Japan's Kyushu Island Off-the-Beaten-Path Self-Drive Tour 🚗🌸🌄

I traveled to Kyushu Island for 5 days at the end of March, and I simply adore this place! Although it wasn't green yet in March, the cherry blossoms, waterfalls, seas, and canyons I saw along the way were absolutely stunning. I chose a self-drive tour because public transportation was inconvenient to the places I wanted to visit. Renting a car for 4 days at a total cost of 26,500 yen wasn't too expensive. The best part about self-driving is being able to reach places that are less accessible to regular tourists—beautiful scenery with fewer people is just too refreshing! This was my first time in Kyushu, so I wanted to focus on visiting Aso, Beppu, and Takachiho. I stopped to play at any beautiful spots along the way, and after several days, I visited many places without feeling tired. Here's the detailed route: 📅 Day 1️⃣ After landing at Kumamoto Airport, I headed straight to Kumamoto City and explored on foot. 📅 Day 2️⃣ Returned to Kumamoto Airport to rent a car. Drove into Aso, where several scenic spots are connected, ensuring a beautiful self-drive route. You can refer to the last picture. Stayed overnight at a hot spring inn in Aso-Nai Moku. 📅 Day 3️⃣ Similar to the second day, drove through several scenic spots and arrived in Yufuin. Stayed overnight at a sea view hot spring hotel in Beppu. 📅 Day 4️⃣ Visited Beppu's Jigoku hot springs, then drove back into the mountains. I must recommend a waterfall called "Shinten-no-taki," which was the most beautiful scenery I saw during this trip. Stayed overnight at a super off-the-beaten-path glamping site in Bungo-Ono. 📅 Day 5️⃣ Drove south to Takachiho, rented a small boat to explore the canyon. Afterward, drove to Minami-Aso and stayed at a hot spring inn. 📅 Day 6️⃣ Returned the car at Kumamoto Airport and left Kyushu Island. The total driving time was about 7 hours, and most of the roads were toll-free, with tolls mainly concentrated around Beppu. In the next issue, I'll talk in detail about the several inns I liked during this trip. #SelfDriveTour #OffTheBeatenPath #Travel #CherryBlossoms #JapanTravel #JapaneseOnsen #JapanOffTheBeatenPath #JapanSelfDrive #Kyushu #Kumamoto #Beppu #Yufuin #MiyazakiTakachihoGorge