Dazaifu

Highly recommended tour! It is not one of those rushed bus tours where you just breeze through; it actually leaves you with free time to explore on your own (about two hours of free time in Yufuin, though it is so rich in things to do that it is actually worth staying three to four hours. On the other hand, the Umi Jigoku [Sea Hell] was just ordinary, so I docked a few points for the itinerary arrangement). Our tour guide, Eiichi, was very professional and struck just the right balance with the pacing of the commentary. Whenever he noticed people were getting tired, he would pause appropriately, and whenever he saw everyone was interested, he would share a bit more background story. There happened to be a mobility-impaired member in our group, and aside from proactively helping to load and unload the wheelchair, he managed the timing and group gathering very well, so we never felt like we were waiting too long for settling in. The fried chicken, Mentaiko bread, and matcha soft-serve ice cream he recommended were truly delicious!

An absolutely wonderful tour! The first stop was Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine, with an 80-minute stay. It takes about half an hour to walk through the shrine grounds, where you can pray for good fortune or buy some lucky charms. The small street in front of the shrine has many great little shops; whether it's local snacks, souvenirs, the Sumikkogurashi specialty store, or the unique Starbucks, everything is very interesting and well worth spending some time exploring. Next was the Beppu Ropeway, with a 60-minute stop. The cable car ride up the mountain takes about 10 minutes, offering beautiful scenery along the way. It's a bit cooler at the top, so you should keep that in mind. When we went up, it happened to be foggy, so we couldn't see the view below, but walking along the mountain trails in the fog was still a lot of fun. We had nearly two hours in Yufuin. Starting from Lake Kinrin and slowly walking back, there are so many small shops to browse and shop at, as well as plenty of interesting snacks. Even though no lunch time was scheduled, eating and browsing our way through Yufuin turned out to be a fantastic experience. On the way back, we rode the Yufuin no Mori train. Although you can't see much of the scenery at night, it gives you more leisure time, and the seats on the train are more spacious, making it easy to use the restroom and much more comfortable to rest. It's a great choice.

I did the tour to see Takachiho Gorge and Aso Kusasenri, and I had a fantastic time. The tour was incredibly well-organized. Our guide, Sun, was knowledgeable and professional; he gave us great context about the area and guided us exceptionally well throughout the day. The gorge was beautiful, and the boat experience was so much fun. I also added the lunch package at the last minute and was really glad I did, because the food was delicious. We even got to see horses at Kusasenri, which was very cool. Overall, I highly recommend this tour!

We spotted tour guide Nana's flag first thing in the morning. She was sweet and extremely dedicated, and she didn't waste any time talking when it was time for us to rest and catch up on sleep! Her Mandarin and English were both fluent, so there were zero communication barriers. Since I easily get motion sick, I had added a note requesting a front-seat before joining the tour, and they saved a seat for me. The scenery along the entire way was truly gorgeous, and everywhere we went had a wonderful, comfortable energy. Because we joined the Takachiho Gorge boating activity, our schedule required precise timing. As soon as we arrived at Takachiho Gorge, Nana gave instructions on the meeting time and place for those not boating, and then rushed forward with the nine of us who were participating in the boating activity! It turns out that boating time is limited, and failing to return within the designated time results in extra fees charged by the boat rental shop! The boats are not the easiest to steer, but it is a lot of fun. I highly recommend trying it out if you aren't traveling with very young children or elderly family members—since you're already there, you might as well! I highly recommend this tour and am very grateful to our guide, Nana, for giving us such a wonderful day! By the way, the mango shaved ice has very poor value for the money, so skip it! The soft-serve ice cream should be worth a try, though!

La nostra excursió d'un dia a Dazaifu, Yufuin, Kamado Jigoku i Umi Jigoku va ser un dels moments més destacats del nostre viatge al Japó. L'itinerari estava ben organitzat, donant-nos temps suficient per explorar, fer fotos, comprar i gaudir realment de cada parada. Un agraïment especial a la nostra guia turística, Vivian, per fer l'experiència encara més memorable. Va compartir històries interessants i fets històrics sobre cada lloc que vam visitar, cosa que ens va fer apreciar cada destinació a un nivell més profund. Les seves instruccions sempre van ser clares i va gestionar l'horari de manera eficient, assegurant-nos temps lliure suficient mentre el recorregut transcorria sense problemes. Vivian també va fer un esforç addicional recomanant especialitats locals i menjars imprescindibles, ajudant-nos a aprofitar al màxim la nostra visita. La seva amabilitat, professionalitat i la seva autèntica preocupació per tots els membres del grup van fer que tot el viatge fos agradable i sense estrès. Molt recomanable per a qualsevol que visiti Fukuoka i Beppu. Si teniu la Vivian com a guia, esteu en excel·lents mans!

Va ser un gran tour! Tot va ser senzill, fàcil i directe. Sens dubte, el recomano a qualsevol que visiti Fukuoka per primera vegada. L'únic que afegiria seria el passeig en barca per Yanagawa; hauria d'haver estat organitzat una mica millor i més clar per part de la companyia de barques. Molts de nosaltres estàvem confosos i vam acabar esperant innecessàriament molt de temps per al passeig, de manera que el temps que ens va quedar per dinar va ser menor i amb presses.

It was a truly impressive trip. I was the only English speaker, but the guide. Zhu Zhu, took good care of me, ensuring I fully understood everything about the tour. The experience far exceeded my expectations.

I really enjoyed the tour today! 🥰 It was such a meaningful experience, especially since I almost missed it! A huge shoutout to our amazing guide, Aida, for coming back to pick me up and giving me a few extra minutes. 🥹❤️ If you’re taking this tour, make sure you’re on time! Yufuin Village was absolutely beautiful and had so many shops and things to explore, especially along the alley leading to Yufuin Station. My eyes were literally “drooling” from all the beautiful things I saw! 😍✨ Thank you, Aida, for making the experience even more special! 💕

El nostre viatge per la popular ruta d'Itoshima a Kyushu amb Eiichii va ser la perfecció absoluta de principi a fi. Explorar sis parades diferents i boniques en un sol dia podria semblar apressat, però la planificació i organització meticuloses d'Eiichii van fer que tot el viatge fos increïblement còmode, fluid i sense estrès. Va ser increïblement complaent, canviant amb fluïdesa entre l'anglès i el xinès per assegurar-se que tothom se sentís inclòs i ben informat. Eiichii va tractar cada convidat amb la màxima calidesa i respecte durant tot el dia. Per acabar-ho d'adobar, era un fotògraf increïble: es va prendre el temps per assegurar-se que tothom tingués fotos fantàstiques a cada lloc. Si visiteu Kyushu, no puc recomanar prou a Eiichii. Va fer que el nostre viatge fos inoblidable!