Kyushu Hike, Bike & Kayak 8D7N (Volcanoes & Hot Springs), Fully Guided

Approx. 15 km (9 miles), 1-2 hours biking

Konnichiwa! Welcome to Japan, the land of bowing, bullet trains, and hot springs. Meet your leader and small group, then get fitted to your bike so you’re safe and comfortable for the road ahead.

Our first ride together kicks off through Hakata, a lively coastal district on the northern coast of Kyushu. Use the opportunity to get some salty breeze in your lungs, and if you can tell the difference between both, also the savory aroma of simmering tonkotsu ramen broth coming from street-side yatai stalls. The route we follow takes us past Japan’s oldest Zen temple, Shōfuku-ji, founded in 1195 and also one of the few places where you can still see the original Hakata-bei. A unique form of mud wall reinforced with recycled materials gathered from the spoils of various clan wars during the 16th century.

We continue through the busy streets of Yakata with snapshots of everyday local life, making rounds along the route, then refuel with a traditional lunch for what lies ahead: Beppu! One of the most geothermally active places on Earth and is home to more than 2,000 onsen. Beppu produces more hot spring water than anywhere else in Japan, and here, you will find baths with soothing properties, others visually stunning, like the bubbling “Hells of Beppu.”

We make for this steamy and captivating city after lunch by boarding an express train ride that arrives straight at our accommodation for the next two nights.

Dinner today is, well, one way to enjoy a hearty meal amidst warm camaraderie, but also an opportunity to bond with your leader and fellow group members. We’ll gather for a welcoming one later today, with toasts and freshly prepared meals shared towards the adventures to come.

The perfect finish following your first day in Kyushu and just a short walk from Beppu Station, AMANEK Beppu YULA-RE calls to you: With a heated rooftop infinity onsen pool amidst enthralling views, an on-site restaurant, a Finnish Tent Sauna, a jacuzzi, and hot spring baths. Also, a worthy note, select premium rooms like the Japanese Spa Suites, afford you a spacious 25 m² traditional-style haven complete with tatami mats, yukata robes, and your own private indoor hot spring bath (private onsen in-room)

Approx. 25 km (15 miles), 1-2 hours biking

Enjoy breakfast at the hotel before we head out today. Beppu is amazing in every sense of its volcanic, steamy landscapes, and you’ll get to see just enough to convince you today. We follow gentle coastal roads adorned with views of the ocean on one side and visible steam rising from natural grounds on the other. It’s surreal to say the least, and interesting to find constant traces of the volcanic activity that feeds the region's hot springs.

We pause midday to restore our energy with a local lunch, inspiring our next leg to one of Beppu’s distinctive experiences: mud onsen. For those who may not know, these are unique geothermal hot springs where you soak (or slather yourself) in mineral-rich, steaming mud to exfoliate, detoxify, and leave the skin looking visibly smooth. To put into context what you’re about to experience, traditional mud baths (doro-yu) are exceptionally uncommon, even in Japan, and are offered only in a handful of hot spring towns in Japan.

Tonight’s dinner is both traditional and cultural. While you share the dinner table with your group and leader, the Toji Jug Band plays some live music to keep things lively and memorable.

Approx. 8 km (5 miles), 1-2 hours walking

Standing high at 1,583 meters (5,195 ft), Mount Yufu is considered one of the most recognizable landmarks in Kyushu, thanks to its twin peaks resembling a camel’s humps. This makes for a very captivating ride any day. The mountain has two summits, the east peak and the west peak. We summit the east peak with our bikes (the first of the twin peaks) to gain more admiration for what is today, an “otherworldly" Beppu. Our trail is well marked and runs along forested slopes and open grassland sections to the saddle between the two peaks, and then reaches the summit. However, right from when we enter the grassland area, you begin to see the beauty of our cycling adventure today as we reach above the treeline. Sights like the Yufuin basin below, the Kuju range, and subtle views towards the east become apparent. The main highlight, however, is reserved uninterruptedly for when we reach the summit. From here, the east peak sweeps over with a 360-degree outlook that clearly reveals views over Yafuin, the famous Beppu Bay, the Kuju mountains, and the steaming hot spring clusters, semi-clad in steam.

Lunch follows after the sights, and this time, it is a locally prepared meal enjoyed along the trail with uninterrupted views. Once filled and energized, we begin our descent down Mount Yufu and onward to Yufuin, located at the base of the mountain.

With around 900 hot spring sources, only Beppu surpasses this compact onsen town in terms of thermal water output nationwide, and you get to soak in one of its onsens this afternoon. Right upon arrival, you may decide to patronize the main shopping street near the station for some extra food, snacks, or drinks, or take a more laidback approach with an onsen soak to relieve and restore tired muscles.

When you think of open-air mineral baths, authentic kaiseki-style multi-course dinners featuring premium Wagyu, and traditional Japanese-style rooms where you can enjoy breathtaking views of Mt. Yufu from a wide veranda or your private open-air bath, Yufuin Kotobuki Hananosho stands out in the heart of Yufuin. Conveniently located just a 5-minute walk from JR Yufuin Station, this premium ryokan invites stellar relaxation throughout its charming expanse.

Approx. 10 km (6 miles), 1-2 hours walking

Hiking boots laced and ready, we transfer by vehicle to the Kuju Visitor Center (the main trail head for the Kuju Mountains), following breakfast.

Once there, one of the most expansive alpine landscapes in Kyushu stretches in front, inviting us to explore. The Kuju range features long, steady climbs and broad, open ridges that serve panoramic views all day long. The area is also known for its volcanic origin, last erupting roughly 130,000 years ago, and mineral-rich soils that now support several alpine plants unique only to this region.

Today, we hike approximately 10 km (6 miles), through open grasslands and over higher elevated paths, with the opportunity for a picnic lunch right on the mountain. Just as anticipated, wide views abound in every direction, setting the right scene for our lunch commune. If you are visiting in spring, you have the opportunity to witness the carpeted cascades of blooming Miyama Kirishima flowers (native only to Kyushu island) that give the mountain slopes a wildly beautiful “blushing” appearance. Autumn visits are also spectacular, with deep yellows, rusts, and golds overwhelming the expanse in a sensory feast.

Come late afternoon, we descend from the mountain for a transfer to our hotel. At 1,303 meters, Hokkein Onsen Sanso perches at Kyushu's loftiest elevation for a natural hot spring, while offering an authentic rustic mountain-hut vibe. It is located in Oita’s Kuju mountains, where both hot spring bathing times, or relaxed morning rests, treat you to panoramic views of Mt. Hiji and the surrounding Bogatsuru Marsh. Also, to decompress after such a demanding day, this classic inn features natural, sulphate-rich hot spring baths that help relieve fatigue and soothe aching muscles.

Approx. 50 km (31 miles), 3-5 hours biking

Missed the saddles? We’re back on, and for today, you are guaranteed a swell time for most of our adventure. Bikes prepped and ready, we hit the roads and head towards one of the best vantage points in the Aso Caldera. The Daikanbo loop follows open roads along the rim of Caldera, allowing you to pedal through sweeping grasslands, wind-swept highlands, and drama-defined overlooks that reveal the true scale of Aso’s volcanic wonderland below you. Here’s something to pedal on: The Aso caldera spans over 25 km across and is one of the largest calderas in the world. Perhaps, you can already see what it looks like in real life: an absolutely overwhelming wonder! We cycle at a steady pace, enjoying the scenic, less crowded, and quiet path, often interrupted by the sound of our wheels spinning and occasional horses grazing nearby.

After completing the loop, we roll back to the hotel, where the afternoon is open for whatever calls to you. You may want to partake in a low-key card game with your group members, retreat into a quiet corner with a glass of local sake or umeshu (plum wine), or just lie back and relax tired muscles in the steamy onsen.

Approx. 30 km (19 miles), 2-3 hours biking

We kick off today with a transfer to Kumamoto, then a ferry across the Ariake Sea to Shimabara, with views back towards Kushu’s volcanic interior.

Arriving at the Shimambara Ferry Terminal, we unload our bikes and, straight out, follow the Shimambara coastline where the sea runs close by and steady ocean winds invigorate the ride. Then we cycle through the Mount Unzen Eruption Preservation Park, shaped by the 19991 eruption. The scenery here is such that it casts an eerie gaze upon you as visible sights of half-submerged houses remain preserved exactly as they were left, post-eruption. Across, wide gullies scar the land and distant views open toward the Ariake Sea behind; all are framed against the silhouette presence of Mount Unzen.

Before long, we leave the sea behind and ascend gradually, enjoying the cooler air and forested slopes that permeate the scenic path all the way toward Unzen National Park. Having conquered the higher viewpoints, we can now rest and relax. Also, to give your legs a well-deserved breather, our bikes will be loaded onto the support van, and together we transfer downhill to the seaside onsen town of Obama.

Yama Terrace Bettei (Yamaterasu bettei) is premier, immersed in nature, and offers 4 exquisite dining establishments in addition to modern-looking, Japanese-style rooms with private, open spring air baths. All are situated within the Unzen Onsen area, and some rooms here are highly stylized with amenities including high-end German-made Geltex mattresses, private balconies, and intimate areas from which you can enjoy endless views of the mountains.

Today, we begin with a relaxed transfer to Nagasaki. Settle in, because this welcoming gateway on the island's northwestern coast has layers waiting to be peeled back. Fun fact: During Japan’s long period of isolation (known as sakoku), this lively port was one of the few ways in which the country connected to the wider world. You can still find much of that history today, and although its WWII past lingers, the modern Nagasaki you see now is vibrant, welcoming, and very much alive.

We’ll get to the day's business by paddling gently along the Nakashima River, past a mix of Edo-period stone bridges and modern urban paths, shops, and buildings. Then onto Dejima on foot. Quite small in size, this man-made island is mighty in significance and was Japan’s only gateway to trade with foreign nations during the long centuries of national Isolation. Today, it serves as an open-air museum. where you can see firsthand how those early exchanges quietly shaped everything, way beyond silk or tea.

Noon comes, and those appetites are sure to be calling; luckily, lunch is all taken care of. Our leader guides us straight into the lantern-lined streets of Nagasaki Chinatown, and the aroma of street food makes it near-impossible to resist a Castella cake. Sweetly satisfied, we continue to Ōura Church, a quiet symbol of the city’s long, intricate relationship with the outside world and one of Japan’s oldest Western-style churches.

As the day begins to fade, nothing settles the mind quite like the thought of a celebratory dinner. Today, being our final day in Nagasaki and the eve of our last day on this adventure, dinner is both joyous and bittersweet for the days we have spent together.

Tonight, your accommodation is none other than Hotel Monterey Nagasaki. Located in the city center and built to evoke Portuguese colonial-style (specifically inspired by the 16th-century arrival of Portuguese traders), this comfortable establishment features European-type rooms, an Italian restaurant, cozy air-conditioned accommodations, all set near the sea, and just a two-minute walk from the Oura Kaigan Dori Tram Stop.

It’s that day to bid farewell. But before that, if you have time before departure, make it count. Visit the Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum for a direct, unfiltered look at the 1945 bombing and its aftermath, or walk through Nagasaki Peace Park, a space built for remembrance and peace.

Return to the hotel to pack up and say goodbye to your leader and the people who shared the miles, climbs, and stories with you. Farewell, and onward you go.

NOTE: This itinerary is provided as an example only – prevailing conditions and local arrangements may cause variation.