Takachiho Gorge

One of the highlights of my trip to Miyazaki. This is a place I gave up visiting on my first visit to Miyazaki 10 years ago, as I didn't rent a car because public transportation to this place was very inefficient.

1. Boat and Parking A small boat ride in the canyon costs 5,100 yen on weekends and 4,100 yen on weekdays for 30 minutes. Online reservations are available from 1 week prior to your visit, and if 2 days prior to your visit, online reservations close and are converted to tickets for visiting travelers. Among the 3 parking lots(free, 300Y, 500Y, you have to pay a fee of 500 yen to park at the 1st parking lot, it is convenient because there is a boat ticket office inside the parking lot. However, the parking lot accommodates only about 30 cars, so it is not easy to find a spot. You have to wait until a space becomes available. The small boat, which you must row yourself, can accommodate up to 3 adults or 4 including children. It wasn't difficult to get a boat ticket in January, but finding a space in parking lot 1 seemed to be more difficult.

2. Ticket Reservation Even if you reserve a ticket online, you must stop by the boat office and exchange it for a numbered ticket. If you go straight to the boat landing, you have to climb up the steep stairs again, so don't forget to exchange it. If you haven't booked tickets in advance, it's a good idea to secure your tickets when you arrive at the ticket office. For tickets purchased on-site, you cannot specify a time and you must ride immediately after purchasing the ticket. In January, if you arrive early in the morning even on a weekend, there are still a lot of tickets left, but they are often sold out during the warm season.

3. Overall Review Although the view from the boat is beautiful, I think the price of 5,100 yen (weekends) for 30 minutes is a bit expensive. Even if you don't take a boat, you can enjoy the scenery from the bridge. I was worried that 30 minutes would be short, but when you actually row the boat, the section the boat can operate on is very short, so you don't need more time. Takachiho Gorge is very beautiful and well worth a visit, but I'm not sure it's worth paying the price to dodge other boats in the narrow canyon.