Kyushu itinerary

Hello

We are planning a trip to Japan for this summer (our third�c). We want to visit Kyushu and Yakushima, but I�fd appreciate any comment on how to order things to optimize it. We will come from Kyoto and go to Tokyo after this Kyushu leg.

We are considering train or planes and also rent a car if necessary. No problem with this.

So far we have only 10 nights for this part of the trip (although we are trying hard to add more nights, but is not sure so I prefer to count on this and later modify it).

For us Yakushima and Nagasaki are musts (3 nights and 2-3 nights).
Some other places that we would like to visit are Takachiho.
Also a quick visit to Fukuoka and maybe Beppu/Yufuin or Kurokawa.
Kagoshima could fit being close to Yakushima.

On the other hand there are other places that I would enjoy but unfortunately I have to discard to avoid an impossible trip: Kumamoto, Miyazaki coast (Aoshima), Aso volcano, Bungo Takada�c

Some ideas�c I can fly from Osaka to Yakushima to gain some time�c Also I can fly from Kyushu to Tokyo (kagoshima,Nagasaki or Fukuoka).

But I can also go by train from Kyoto to Fukuoka and going to Yakushima by ferry�c I realize that not always flying is faster than a train�c

Takachiho is really apart and I am afraid that I will need a rent a car. Also Yufuin/Beppu/Krokawa makes things complicated being in the �eother�f side of Kyushu�c

Anyway, how can I join the dots optimally? I am overwhelmed right now�c

Thanks!!!

I would fly into Yakushima. There, I would rent a car to optimize your time there. To get to falls like Senpira-no-taki or the big trees of Yakusugi-lando a car is going to get you there on your own schedule. As you're going to be there in the summer, there's a nice swimming hole at the bottom of Ohko-no-taki. Depending on an infrequent bus won't give you much time anywhere.

Even if you're planning on climbing Miyanoura-dake, the most time efficient route is to start at Yakusugi-lando and hike up from the Ishizuka hut shelter there (I only stayed there once and used a tent afterwards due to the loud snoring thunder all night long).

From Yakushima you can take the ferry to Kagoshima. There's a car ferry (4 hours) and the Toppy hydrofoil (2.5 hours). Either is easier than the flights which only take 40 minutes but you have to get to the airport in Yakushima, and then find your way into Kagoshima City from the Kagoshima Airport which is way north of the city.

From the Kagoshima ferry terminal, you can quickly make your way to the Kagoshima Chuo Station to pick up the Kyushu Shinkansen, which can take you by lots of tunnels to Shin-Tosu for a transfer to Nagasaki. If you get the all-Kyushu JR Pass, you can do a circle route to Fukuoka, Beppu, and the stone heads at Usuki. You could also head south first to Ibusuki before heading for Nagasaki. You can stop off in Kumamoto City for the castle reconstruction (it got knocked down by the 2016 earthquake) and Suizenji Gardens. You could also work in a side trip to Mt. Aso, but I think the crater is still closed and you'd need to rent a car to go where you want. If you decide to do this, take a train to Aso Town or nearby and rent a car there instead of driving out of Kumamoto City. If you rented in Aso, you could drive up to Kusasenri where the volcano museum is, getting some nice views over the floor of the caldera, and drive down the south side into Takamori and pickup a road to Takachiho. Both of those would probably take a whole day, but the drive through the mountains is nice if not winding.

Anything around the Kunisaki Peninsula will require a car. If you add this, I would stay in Usa, rent a car there, and check out Usa Shrine before reversing into the mountains of the peninsula. You could stop for 2 nights to cover this before heading into Beppu.

As you've already allocated 5-6 nights for Yakushima and Nagasaki, you only have 4 nights to play with. I've found that a 2-night minimum at any one stop cuts down on the rush so you'd have to choose just a couple of places. If you want to rush, it's up to you. Haven't been to Kurokawa Onsen in quite a few years, but it's a little onsen town jammed into a valley that's now running out of hot spring water as there are too many hotels to serve. There are some nice places there, though, with some interesting rotenburo overlooking the river.

Add up your individual ticket prices for JR starting in Kagoshima City, and if they exceed or match the cost of a 7-day All Kyushu JR Pass (Y20,000), then go with the pass. It's always nice to just go somewhere you didn't plan if you have the time.

Thanks a lot for your detailed answer. Very useful!!!
Yes, I will try to add more nights or otherwise focus on a smaller region... Right now it is not a feasible trip..

That is way too much for 10 days.

For Yakashima - you really need to have to waste day getting there and another getting back for transport reasons. So 3 nights, really is 4 days of your 10. Still gives you 2 full days in Yakashima.

Also flights to Yakashima are not every day. So your whole itinerary will need to be worked in and around your Yakashima flights.

Everything else on your list is easily to fit into 10 day itinerary. If you hir a car and travel inland Kyushu for Takachiho, Kurokawa etc etc. There are so many wonderful nature walk and things to do. For this reason, I wouldn't make Yakashima a must.

I did about a 10 day tour of Kyushu without renting a car, and it included Yakushima and Takachiho. I had acquired an international drivers license to get around Yakushima Island, but I ended up doing a bus tour instead.

I started in Fukuoka, and almost immediately went to Kagoshima, because I had an early morning Jetfoil to Yakushima. There is a wonderful Aquarium at the port.

I would highly recommend going to the Yakumonkey website for current information, because things may have changed.

There was a day and a half sightseeing bus that dovetailed with the arrival and departure of the jetfoil boats. I took a 7:45 AM jetfoil, which arrived at Miyanora Port at 9:45, where the tour bus was waiting for you to load your luggage into it. When the tour ended, you were dropped off at one of the hotels. You were picked back up in the morning, and dropped off at Anbo Port about 15 minutes before the 13:30 Jetfoil back to Kagoshima.

I remember being able to take a limited express train to Miyazaki that afternoon. I spent a day in Miyazaki, and of all the places I went, I wished I had stayed there at lease two days. There is a day bus pass that you can get.

From there, I went up the east coast of Kyushu. I switched from train to bus at Nobeoka to go to Takachiho. I stayed at a Ryokan near the cave shrine, and I remember that they offered a bus to and from the bus terminal, as well as an evening bus to the shrine for the Yokagura Dancing. I took the bus back to Nobeoka, and continued up the eastern coast to Beppu. After visiting there, I went back to Fukuoka.

I used Fukuoka as a base, and visited Nagasaki, Huis Ten Bosch, Kawachi, and the pottery towns of Arita and Imari. I also planned the trip near Golden Week, so I went to the Wisteria Tunnels at Kawachi Wisteria Gardens, the Arita Ceramics Fair, and the Hakata Donkatu Festival in Fukuoka.

I�fm not sure how much this is helpful, but it may give you some ideas.

Good luck, in planning your trip.

Check kayak.com for your possible flights. I believe there is at least 1 JA direct flight daily from Itami Airport in Osaka to Yakushima ( ITM�]KUM).

Thank you very much for all your answers!
Super useful...

I will definitely ask again as soon as I have a definite dates for the Kyushu part of he trip.

Best regards