Cycling Colourful Kyushu Island

On this cycle tour in Japan's southern island on Kyushu, the idiosyncrasies of Japan reveal themselves as our trip takes us from the city of Kumamoto to sultry Kagoshima. We'll cycle along coastal roads where we will pass tiny harbors and fantastic rock formations, terraced rice paddies and palm trees as well as ancient temples and shrines. After seeing the incredible blue green waters you might want to stop at a beach for a dip. We discover where those old Christians have been hiding on Amakusa island. In Izumi we flush down the hearty farmer’s meal with shochu, southern Kyushu’s typical sweet potato brew. Further south looms Mt Sakurajima volcano; at its foot lies Kagoshima, only separated from the ash spewing giant by narrow Kinko Bay. Magnificent views on Mt Sakurajima colour our last days, interrupted by one last soak in the unique Furusato temple onsen and a scenic climb up to Ebino Highlands.

We have timed the cycle tours to try and catch the cherry blossoms in the spring and the colourful leaves in the fall.

You can extend your visit to Kyushu with our 7-day bike tour "Kyushu's Hot Springs and Volcanoes"

Tour Cost	US$2,900	Single Supplement	A single room may be available locally on payment of a supplement but, as some of the Japanese-style hostels are quite small, this cannot be guaranteed.
Bike Hire	US$165	Total Cycling Distance	370 - 520 kilometres
Tour Grade	out of 5	Number of Days	8 days
Number of Cycling Days	6 full	Tour Meets	Kumamoto/Aso
Tour Ends	Kagoshima	Group Size	Minimum 4. Maximum 16.

Day 1

Arrive Kumamoto/Aso airport or train station and meet for dinner at our traditional Japanese inn.

Day 2

Today we enjoy the tranquility of Japan's small islands as we ride across the spine of Kami-Amakusa with views to the Ariake Sea. We take a bicycle bridge into the island capital Hondo in time for a hearty curry.

Day 3

We cycle around the circumference of Amakusa island and from Tomioka to Kawaura we ride on the Sunset Line scenic road to our overnight at Amuri Onsen.

Day 4

We start the ride catching a ferry to sweet potato territory. We cross the Kuranoseto Bridge and ride a coastal road to Izumi, home of Siberian cranes.

Day 5

As we near Kagoshima we'll see great billows of smoke rising above the hills. The source is volcanic Sakurajima Isle just beyond the city. We stop at Iso Garden, where we can imagine the Shimazu lords and their guests sitting by the crooked creek, composing haiku.

Day 6

Sakurajima, one of the most active volcanoes in Japan, often has a steam cloud near the top. We bike up to Yunohira Observatory and see a massive scale engineering project to direct future lava flows away from the center of civilization and out into the ocean. We overnight at Furusato Onsen, a combination of shrine and ocean front onsen.

Day 7

Backed by towering Sakurajima we cycle north along Kinko Bay and stop to visit Kirishima-jingu, a Shinto shrine known for its red highlights which seem to permeate the place.

Day 8

After a last morning soak in the onsen and breakfast it is time for goodbyes.

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