My partner and I are heading to Kyushu for 16 days in October and have come up with the following skeletal plan, based on general online search and reddit suggestions.
It appears that a number of attractions are located just outside main city centers, so we'll be doing day trips out of these city centers. The mode of transport aren't decided yet, but we'll likely take trains between city centers. For day trips from city centers, we'll either hire local guides or rent a car and drive ourselves.
Primary interests are sights, history and food. Not interested in onsens. While we do enjoy visiting popular 'touristy' attractions, we also like to set aside some time to wander around interesting locations without specific attractions in mind, and just exploring hidden nooks and alleyways, soaking in the sights, sounds and smells of places.
We welcome any recommendations and suggestions! We're still filling in the details and the schedule is a little sparse. Thank you!!
1. Fukuoka (~2 days)
Ohori Park and Maizuru Park.
Dazaifu Tenmangū
Tenjin area at night just to soak in the vibes.
Is Dazaifu worth visiting?
2. Beppu (~3 days)
Mount Tsurumi
Kifune Castle
Day trips: Yufuin, Kokonoe Yume Otsuribashi
It's not lost on us that this place is known for onsens and we're not into onsens. But this seems like a quiet and quaint place to mill around for abit. Oita is a larger city but my impression is that it appears to be more lifeless than Beppu?
?? Miyazaki?
Inspired by our coastal roadtrip in Scotland previously, we had initially wanted to drive from Beppu down the coast to Miyazaki. The views are apparently great, but Miyazaki doesn't appear to be worth a stop as a base in the first place.
For those who have been to Miyazaki, what are your thoughts?
3. Kagoshima (~3 days)
Tenmonkan Park
Museum of the Meiji Restoration
Day trips: Sakurajima
4. Kumamoto (~3 days)
Kumamoto castle
Suizenji Jojuen
Day trips: Mount Aso, Takachiho and the Gorge, Goroga Falls
Are the Amakusa islands worth going?
5. Nagasaki (~4 days)
Atomic bomb museum and area
Mount Inasa
Gunkanjima
6. Fukuoka (1 day)
Full final day in Kyushu for a good rest, before we fly home. Nothing planned yet but might revisit amazing restaurants experienced when we first arrive in Fukuoka.
by huegln