Your Complete Kyushu Road Trip Itinerary

We weren’t quite sure what to expect from a Kyushu Road Trip, but what we found really surprised us (in a good way). In Kyushu we discovered a wilder side of Japan. Steaming volcanoes, quiet forest roads, misty mountain onsens, and moss-covered shrines hidden in the forests.

Less densely populated than Honshu and more temperate than Hokkaido, Kyushu is ideal for travelers searching for a taste of Japan’s natural beauty and scenic landscapes beyond its famous cities.

We hit the road in a campervan from Samurai Campers, starting in Fukuoka and winding through mountain passes, riverside onsen towns, and remote countryside that public transport doesn’t reach. Whether you’re campervanning, car camping, or road tripping in a rental car, this guide has everything you need to plan an epic adventure.

🗺️ What’s Inside This Kyushu Road Trip Guide:

✅ A flexible 3-day Kyushu road trip itinerary
✅ Optional add-ons to extend your trip to 4 – 5 days or even longer
✅ Where to stay—from michi-no-eki and campgrounds to cozy ryokans
✅ Tips for renting a car or campervan in Kyushu
✅ Essential info for driving in Japan, including tolls, permits, and navigation
✅ A breakdown of how much a Kyushu road trip costs

Whether you’re living the van life or just looking for an easy escape from Fukuoka, this is your ultimate guide to road-tripping Kyushu.

Our Kyushu Road Trip Vlog

🛣️ Weekender: A 3-Day Kyushu Road Trip from Fukuoka

If you’re short on time but still want to experience the beauty, culture, and charm of rural Kyushu, our Weekender itinerary is a three-day, two-night itinerary that packs in some of the best highlights between Fukuoka, Mount Aso, and Kumamoto—perfect for a long weekend escape with your own wheels.

🗓️ Day 1: Fukuoka to Kurokawa Onsen (via Tsuetate and Nabegataki Falls)

Drive Time: ~2–3 hours

Kick off your Kyushu road trip by heading southeast from Fukuoka into the forested hills of the Aso-Kuju region. As you follow the Tsuetate River, make a stop at Tsuetate Onsen, a nostalgic hot spring village straddling a narrow gorge. The town is famous for its atmospheric Showa-era vibe, annual Carp Streamer Festival and public baths.

From there, continue on to Nabegataki Falls, one of the prettiest waterfalls in the area, where you can walk behind the cascading curtain of water—a great spot to stretch your legs and take some photos.

Stop in Kurokawa Onsen, one of Japan’s most charming and rustic hot spring towns. With its cobblestone lanes, wooden ryokan, and steaming open-air baths, it’s the perfect place to unwind after a day on the road.

Overnight Options:

• A traditional ryokan in Kurokawa Onsen
• Nearby auto campgrounds for those with tents or campervans
• The peaceful Michi-no-Eki Oguni, a convenient and scenic car camping stop with facilities

🗓️ Day 2: Mount Aso to Kumamoto

Drive Time: ~3.5–4 hours

After a morning soak or a traditional Japanese breakfast (or just coffee and egg sandos from 7/11), make your way to Mount Aso, home to one of the world’s largest active volcanic calderas. If the crater is open, you can drive to the viewing platforms for a view of the smoking crater of the volcano. Full disclaimer, we never actually got to see the volcano because there was heavy fog the morning we visited, but it is supposed to be pretty cool!

Take your time exploring the surrounding Aso Kuju National Park. The area is dotted with waterfalls, bridges, shrines, and sweeping views. It’s a beautiful and rural landscape that feels worlds away from Japan’s bustling metropolises.

In the afternoon, continue on to Kumamoto, a vibrant city known for its impressive castle, samurai history, and food scene. Be sure to try Kumamoto Akaushi (red wagyu beef)—a local delicacy either grilled, in donburi, or as yakiniku. If you’re not yet onsen-ed out, consider a soak in one of the city’s nearby bathhouses before turning in for the night.

Overnight Options:

• One the many comfortable hotels and guesthouses in Kumamoto
• The Michi-no-Eki near Yamaga, which offers peaceful car camping, an onsen and a beautiful creekside park.

🗓️ Day 3: Kumamoto to Fukuoka (via Yanagawa)

Drive Time: ~2–3 hours

As you make your way back torward Fukuoka, wrap up your weekend road trip with a quick detour through Yanagawa, a small castle town famous for its picturesque canal system. Take a donkobune (flat-bottomed boat) ride through the waterways, explore the old merchant district, and enjoy a taste of the local specialty: unagi no seiro-mushi—steamed eel over rice in a bamboo box, some of the restaurants here have been serving it up for 3 centurties.

After lunch, it’s an easy drive back to Fukuoka.

Looking for a Longer Road Trip in Kyushu? Add These Stops for a 4-day, 5-day or Week-Long Adventure

If you’ve got a bit more time to spare, there are plenty of ways to stretch The Weekender into a 4 or 5-day Kyushu road trip or even longer without rushing—and with even more scenery and local experiences along the way.

Kuju Mountains + Yufuin (Add 1 Day)

After visiting Mount Aso, head northeast into the Kuju Mountains for hiking or relaxing in the beautiful highlands. The Kuju Flower Park offers panoramic views and seasonal blooms, while Bogatsuru Marsh is a great spot for light trekking.

Then continue to Yufuin, a trendy onsen town nestled at the foot of Mount Yufu. With boutique cafes, art museums, and riverside hot spring ryokan, it’s a great contrast to the rustic vibes of Kurokawa.

Overnight: Stay in a guesthouse or ryokan in Yufuin, or one of the nearby campgrounds or Mich no ekis.

Takamori and the Southern Aso Region (Add 1 Day)

From Kurokawa or Aso, loop around to the southern side of the Aso caldera to explore the quieter town of Takamori. Highlights include the Takamori Tunnel Park, local soba restaurants, and scenic drives through farmland and lava-formed landscapes.

You can also visit the Shirakawa Springs, one of Japan’s most famous freshwater springs, and detour to Kamishikimi Kumanoimasu Shrine, a moss covered shrine tucked into the forest.

Overnight: Stay in a small inn in Takamori or camp in one of the many campgrounds surrounding Takamori.

Amakusa Islands (Add 1–2 Days)

For a completely different landscape, detour southwest to the Amakusa Islands, a chain of lush islands connected by scenic bridges. Known for hidden beaches, coastal views, and unique Christian heritage sites, Amakusa feels far off the tourist trail.

It’s also a great place to go dolphin watching, try fresh seafood, or simply take a break in a quiet seaside town.

Overnight: Stay at a guesthouse on one of the islands or camp by the coast.

Unzen and Shimabara Peninsula (Add 1 Day)

Another add-on option is the volcanic Unzen area on the Shimabara Peninsula. You can soak in the sulfurous hot springs of Unzen Onsen, hike the dramatic slopes of Mount Unzen, and explore the old samurai town of Shimabara with its canals and preserved homes.

This leg can also connect you by ferry from Shimabara to Kumamoto, creating an easy loop.

Why Choose Kyushu for a Road Trip?

For travelers chasing adventure and wide-open landscapes, driving Kyushu is a dream. With rugged coastlines, smoking volcanoes, remote mountain villages, and lush, untamed countryside, this southern island feels a world away from Japan’s busy cities. What makes Kyushu especially suited to a road trip is how many of its most spectacular places are well off the public transport grid—hidden waterfalls, quiet onsen in the hills, winding coastal drives, and remote hiking trails that buses and trains simply don’t reach.

From our experience, driving in Kyushu was also refreshingly different from road tripping on Honshu. Instead of long days crawling through endless urban sprawl, we found ourselves cruising scenic rural roads, passing rice paddies, forests, and sleepy towns often without another car in sight. It felt like we’d discovered a slower, wilder side of Japan—one best explored with your own set of wheels.

Where to Stay on a Kyushu Road Trip

One of the great things about road-tripping in Kyushu is the variety of accommodation options that suit every style of travel—from adventurous car campers to those looking for a little more comfort at the end of the day.

Hotels, Ryokan, and Guesthouses

For travelers who prefer a roof over their heads, Kyushu offers everything from traditional ryokan with private onsen baths to modern hotels and cozy family-run guesthouses. In more popular areas like Beppu, Kumamoto, and Kagoshima, you’ll find a wide range of options, while in the countryside, accommodation tends to be more limited but often more unique. Booking ahead is a good idea, especially in high season or during public holidays.

Campervanning and Car Camping in Kyushu

Kyushu is an ideal destination for campervan travel and car camping. With a growing network of michi-no-eki (roadside rest areas), abundant natural hot springs, and plenty of quiet rural spots, it’s easy to find places to stop for the night—often with stunning views and minimal fuss.

We found campervanning in Kyushu to be much more relaxed compared to other parts of Japan. In many regions, particularly around mountains and in the countryside, car camping is widely accepted. Michi-no-eki are particularly great: they’re free to park in overnight, usually have clean toilets, vending machines, and sometimes even local produce markets or onsen facilities attached.

Two of our favorites were Michi-no-Eki Oguni, tucked into the foothills of Mt. Aso with access to several nearby onsen, and Michi-no-Eki Yamaga, where we soaked in the historic town’s hot springs before settling in for a quiet night in the van. Experiences like these—waking up to misty mountains or rolling straight from an evening soak into a cozy camper setup—are what make road tripping in Kyushu so rewarding.

Unlike densely populated Honshu, where it can be harder to find peaceful overnight stops, Kyushu offers a more nature-based, slower-paced alternative. If you’re traveling with a camper or planning to sleep in your car, it’s one of the best regions in Japan to do it.

Car and Campervan Rental in Kyushu

Whether you’re planning to camp your way across Kyushu or just want the freedom to explore at your own pace, renting a vehicle is one of the best ways to experience the island. While rental options aren’t quite as abundant as in places like Tokyo or Osaka, there are still plenty of reliable companies offering both cars and campervans to suit different styles of travel.

Campervan Rental in Kyushu

If you’re keen to combine transport and accommodation, a campervan is the way to go, and if you ask us, it’s a great way to do it (but we may be biased).

While options are a bit more limited than on Honshu, you’ll still find a number of companies based in Fukuoka, Kumamoto, and other major cities. Our van came from Samurai Campers and we have nothing but good things to say about it.—The van was fully equipped, easy to drive, and ideal for Kyushu’s scenic roads and remote rest stops. The team was also super friendly, accommodating, and helped us get oriented adequately before we set off.

Whether you’re planning a loop through the hot spring towns of Oita or tackling the dramatic caldera of Aso, a campervan gives you the flexibility to explore off the beaten track and stay wherever the day takes you.

Car Rental in Kyushu

For those not planning to sleep in their vehicle, a regular rental car is a great option and opens up the same access to Kyushu’s rural and remote regions. Rental chains like Toyota Rent-a-Car are easy to find in Fukuoka, Kumamoto, and Kagoshima, and many offer English-language booking platforms. Compact cars are the best (and often the only) choice—easy to maneuver on narrow mountain roads and more fuel-efficient for longer drives.

Just remember that an International Driving Permit (IDP) is required for most foreign travelers, and many mountain or coastal routes involve toll roads, so budget accordingly.

Advice for Driving Kyushu

• Toll roads are common on this route—bring cash or an ETC card OR opt not to take the toll roads and take the scenic route. It might take a little longer but the free roads are still in excellent condition, usually quite scenic and you’ll save a fair bit!
• Check crater access AND weather at Mount Aso ahead of time—it can close due to volcanic activity and it can also get very cloudy which means you won’t get to see much (like us)
• Weekends and public holidays can get busy in Kurokawa, so book accommodation ahead.
• Don’t forget your International Driving Permit (IDP)

How Much Does a Kyushu Road Trip Cost?

Your total cost will depend on how you’re traveling—campervan vs. car rental, wild camping vs. staying in a ryokan—but here’s a general idea of what to budget for a 3–5 day trip:

A budget trip could cost as little as ¥10,000 or $70 USD per day, while a trip enjoying a tricked-out camper and staying at Ryokans every night might cost closer to ¥40,000 or $250 USD per day.

Including campervan rental, our trip came out to around ¥23,000 or $160 USD per day for two adults and one baby.

Tips to save money

• Stay at michi-no-eki or free campgrounds
• Cook your own meals in a campervan or grab the (surprisingly good) ready-to-eat meals from the kombini (Japanese convenience stores like 7/11 and Lawson).
• As mentioned above, choose regional roads over toll highways
• Travel with a crew to split costs (and driving duties)

Road tripping in Kyushu can be surprisingly affordable—especially if you’re up to embracing a bit of Japanese Van Life.

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Hopefully, we’ve helped you plan your own Kyushu adventure, but if you have a question or a comment, please leave it below or shoot us an email, and we’ll get back to you!