Things to do in Kumamoto Prefecture

This tour exceeded my expectations. Our guide, Ms. Ada Ou, ensured that my partner and I were always informed and comfortable, despite the language barrier with many of the other participants. Her explanations were clear, detailed, and consistently helpful. I experienced a wardrobe issue when my skort zipper broke, and Ms. Ada went above and beyond to assist me. She personally searched for a needle and thread and helped fix the problem, allowing me to continue the tour without stress. Her professionalism and dedication were truly exceptional. The destinations were equally impressive. Mt. Aso offered breathtaking views of an active volcano, and the fresh Aso milk and yogurt were delightful. Takachiho Gorge was a highlight, with stunning autumn foliage and picture-perfect scenery. I highly recommend this tour to anyone visiting the area.

This is a very good tour to take, makes exploring Kumamoto Castle and Mt Aso very easy. Mount Aso was spectacular. We were able to go to the crater observatory. Our guide Helen gave extensive description and background of each spot. She is fluent in English which makes communication very easy. Our driven Shinchan was very entertaining, yet professional. The bus ride was smooth and comfortable. They constantly updated us of the crater condition, as well as the travel time back. I highly recommend this tour for nature and history lovers. Thank you!

I highly recommended this tour, vakue for money indeed. And our tour guide Melo is very nice and informative, speaks english very well. She took care of everyone. Arigatou! You can check my post on IG of the places we've visited: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DQzXDxpAbhV/?igsh=MW1xOXo5dzd3eTRuZw==

Whether you're planning a one-day tour of Kyushu or a trip to Kurokawa Onsen, booking this tour is very cost-effective and convenient. The journey to Kurokawa itself is expensive and transportation is not very convenient. Our tour guide, Alex, was super helpful and solved many problems for everyone along the way. He also prepared some detailed PDF introductions to share. He provided explanations in both Chinese and English throughout the trip, so there's absolutely no need to worry. For those traveling to Kurokawa Onsen, he proactively helped arrange hotel pick-up and drop-off. Because we had booked a bus from Kurokawa to Kumamoto in the afternoon, he kept track of our movements and worried that we might miss the bus (since there are only three buses a day). He even waited with us in Kurokawa for a while. Unfortunately, we couldn't see Mount Aso's crater that day, but Alex specially arranged for us to visit a lesser-known scenic spot with hundreds of uniquely shaped topiaries, which was super interesting, and we even saw deer. The biggest reason for booking this tour was to visit Kamishikimi Kumanoza Shrine to check off the Natsume's Book of Friends location, and I was very satisfied (although it was a bit crowded). The light and shadow were absolutely stunning. The maple leaves at Kurokawa Onsen were truly healing, but there were quite a few bugs. The whole day's itinerary was perfect, just a little rushed, but that's unavoidable considering the long distances.

This was a wonderful day trip and we enjoyed it immensely. Our guide San San was great—funny, personable, and helpful. Mt. Aso and the gorge were amazing, the open-air train ride was great fun with amazing views, and overall, it was a fantastic day. One word of advice: prepare for all seasons on this trip! The gorge can be quite warm on a sunny day, especially on the hike back up. Likewise, the volcano is windy and freezing cold at the top—take a warm jacket! I would also suggest taking a face mask up there as there is some sulphur gas you will smell. This is not an area you could easily visit on your own; it would be difficult to arrange even with a car. The tour guide took care of everything, showing us where to go while allowing enough time to enjoy each area. We would highly recommend this tour. it’s an awesome place!

The trip was quite intense, occupying the entire day. If we had opted to book a car and travel independently, we certainly would not have been able to visit all of these locations. We acquired a ticket that included a boat ride, which made the trip worthwhile. I highly recommend this experience if you are in Fukuoka and have a full day available. Our tour guide was fabulous and uniquely special, which made the trip even more memorable. I highly recommend it.

Morita, our guide for the day was such a sweet, incredibly gracious and knowledgeable guide. She was helping and trying to translate chinese to english even when we did not expect or ask for. Her ability to manage the whole 40+ folks in the group and be on time everytime was highly appreciated too. highly recommend this tour and specifically with Morita!!

A beautifully organized trip with great food and lovely scenery. Our guide was very nice and created a comfortable atmosphere. The only suggestion would be to include more detailed commentary about the sites we visited.

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!