Nagasaki or Aso/Takachiho
 

We will be arriving in Fukuoka mid-March and traveling by train (not renting a car). I want to spend about 5 days in Kyushu and am torn about what to miss out on.

Option 1:
2 nights in Fukuoka (arrival night + 1 more)
Day 2 - train to Kumamoto
Day 3 - expensive private tour driving to Takachiho and Aso
Day 4 - train to Beppu for a night at a fancy onsen
Day 5 - stay in Beppu for one more night? Go to Kyoto (our next leg)? Shorten the rest of Japan trip (10 days for Kyoto and Tokyo) to go to Nagasaki (one day to travel, one day to explore)?

Option 2:
2 nights in Fukuoka (arrival night + 1 more)
Day 2 - train to Nagasaki
Day 3 - Day in Nagasaki
Day 4 - train to Beppu for a night at a fancy onsen

I guess I’m really questioning: expensive private tour from Kumamoto to Takachiho and Aso, OR go to Nagasaki? Is mid-March a bad time to try to see Takachiho Gorge and Aso?

I didn’t plan our arrival flight well, so to see Nagasaki, Beppu, and Aso all by train means a lot of back and forth through Fukuoka train station.

So my plea for suggestions also is: how do I make the best of my Fukuoka arrival for about 5 days in Kyushu, with a train to Kyoto being the start of the next leg of my journey on about Day 6?

Other variables: I’m traveling with teens, who might be reluctant to experience nude bathing at an onsen, but I’d also like to do something special to celebrate my birthday on Day 4.

Maybe Beppu is the piece I should take out? But I really want something special for Day 4…

So you have five nights total on Kyushu, if you stretch it? I have been to Aso and Takichiho Gorge, but it was several years ago, and in the early fall. I rented a car in Kumamoto, and stayed in a hotel in that area for three nights. One day, I took a day trip to Aso, and another to Takichiho Gorge. I would rate the whole experience as average at best. At the time, Aso was bubbling, so one could not go anywhere near the rim. My visit consisted of looking, and then going in to the gift shop. Takichiho Gorge consisted of a boat ride (which I did not take), and then some hiking trails. I could not really find the trails, and there was no one to help. I would definitely not take an expensive trip there.

Here is what I would suggest:
2 nights in Fukuoka, with day trip to Daizifu (temples and museum)
3 nights in Kumamoto (one day to see the castle and garden, another for a day trip to Amakusa)

Amakusa was the highlight of that trip. I took a bus there form Kumamoto. The scenery was gorgeous. From there, I arranged a visit to a potter at his shop, and then I took a group tour around the island, which included dolphin watching. The tour was in Japanese, but it did not matter at all.

We spent 8 nights on Kyushu back in 2012, 2 nights each at Kumamoto, Kurokawa Onsen, Yufuin, and Fukuoka. We self drove most of the itinerary.

We loved Kumamoto, liked Kurokawa and liked Fukuoka. Yufuin wasn't as pretty as we expected though the drive into and out of it was beautiful.

We also did drive out/ up to Mount Aso (we were able to go right to the rim which was cool but there are far more impressive volcanoes in the world to visit), Beppu (an ugly city but still fun to visit the various Hells), Takachiho Gorge (no boating available because of water levels or weather, I forget, which meant the visit was only so so to be honest), and Usuki Sekibutsu (to see the stone Buddha statues, which were cool).

And Don't miss the reclining blue Buddha at Nanzoin.

We didn't fit in Nagasaki so no comment on that.

Option 1:
2 nights in Fukuoka (arrival night + 1 more)
ok

Day 2 - train to Kumamoto
that is easy, you would have some time to see the castle, garden, but really not much time

Day 3 - expensive private tour driving to Takachiho and Aso
You mentioned that word "expensive" a couple of times. A day trip tour would be efficient, no getting lost. The walk through the gorge is really nice. Weather might not cooperate. Would really recommend spending the night there to see the evening kagura performance at the shrine. You are taking this day away from Kumamoto where it could be well spent and not expensive. There are a few scenic trains that you could take from/near Kumamoto, one of which would give views of Aso-san area.

Day 4 - train to Beppu for a night at a fancy onsen
This is a bit of a trip There is a bus option. By onsen, I think you mean you want to stay at a fancy ryokan with an onsen. Which one?

Day 5 - stay in Beppu for one more night? Go to Kyoto (our next leg)? Shorten the rest of Japan trip (10 days for Kyoto and Tokyo) to go to Nagasaki (one day to travel, one day to explore)?
Second night in Beppu is unnecessary. You do want to visit Jigoku Dani and that won't take long. Yes, I would say shorten other parts of trip to spend more time in Kyushu. But the idea of going from Beppu to Nagasaki with this option is not good.

Option 2:
2 nights in Fukuoka (arrival night + 1 more)
Day 2 - train to Nagasaki
Day 3 - Day in Nagasaki
Day 4 - train to Beppu for a night at a fancy onsen

This is better. Getting from Nagasaki to Beppu would be a bit of a trip - meaning 3.5 to 4 hours or (more). Kind of unnecessary. You could find a fancy onsen ryokan in Western Honshu. But if you found a great place to stay in Beppu, then no problem, go for it.

You can probably put a JR Kyushu rail pass to good use for this trip. The 5-day pass, probably.

CaliforniaLady
I’m interested in your trip to Amakusa. I’d love any more information about the bus trip and tour you took. I’m planning 3 nights in Kumamoto, and that day trip you took sounds delightful.

Well, hello progol. I was just reading your wonderful Morocco trip report. We may go next year, but it looks very similar to Algeria, which we visited last month. If we decide to go, I'll contact your driver. Anyway, back to Amakusa...

I found my old emails from 2014, when I went. I contacted a tour company on the island. Here is the email:

<[email protected]>

I also arranged to visit a pottery factory (small, family owned, non touristy) before my tour of the island. Here is he name of the factory:

"Maruo yaki" pottery kiln

I took a tour called:

Dolphins, Sea Breeze, and Sun Tour

I took a public bus to the island and back. Here is the itinerary I set:8:05 - 10:30 Bus from Kumamoto to Hondo

10:30 - 12:30 Sightsee in Hondo: Maruo Yaki pottery kiln, temples, walk around

12:40 - 17:20 Dophins, Sea Breeze and Sun Tour

17:30 - 20:00 Bus from Honda to Kumamoto
The scenery was gorgeous. But two drawbacks: The tour was in Japanese only, but it didn't bother me. The dolphins were plentiful and amazing. Also, the bus hit some sort of traffic coming back, so we didn't arrive in Kumamoto until 10 PM. Get yourself a tray of sushi at a grocery store before leaving the island!

Hope that helps.

Thanks so much, CaliforniaLady! It’s great to have the information and I’ll see what will work for us.

I’m glad you’ve enjoyed my Morocco trip report!