Kumamoto Castle & Mt. Aso (Including Shuttle Bus) & Kusasenri & Kurokawa Onsen Day Trip (From Fukuoka)

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!

Although we weren’t able to see the crater, I still really enjoyed the trip. November is a beautiful month to visit Mt Aso, the hills are no longer green but just as gorgeous. The bus ride is scenic, you can enjoy endless slopes covered in golden grass, glowing softly in the sun. There’s an option to try horseback riding, as well as visiting an onsen (or simply a foot bath if you’re reluctant to try that) and at every stop you can taste local delicacies. Additionally, the tour guides are awesome, mad respect to them for conducting the whole trip in four languages - they are my superheroes. Shoutout to Seki, such a wonderful soul, thank you again for all the restaurant recommendations 💛

it was great experience and the tour was beautiful. The tour guide who speaks chinese, japanese and english made the tour cool. Kusasenri and Mount Aso they are really beautiful places. Kumamoto Castle is also beautiful. I didn't feel any dull moment during the tour.

Tour guide Seki explained the places very well in English. Everything went smoothly, from checking in to the bus. The bus was comfortable and well managed. The places on the trip were beautiful. I highly recommend this trip.

The excellent tour guide and excellent driving made the whole trip smooth and safe. The journey took about 2 and a half hours. We stopped at a rest stop on the way to use the toilet. When we arrived at Kusasenri, we took some photos and bought souvenirs. I recommend that you must drink Aso fresh milk or rich yogurt! Along the way, the tour guide checked whether the crater could be viewed up close. Unfortunately, we were unable to go there due to the wind direction that day, but we could still enjoy it from the observation deck. Finally, we arranged some time to take a bath in Kurokawa Onsen. Many open-air hot springs recommended by the tour guide were closed that day, but in the end we still found one to experience the local beauty hot spring. We ended the journey with a bath and caught up on some sleep in the car. We arrived at Fukuoka Station just in time for dinner. Everything was the best arrangement.

even though the weather was not great today which made going to the mountains unsafe. the tour guide did her best to give as much information and shared pictures and videos of what were were unfortunately missing do to the large amounts of fog we had today.

I was lucky enough to see the Mount Aso crater, and the good weather only added to the magnificence and mystery, making me want to visit again. I was traveling with my mother, and our guide was so kind and friendly, showing excellent consideration for the elderly. I was also grateful that they arranged a送迎 (shuttle) service to our ryokan in Kurokawa, which was the last stop on the tour. It was a memorable and wonderful trip, and I highly recommend it.

#0604 The itinerary for the day was Kumamoto Castle 🏯 → Aso Volcano 🌋 → Kusasenri. Because of my limited hearing and being a lone ranger, I was a little worried about the itinerary and that I might not be able to keep up with the group, but the tour guide emphasized and confirmed with me every time whether I had received the information, especially the visit and gathering time, etc. Thank you for the patience of the tour guide. I was quite satisfied with this trip. Although the tour guide said not to always have too high expectations for Aso Volcano, we still have to thank God for blessing the whole team to see it. Hehe, I really brought some luck with me ☺. The tour guide also jokingly suggested that everyone go back and buy lottery tickets to try)

Our guide, Tak Yeonji, led us very well! She is Korean, but she lived in China and Japan, so she is fluent in three languages. Unfortunately, due to an accident a few days ago, we couldn't see the crater, but the scenery of Mount Aso was still so beautiful! Also, we used the family pool at Kurokawa Onsen, and even though there might not have been a spot, she ran ahead of the other teams to secure one for us - I was so touched! I want to come back and see the Mount Aso crater next time!

What a fantastic trip today! We had a smooth visit to Kumamoto Castle, Mount Aso, and Kusasenri. The dairy products and ice cream at Kusasenri were delicious! Special thanks to our all-around guide, Zhuo Yanzhi, and also to the driver. The experience was absolutely perfect. Guide Zhuo can freely switch between Chinese, English, and Korean, and all are very authentic. Her explanations are very genuine and clear, which is admirable. I learned a lot from her interesting explanations... Today, Mount Aso was sunny and rainy at times. Guide Zhuo helped us keep an eye on the weather conditions at the crater throughout the day, boosting everyone's confidence. In the end, we successfully saw the crater. She also thoughtfully helped us purchase tickets and allowed us to choose our meals in advance, reducing everyone's waiting time in line. She also took beautiful commemorative photos for everyone. In short, it was a very unforgettable and pleasant day. Highly recommended! I wanted to join Guide Zhuo's Oita tour on the spur of the moment, but ultimately didn't continue the tour due to schedule and time constraints. However, I hope to have the chance to meet her again on future trips. Grateful! ☺️