Kyushu Vegetarian & Vegan Tour: Self-Drive Journey
Kyushu's vegetarian and vegan dining scene is rich, varied, and largely undiscovered. We plan the route, select the restaurants, and handle every detail; you just drive.
- All-Inclusive Package
- Your Route, Your Pace
- Expert Planning
- Easy Navigation
Plant-Based Kyushu at Your Own Pace
Eating vegetarian or vegan in Japan can be surprisingly hard. Dashi, bonito flakes, and fish-based stocks turn up almost everywhere, and genuinely meat-free menus take real local knowledge to find. That's what makes this tour different. Across Kyushu we've sought out restaurants where you can eat wonderfully well as a vegetarian or vegan, then built a self-drive journey around them. We plan the route, book the hotels, and handle the details; you just drive. From the Reclining Buddha at Nanzoin and the steaming Hells of Beppu to Takachiho Gorge and Aso caldera.
Travel well taken care of
Everything on the ground is arranged before you arrive — so your only job is to enjoy the season.
Vegetarian Self-Drive Itinerary
Tap any day for a quick look — or open the full day-by-day itinerary.
Arrive at Fukuoka Airport where a member of our staff will meet you. Pick up your car and head to your first stop, Nanzoin Temple, home to the impressive Reclining Buddha statue. After a tofu lunch, a museum visit in Kitakyushu before making your way to Kokura Castle. After a full day of sightseeing, continue to Mojiko, a charming retro port town, where you'll stay overnight.
Leave Mojiko in the morning and travel to Usa Jingu, one of Japan’s most important and historic Shinto shrines, known for its grand architecture and peaceful grounds. Then head to Beppu for a lunch of soy sauce-based udon followed by a unique sand bath experience at an onsen. In the afternoon, visit the colourful and vibrant hot spring sites of Umi Jigoku (Cobalt Blue Hell) and Chinoike Jigoku (Blood Pond Hell). End the day with an overnight stay in Beppu.
Your day begins high above Beppu as the ropeway lifts you toward sweeping mountain views, setting an exhilarating tone before you wander the charming lanes of Yufuin with its craft shops. From there, you'll drift through the green grasses of Tadewara Wetland, a peaceful contrast before the day's crowning moment at Takachiho Gorge, where emerald waters cut beneath dramatic cliffs and cascading falls.
You'll start the day standing at the edge of raw power, peering into the sulphurous depths of Mt Aso's Nakadake Crater, one of the active peaks within the vast Aso caldera. From there, the landscape softens into the golden grasslands of Kusasenri before you step into Aso Shrine, a place steeped in centuries of reverence. After an organic lunch using produce grown in Aso's volcanic soils, continue on to Kumamoto, where the evening brings a multi-course kaiseki dinner rooted in shojin ryori, Japan's centuries-old tradition of Buddhist vegetarian cuisine.
The morning begins at Kumamoto Castle, one of Japan's most celebrated fortresses, with over 400 years of history. After a kaiseki lunch built around seasonal soy-based ingredients, make your way north to Dazaifu Tenmangu, one of Kyushu's most visited shrines. A final stop at the Kyushu National Museum rounds out the afternoon before arriving in Fukuoka for a dinner of Hakata-style vegan ramen.
Enjoy a leisurely breakfast at your hotel before spending a free and easy day in Fukuoka city. Explore its vibrant shopping streets, discover local eats or simply soak in the laid-back urban charm at your own pace.
The tour is over but the memories remain. A designated taxi will pick you up at your hotel and take you to Fukuoka Airport or Hakata Station for your flight or train.
FAQ
Everything guests usually ask before booking. Anything else — just ask below.
Your trip begins with a personal meet & greet service and a detailed daily itinerary, complete with restaurant recommendations (including a special vegetarian kaiseki dinner) to enhance your journey. A rental car with English GPS and insurance is included, along with support for ferry reservations if needed. A private taxi transfer to Fukuoka Airport or Hakata Station is arranged for your departure. Throughout your trip, you'll have access to a WhatsApp helpline for language support and 24-hour telephone assistance for any emergencies.
We arrange a rental car with English GPS and provide simple navigation coordinates for every stop on your journey so there's no need to input Japanese addresses. You'll also get Google Map links for backup. Our staff will meet you on arrival, escort you to the car, and show you how everything works, including the GPS.
You can book easily through our website or via WhatsApp, and our team will guide you through the process. Just let us know your travel dates and how many people are coming, and we'll send you an itinerary and quote to review.
Yes, just let us know your preferences and we'll adjust the itinerary to suit.
If road conditions or weather cause disruptions, our team is available via WhatsApp to help with live rerouting. We can also make restaurant bookings and check that the places and activities you plan to visit are open as expected.
This tour was created specifically with vegetarians and vegans in mind. Finding genuinely meat-free food in Japan can be surprisingly difficult. Fish-based stocks, bonito flakes, and hidden meat ingredients turn up in dishes that appear vegetarian on the surface. We've done the research so you don't have to, vetting every restaurant in advance to ensure the food on your plate is exactly what you expect.
The tour works equally well for vegans, lacto-ovo vegetarians, and pescatarians.
A 7-Day Vegetarian & Vegan Kyushu Self-Drive
¥245,000 Estimated per person (4 guests). 20% deposit to secure your spot.
This self-drive tour runs 7 days / 6 nights, estimated at ¥245,000 per person based on 4 guests.
Because tour costs are shared across your group, larger groups benefit from a lower price per person. Get in touch and we'll put together a quote for you.
Tour Inclusion
- 6 nights' accommodation with breakfast
- Rental car for the trip with English GPS and insurance
- Pocket Wi-Fi (portable router)
- Arrival meet & greet and rental-car handover
- A detailed day-by-day itinerary with vegetarian- and vegan-friendly restaurant recommendations, plus navigation coordinates and Google Maps links for every stop
- Ferry reservation support if needed
- Private taxi transfer to Fukuoka Airport / Hakata Station on departure
- WhatsApp helpline and 24-hour emergency phone support
Our Lifetime Payment Guarantee: We understand that travel plans can be affected by unforeseen circumstances. If you are unable to travel for any reason, your payments are protected as a Lifetime Credit. It will be held securely for you to use toward any of our future tours at a time that suits you.
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