Kyushu 1st draft itinerary for 2 weeks. Thoughts?

Hi all,

I've never been to Japan. I'll be there in 2 weeks time, for 6 weeks. I have a gap in my itinerary of 2 weeks where I intend to visit Kyushu, via a stop or two on the way. I'd like your thoughts on my proposed route.

I've tried to not visit places, castles that have been affected by natural disasters. within reason.
My thinking: nature, culture, onsens, people watching. Not enough time for all the ceramics. I'm solo, 32, using public transport. And have tried my best to research transport times and options to build the itinerary.

01: Tokyo > Okayama (Morning train)
02: Okayama > Omnichi (evening train)
03: Omnichi > Imbari (Cycling day - bag delivered to accommodation)
04: Imbari > Nagasaki (morning train)
05: Full day in Nagasaki
06: Nagasaki > Unzen Hell (morning) > Kumamoto (ferry.. lunch in the Suizenji Jojuen Garden perhaps ) > Aso region (arrive evening)
07: Full day in Aso region (nature/hiking) - I'm aware there are current access restrictions - still worth it?
08: Aso > Takachico Gorge (morning, go on a boat ride in the afternoon)
09: Takachico Gorge > Kirishima National Park
08: Kirishima National Park (full day)
09: Kirishima National Park > Kagoshima > (speedboat) Yukashima
10: Full day in Yukashima
11: Yukashima > Kagoshima
12: Kagoshima - hike up the volcano, onsen and chill in the evening
13: Kagoshima > Tokyo (flight)

Is it too rushed? Any alternatives I'm missing? March 20th - April 3rd, is it a good season for the regions I've mentioned? Any onsen must-do's in these regions.. i'm sure my body will need it!

I'd love to do a lot more, I've researched heavily, and I'm sad to not see more of the north, but for me Yukashima and some volcano sites are a must. I enjoy to photograph people/culture/traditions, there will be plenty of opportunity in the cities, but if you can suggest any interesting locations worth adding-in or swapping for, I'd be very interested.

I'm very excited :) Still a heap to get organised! Either side of these 2 weeks I will be in Tokyo for 1.5 weeks, and exploring central Japan over 2.5 weeks (then on to central/northern china for 3.5 weeks!)

Thanks very much for any tips.

The days's aren't set in stone. I can add a day or two. I am considering adding a day at Kurokawa Onsen after Aso.

I also read the main caldera of Aso is open as of March, so that's good news :)

I would spend more time in Yakushima and less in Kagoshima / Sakurajima, I didn't find it so special. Yakushima on the other hand has lots of things to offer, especially if you're into hiking and nature. Btw, public transportation is not that great in Yakushima

I also liked Beppu in Kyushu, not sure if you were planning to visit it while in Aso region.

04: Imbari > Nagasaki (morning train)

You need to take a closer look on a map. Imabari is on the island of Shikoku. Nagasaki is on the island of Kyushu. There are no trains between the two. The quickest way between the two would be to head from Imabari back to Onomichi (I assume that's what you mean by "Omnichi"), and then travel by train from there.

06: Nagasaki > Unzen Hell (morning) > Kumamoto (ferry.. lunch in the Suizenji Jojuen Garden perhaps ) > Aso region (arrive evening)

I don't think this is possible in one day by public transport. It will be way too rushed. Unzen is lovely, why not spend one night up there, and then travel through to Aso the next day? When I was in the Aso region (last year), most train lines in the area were not working. Traveling from Kumamoto to Aso was by bus only.

07: Full day in Aso region (nature/hiking) - I'm aware there are current access restrictions - still worth it?

The enormous crater around Aso is magnificent, one of the world's wonders. In good weather, yes it's worth it, just for the views. I went up to the main Aso volcano in bad weather, and there wasn't much there to see or do. There are probably some nice, short hikes open, in good weather.

09: Takachico Gorge > Kirishima National Park

No idea how you'd attempt that on public transport. Expect it to be complicated.

I spent about 2 weeks on Kyushu in March of last year, and had a fabulous time. I had a car though, which made things much, much easier. Getting around some of the mountains and natural sights on Kyushu on public transport will be rather time-consuming.

Two more tips: spell things correctly, and figure out what Shikoku is.

Hi Giora, Thanks very much for that. Yes I realised my spelling mistakes afterwards!

• Yes I've researched the route between Imabari & Nagasaki. I'd need to get a bus back to as far as Fukayama before getting on the bullet train to Kyushu, specifically Hakata, then a local train to Nagasaki. All in all about 5hr 30, if I make my connections.

• I'm glad you suggested staying in Unzen region - as that is something I've since considered. The only thing holding me back is that I'm already incorporating a lot of nature/hiking stops. If you could remove either Unzen, Aso, Takachicho or Kirishima, which would you select? Another option to make Nagasaki > Unzen Hell > Aso in a day is to skip Kumamoto entirely. The transport looks pretty straight forward, only 1-2 hours between each stop.

Thanks for the tip on Shikoku. To be honest I was so mesmerised by Yukashima and Volcanoes, that I didn't research much of Shikoku, but it sounds fascinating, albeit challenging without a car. I'm not sure I have enough time to reconsider, but for sure I'll give read more and make a quick decision.

Thanks

Okay, if you realize the transport connections for Imabari-Nagasaki and are happy taking the Shinkansen, then it's easy enough. While you're in Fukuyama (Fukuyama, not Fukayama.. ;-)) take a quick look at the castle. It sits right next to the main train station (where the Shinkansen is), and has a couple of nice old buildings that were moved there from a famous castle in Kyoto.

For me, Unzen and Kirishima would be the top 2 nature/hiking stops in all of Kyushu. Takachiho divides people. My girlfriend absolutely loved the place, while I thought it was nice, but not extraordinary. Aso isn't that exciting if you can't hike up to the main crater. But the whole Aso region is amazing to see. It's a tough call if you want to drop one of them.

Another option to make Nagasaki > Unzen Hell > Aso in a day is to skip Kumamoto entirely. The transport looks pretty straight forward, only 1-2 hours between each stop.

I bypassed Kumamoto when I was on Kyushu. The city's one main sight is its castle, and its castle was largely closed to the public due to earthquake damage when I was there. The only city on Kyushu that I would highly recommend you not skip is Nagasaki.

As for the transport. I only have personal experience by car. But you're looking at Nagasaki-Unzen, Unzen-Shimabara port, a boat across the bay (either 30 minutes or 1 hour, depending on which boat you catch), a local bus from Kumamoto's port into the city center, and then another bus to Aso. I can't imagine it's too easy in a day, but as I say, I don't have personal experience.

Thank you very much

A little stop in Fukuyama for an hour or two could work, thanks for the tip!
Thanks for your opinion on the natural parks, very useful.
Yes I think missing Kumamoto is what I'll do, I also read the castle was closed. I'll be visiting a lot of cities so I'm not fussed to miss Kumamoto on this occasion.

Yes that's the route with the ferry that I had in mind. With a stop in Unzen then it shouldn't be so rushed.

Thoughts on Ibsuki? I could get a visit in instead of one of the various nature stops. I quite like the sound of the onsens and sand baths.

Ibusuki... spelling police :P

Is Kirishima still worth visiting with the current volcano exclusion zones that have closed most of the trekking routes?

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