Things to do in Kumamoto Prefecture

First and foremost, it is a looong bus ride - almost 8 hours back and forth - but the experience was truly exhilarating. The driver was very good and Riku, our guide, was excellent! Knd, clear and entertaining, he made sure everyone was ok. Important to note there is no restroom in the bus, but there will be appropriate service stops on the way. Also, there’s a lot of downhill and uphill walking at the gorge. Exhausting lovely day out!

Alex was an excellent guide. He sent an email reminder with pickup details and photos the day before, and also messaged me on WhatsApp, which was very helpful. He checked me in at the Lawson next to Hakata Station, showed me my seat and bus number, and created a very welcoming atmosphere while explaining everything clearly in English and Chinese. Stops included the railway (extra 2,000 yen with tickets arranged in advance), lunch and the shrine, and Takachiho Gorge. The boat ride gets you close to the waterfall but can be a bit hard to control, and the walk back uphill takes about 30 minutes. At the end, Alex even gave everyone a souvenir! I highly recommend Alex and this tour if you love Japan’s natural beauty.

Wonderful place, the tour was in Chinese (I don't speak Chinese) but the guide helped me a lot to understand everything. We couldn't visit the crater due to an accident so we went to a temple instead, equally beautiful.

Sun was a very informative guide and I learned alot .The castle is impressive and well worth visiting but the view from the Aso plains is amazing.Such a strange landscape I would highly recommend this trip.

We truly enjoyed the Kamishikimi – Mt. Aso – Kusasenri – Kurokawa Onsen tour. Our guide, Ms. Yang, was incredibly kind and spoke excellent English. She generously shared all the best spots and restaurant recommendations, and she was always polite and respectful throughout the trip. She even gave each of us a small token, which was such a thoughtful and sweet gesture. Our driver was also highly skilled and made us feel safe the entire time. 👏 Overall, it was a wonderful and memorable experience!

It was so rare that it started snowing right as we departed from Kumamoto ❄️. The beautiful Takachiho Gorge was a different kind of beautiful, even though the trees were more barren in winter. Along the way, sometimes there was sunshine, sometimes there was heavy snow; it was truly a super special and unexpected treat. Although we couldn't go to the planned Mount Aso due to the heavy snow, the tour guide skillfully arranged other great locations so we could see the beautiful scenery of South Aso! Many thanks to our guide, Jiang Cui, for her kind guidance and introduction, her enthusiastic help with taking photos, her detailed answers to our questions, and her warm greetings and farewells. She really added a lot of warmth to this trip. The Japanese driver always greeted us when we got on and off the bus and was very polite. It was truly an unforgettable memory in the snow that left a deep impression!

Seven is very attentive and give useful information during the trip, she also very kind to help everyone take the pictures, thumbs up for her. Amazing view from Kinrin Lake and enjoying many delicious Yufuin street food from this trip.

Sun was an amazing tour guide. He's informative, helpful, and went above and beyond to make sure we understand everything and have the best time on the trip even in such a cold weather. He took pictures of everyone, gave us snacks, and even shared a list of restaurants to try around Kumamoto. Our driver was impressive as well, it started raining on our way home (with almost zero visibility) but he's able to drive us back to the city safely.

Experience: If you're planning a visit to Kumamoto, this is a must-see destination. My visit to Kumamoto was specifically to see Kumamoto Castle. After visiting, I felt it was definitely a worthwhile choice. However, it was unfortunate that Kumamoto Castle was partially destroyed by the earthquake in 2016. It was also impressive to see them taking a long-term approach to properly restoring the cultural heritage site. Tip: If you purchase your admission ticket in advance on Klook, you can enter quickly by showing it directly to the staff without having to purchase or exchange tickets, so avoid the long lines and buy your tickets in advance!