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Kyushu's Hidden History: Self-guided Walk and Explore

Combine walks through nature and exploration days in key historical areas as you make your way from Kyūshū’s eastern coast to the western port city of Nagasaki.

  • Duration: 8 days
  • Trip level:
    Active
    Level
  • Availability: Recommended from March until November
  • Type:Self-guided
    Level
  • Price: From USD 2,590(Price per person, based on 2 travellers sharing a room)
Highlights
  • Unravel the mysteries of the Usuki Stone Buddhas
  • Take in the scope of the Mount Aso caldera, the largest in Japan
  • Unwind in onsen hot springs after days full of exploration
  • Experience rural Kyūshū life and hospitality with a local farm stay
  • Learn about Kyūshū’s unique history, which blends traditional Japanese customs with foreign influences
  • Enjoy a mix of walking days as you hike through splendid nature, and exploration days that guide you through culturally significant areas

Kyūshū is the third-largest of Japan’s four major islands, situated in the southwest part of the country. Considered the cradle of Japanese civilisation, Kyūshū also holds a place in history as the gateway to Japan. It was through here that foreign traders arrived in Japan, and the centuries of trade and foreign exchange formed the region’s cultural fabric just as surely as its volcanic activity formed its land. Even during the Edo period, when Japan famously sequestered itself from outside influence, foreign merchants from a select few countries were able to conduct business via Nagasaki’s trading post of Dejima. Christianity, banned by the Tokugawa shogunate, was tolerated in certain areas, giving rise to groups of ‘Hidden Christians’ who couched their worship in the trappings of Shintoism and Buddhism to hide it from authorities.

All this took place on an island whose volatile earth shaped the lives of those around it. Hot spring villages and settlements built within the calderas of volcanoes are a testament to human innovation and the ability to live in any circumstances. 

Our tour, Kyushu’s Hidden History: Self-guided Walk and Explore, takes you through the centre of the island, from the onsen town of Beppu on the eastern coast all the way to Nagasaki in the west. The destinations you’ll travel to along the way include Usuki, once the domain of a Christian daimyō and the home of dozens of mysterious Buddhist sculptures; the Kusasenri Plain, located in the sprawling Aso Caldera (large enough to hold a city!); and Mount Unzen, a dramatic grouping of volcanic peaks and geothermal vents with a similarly dramatic history.

Your journey will focus on exploration, discovery, and learning – if you wanted to know more about Kyūshū’s unique place in Japanese history, then this is the tour for you!

This tour features three unforgettable walks, all up mountain trails that lead to breathtaking viewpoints. The first of these will be on the lovely Ōnyūjima, as the finale of a stroll around the island; the next, up one of the peaks that make up the massive Mount Aso. Finally, you will hike up one of Mount Unzen’s peaks to take in views of the Shimabara Peninsula. 

Alongside these fantastic hikes, you will have the chance to explore the region’s cultural landmarks: in addition to detailed, turn-by-turn walking directions for walking days, our Walking Guidebook also provides you with recommended highlights and exploration routes for sightseeing days, as well as important historical information to help paint you a background picture and deepen your understanding of the area. 

About Exploration Days

In addition to its classic Hiking Days, our Kyūshū’s Hidden History: Self-guided Walk and Explore tour features special sections called Exploration Days. In your guidebook, Hiking Days include detailed, turn-by-turn walking directions along beautiful trails and up mountain paths. Meanwhile, our Exploration Days introduce key highlights found in culturally important areas such as Taketa and Nagasaki, explaining how they fit into the full picture of the region’s history, and present you with recommended routes for the day to visit these highlights at your leisure. 

If you love hiking and the occasional climb up a mountain trail, punctuated with days exploring cities and historic towns on foot, this tour may be for you! 

Are you ready to delve into Kyūshū’s secrets? 

Download PDF itinerary

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What is included
7 nights at accommodations
7 breakfasts and 4 dinners
Train tickets for intermediate journeys on the trip
Ferry from Kumamoto Port to Shimabara Port
Detailed day-by-day itinerary and walking directions
Detailed maps
Our Preparing for Your Trip and Travelling in Japan guidebooks
Local support by telephone
Entrance fees for the Inaba Family Villa and Usuki Stone Buddhas on day 3
4 pre-paid taxis
What is not included
Flights
Airport transfers
Transportation to your starting point in Beppu and onwards from Nagasaki at the end of your trip
Drinks and meals not included in itinerary
Local bus journeys which must be paid directly to the bus driver
Cable car from Mount Myōkendake to Nita-tōge Pass
Single room supplement(s) for solo occupancy
Daily luggage transfer
Entrance fees for sites and activities not listed in 'What's Included'
Itinerary

Tour itineraries are subject to change. We will inform you of any amendments as soon as we become aware of them.