Kyushu: The Southern Route

Arrival at Tokyo airport (Narita or Haneda).
Welcome to Japan! Yokoso 日本へようこそ！

Our airport assistant will welcome you at the exit of the customs and will give you all your travel documents and your Pocket WiFi.
Unaccompanied transfer from the airport to Tokyo (see details).

Check-in at Hotel OMO3 Tokyo Akasaka by Hoshino Resorts or same category hotel 3* (rooms available from 3:00pm).

What is there to do in Tokyo on the first day?

We advise you to slowly start visiting Tokyo from its western districts:
- Harajuku: the avant-garde district
- Meiji Jingû, the imperial shrine
- Takeshita-Dori: the most famous street in Japan
- Omotesando: Tokyo's Champs-Élysées
- Shibuya and its unmistakable "crossroads"

One of our many experienced English-speaking guides can also accompany you to visit the classic sights of Tokyo (optional, from 9:00 to 17:00).

For this second day of visiting Tokyo, we recommend the following "loop".

Start from Tokyo Central Station, with its original architecture, then go to visit:
- Ginza, Tokyo's chic district
- Tsukiji, the small outdoor food market
- Hamarikyu, the Japanese garden between Tokyo's buildings
- Asakusa, a traditional district and place of pilgrimage, accessible by a cruise on the Sumida River
- Sensô-ji Buddhist temple, one of the oldest in the city
- Tokyo Sky Tree eaching a height of 643m, and its panoramic view of Tokyo at sunset 

Enjoy a cruise on the Sumida River between Hamarikyu and Asakusa.

In 2 hours 50, reach Kyoto.

From noon onwards, you can settle into your traditional Japan Experience house! A Travel Angel will welcome you, show you some unique details and help you to have an unforgettable stay in Kyoto. You will be able to "live the Japanese way" for a few days, with a space much bigger than a hotel room and a kitchen to prepare good Japanese food!

You have 3 days to visit Kyoto.
Start in the afternoon in the historic Gion district near your accommodation :
- Kiyomizu-Dera, the great water temple
- The historical streets of Sannen-zaka & Ninnen-zaka
- Kodai-ji, the maple and bamboo temple of Kyoto

Finish off seeing the sunset in Gion. Meet your guide at 19:00 to start your late stroll around Gion, Kyoto's historic district.

More details on the exact time and location in your travel diary. At the end of this 1 hour 30 walk, your guide will be able to advise you on the best places to eat out! Please note that it is strictly forbidden to take photographs in the historic district of Gion.

We recommend the following itinerary for this second day's visit to Kyoto:
- Ryoan-ji Zen Garden
- The Kinkaku-ji (Golden Pavilion)
- Ginkaku-ji (Silver Pavilion)
- The bewitching path of philosophy
- The Nanzen-ji temple

One of our many experienced English-speaking guides can accompany you on a tour of these symbolic sites (optional, from 9:00 to 17:00).

For your last day in Kyoto and its surroundings, we recommend taking the 50 minute journey to Nara, which is included in your package.

Visit to Nara, the first permanent capital of Japan in the 8th century:
Discover:
- The Shinto shrine Kasuga Taisha and its thousands of lanterns
- The Todaiji, its great bronze Buddha and the imposing Nan-Daimon gate
- Kofukuji temple and its beautiful pagoda

Return to Kyoto and stop for sunset at Fushimi Inari, the huge 10,000 torii sanctuary in Kyoto. If you wish to be accompanied on this day, one of our English-speaking guides will unveil all the secrets of Japan's first capital (optional, return trip from Kyoto).

In the morning, we advise that you have your luggage sent to the hotel in Fukuoka (details in your travel diary, check with the hotel reception) and that you travel light for your night in Miyajima.

Shinkansen train ride from Kyoto to Miyajima (2h20, 1 change) then boat (20 minutes). The train and boat included in the Japan Rail Pass.

Reach your ryokan near the island's ferry terminal.

Explore the island: its Itsukushima-jinja shrine and its large gate (ootorii) standing in the sea. (Please note: The ootorii is under construction until an unspecified date). Take the cable car up to Mount Misen and then descend on foot. A breathtaking view of Hiroshima Bay is waiting for you!

At night at the ryokan, you will be treated to a tasty traditional Japanese dinner before retiring to your tatami room.

Traditional Japanese breakfast at the ryokan.

In the morning, make a stop in Hiroshima (30 minutes by train from Miyajimaguchi Ferry Station, included in your JR Pass), to visit the Peace Park and its memorial.

Continue from Hiroshima to the island of Kyushu and its capital, Fukuoka, in 1 hour by Shinkansen (included in your JRPass).

Arrive in the centre of the vibrant city of Fukuoka and check into your hotel near the central station.

With its 2000 years of history, the capital of Kyushu has always been the gateway to Asia (Korea and China) and Western culture (Portugal and its Jesuits, Holland). Another Japan, more Asian and further away from Tokyo, awaits you. Capital of a booming region, Fukuoka is now one of the most dynamic cities in Japan with its many high-tech companies and the hosting of a global event: the Rugby World Cup in October 2019.

Visit the lively Nakasu and Tenjin districts and their yatai - hundreds of delicious and welcoming open-air restaurants at low prices. A great way to spend one final evening!

Meet your English-speaking guide for the morning to visit one of Fukuoka's many iconic sites:
- Momochi district: Fukuoka Tower and other futuristic buildings - Japan in the 22nd century
- Canal City Hakata, a huge shopping centre integrated into the city, its city park and its canals
- Asian Art Museum, the world's first museum for modern Asian art
- Shofoku-ji Temple, the oldest Zen temple in Japan
- Hakata Machiya, a district of old merchants' houses

In the afternoon you can continue your tour of Fukuoka or go for a visit to Fukuoka or a getaway to the surrounding area... there's no shortage of ideas:
- The beaches around Fukuoka, such as Itoshima or Kusatsu, accessible in 45 min from Fukuoka
- Dazaifu, the most famous temple complex on the whole island of Kyushu, south of Fukuoka

In the evening, second night in your hotel in Fukuoka.

2 hour trip to Nagasaki (direct, included in your package) and accommodation in your 3* hotel or same category hotel.

In addition to its sad history during the Second World War, the city offers visitors evidence of its rich past. A trading port to Asia, and for a long time Japan's only gateway to the outside world, it was also a place of refuge for Japanese Christians persecuted during the Edo era.

We advise you the following spots :
- Glover's garden (former foreign concession) and Oura basilica 
- Dejima museum-polder (former Dutch concession) 
- The memorial and museum of 26 martyrs 
- The Sôfukuji Chinese temple 
- The Atomic Bomb Museum

Breakfast at the hotel.

There is no shortage of day trips from Nagasaki:
- Gunkanjima ghost island (boat tickets optional)
- The Shimabara coast, with the slopes of the Unzen volcano, one of the most active in the world, whose 1991 eruption cost the lives of volcanologists Katia and Maurice Krafft

And some slightly more cheerful sites:
- The floating torii on the sea, with superb views from the coast
- The village of Amari, famous for its Japanese ceramics
- A theme park recreating a Dutch region, symbolising the common past of the two countries

These places are accessible with your Japan Rail Pass, in 1 to 2 hours from Nagasaki, direct or with a change. The Shimabara side is only accessible with a private line train, which can be used with your offer's pre-payment card. Details in your travel diary.
 

Breakfast at the hotel.

Levae for Kumamoto (2 hour train and Shinkansen, 1 change, all included).
Arrival in the feudal city of Kumamoto. We recommend a visit to its castle and park, as well as the magnificent Suizen-ji garden, accessible by tram from the centre.

Check-in at your 3* hotel in the heart of Kumamoto.

Breakfast at the hotel.

Go for a day trip to discover a still active volcano: Mount Aso, east of Kumamoto, or Sakurajima, in the south:
- Mount Aso, accessible in 1 hour 45 (JR train and bus), is one of the largest calderas in the world, where 50,000 people live while the volcano that created it is still active. A volcano museum, a cable car with a view of one of the craters and a short hike are on the agenda for this extraordinary day.
- Sakurajima borders the city of Kagoshima, the capital of southern Kyushu. It is nicknamed "the Naples of Japan" for its proximity to this active volcano reminiscent of Vesuvius. The city of Kagoshima can be reached in 1 hour by Shinkansen, direct and included in your package. In addition to the view of one of Japan's most famous volcanoes, Kagoshima has a fabulous garden worth visiting: the Senga-en.

From Kagoshima, it's possible to approach the volcano: take a look at your travel diary and other sources for details of this unusual excursion.

Breakfast at the hotel.

Leave for Takachiho, in the centre of Kyushu Island, by bus (3 hours, direct, no changes, included in your offer). Arrival at noon. Settle in your minshuku (between a ryokan and a family inn) right next to the bus terminal.

Go on foot to discover the richness of this mountain village known for its Japanese legends and magnificent ravines :
- Gokase river gorges one of the most beautiful natural sites in Kyushu 
- Amanoiwato Jinja Shinto temple, Japan's second most sacred site 
- Evening show of sacred dances (divine gestures) Iwato Kagura 

In the evening, explore the surroundings of the village sanctuary:
- Discover the rice terraces, a must-see in the Japanese countryside
- Climb to the Kunimigaoka observation platform, to enjoy a splendid panorama of the surrounding mountains, and on a clear day to Mount Aso

The proposed sites are located within a 10 minute to 1.5 hour walk from your accommodation. Gokase Gorge, the most famous site in Takachiho, is a 30-minute walk away. Local taxis and buses also operate in the area.

In the evening, you can enjoy a tasty dinner in your accommodation.

Breakfast at the minshuku.

In the morning, continue your exploration of Takachiho, then leave at noon for Yufuin (1 hour by bus and 3 hours by train with 1 change. All included). The train travels through fabulous Japanese mountain, countryside and coastal scenery, far from the usual tourist trails.
At the end of the afternoon, you will arrive in Yufuin, where you can settle in a ryokan where a traditional dinner will be served.

Traditional Japanese breakfast at the ryokan.

Located at the foot of the majestic, verdant Mount Yufu, you will enjoy this spa, one of Japan's favourites. Not to mention the tranquility of the warm waters of Lake Kirin-ko in the centre of town, or the ever-present surrounding nature. A peaceful break on this trip!
We recommend that you have your luggage sent to Osaka so that you can travel light the following day (check with the reception of your ryokan, details in your travel diary).

In the evening, second dinner and night in your ryokan.

Traditional Japanese breakfast at the ryokan.

Leave by train to Beppu (1 hour 10, 1 change, all included).

This large city, on the coast is home to nearly 3000 hot springs! With the feel of an industrial town, Beppu offers baths for all tastes, both for sightseeing and for soaking! Unfortunately, this city has been taken over by mass tourism, mainly Japanese and Asian. However, the walking tour of the 8 Beppu hells (including the Blood Lake) is unique: it winds its way through various open pools of volcanic water. Many spa experiences await you in Beppu, including the famous black sand baths. Travel around the city by local bus from the central station.
More details in your travel diary.

In the early evening, head to the waterfront and its marine terminal to board a cruise ship. Dinner will be served here, before a night cradled by the waves. Travel overnight along Japan's calm inland sea and arrive early the next morning in Osaka.

From the Osaka ferry terminal, reach your 3* Osaka Intergate Umeda hotel or same category hotel by metro (20 minutes, 1 change) or taxi.

You have arrived for your last day of your Japan tour.

We suggest the following tour:
- The medieval castle of Osaka, with its park full of plum and cherry trees
- The city centre and its Nakanoshima Island, with its rose park in the middle of the buildings
- Utsubo Park, an oasis of freshness in the business district
- Rendezvous in Umeda, temple of Japanese style shopping
- End up at the Umeda Sky building at dusk for a 360° view of Kansai (including Kyoto on a clear day!)

Enjoy an unforgettable evening in the gastronomic capital of Japan, especially in the bustling Dotonbori district.

Direct transfer to Kansai International Airport (included but not accompanied).

Return flight to Europe, North America, Australia.

Do not hesitate to extend your trip by one or more days to Kansai or elsewhere... We will be able to advise you!