From Fukuoka: Minami Aso Railway, Kusasenri & Kumamoto Castle Tour

Depart from Hakata and
ride the Minami Aso Railway

At 9:00, meet your guide holding a flag at Lawson on the ground floor of Hotel Oriental Fukuoka in front of the Chikushi exit of Hakata Station, and depart by bus. After about 2.5 hours, you arrive in the Aso area of Kumamoto around 11:30.

Ride the Minami Aso Railway for about 40 minutes from Tateno Station to Minami-Aso Shirakawa-Suigen Station. The train runs through mountains and countryside, showing panoramas of the five peaks of Aso, forests, fields and clear valleys. The fare is not included and costs 490–2,000 yen per person.

Walk Mt. Aso and the Kusasenri grassland

From around 12:50, spend about 80–90 minutes of free time at Mt. Aso and Kusasenri, including lunch. When safety conditions allow, you can approach the Nakadake crater, but it is currently closed after an accident and can only be seen from a distance.

Stroll the Kusasenri grassland where cows and horses graze freely, or try horse riding if you like. The Aso Volcano Museum shows live crater footage and exhibits; admission is purchased separately.

Explore Kumamoto Castle, the samurai castle

Arrive at Kumamoto Castle around 15:50 and explore freely for about 60–70 minutes. It is one of Japan's most famous castles, begun in 1601 by Kato Kiyomasa, the first lord of the Kumamoto domain and a master castle builder, and completed in about 7 years. Castle admission (800 yen per person) is not included.

Depart Kumamoto at 17:00 and arrive at the meeting point in Hakata around 19:00.

※ If access to the crater is restricted due to volcanic activity, the guide will adjust the itinerary on site.
※ The itinerary may change depending on traffic and local conditions.