Hi everyone, I am looking for advice / feedback on a 3 week itinerary for a couple (late 30s), especially on the Kyushu part .
We are very familiar with Japan since this will be the 6th trip in ~12 years, but this is our first time trying to set a more strict and structured schedule and I am second-guessing myself. Previously we had a very flexible and would use JR Pass freely to get around. We changed this due to 1) busy period (Christmas + NYE); 2) limited accomodation options in Yakushima; and 3) JR Pass probably won’t make sense for our itinerary. In our trips, we like to take it easy (avoid hopping around cities) and try to combine seeing our favorite places (Kyoto, Tokyo, Osaka) with including new things (this time, Kyushu + Kamikochi).
For Kyushu, there were so many things we wanted to do, but please bear in mind we CAN’T rent a car and would depend exclusively on public transportation. In the end, we cut out Nagasaki, Aso, Beppu and Takachiho gorge and decided to focus in the south (Kagoshima + Yakushima).
Please let me know if you see any blind spots / weird logistical choices. As a reminder, we have been to many usual itinerary suggestions in previous trips (Kanazawa, Takayama, Shin-Hotaka Ropeway, Nara, Koya-san, Hiroshima + Miyajima, Yamadera).
| Day # | Location | Logistics | Cost / Person (¥) | Notes |
|:–|:–|:–|:–|:–|
| 1 | Tokyo | | | Arrival 4 pm |
| 2 | Tokyo | | | |
| 3 | Tokyo | | | Takuhaibin (forward to Kagoshima) |
| 4 | Tokyo > Yakushima | JAL: HND > KOJ > KUM | ~20,000 | JAL Explorer Pass for HND > KOJ |
| 5 | Yakushima | | | |
| 6 | Yakushima > Kagoshima | Hydrofoil | 12,200 | Book in advance through website |
| 7 | Kagoshima | | | |
| 8 | Kagoshima | | | |
| 9 | Kagoshima > Fukuoka | Kirishima Ltd Express + Shinkansen Sakura | 11,470 | Takuhaibin (forward to Osaka) |
| 10 | Fukuoka > Osaka |Meimon Taiyo Ferry: Hakata St > Kokura St > Shin Moji Port > Osaka Nanko Port | 16,380 | Superior room, book online on Oct 30th. If not available, Shinkansen (¥15,280) |
| 11 | Osaka | | | NEW YEAR |
| 12 | Osaka | | | If feeling lazy, takuhaibin (forward to Kyoto) |
| 13 | Osaka > Kyoto | JR Kyoto Rapid Service: Shin Osaka > Kyoto St | 570 | Depending on day trips, might be worth to buy a Kansai pass |
| 14 | Kyoto | | | |
| 15 | Kyoto | | | |
| 16 | Kyoto | | | TBD 7-day JR Pass. If bought, activate this day |
| 17 | Kyoto > Matsumoto | Shinkansen Hikari + Shinano Ltd. Express | 10,140 | Takuhaibin (forward to Tokyo) |
| 18 | Kamikochi | Bus: Matsumoto > Nakonoyu bus stop > Matsumoto | 4,500 | Might decide move forward to Takayama, but we have been there previously |
| 19 | Matsumoto > Tokyo | Azusa Ltd Express: Matsumoto > Shinjuku St | 6,620 | |
| 20 | Tokyo | | | Sumo tournament? Tickets on sale on Dec 10th |
| 21 | Tokyo | | | If JR Pass was acquired, see Jigokudani monkey park |
| 22 | Tokyo | | | |
| 23 | Tokyo | Fly back home | | |
Thanks