Hakata Shopping Mall
• Hakata Station Area (shopping)
• Nakasu Food Stalls
• Ohori Park
• Fukuoka Art Museum
• Fukuoka Castle Ruins
• Fukuoka Zoo & Botanical Garden
• Lalaport Fukuoka
• Fukuoka City Museum (optional)
• Fukuoka Tower
• Ocean Resort & Marizon
• Mizuho Pay Pay Dome
• Atago Shrine
• Marine World
• Sea Dragoon
• Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine
• Kyushu National Museum
• Nanzoin Temple

Some Restaurants in Fukuoka that we went or wanted to go:

• Inoshika Cho
• Nakasu Food Stalls
• Chidoriya
• Uochu
• Sushi Senpachi
• Nagahama Fish Market
• Sushi Ei
• Dazaifu Besso Shizenan

Day 1: Arrival in Fukuoka

Fukuoka city blends a bustling urban landscape with a relaxed friendly atmosphere. Fukuoka is called the compact city among Japanese because of the accessibility from the Airport and JR station. The main airport Fukuoka Airport is only 2 train stations away from the main train terminal Hakata Station and only a 15 minute drive to the downtown Tenjin Area. Imagine Tokyo Station two stations away from Haneda Airport and placing Shibuya just three stations away.

Fukuoka is considered one of Japan’s great food capitals, famous for it’s affordable and delicious street food such as the Hakata Ramen, Yatai Street Foods, Motsunabe, Chicken skin skewers & Mentaiko to name just a few.

We flew into Fukuoka Airport (FUK) in the afternoon, cleared through the customs quickly thanks to the Visit Japan Web app and checked in our first hotel, The Blossom Hakata Premier. From the airport it’s 2 train stations to Hakata Station followed by a 10 minute walk (260yen per person).

Late Afternoon: We headed to the Canal City Hakata, a massive shopping to enjoy the atmosphere of a small canal running through the mall.

Evening: After a quick walk around the area including Nakasu Food stalls, we ended up eating at a random restaurant where a lot of locals came to dine in after work. Most of the food here was good except for this charred chicken thigh dish that had a bizarre chewy texture followed by a sour taste and burnt charcoal smell. Whether this is some local delicacy or some leftover that was mistakenly served, I will never know.

Day 2: Fukuoka’s Culture and Shopping

This day we went to the Fukuoka Art Museum, which seemed to have better reviews on google maps compared to city museum nearby. There were some interesting things to see here, this museum also has some nice cafes for a quick bite.

Next to the museum is Ohori Park, which means “large moat” in Japanese, as the centerpiece of the park is a large pond that encircles two main islands. It was originally part of the outer moat system of the adjacent Fukuoka Castle and later developed into a public park being inspired from the classical West Lake in Hangzhou, China.

For Lunch, we ended up in Fukuoka Fish Market Center in Nagahama, which looked like a government building but had several restaurants on the ground floor. We arrived there before 12pm on a weekday but most of the restaurant were already packed and we had to write our names down in the front and wait for our turn.

After Lunch we went to the Tenjin Underground Mall (天神地下街), which serves as an artery of Fukuoka’s shopping and commute. Roughly spanning 590 meters, the mall has over a hundred shops; you can find a diverse range of retailers from clothing brands, Matsu-kiyo (pharmacy) to souvenir and food stalls.

For dinner, we went to the Nakasu Street Food stalls where there are several mobile stalls with counters that can sit roughly 10 people each. Each stall serves slightly different food options. The classic dishes in this area are Hakata Ramen, Oden (hotpot), Yakitori chicken skewers and Tempura or Kushi-katsu deep fried meat or veggies. The stall we chose had some nice dumplings, chicken skewers, oden and ramen. The chicken skin skewers were especially amazing, a local dish which involves repeated marinating and grilling over a period of six days. It has a crispy exterior texture with a soft interior thats rich in flavors from the sauce, savory fat & burnt charcoal. The Nakasu Food Stalls is a must goto place for your kyushu itinerary!

After dinner, I had to look for a place to buy a car phone holder for the upcoming Kyushu driving. We ended up walking to Yodobashi Camera which was on the opposite side of Hakata Station. It was a shame we didn’t explore this place earlier as we realized there were many shops and restaurants in this area. The ground floor level also had a fancy supermarket and ready to eat meals that’s also ideal for breakfast.

Day 3: Rent Car, Dazaifu & Huis Ten Bosch

Our plan this day was to move to the hotel in Huis Ten Bosch, which can be an article on its own. But along the way we can squeeze one destination for a quick day trip from Fukuoka.

Here are a few ideas for a quick day trip from Fukuoka in our Kyushu Itinerary:

• Dazaifu Area
• Nanzoin Temple
• Yoshinogari Historical Park (good for kids)
• Saga Castle and Saga Beef
• Karatsu Castle
• Arita (for Porcelains)

We decided to go to the Dazaifu as it’s on the way to Huis Ten Bosch, has two POIs, the Kyushu National Museum (1 of 4 National Museums in Japan) and the Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine.

Picking up the Car in Times Car Rental

We picked up the car at Times Car Rental which was a 5 minute walk from the Blossom Hakata Premier hotel. We first drove to the Kyushu National Museum, followed by an amazing japanese lunch at Sushi Ei, then the Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine. The drive to Dazaifu area from our hotel is roughly 30 minutes (19km) and includes a toll. If you didn’t apply for the ETC card, you have to stop at the “general” (一般) toll booth each time to collect a ticket and pay by cash at each exit.

** images of Museum, lunch and dazaifu here

To get to Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine by car, you can mark it on your map and drive around the entrance as there are several human operated car parks in close proximity. The price was less than 500 yen for 2 hours (cash only). Both the Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine and Kyushu National Museum is walking distance from the Dazaifu train station, roughly a 30 minute train ride from Tenjin station. I highly recommend a trip to Dazaifu as it’s quite a lively area with lots of gift shops and restaurants.

Huis Ten Bosch

We left Dazaifu around 2pm to reach our final destination of the day, Hotel Okura JR Huis Ten Bosch just outside of the Huis Ten Bosch theme park. After 93 minutes or 117km of driving we arrived at our hotel just after our check-in time. You can also stay in one of the hotels inside of Huis Ten Bosch which grants you an extra day of admission. Since Huis Ten Bosch also offers the “after 3pm ticket” we decided to just spend the afternoon here and spend the following day on a different city. Hotel Okura JR Huis Ten Bosch is just a few minutes walk to the theme park entrance and also has a convenience store, which is alway- comforting.

Huis Ten Bosch (ハウステンボス) is a massive, unique theme park in Sasebo, Nagasaki Prefecture. Its core concept is to recreate the medieval Dutch town with canals, windmills, dutch brick buildings. Definitely a fun place to come with children and relaxing for those that want something slow paced to do. Apart from the various indoor activities and outdoor rides, gift shops, the theme park also has several beautiful locations ideal for some photo shoots.

Fun Fact

March 1991, with only one year remaining until the grand opening of Huis Ten Bosch.
The Dutch representative in charge inspected the brick exterior wall of the Palace Huis Ten Bosch’s east wing, whose construction had already been completed, and pointed out that the width of the mortar joints between the bricks was 2mm wider than those of the actual palace in the Netherlands.

The area that had already been built was 200 square meters.
If they were to tear down and redo it, it would incur a cost of 40 million yen, and risk missing the deadline.

While this seems like a case where one might hesitate over the decision and reaching a conclusion would take time, the Huis Ten Bosch side quickly decided to “redo it.”

This decision apparently made the Dutch government feel, “The Japanese side is truly serious,” and their trust in Huis Ten Bosch is said to have grown even stronger.

https://huistenbosch.co.jp

Some Points of Interest in Nagasaki:

• Huis Ten Bosch
• Mt. Inasa (“New Three Major Night Views” of the world)
• Nagasaki Shinchi Chinatown
• Iwasaki Honpo Nagasaki-eki
• Amu Plaza Nagasaki (Car Park option)
• Nagasaki Traditional Gifts & Souvenirs Shop
• 思案橋横丁
• Hamaya Department
• Dejima – Former Dutch Trading Port
• Dutch Slope (meh)
• Gunkan-jima
• Glover Garden
• Oura cathedral
• View of Nagasaki from the movie “Your Name”
• Nagasaki Koshibyo Confucius Shrine
• Sakamoto Ryoma Statue
• Sakamoto Ryoma’s Boots
• Megane Bridge
• Peace Park
• Atomic Bomb Hypocenter
• Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum
• Unzen Jigoku
• Unzen Kyushu Hotel

Some Restaurants in Nagasaki that we went or wanted to go:

• Nagasaki Road Seagull Market (open till late)
• Dashibonzu
• Kaniya
• Sushi Shinoda
• 長崎郷土料理 一二三亭
• Kairakuen 会楽園
• SHIKAIRO 四海樓
• Nagasaki Minami Yamate Pudding

Famous foods in Nagasaki

• Nagasaki Chanpon 長崎ちゃんぽん
• Sara Udon 皿うどん
• Castella 長崎カステラ
• Turkish Rice トルコライス
• Loquats (Biwa) びわ
• Nagasaki Wagyu
• Flying Fish (Ago) Broth あご
• Unzen Kobu Takana 雲仙こぶ高菜

Day 4: Nagasaki’s History and Best Night View

Nagasaki, defined by its deep history as Japan’s primary gateway to the outside world during its centuries of isolation. You can see a blend of Japanese and Western influences from hidden Christian sites and historic European merchant homes to unique dishes like Champon and Castella. Forever marked by the tragedy of the atomic bomb, Nagasaki is a global symbol of peace while nestled within a beautiful, mountainous harbor setting.

After the hotel breakfast, we can aim to leave around 10am so we can arrive to Nagasaki City just before lunch. We drove 75 minutes or 67km from Huis Ten Bosch to Amu Plaza Nagasaki. We can use this mall as our carpark for the night. We will stay at the nearby Nagasaki Marriott Hotel (opened in 2024) which offers a fixed overnight carpark fee for this mall; re-entry to the carpark is also allowed until our checkout. This location is next to the Nagasaki JR station, so it’s also convenient if you’re traveling by the JR train. We leave our luggage at the reception and head to out to lunch at our first destination, Chinatown.

Chinatown

We drove to Chinatown East Gate and found an hourly car park nearby. For lunch we went to the Kairakuen 会楽園 restaurant and ordered one of the local specialty Sara Udon 皿うどん.

Glover Garden

Glover Garden is one of the city’s famous open-air museum, offering a unique blend of history, architecture and stunning views. The garden is named after Thomas Blake Glover, a Scottish merchant who played a pivotal role in Japan’s Industrial modernization.

To get to Glover Garden, I think most people will take the tram to Oura Cathedral station, but we can get off at the last Ishibashi station and take the “Glover Sky Road Inclined Elevator” and work our way downhill from Glover Garden. On the way up to Glover Garden, you can visit this hidden gem used for one of the scenes in the movie “Your Name”.

On your way down from Glover Garden, you can also visit the Oura Cathedral, followed by a street full of gift shops. The gunkanjima digital museum, Koshibyo Confucius Shrine and the popular Chinese restaurant SHIKAIRO are also close by. Around 2pm~3pm we can head back to check-in at our hotel to rest.

Mount Inasa

We ascend to Mount Inasa for one of Japan’s top three night views (top 3 in the world apparently). The observatory is accessible via ropeway, bus, taxi or by car. The top of the observatory has an unobstructed 360-degree view of the entire surrounding. It’s recommended to come before sunset and secure a spot to take some stunning photos of both the sunset and the night view.

After heading back to the Amu Plaza mall, we walked across to the Nagasaki Road Seagull Market, which is a combination of gift shops and restaurants. The gift shops were all closed when we arrived at 8pm, but some of the restaurants seem to be open until quite late and the whole place was packed.

Day 5: Nagasaki’s Past & the drive to Kumamoto

It is a city that tells a story of cultural fusion, tragedy, and profound hope.

Peace Park Nagasaki is 15 minutes car drive or by tram. The Atomic Hypocenter park and Museum is also close by. A very humbling experience.

We head back to Amu Plaza Nagasaki and Iwasaki Honpo for some last minute gift shopping, some lunch to prepare for our longest drive yet, to Kumamoto. We Amu plaza Nagasaki after lunch and it took 2 hours and 40 minutes (210km) to get to Kumamoto Candeo Hotel Shinshigai, just in time for check in. This is the first hotel in our Kyushu itinerary where we can get some laundry done, we will stay here for 2 nights. This hotel has a fully automated elevator car park but has a size restriction so we were lucky to rent a smaller sized car.

Some Points of Interest in Kumamoto:

• Kumamoto Castle
• Sakura-no-baba Josaien
• SAKURA MACHI Kumamoto
• Shinshigai
• One Piece Statues
• KANNON ZAKURA TENBOUDAI
• Kusasenrigahama
• Mount Aso Crater
• Shirakawa Spring
• Takachiho Gorge

Some Restaurants in Kumamoto that we went or wanted to go:

• Akage Gyu 味ひときれ
• 相撲寿司大砲部屋
• Horse Meat むつ五郎
• SUGANOYA Ginza Street Store
• auto yakiniku kuroge wagyu
• Sushi restaurant Nogihen

Famous foods in Kumamoto

• Red Beef Bowl あか牛丼
• Tai pin ei 太平燕
• Dago soup だご汁
• Kumamoto Ramen 熊本ラーメン
• Karashi Renkon からし蓮根
• Basashi (Horse Meat sashimi) 馬刺し
• Chikuwa Salad ちくわサラダ
• Ikinari Dango いきなり団子
• Aka maki あか巻
• Donut Stick ドーナツ棒
• Koppa Mochi こっぱ餅

The Kumamoto Candeo Hotel Shinshigai is located in a prime location inside a covered shopping street with plenty of stores, convenience store and good restaurants nearby. It is also walking distance from the SAKURA MACHI Kumamoto shopping mall, Sakura-no-baba Josaien and Kumamoto Castle. We decided to take a break this day and leave all the site seeing and dinner for the following day.

Other than Kumamoto Castle, there is the Mount Aso area to explore which is a 90 minute drive to the east. The Mount Aso crater is a popular destination but may sometimes be closed depending on the mountains condition. You can go to the nearby Kusasenrigahama which is also a very popular tourist spot then check whether it’s possible to ascend further up the mountain. Their official website also indicates whether the crater is open on the day or not. Either way, it is a good idea to have a few back up options such as the Shirakawa Spring or perhaps take some Shiba Inus for a walk at 柴犬の里 高遊荘 dog breeder.

You can also consider going to the Takachiho Gorge in your Kyushu itinerary but it’s also prone to weather conditions and boat availability.

Day 6: Kumamoto Castle & Mount Aso

After a late breakfast, we walked towards Kumamoto Castle and reached the Sakura-no-baba Josaien which is at the base of the castle. This charming Edo-period themed village features souvenir shops and restaurants. You can also purchase the admission ticket to visit the Castle here. While parts were still under reconstruction from the 2016 earthquakes, the main keep and surrounding grounds are open. You can also choose to explore Sakura-no-Baba Josaien after your descend from the castle too.

Mount Aso

The drive to Mount Aso from the hotel is roughly 70 minutes (46km). I recommend stopping by at the beautiful grassland of Kusasenrigahama’s paid parking area for a quick break at the restaurant or gift shop. Here you can check whether the ascend to the crater is possible or not. There is a spacious grassland here with an amazing panoramic view of the surroundings and some horses roaming around. As the crater was closed on our visit, we decided to take a quick visit to the Shirakawa Spring.

Shirakawa Spring

The Shirakawa spring is one of the most famous natural springs in Japan gushing out water at a rate of 60 tons per minute. The water is filtered naturally through the porous volcanic rocks of Mount which also enriches the water with minerals and removes impurities. Visitors are encouraged to drink this spring water directly from the source, using the provided ladle to fill their own bottles. You can bring your own bottles or purchase one from the venue for a few hundred yen. A “donation fee” of 200 yen per person will be asked upon entry to the venue. Make sure to check the official website of holidays and the locations of their parking areas.

Dinner: Aka-ge Wagyu and Horse Meat Sashimi

We had our dinner at Akage Gyu, renowned for its exquisite “aka” red-haired Wagyu beef. The dining experience was immersive as we grilled our own meat to perfection with the scent to burning charcoal filling the air. They also serve Basashi (Raw Horse Meat sashimi), a commonly eaten dish in Kumamoto. The main emphasis is on the high quality beef; you will not want to miss out on this experience if you are looking for some high quality Wagyu.

The Shinshigai area was a vibrant dining hub, with many highly-rated restaurants serving premium Wagyu beef, delicate sushi, and unique local specialties like horse meat.

Day 7: Yufuin, Beppu & Sun Flower Ferry to Osaka

Our final day of this Kyushu itinerary consists of 2 quick day trips in Yufuin and Beppu before boarding the Sun Flower Ferry bound for Osaka. From Candeo Hotel Shinshigai to Yufuin is 170km or 2 hours 20 minutes by car. We aim to leave the hotel around 9am so we can snack around in Yunotsubo street (湯の坪街道) for our brunch.

Famous foods in Yufuin

• 由布まぶし
• 金賞コロッケ
• だんご汁
• 醤油プリン
• 湯布院ロール
• 湯布院プリン｜YURARI
• GOEMON｜大分県由布市
• ぷりんどら｜ 花麹菊家
• カランドネルのカヌレ
• 由布院Milchiのケーゼクーヘン
• チーズケーキ｜由布院ミルヒ
• 抹茶ジェラート｜télato
• ばくだん焼｜湯布院ばくだん焼本舗
• 鶏の炭火焼きチーズカレーパン｜揚げ日和

Onsen Hot Springs in Yufuin close by

• 由布院温泉　かほりの郷　はな村
• 湯布院 ほてい屋

Far more than just a hot spring destination, Yufuin charms visitors with its stunning backdrop of Mount Yufu, its charming streets lined with art galleries, cafes, and craft shops, and its iconic scenic pond, Kinrin Lake.

Famous foods in Beppu

• Tori Ten とり天 (Chicken Tempura)
• Jigoku Steamed dishes 地獄蒸し料理
• だんご汁
• 別府冷麺
• 海鮮料理
• 石垣もち
• 鶏めし

Beppu

Our final stop in this Kyushu Itinerary is Beppu City, Japan’s undisputed hot spring capital of Oita prefecture. Steam perpetually rises from drains and vents, a constant reminder of the immense geothermal power that lies beneath its streets. From Yufuin, Beppu is just 20km away or a 30 minute drive.

Our first stop is Sakura-yu 桜湯, a hot spring bath house that also has 20 or so private indoor family hot spring rooms. Reservations are not required as it is a first come first serve basis. The temperature of the water can be adjusted making it suitable for families with small children. If you’re lucky, you may be able to meet the manager, originally a stray cat born in the Sakurayu’s courtyard. Its main duties consist of front desk operations such as patrolling the facility and greeting and seeing off guests.

Beppu 7 Hells

Beppu is perhaps most famous for its “Seven Hells” (jigoku)—spectacular, multi-colored thermal pools for viewing rather than bathing. There are many free car parking spaces near the Jigoku area, though you do have to pay to view the Jigoku hot springs itself.

Returning the Car

As we don’t want to risk missing the Sun Flower ferry bound for Osaka, we will return the car with well in advance. Our car rental package requires us to fill up the gas at a nearby gas station before returning the car to the Times Car Rental shop outside the West Gate of Beppu station. We can then take a taxi from this station to the Sun Flower Ferry Terminal. The Ferry’s boarding time started at 17:45 on this day. This ferry terminal just has a waiting room so you may want to prepare some books or content if you plan to arrive early.

The Sunflower Ferry operates overnight between a few routes from Osaka or Kobe to Oita, Beppu and Ibusuki in Miyazaki. Our Kyushu itinerary started in Fukuoka and ended in Beppu, bound for Osaka via the Sun Flower Ferry. You can also consider taking the Sun Flower Ferry from Osaka and starting your Kyushu Itinerary from Beppu, Oita. The experience on the Sunflower ferry was one of a kind, with spacious lobby areas, buffet style dinner, a public bath house and a well-equipped gift store. Depending on the room you book, you can also opt to get a private room with your own bathroom and showers.

Conclusion

Kyushu offers a diverse and enriching travel experience, from the historical depths of Nagasaki to the natural wonders of Mount Aso and the relaxing onsen towns. We covered a lot of area in this 6 day Kyushu itinerary and was a little tired in some parts of the trip. You may prefer to choose one or two base locations to stay and do day trips from there, eliminating the need to switch hotels repeatedly. In this case you can choose Fukuoka as a base camp for day trips to Huis Ten Bosch, Nagasaki and Kumamoto. You can also stay at Kurokawa Onsen, which is a famous Hot Spring town for quicker days trips to Kumamoto city, Mt Aso area, Takachiho Gorge, Yufuin and Oita City although the trips will only be quicker by car.

This concludes this Kyushu Itinerary which covers the top half of this Southern Island of Japan. Be sure to bookmark this page as there will be more content in the near future, including updates to this article.