Things to do in Kumamoto Castle

I visited Kumamoto Castle for the second time! As expected of one of Japan's three most famous castles, it was large and magnificent! A few years ago, a major earthquake in Kumamoto destroyed parts of the castle, and restoration work is still ongoing, but from a tourist's perspective, there were no issues touring Kumamoto Castle! I highly recommend purchasing your admission tickets in advance through Klook! This is because at the entrance, there are separate lines for buying tickets and for those who pre-purchased tickets. If you show the staff your QR code, you can enter immediately, which significantly reduces your waiting time, making it a huge advantage!

I joined the tour on September 12th and want to thank our guide, Sun Peng. He is the best guide I've ever had on any KLOOK tour! He explained so much about Kumamoto to us with incredibly humorous, engaging, and clear communication. He also created a Line group, not only sharing pickup times and attraction information but also thoughtfully posting must-buy and must-eat recommendations. While we were exploring, we'd often see him moving among us, offering timely reminders and happily sharing stories about his past living in Kumamoto. There were Koreans, Japanese, and Westerners on the bus, and he diligently made sure everyone understood all the information. The driver's skills were also top-notch; even on mountain roads, we didn't feel dizzy. Although the weather was too good, preventing us from seeing the mysterious Kamishikimi Kumano-imasu Shrine, it truly felt like a perfect day. After returning, we ate at a ramen shop in Kumamoto Station that Sun, our guide, highly recommended. It made me love Kumamoto and Kumamon even more! Everything was fantastic, a huge thank you! ❤️🙏

Our tour guide was Chinese-speaking, very friendly and professional. She briefed us clearly and guided us throughout the entire journey, making sure we reached our boat experience on time. They also tried their best to purchase the railway tram tickets for us, but unfortunately, due to the public holiday, they were unable to get them. Despite that, they were incredibly thoughtful and even gifted us a mushroom tea bag, some cute little ornaments, and chocolates to bring home. 🥹❤️ Our tour guide was also kind enough to recommend some local food for us to try after the tour, which was really helpful! Overall, we’re very thankful for the wonderful service and thoughtful gestures. It made our Takachiho Gorge experience even more memorable. ✨

Departing on September 9, 2026, our guide, Miyamoto, provided detailed explanations. Since Mount Aso was currently closed (due to a helicopter accident), our itinerary was changed to Aso Bousou Kugino Roadside Station, a rest stop with beautiful views of the Aso mountain range. Afterward, we visited Kamishikimi Kumanoza Shrine, which felt like being in a movie scene. We then arrived at Kusasenri for lunch, a vast grassland on the mountain with many horses and cows along the way, offering a very relaxing landscape. The final stop was Kurokawa Onsen, a charming and comfortable hot spring town, where we also enjoyed delicious cream puffs. The entire trip was well worth experiencing, and our guide welcomed everyone to Kumamoto. Most attractions have been open since the earthquake in July 2026, so visitors can come with peace of mind. God bless Kumamoto! Go Kumamoto!

Super convenient and great value! I took the Klook tour to 草千里, 阿蘇神社, and 黑川温泉, and it was super convenient with high CP value. For someone like me who wanted to leave the tour at 黑川温泉 for an overnight stay, the cost was similar to traveling independently — but I also got to visit 草千里 and 阿蘇神社. The guides Eva and 쭈쭈 were fantastic, taking care of English, Korean, and Chinese-speaking guests. Eva even helped call my ryokan to arrange luggage delivery before we arrived, making the trip comfortable and stress-free for my mum and me, she cannot walk long distances and we were carrying a 28-inch luggage. Highly recommended! p.s. don’t miss the beef skewer from the food stall nearby the 阿蘇神社, it tastes great!

This project is a highly valuable and worthwhile itinerary. I had originally read online that Kumamoto Castle might be closed for maintenance, but luckily, we were able to visit! The ginkgo and cherry trees were truly beautiful. The timing was just right; if you want to eat and shop, you need to move quickly and take fewer photos to have a chance to try everything. The tempura was incredibly delicious and a must-try; it was sold alongside the bear-shaped cakes, and both were tasty and adorable. Aso Volcano, however, was a shame... we couldn't visit due to a red alert, which was the only disappointment. Our tour guide mentioned that it's very rare for Aso Volcano to be on a green alert, and even they couldn't predict the timing. The scenery was truly beautiful. Oh, and definitely bring a windbreaker! We thought it wouldn't be cold, but we were absolutely freezing. You should also try the coffee, and if you want to experience buying a lucky bag in Japan, you can grab one. The lucky bags contain a selection of the store's key items, so if you don't want to pick out souvenirs, you can just buy a lucky bag; it has plenty of things to give as gifts! It's excellent value for money, though it did rain a few times and disrupted things. There's also a supermarket where you should definitely buy things if you can. The Aso Musume strawberries are very popular, but they are incredibly sweet and delicious, not sour at all, with a fragrant strawberry aroma. There are other varieties of strawberries too, and the prices are all fantastic!

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!

Our tour guide, Wang Qi, was excellent. He helped us find the best spots for photos and patiently took many pictures for each group. It was a shame that it rained on the day we went and Mount Aso was recently closed, but Takachiho and Kamishikimi Kumanoimasu Shrine were both wonderful.

The one-day tour from Kumamoto was very pleasant, and we were part of a small group of 7 people. The scenery at Kamishikimi Kumano-imasu Shrine was beautiful, the views in Kugino were expansive, and Kurokawa Onsen was also impressive; two hours there felt just right. Our tour guide, Ge Ning, was very friendly, and the driver was also thoughtful, dropping off and picking up passengers at convenient locations.