Things to do in Aso County

Thanks to Mr. Ohashi, we had a truly fulfilling and enjoyable day trip! As a solo traveler, I was incredibly happy to see Mount Aso, which I thought would be difficult to visit due to transportation challenges. The weather was clear and fog-free, allowing us to see all the scenery, and I was happy to take a light stroll while enjoying some refreshing milk ice cream. Before arriving at each destination, he funnily explained the characteristics and introduction of the place, and it was great that he also introduced local restaurants and Kumamoto's unique specialties that shouldn't be missed! Most importantly, he used language freely, making it a truly comfortable trip without any inconvenience. Thank you!

I do not speak Mandarin Chinese, only English. but the guide Kong was so helpful and she is friendly. she tries her best. I recommend the tour. there was not any other English tour I could find so I came here. It was amazing. we were unfortunately unable to ride the train as it was storming and with the rain, no one could ride the boat + cannot go on the mount aso as it is closed. despite this, it was a really good experience in the end. I highly recommend it.

Sun Peng, our guide, deserves a perfect score! He was incredibly knowledgeable about Kumamoto throughout the trip, explaining the unique features of each attraction. To be honest, the scenic train wasn't really worth it; 2300 yen per person just to see some mountains. It wasn't as beautiful as the Ghibli train I rode in Hakone, Tokyo. It was a shame we couldn't go boating in Takachiho Gorge today. The scenery was nice, though slightly less impressive than Hokkaido's Blue Pond. My only criticism for the guide is regarding Takachiho Shrine. Going there is fine, but the path is genuinely difficult, so be prepared. However, on the way back to the parking lot, the guide told us to follow Google Maps to the third parking lot, which would have been a disaster! You absolutely must return to the slope and head straight for the third parking lot. When you go to the shrine, there's a fork in the road on that slope; pay attention to the sign for the third parking lot. It's only 300m that way. Do NOT follow the map! Our large group followed the map, but luckily, I had seen the sign on the way in, otherwise, we would have been completely lost trying to go back the same way! The cheese buns the guide recommended were pretty good, and the cream puffs were also nice, filled with ice cream. I didn't get to try the summer iced tea special. The horse meat sashimi and barbecue were decent, but don't have high expectations; it's not as good as grilled beef. Next, regarding the guide's recommendations at Kusasenri: I didn't buy the keychains, nor the horse oil cream, but I did get a fridge magnet. The green house was a bit hard to find, so you need to look carefully. The beef burger was sold out. The only thing I think is worth recommending, which the guide didn't, is the ice cream. If you go, remember to try the ice cream at the museum! Oh, and I should mention that the time at Kusasenri is quite short. If you climb to the observation deck and then want to eat or shop, it might be a bit rushed. Be prepared to just have ice cream! The fridge magnet is cute and worth buying for 800 yen! Finally, the Ten Ga Ten ramen was a bit unappetizing; the firm noodles were very salty, not as good as Ippudo in Osaka, haha. Ippudo is also salty (apparently ramen is meant to be paired with sake). As for the Osmanthus fried rice: it tasted like something any Chinese restaurant could make, so there's no need to specifically try it in Japan, haha! Overall, this group tour was actually pretty good, just a bit rushed. Of course, that's because there were many places to visit, and it wasn't a self-guided tour, haha! I would definitely join a group tour again if I have the chance!

We visited a lot of places during the tour and was able to have time to browse lots of souvenirs and food throughout. Mount Aso crater was unfortunately closed but we were still able to enjoy and take in the amazing views. Our guides especially Sun was so accommodating even when we me and my friend were the only 2 English speaking people in the trip. They were both really jolly and would give good infos about the places and also gave tips on food and where else to visit around Fukuoka. So thank you so much to them :)

this tour was really good if you love animals and want to see them up close. I enjoyed the guide Zhu Zhu was so sweet and even she spoke little English she was so great and made sure I was able to follow along with rest of the group. She was so delightful and kindhearted, helped me order all the foods form all the shops and stores and offered me her umbrella and even the sweet apples. I highly recommend this route you get to see lots in one day!

We really like our guide Carson!! He asked about our preferred language when we first met, since my Chinese speaking skills are pretty bad lol so we were gonna talk to him in English but surprisingly he could speak Cantonese as well! during the intros he would speak in Chinese and English (we could understand both) and if we had any questions we could use Cantonese which was just perfect. I really liked the mountains and had time to do some shopping and take photos. I personally don’t really enjoy onsens but I was happy to see a chubby cat there and those unique buildings. Carson also reminded us about snakes because it was the first sunny day after days of raining. Carson was very helpful and full of information, we really liked him as our guide which was one of the main reasons we trusted this company and went on another trip.

We met at 7:50 AM. Our guide for the day was Xiao Chen, and we're very grateful to him for giving us a wonderful day trip experience. Xiao Chen's explanations were very professional and clear, and he also recommended delicious food. This tour involved a lot of driving and did not include meals, but Xiao Chen arranged rest stops along the way for everyone to take a break and grab some snacks. The first leg of the journey was from Hakata to Takachiho (2.5 hours); the second leg was from Takachiho to Kamishikimi Kumanoimasu Shrine (50 minutes). The Aso Red Beef Rice Burger at the shrine's parking lot was about 200 NTD and was absolutely delicious. The third leg was from the shrine to Kusasenri (1 hour). Unfortunately, due to an incident in January, we couldn't go to the crater, so we went to Kusasenri instead, where we stayed for about 30 minutes, which felt a bit rushed. This tour involves a lot of walking, so be sure to consider your physical stamina!

Although the guide primarily provides information in Chinese, if you can speak a little Japanese or English, there won't be any issues with the itinerary. They even used a translator and made a tremendous effort to communicate. We were very grateful. I tried to close the air conditioning vent on the bus, but one side of the plastic was broken, so it couldn't be fully closed. While this was a minor inconvenience, I don't think it's significant enough to negatively impact the overall rating. It seems that the parking lot at Kusasenri, or whatever that rest stop is called, gets quite congested if you drive there, as there are often no available spaces. I think taking the bus and enjoying a more comfortable journey is a better option.

Several of the attractions are natural energy spots, lush with green trees, perfect for breathing in fresh air and clearing your mind, while also learning about the origins of Japanese mythology. Getting to these spots from Fukuoka isn't very convenient, so this tour was a huge help, and the itinerary was very well-planned. Kamishikimi Kumano-imasu Shrine is integrated with nature, surrounded by greenery, much like a place where forest spirits from Princess Mononoke might appear. Amano Iwato Shrine and Amano Yasukawara tell the story of how eight million gods lured Amaterasu Omikami out of hiding. Takachiho Gorge is where the young deity Ninigi-no-Mikoto descended to Ashihara no Nakatsukuni (the Central Land of Reed Plains), and the air there feels divine, inspiring awe. Be prepared for some physical exertion, as there are stairs and hills to climb, but it's definitely worth the effort! Our tour leader, Zheng Yu, switched effortlessly between Chinese and Korean, providing thoughtful guidance and clear instructions. He clearly communicated the meeting times for each stop in advance and also informed us that there wouldn't be a dedicated lunch break, so we'd need to eat during our free time. He also pointed out convenient dining spots. It felt like the time allotted for each location was just right, never rushed. At the end, he even gave us Takachiho Gorge's specialty steamed buns as souvenirs. Despite being the rainy season, it didn't rain, and the weather was incredibly cooperative. Our tour leader was very organized, and our fellow travelers were very nice. It was an excellent experience! Many thanks! 🙏