Kyushu Fall Grand Tour (10 days)
Tour package Description
Luscious forests, cobalt-blue oceans with white sand beaches, active volcanoes, natural hot springs, traditional crafts, festivals, delicious and high-quality local cuisine; Kyushu has it all!
Our well-balanced small group tour of Japan’s southern island of Kyushu in spring will give you a comprehensive experience of Kyushu’s nature, history, and culture. You will not only visit all must-see places on the island, but you will also visit small towns that don’t see many foreign tourists and have the chance to dive into the world of pottery at a world-famous pottery town. This tour makes for a great add-on to a trip to Tokyo and/or Kyoto, or for Japan-repeaters who want to discover Kyushu in-depth this time around.
Fall is a great time to come to Kyushu, which has a mild climate compared to Japan’s more northern regions. After the worst of the summer heat has gone, you can expect temperatures in the mid-20s (Celcius)/high 70s (Fahrenheit) during this autumn tour, and colorful cosmos flowers and dahlias to bloom throughout the fall season.
You will see and experience more in 10 days than you will have on many of your longer holidays, these are some of the highlights of this tour; a tea ceremony, rice paddies, an art village, volcanically active hot springs in Beppu, green Mt. Aso, history in Kagoshima, learn about the earthquake in Kumamoto, war history in Nagasaki, and pottery in Arita and Karatsu including a workshop, plus a lot more. Join us for your trip of a lifetime!
!Special Precautions!
* We will prepare one mask per person per tour day.
* Before you get on the bus, everyone has to sanitize their hands with sanitizer that will be provided by us.
* There will be a maximum of 6 people in one van.
* We will provide everyone with one special health drink per day to keep everyone’s immune system up
* We will provide everyone with one fresh bottle of mineral water per day
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Tour Date and Price
Arrival and Departure: Starts in Fukuoka and ends in Fukuoka
Tour Dates: Fall 2021, exact dates TBA (9 nights and 10 days)
Tour Price: TBA *Price per person, Based on TWN and Triple room
Single room supplement: TBA *Price per person
Price (age 4-11※): TBA (※if no extra bed is requested for the child)
Tour Highlights
Day 1: Fukuoka
Day 2: Dazaifu – Yame – Toho Village – Yufuin
Day 3: Yufuin – Beppu – Kurokawa Onsen
Day 4: Kurokawa Onsen – Mt. Aso – Takachiho
Day 5: Takachiho – Aoshima – Kagoshima
Day 6: Kagoshima – Kumamoto
Day 7: Kumamoto – Nagasaki
Day 8: Nagasaki – Arita – Okawachiyama – Karatsu
Day 9: Karatsu – Fukuoka
Day 10: Fukuoka
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Transfer to Fukuoka Airport
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Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival on Fukuoka Airport – Transfer to Fukuoka hotel
Today you will arrive at Fukuoka Airport, and you will get a transfer to your hotel. You will have the rest of the day and evening in
Fukuoka to yourself. Fukuoka is a lively city with some great attractions like the green rooftop garden of the ACROS building, see the flowers in Uminonakamichi Seaside Park, admire the big Buddha and pagoda of the Tochoji temple, and its world-famous ramen noodles that are best sampled in Yatai.
Royal Park Hotel Fukuoka
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Day 2: Dazaifu – Yame – Toho Village – Yufuin
Your guide will pick you up with the van at 8.30 am, and your first stop will be the
Dazaifu Tenmangu shrine, a sanctuary for learning, culture and the arts. Lunch will be in
Yame, which is famous for growing some of Japan’s highest quality tea. You will also experience a tea ceremony here. You will then ride to
Toho Village, where you will get the chance to take some amazing photos of the terraced rice fields. You will arrive at your Yufuin ryokan around 5 pm, where you will have a traditional dinner.
Yufuin Hotel Shuhokan
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Day 3: Yufuin – Beppu – Kurokawa Onsen
Your guide will meet you in the lobby of your hotel at 9 am. You will explore
Yufuin and visit the Folk Craft Village and Yunotsubo Street with many cute souvenir shops and local snacks to try, and the picturesque Kinrin Lake. You will have lunch by yourself in Yufuin, and then ride to famous hot spring town
Beppu where you will visit the 3 most famous ‘hells’. You will then ride on to your
Kurokawa Onsen ryokan, where you will have a traditional dinner.
Kurokawa Onsen Wakaba
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Day 4: Kurokawa Onsen – Mt Aso – Takachiho
Your guide will pick you up with the van at 9 am, and you will first make a photo stop at Daikanbo, an impressive lookout point with amazing area views. You will then continue on to
Mt. Aso and visit the Volcano Museum, and see the views of Komezuka and Kusasenri Meadow, where you will also have lunch with a view. Then you will get back on the van to go to the
Takachiho Gorge where you will take a boat ride and walk around this otherworldly place. Dinner will be at your hotel, after which you will attend a legendary traditional
dance performance at the Takachiho shrine that tells you the story of one of Japan’s most important Shinto gods.
Solesto Takachiho Hotel
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Day 5: Takachiho – Aoshima – Kagoshima
Your guide will pick you up with the van at 8 am, and you will first ride to Aoshima where you will see the ‘Devil’s Washboard’, a beautiful natural formation along the coast. You can choose your own lunch on the way, and arrive in
Kagoshima around 2 pm where you will visit the wonderful Senganen Garden. This garden was created by a powerful clan during the feudal time and it uses its natural environment beautifully. Your next stop is the Arimura Observatory on active volcano
Sakurajima, and you will spend the night in Kagoshima.
Kagoshima Sun Royal Hotel
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Day 6: Kagoshima – Kumamoto
Your guide will pick you up with the van at 8 am, and your first stop will be at Crane Park Izumi, the spot where thousands of cranes spend the winter and you can learn more about these fascinating birds. The trip continues, and you can choose your own lunch on the way. You will then arrive in Kumamoto, a city that was devastated in an earthquake in 2016. You will see Kumamoto Castle, which is still being rebuilt, from the outside, and visit the beautiful Suizenji Park. You will spend the evening free in Kumamoto.
Richmond Hotel Kumamoto Shin Shigai
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Day 7: Kumamoto – Nagasaki
Your guide will pick you up with the van at 8 am, and you will take the ferry to Shimabara where you will visit the ‘Hell of Unzen’. Here you can walk through heated gas and billowing steam on a wooden walkway. Lunch will be in Nagasaki, after which you will learn more about Nagasaki’s tragic history in the Atomic Bomb Museum. Before you go to the hotel, you will go to Mt. Inasa to see Nagasaki’s amazing city view from above.
ANA Crowne Plaza Hotel Nagasaki Glover Hill
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Day 8: Nagasaki – Arita – Okawachiyama – Karatsu
Your guide will pick you up with the van at 8 am, and before you leave Nagasaki you will first visit the Glover Garden and Oura Church to learn more about Nagasaki’s historical foreign encounters. You will then ride to pottery town Arita, where you will visit the Fukagawa Seiji atelier, which belongs to the family who has produced some of the world’s most famous porcelain since the 17th century and even provides porcelain to the Imperial Family. You will have lunch in China on the Park, where you can also shop around for either the real thing or discounted items that didn’t meet the high standards. After lunch, you will go to Okawachiyama, another porcelain town nicknamed ‘Village of the Secret Kilns’ because of its isolated location and well-defended borders.
Hotel Resort Saga Karatsu
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Day 9: Karatsu – Fukuoka
Your guide will pick you up with the van at 9 am, and today will be all about Karatsu, famous for its pottery, festival and castle. You will learn more about the festival in the Hikiyama Exhibition Hall, see how a rich family used to live in this area in the Former Takatori House, and enjoy the views from Karatsu Castle. In the afternoon, you can finally try your hands at making some pottery yourself in a pottery workshop. You will arrive back in Fukuoka in the late afternoon, after which you can spend time freely in the city.
Royal Park Hotel Fukuoka
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Day 10: Fukuoka
You will have breakfast at the hotel, and we will arrange your transfer to Fukuoka Airport. Thank you very much for coming to Kyushu and Sayonara.
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INCLUDED
- 9 nights hotel accommodation
- Airport Transfers
- Van transfers between destinations
- Comprehensive escort of our professional English speaking nature guide as described in the itinerary
- Meals as described in the itinerary (9 breakfasts, 4 lunches, and 8 dinners)
- Admission fees to sites, gardens, and museums as listed in the itinerary
EXCLUDED
- International and/or domestic airfares to Fukuoka Airport
- Meals that are not included in the itinerary
- Travel insurance
- Alcoholic beverages and soft drinks
- Personal expenses such as telephone and laundry bills
- Gratuities
EXTENDED PLAN
You can extend your vacation before/after the tour. We can provide you with an extension of your stay in the same hotel as during the tour for an extra 15,000 yen ~ per night, per person. Please contact us for more details.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Transport: Travel by air-conditioned private van, baggage handling free
Arrival/Departure: We start and finish the tour at Fukuoka airport
Meal Requests: Vegetarian, halal or special meals can be arranged
Please bring the following: Rain gear, hiking shoes, insect repellent
Please note that the tour schedule and prices are subject to change without notice
CANCELLATION POLICY
>46 days prior to arrival date in Japan: no penalty
45-31 days prior to arrival date in Japan: 10% of the tour fee
30-15 days prior to arrival date in Japan: 20% of the tour fee
14- 8 days prior to arrival date in Japan: 30% of the tour fee
7 – 3 days prior to arrival date in Japan: 50% of the tour fee
<3 days prior to arrival date in Japan: 100% of the tour fee
