Self Drive Tour

“The tour was perfect for us. Our guide was charming, knowledgeable, helpful and efficient. Somehow she managed to organise a diverse group through a very busy programme, without us feeling pressured or rushed. The quality and range of food was superb. We were frequently surprised by the tastes and delicacy of the food we received. When you add the traditional ryokan inn experience and onsen opportunities it was wonderful. Exploring Kyushu in the autumn we were lucky with the weather and enjoyed the colours of the trees and gardens. The smaller items such as persimmon picking were as important as castle and volcano trips because we met a few of the people who make Kyushu the welcoming place that it is. Thank you to the whole team.”

“I would wish to start by congratulating your team and you for making our journey to Kyushu both memorable and enjoyable. The tour was very well planned, and the patience and understanding of our guide was truly outstanding. I was astonished and pleasantly surprised by the repertoire of Japanese food introduced, especially for breakfast, and the hotels were well selected. Ivy and I have no complaints and wish to extend our heartfelt thanks and appreciation to your team, and we would not hesitate to recommend Kyushu Journeys to our relatives and friends.”

“Itinerary, well planned, great places to visit. Adequate time allowed. Food was of a high quality throughout. Transportation, first class, comfortable and great helpful driver. Guide, excellent, professional, good English, helpful and informative. Overall I would say we both enjoyed ourselves and with the small group we were able to interact with everyone. It was a great tour for us.”

“As a participant of this Autumn tour 2024, I'd like to say thank you Kyushu Journeys for organising this tour. I and all members of my family who also participated really had a great time. Although the trip was only 5 days it was such a wonderful and enriched journey, guided by a very nice and knowledgeable tour guide. It met our expectations in learning and discovering a part of Japanese culture, foods, as well as the beautifully picturesque nature and landscapes throughout the places we visited in Kyushu. Such a pleasant memory! Wishing you all the best and we would love to come back again!”

“The second day we called Momiji Day was one of my favourite and my driving purpose of going on this tour to see fall colours. Ikejiri Farm had a nice farm owner and education about persimmons, and Takachiho Gorge was amazing. The Unkai at Kunimigaoka Southern Lookout was stunning and memorable; the timing was perfect, I've never seen anything like it. My favourite meals were the multi-course dishes at the hotels and other restaurants; you have great relationships with the restaurant owners because they took very good care of us. Our guide was funny, had a nice presentation for us daily, and is very hard working. Overall, it was a good tour that I would recommend to others.”

“Everything was fantastic: the nature, onsens, the kaiseki dinners. Our guide was the best and the driver did a fantastic job. Thank you.”

“I had a most wonderful time on the fall colours tour in November. The bus was comfortable and the lodgings were excellent, especially the last night at the ryokan. The food was varied and tasty. I know that I saw a lot more of the area than I could possibly have arranged on my own.”

“I enjoyed the whole tour very much. It was interesting, we visited many beautiful locations, met nice people on the tour, had great food, and just had a great time. The tour guide was excellent, she had things well organised, took very good care of all of us, and provided a lot of information about the places we visited. The locations were very interesting and we had our fill of the autumn colours. As we are elderly, the number of locations visited daily and the length of the daily journeys were not taxing on us, which made the tour very pleasant. We would highly recommend Kyushu Journeys to our friends.”

“The itinerary and food were excellent. Enjoyed all the varied experiences and cuisine, which we wouldn't have been able to arrange on our own. The ryokan was amazing! Our guide was helpful and good at his job.”

“What can I say? The tour exceeded my expectations on all counts — a truly wonderful experience. I have never been on a tour before but think it unlikely that I could find another one with such high standards, from the variety of sightseeing and activities to the accommodation and food. And I must add a special mention about our guide: he was not only extremely knowledgeable (and made efforts to find out things he didn't know) but unfailingly kind with a good sense of humour. I can't thank you enough for enhancing my visit to Japan.”

“A very enjoyable introduction to Kyushu — delicious food, beautiful autumn foliage and scenery, comfortable hotels, lovely onsens, and interesting experiences. Every meal is different and always good; an excellent mix of the different types of food that Kyushu can offer. The sightseeing program was a well-curated combination of experiences. Autumn foliage in the temples, gardens, gorge and along scenic drives met expectations. Bus was comfortable and we had a good and safe driver. Many thanks for a lovely holiday.”

“The beauty of autumn was breathtaking. Autumn in Kyushu was everywhere (so beautiful) and I was impressed with the local culture. The booking communications were great and it felt like we knew each other even before we met. Everything was organised in a professional manner. The 5 days went by so quickly. Thank you, Simon and Moo.”

“Thank you very much for a wonderful and memorable tour. I thoroughly enjoyed the lovely sights, the gourmet meals, and the onsen. Huge thanks to Kyushu Journeys!”

“Thanks for taking good care of us for the past few days. We really enjoyed this trip a lot. Good work!”