First time visit to Kyushu

Day 1:
Sat 18-Jan Arrive FUK at 8.05am. To catch up on sleep after red eye flight and then explore Fukuoka.
Sleep: Fukuoka

Day 2: 8am collect car. Start driving at 9am.
Sun 19-Jan Saga Ureshino Ochachamura OR Ureshino Tea Exchange Hall ?
Yutoku Inari Shrine
Michi-no-Eki Kashima - mudflats of the Ariake Sea
Floating Torii Gate (Kaichu Torii Gate)

Mandarin orange farm - no time?
Oyster huts - no time?

Nagasaki Dinner in Tara or Mt Inasa night view (drive) ?
Sleep : Nagasaki

Day 3:
Mon 20-Jan Nagasaki Nagasaki Peace Park and etc
Meganebashi (Spectacles Bridge)
Nagasaki Shinchi Chinatown
Nagasaki Wharf
Hamanomachi Arcade
Mount Inasa - robeway for before and after sunset view

Sleep: Nagasaki

Day 4:
Tue 21-Jan Unzen Nita Pass Robeway
Unzen Hell

Shimabara: Mount Unzen Disaster Museum
Onokoba Elementary School 
Mizunashi Honjin Fukae -  road station (Buried Houses)
Town of Swimming Carp

Shimabara to Kumamoto - ferry or drive?

Sleep: Kumamoto or suburb ?

Day 5:
Wed 22-Jan Kagoshima
Izumi
Sleep: Izumi

Day 6:
Thu 23-Jan Izumi Crane observation at dawn
Izumi City Crane Museum
Hakozaki Hachiman Shrine (biggest shrine bell in Japan)

Kumamoto Kumamoto Castle
Sakurano-baba Josaien   
Shimo-tori Shopping Street

Sleep: Kumamoto or suburb ?

Day 7:
Fri 24-Jan Mt Aso Aso Station
Komezuka
Kusasenri
Nakadate Crater areas outside the 1km no entry boundary ?
Shirakawa Suigen 
Daikanbo Peak 
Oshitoishi (power spot of mysterious rocks) (Oshitoishi in Minamioguni)
Nabegataki Waterfalls
Kokonoe Yume Otsurihashi
Yamanami Highway (Kokonoe to Aso direction)

Aso Bridge
Milk Road (Kabutoiwa Lookout)

Sleep: ? a base where I can still have things to do should the weather be no good for the Aso drive?

Day 8:
Sat 25-Jan ? Free day.

Day 9:
Sun 26-Jan Kirin Beer Factory tour
Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine
Nazoin Temple
Return rental car in Fukuoka.

Sleep: Fukuoka

Day 10:
Mon 27-Jan Fukuoka

Day 11:
Tue 28-Jan 9.25am flight home.

Hello all,

My partner and I will be visiting Kyushu for the first time for 10 days from 18 to 28 January. We will be driving. We would be very grateful for advices and recommendations to better our itinerary. We prefer nature, history, food and shopping. Onsens and too touristy places are out.

We would only need snow tyres for 2 days - to Mt Unzen and Mt Aso - but we need to rent them throughout the entire rental period if we just rent the same car for the entire trip. The snow tyres cost an extra 13,200 yen for 8 days or 1,650 yen a day. Is this what visitors normally do? We do not know how to use snow chains so this option is out.

Do we need the KEP pass for my itinerary?

Can we drive at night or should we target to reach our hotel of the night before sunset?

I have deliberately planned to avoid visiting Nagasaki during the Lantern Festival.

Below are some questions about my itinerary:

Day 2: Saga:

Ureshino Ochachamura OR Ureshino Tea Exchange Hall? I would like to visit a tea planation and tea factory and also buy some green tea.

I would want to quick drop by at Yobuku Morning Market if not for the mixed reviews including not many stalls there and some can start packing up as early as 10.30am. But then again, I do not think it can fit into my day's itinerary too.

I would end at the Floating Tori Gate at about 5pm. Should I stay on to dinner in Tara town and leave Tara around 6.30 to 7pm? And should I drive straight to Mt Inasa for the night view if the weather is good? Or should I do this the next day to see both the pre and after sunset views?

Day 4: Unzen and Shimabara:

Should I drive or take the ferry to Kumamoto? I would prefer to drive esp if it is scenic plus it is also quite costly to ferry over the car. But if ferry is the most recommended, then Kumamoto Ferry or Ariake Ferry?

Should I sleep In Kumamoto city or its suburbs since we have a car? If suburbs, which area would be most recommended?

Day 5 and 6: Kagoshima and Izumi:

Any better way to do this tour?

Would 2 crane observations be an overkill? How would rain affect the crane observation?

Day 7: Mt Aso

I need help on how to do this tour. Any comments and recommendations would be welcomed.

Day 8:
This day is free for now. Not going to Takachiho Gorge as there doesn�ft seem to be much there. I also prefer strong gushing water like Huka Falls in New Zealand.

If we have time for samurai houses, which would be most recommended?

What is the best transport if we are catching a 9.25am international flight back home?

Thank you very much.

Your driving days are too packed.

I cannot see you driving 4 hours a day. And visiting 8-10 locations. Unless you wanna get up at 6am every morning.

Hello.

To be very honest, your question is like reading a book and it seems like you already have this planned out to a T. It's your choice of how you want to visit and drive to these places.

Are you trying to ask people to map out the best routes for you? Do you plan to stay in hotels or are you going to stay in your vehicle or with friends somewhere?

I would just make a map and sketch where you want to start driving and just go from city to city to make it the most cost effective.