Kyushu Motorcycle Tour In Detail
Day by Day Itinerary
Days 1 and 2
Aso and Kuju
Day 1
The morning will be spent visiting the Bike Rental shop just outside Kumamoto, collecting the bike and getting ready to ride.
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We begin the ride towards Mt Aso and Kuju national parks. We will ride around the outside of the caldera of Mt Aso, one of the largest in the world and stop at various viewpoints along the way. We will visit Kokonoe's "Dream" suspension bridge, one of the highest pedestrian bridges in the world at 173m.
We will then follow the famously beautiful Yamanami highway past Mt Kuju to our hotel in the mountains for the night.
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Distance: Approx. 127 kms
Riding Time: Approx. 3 hours 15 mins
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Day 2
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Today will have some fantastic riding as we ride to Mt Aso and visit the often-erupting crater. The moon-like landscape changes again into rich farmland and then into valleys as we head towards Takachiho to see the gorge. It is believed that this is where the sun goddess Amaterasu, whose teardrops made the islands of Japan, came down to Earth. Certainly the lava and rock formations in the gorge are spectacular.
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In the afternoon we ride to Ume on the southern edge of Oita prefecture which is where we will spend the night. Homestay is an option here for the night, where you can have dinner with your Japanese host and learn to speak through body language! Ume is the small town that Howard lived in for 2 years post university. A very friendly place nestled in the mountains.
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Distance: Approx. 162 kms
Riding Time: Approx. 3.5 hours
Days 3, 4 and 5
The subtropical south
Day 3
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Today we ride down the eastern coast of Kyushu until we reach the palmed lined roads of Miyazaki prefecture's Nichinan coastline. Here, you feel more like you're in Hawaii than Japan, with its surfing beaches and sunshine. We will visit Aoshima and its famous devil's washboard coastline. Further down the coast we will stop at Udo Shrine, and see what luck it brings. We will spend the night in Obi, the samurai suburb of Nichinan by the sea. We will sleep in a samurai house.
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Distance: Approx. 202 kms
Riding Time: Approx. 3.5 hours
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Day 4
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This is a day to relax and enjoy Obi - have a rickshaw ride, do a short local ride and maybe catch a glimpse of the local wild monkeys. You are free to walk around the old samurai town of Obi and visit the castle remains.
Day 5
We start today by riding to Toimisaki lighthouse and see the almost 360 degree sea view and then we ride to Kirishima volcanic park. Maybe catch a glimpse of Sakurajima volcano along the way. Some beautiful twisty roads on this stretch, stopping at the large Kirishima Shrine on the way. Lunch is a stop near the top of Kirishima volcano, then we descend into the valley and spend the night in Izumi - another samurai town.
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Distance: Approx. 120 kms
Riding Time: Approx. 2 hours 45 mins
Day 6
Izumi and Kumamoto
Day 6
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This morning we will visit the old samurai houses in Izumi-Fumoto and walk around this well kept area. After setting off from Izumi, we ride back via Isa to Hitoyoshi to follow the 445 road to Itsuki village, This is rural Japan at its best. ​
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We will stop for the night along this road.
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Distance: Approx. 195 kms
Riding Time: Approx. 4 hours 15 mins
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Day 7
Return to Kumamoto
Day 7
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Today is the final day of riding, as we head back to Kumamoto, skirting the beautiful Aso National Park. We return the bikes - hopefully with smiles from ear to ear from a fabulous Kyushu tour!
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Distance: Approx. 100 kms
Riding Time: Approx. 2.5 hours
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Enjoy some time to visit Kumamoto city. We have the chance to visit the famous castle, unfortunately damaged in the 2016 earthquake. Kumamoto also has a beautiful park and an old tram system to explore. Try the local delicacy of raw horse meat - basashi!
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OPTIONAL ADDITIONAL EXCURSION: For those wanting to visit Hiroshima and experience the bullet train there is the option to have a guided day trip to Hiroshima by taking the shinkansen.
