TRAVEL TOGETHER
Make this trip work for your group
A rental-car loop connects hot-spring towns and Aso.
- Adjust the route
- Agree on drivers, breaks and ryokan meal times around daily luggage moves and driving.
- Check your room
- Compare the bed layout and room occupancy for your group. For friends, confirm separate beds or rooms; for couples, check the booked room category and outlook.
An editorial match to this route, not an accessibility or age-suitability certification. Existing budgets use the group size stated in the article; recalculate for your party.
THE ONE-WAY LOOP
Two hot springs and Aso,
Connect in one circle.
It's a 5-day, 4-night tour through the heart of Kyushu that doesn't overlap with a short trip that only sees Fukuoka. From the airport, go clockwise to Yufuin, Beppu, Kurokawa, Aso, and Kumamoto and stay in Hakata for the last night. Stay in a different town each night to keep the loop moving forward. Allow enough time to finish mountain-road driving before dark.
The Beppu Hell Pilgrimage is not an actual bathing facility, but rather a tourist course to see the geothermal scenery.
MAKE IT YOUR TRIP
Keep the moments you came for
Make time for this
The onsen stays and Aso scenery are the reward. Reach the next ryokan comfortably rather than visiting every Beppu hell or waiting too long for one meal.
Arrange the trip around it
With a different base each night, check dinners, parking and the car-return location together. If arrival or car collection runs late, shorten Yufuin sightseeing and choose a simpler lunch.
Planning notes reviewed on 10 September 2026. Check the dated transport and property sources below for your travel dates.
4 NIGHTS · 5 DAYS
Schedule to follow
From Fukuoka Airport to Yufuin
Yufuin scenery, the first overnight stop after the airport.
- 01Arrive at Fukuoka Airport around 11:00. Allow 60–90 minutes for immigration and baggage, then time for the rental-office transfer and vehicle handover.
- 02Aim to leave with the car around 13:00–13:30, adjusting to the actual arrival. Confirm insurance, ETC, fuel and the return office; have a simple lunch before the drive.
- 03Allow roughly two hours or more to Yufuin, including a rest stop and traffic. A late arrival means dropping the famous-restaurant lunch and extra shopping.
- 04Aim to reach the ryokan around 15:30–16:30. Confirm its latest arrival for dinner before travel and call if delayed.
- 05If time remains, make a short Kinrinko or Yunotsubo walk. Prioritize the bath and rest over completing both.
- 06Have dinner at the time and under the meal plan confirmed by the ryokan. If the flight cannot support that deadline, revise the first overnight base before booking.
From Yufuin to Beppu, end of mountain road Kurokawa
Beppu's hot-spring landscape, visited before continuing to Kurokawa.
- 0108:00 Breakfast at the ryokan 09:00 Check out
- 02Yufuin → Beppu Hell Hot Springs · Approximately 45 minutes
- 0310:00 Hell pilgrimage centered on Umi Jigoku · 7 sites common ticket Adult ¥2,400
- 0412:30 Toyotsune Main Store Special Tendon Lunch
- 0514:00 Depart from Beppu via Yamanami Highway
- 06Beppu → Kurokawa Hot Springs · Approximately 2 hours including break
- 0716:15 Yamamizuki check-in · Riverside open-air bath
- 08Dinner around 18:00 · Since it’s a mountainous area, be sure to reserve a plan that includes two meals.
From Daikanbo Peak to the grasslands of Aso and Kumamoto
Shops and pedestrians along the covered Shimotori arcade in Kumamoto
Fabimaru / Wikimedia Commons · Resized · CC BY-SA 3.0- 0108:00 Breakfast · 09:00 Departure from Kurokawa Onsen
- 0209:35 Daikanbo Observatory · Aso Outer Ring Mountain and Caldera Panorama
- 0310:20 Move to Uchinomaki · Reception of Imakinshokudo
- 0410:40–12:10 Lunch of akaushi beef rice bowls · If the wait is longer than 90 minutes, use a nearby alternative store
- 05After lunch, decide with the driver: go directly toward Kumamoto if tired, or continue to Kusasenri, allowing about 35 minutes from Uchinomaki plus traffic.
- 06Optional · At Kusasenri, take a short walk in permitted areas around 13:10. Leave an extra Aso summit-area visit out of the basic plan and follow current volcanic restrictions.
- 07Leave for Kumamoto by around 14:30, allowing roughly 1.5–2 hours from the mountain area. On the direct route after lunch, use the earlier arrival to rest.
- 0816:30 Check-in at Daiwa Roynet Hotel, affiliated parking
- 09Choose your own dinner around the Shimotori or Shinshigai shopping arcades; pay for your meal separately.
After seeing Kumamoto Castle, return to Hakata.
Kumamoto Castle, visited before returning the car and continuing to Fukuoka.
- 0108:00 Hotel breakfast or cafe after check-out
- 0209:00 Kumamoto Castle entrance · Adult ¥800 · Last entry 16:00
- 0310:45 Walk around Sakuranobaba Josai-en
- 0411:30 Katsuretsutei Shinshigai Main Branch · Tonkatsu Lunch
- 0513:00 Depart from Kumamoto → Fukuoka Airport · Approximately 1 hour 40 minutes – 2 hours
- 0615:30 Return rental car after refueling · Check for vehicle scratches and ETC settlement
- 07Go to Hakata by Airport Line Subway · 2 stops
- 0817:00 Check-in at Tokyu Stay Hakata, do laundry, then take an evening walk to Hakata Station
Lighten your luggage, close to the airport
Canal City in Hakata. Keep the final city walk short enough for your airport departure.
- 0107:00 Breakfast at hotel or Hakata Station
- 0208:30 Check out · If your flight is late, leave your luggage at the hotel
- 03If you have time in the morning, take a short walk around Kushida Shrine and Kawabata Shopping Mall.
- 04Subway Hakata Station → Fukuoka Airport Domestic Flight, approximately 5 minutes
- 05Secure additional free shuttle transfer time for international flights
- 06Based on arrival at the airport 2 hours and 30 minutes before international departure
- 07Flights departing before 11:30 go straight to the airport without walking around the city.
EAT ALONG THE ROUTE
From Bungo beef to Akaushi,
Four food stops along the driving route.
Operating hours and prices are confirmed as of September 2026. The wait at Imakinshokudo is very long and Toyotsune is closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. To avoid being late for dinner at your ryokan, if the wait time at the restaurant is long, use an alternative restaurant without hesitation.
Optional · An early arrival
Yufumabushi Shin Kinrinko Main Store
- Getting there
- West of Kinrinko Lake, starting point of Yunotsubo Street, walking distance
- menu
- Bungo beef mabushi, eel mabushi, local chicken mabushi
- budget
- Approximately ¥2,500–4,000 per person
- Opening hours
- 10:30–18:30 · Last order 17:30 · Closed irregularly
The basic plan includes a simple lunch before collecting the car. Keep this restaurant for a much earlier arrival in Yufuin; skip it if the queue would leave little time before your ryokan dinner.
Check the latest information ↗
DAY 2 · Lunch
Toyotsune Main Store
- Getting there
- Beppu Kitahama · Approximately 20 minutes by car from Jigoku Onsen
- menu
- Special Tendon, Oita Ryukyu Don, and Fish Set Meal
- budget
- Approximately ¥1,000–3,000 per person
- Opening hours
- Mon-Thu-Sun 11:00–21:00 · Last order 20:00 · Closed on Tue-Wed
We eat it before leaving for Kurokawa after completing the pilgrimage to hell. Reservations are not accepted and parking space is limited, so please use the nearby paid parking lot if it’s full. On Tuesdays and Wednesdays, the restaurant switches to a restaurant near Beppu Station.
Check the latest information ↗
DAY 3 · Early lunch
Imakinshokudo
- Getting there
- Approximately 20 minutes by car from Uchinomaki Onsen and Daikanbo Peak
- menu
- Akaushi Don/Akaushi Hamburg Set Meal
- budget
- Akaushi Don ¥2,300 · Approx. ¥2,000–3,000 per person
- Opening hours
- 10:00–16:00 · Closed during the year-end and New Year holidays
It's a stop on the way down from Daikanbo Peak to Kusasenri, but the wait may be 1–2 hours or more on weekends. After receiving a numbered ticket, if the estimated time exceeds 90 minutes, change to Akaushi Restaurant at Aso Station/Uchinomaki.
Check the latest information ↗
DAY 4 · Early lunch
Katsuretsutei Shinshigai Main Store
- Getting there
- Approximately 15 minutes walk from Kumamoto Castle South Gate, Karashimacho
- menu
- Lokatsu set meal, Hirekatsu, Rokuhaku black pork
- budget
- Approximately ¥2,000–3,000 per person
- Opening hours
- 11:00–21:30 · Last order 21:00
If you head south from Kumamoto Castle past Josai-en, you'll have a natural connection before finding your rental car. Refills of cabbage, rice, and miso soup are available, and you must enter before 12 o'clock to have ample time to return Fukuoka.
Check the latest information ↗TWO ONSEN NIGHTS
Yufuin is a garden,
Kurokawa is a valley.
Yufuin is the first day to enjoy Kinrinko Lake, shopping streets, and a spacious garden-style ryokan. Kurokawa focuses on mountain valleys and riverside open-air baths. Even though it looks like a similar hot spring stay, the space has a different look so no two nights overlap, and both nights must be reserved with breakfast and dinner included, so you don't have to go to the restaurant again after moving to the mountains.
Kurokawa's hot spring bath system is designed to be used by choosing an open-air bath at a participating ryokan. Prices and participating facilities may vary, so check with your local information office for the most up-to-date information.
DAY 3 SAFETY
What is more important than the crater is
This is the control line for the day.
Aso Nakadake Crater closes without notice due to volcanic warnings and weather. This itinerary doesn’t require entering the crater and is centered around Daikanbo Peak and Kusasenri. At the time of writing in September 2026, there’s a notice restricting access to the crater, so don’t enter the barricades and check the official road status before moving to Kusasenri.
WHERE TO STAY
Two ryokans,
Two cost-effective hotels
Which stay suits your trip?
Yufuin's Baien with its open-air baths and gardens, and Kurokawa's riverside hot springs' Yamamizuki are the highlights of this road trip. For Kumamoto, Daiwa Roynet is close to the castle and parking, and for the last night, Tokyu Stay is convenient for laundry and airport access. The four locations are not a comparison of alternatives, but rather a configuration of staying at one location on each date.
Yufuin Baien Garden Resort
Approximately 5 minutes by car from Kinrinko · View of Mt. Yufu
- price
- 2 people per room approx. ¥45,000–95,000+ / 1 night, 2 meals included
- breakfast
- Japanese-focused breakfast · Check reservation plan and meal times
- Dinner
- 18:00–21:00 · Baien-style creative kaiseki
- parking
- Free outdoor parking for guests · Check availability before check-in
- Advantages
- You can use the large open-air bath and family bath with a view of the 33,000㎡ garden and Mt. Yufu at no additional charge.
- Cons
- Allow extra travel time to Yunotsubo Street; and prices vary greatly depending on room class and whether an open-air bath is included.
Yamamizuki
Approximately 5 minutes by car from the center of Kurokawa Onsen, Tanohara River Valley
- price
- 2 people per room approx. ¥55,000–110,000+ / 1 night, 2 meals included
- breakfast
- Japanese breakfast in a private dining area · Check times for each plan
- Dinner
- Creative kaiseki focused on local products, dinner included, reservation required
- parking
- Free parking for guests · Check staff information in case of snow in winter
- Advantages
- The open-air bath right next to the river and the forest view are overwhelming, and some rooms come with a hot spring bath.
- Cons
- It’s inconvenient to walk at night, away from the center of the hot spring village, and you must be careful about driving on mountain roads and winter ice.
Daiwa Roynet Hotel Kumamoto Ginza-dori PREMIER
Approximately 2 minutes walk from Hanabatacho tram station, Approximately 6 minutes walk from Kumamoto Castle
- price
- 2 people per room approx. ¥13,000–28,000 / 1 night
- breakfast
- 06:30–10:00 · Last order 09:30 · Adult ¥2,000
- Dinner
- Horse meat course operated at Suganoya on the 2nd floor · Reservation confirmed
- parking
- Building-affiliated parking: 30 spaces · 14:00–12:00 ¥2,000 · First-come, first-served
- Advantages
- Kumamoto Castle and the downtown area are both accessible on foot and easy to park the car before departure for DAY 4
- Cons
- Entry and exit from the parking lot is limited to 07:00–23:00, and parking outside is required when the parking lot is full or vehicle specifications are exceeded.
Tokyu Stay Hakata
Approximately 8 minutes' walk from JR Hakata Station Chikushi Exit
- price
- 2 people per room approx. ¥12,000–25,000 / 1 night
- breakfast
- 07:00–10:30 · Last order 10:00 · Check reservation screen for rates
- Dinner
- 1st floor Near Equal · 17:00–20:00, bar opens afterwards
- parking
- No private parking available at the hotel · Paid parking available nearby
- Advantages
- The washer/dryer and microwave in the room are great for organizing luggage accumulated over 4 days and heading to the airport.
- Cons
- Since parking is inconvenient while using a rental car, it’s essential to check in after returning the car to the airport on Day 4.
Rate criteria · Approximate range of 2 people per room per night searchable in September 2026. For ryokans, it depends on whether breakfast, dinner, and in-room baths are included, and for hotels, the date, breakfast, and cancellation conditions vary. Check the total amount including tax and meals before actual payment.
BUDGET GUIDE
Estimated cost per person
This is the cost per person for a two-person trip and excludes flights and shopping. The rental car cost is a combination of 5 days of small car, deductible compensation, ETC toll, fuel, and parking. Varies depending on vehicle class and one-way return fee.
GOOD
Advantages of this schedule
- Connects Fukuoka, Oita, and Kumamoto without round trip on the same route.
- Includes two hot spring ryokans, Aso Meadow, and Kumamoto Castle.
- Completing mountain road driving during the day and simplifying airport transfers on the final day
CHECK
Things to know
- Since we move accommodation every day, it’s better to have small luggage rather than a large suitcase.
- Aso Crater and mountain roads are closed due to volcanic warnings and severe weather conditions.
- Snow tires are required during the winter snow season and novice drivers are advised to change their schedule.
OFFICIAL SOURCES
Check again before departure.
Beppu Hell Pilgrimage · Operating hours · Common admission ticket ↗Kurokawa hot springs, ryokan, bathing facilities, transportation ↗Aso Volcano Disaster Prevention Meeting · Real-time crater control ↗Kumamoto Prefecture sightseeing and Aso Nakadake access information ↗Kumamoto Castle · Operating Hours · Admission Information ↗Yufuin Baien · Room, hot spring, meal ↗Daiwa Roynet Kumamoto · Breakfast · Parking ↗Tokyu Stay Hakata · Rooms, Meals, Transportation ↗PHOTO CREDITS · Aso Daikanbo: Klook introduction image · Yufuin Kinrinko: JeePe ·Beppu Umi Hell: Bpcon98, CC0 1.0 · Kumamoto Castle: Suicasmo, CC BY-SA 4.0· Food and accommodation images are images from the official gallery or introduction/review page of each store/accommodation and have been resized for editing.
English edition of our Korean guide. Times and prices retain the source review date; they are not live booking quotes. Check eligibility for visitor fares and plan international flights separately.