Introduction

Due to the purchase of cheap Tigerair tickets by my family, we planned a five-day self-guided trip to Kitakyushu on January 1, 2024.

This article will detail our travel experiences and overall expenses.

Flights

Map and Itinerary

You can refer to the five-day itinerary here: My Map.

For detailed photos of Kitakyushu, check out: Kitakyushu Five-Day Trip Album

Given that this trip was self-driven, we planned to head north first after receiving the Kitakyushu voucher and then circle around clockwise.

Kitakyushu Expenses

The above estimate is the average per person shared expense.

Lodging choices were conservative, considering the elderly.

Considering airfare, transfers, souvenirs, meals, and miscellaneous expenses, the total expenditure was around 25000 NTD (excluding Kyushu discount vouchers).

With the Kyushu discount vouchers (5000 JPY per person), the total cost would be around 26000 NTD.

Travel Journal

Departure (Taoyuan Airport)

We took a red-eye flight. Called a shuttle at 22:30 to Taoyuan Airport, arriving around 1:50 AM, and celebrated the New Year in the car.

After waiting for a while, we started the check-in process around 4:00 AM. After checking in, we headed to the lounge.

Thanks to a family member’s high-level credit card, we accessed a special lounge for breakfast.

Boarded the flight to Fukuoka, sleeping the entire three-hour flight.

Upon arrival at Fukuoka Airport, we picked up the Kitakyushu cash voucher (5000 JPY per person).

The voucher is valid from November 20, 2023, to February 21, 2024, and must be used within five days of receipt.

Just show the QR code on your phone at checkout for discounts. We planned to head north first to use the vouchers.

Day 1 (2024/1/1)

After arriving in the morning and picking up the Kitakyushu cash vouchers, we took a bus to the car rental location.

After lunch, we drove to Kokura Castle, spending about 1.5-2 hours exploring the main building.

Then we had ice cream, visited a shrine, and wandered around the market until about 4:30 PM.

We had planned to visit Mount Sarakura for the night view, but it closed early due to the holiday.

After dinner, we went shopping at AEON, using the Kitakyushu cash vouchers.

We arrived at the hotel later, but accidentally booked a single room sold as a double. The room was small, with only one pillow but two sets of towels. The overall quality was poor, except for the breakfast.

Day 2 (2024/1/2)

Kyushu Natural Zoo (10:00~14:30)

We moved southeast to the Kyushu Natural Zoo.

Here, you can interact with small animals like hamsters, rabbits, and kangaroos, unlike in Taiwan.

The highlight is the safari bus, which costs about 3900 JPY (830 NTD) for both the zoo and safari.

You can feed large animals like tigers, lions, and elephants, a unique experience.

We saw cute tiger cubs, capybaras, horses, kangaroos, hamsters, squirrel monkeys, white tigers, lions, elephants, and giraffes.

Kinrin Lake + Yufuin Floral Village (15:00~17:00)

After leaving the zoo, we went to Kinrin Lake.

Parking costs 500 JPY.

The main attraction is the beautiful scenery. The blue sky, white clouds, sunlight, and lake make for stunning photos.

Nearby, the Yufuin Floral Village offers a long street of various shops, perfect for strolling.

By around 5 PM, shops began to close.

Dinner + Lodging

We headed towards Mount Aso for the next day, staying in the mountains for the night.

Driving at night can be exciting and dangerous, so assess your driving skills.

A notable experience was enjoying a bowl of ramen for just 150 NTD, which included two slices of chashu. It was delicious, didn’t require queuing, and offered great value.

Day 3 (2024/1/3)

Mount Aso Crater (11:40~12:40)

The next morning, we drove about two hours to Mount Aso Crater.

Check the official website for access conditions before visiting.

Weather greatly affects the crater’s accessibility, varying between winter and summer.

When we arrived, it was cold, windy, and rainy, with a strong sulfur smell.

We drove directly to the crater, which is only a two-minute walk from the parking area.

We quickly took photos as it began to fog up and then descended.

By the time we reached the gate, the area was restricted to only allow exits.

For this destination, drive straight to the crater. It’s a weather-dependent itinerary.

Is the crater worth visiting?

It’s unique but hard to see clearly due to the weather. The cold and foggy conditions made our visit brief.

Aso Shrine (14:30~15:30)

After a quick convenience store lunch, we headed to Aso Shrine.

Even on a weekday, there were many visitors. We spent about an hour here.

If you’re not particularly fond of shrines, this spot can be skipped.

youme Town Hikarinomori + Don Quijote (16:45~20:30)

We then headed towards Kumamoto City, stopping at youme Town Hikarinomori Mall.

We shopped for some UNIQLO items and had dinner there.

Even on a weekday evening, the mall was bustling with families shopping and dining.

Afterwards, we stopped by Don Quijote for some more shopping.

Although not particularly cheap, I found it more enjoyable and better stocked than the ones in Taiwan.

Lodging

In Kumamoto City, we stayed at REF Kumamoto by VESSEL HOTELS for the third and fourth nights.

Nearby, Sun Road Shinshigai offers numerous dining and shopping options.

Overall, I found this hotel to be the best of our five-day stay.

Day 4 (2024/1/4)

Kumamoto Castle

Kumamoto Castle provides insights into Japanese castle architecture and the restoration efforts following the earthquake.

It’s worth a detailed visit, also providing a review of related history like the Meiji Restoration.

If you have any questions, ChatGPT is a handy tool for quick answers.

Day 5 (2024/1/5)

Yanagawa River Cruise + Yoake Chaya (11:30~14:00)

The Yanagawa River Cruise offers a unique experience, similar to the Anping Canal Cruise but at a slower pace, allowing you to appreciate the river’s charm.

We shared the boat with a group from Hong Kong, but the boatman only spoke Japanese, which was a bit of a drawback.

The boatman provided explanations and sang related folk songs at specific statues, such as Amefuri.

I recommend doing some research beforehand to enhance the experience.

After the cruise, a shuttle bus took us back to the starting point, where we had lunch at Yoake Chaya.

The ambiance was great, and we enjoyed affordable eel rice, sashimi bowls, and even fugu.

We then took a bus back to our car and headed to the airport to return the rental car.

Return

Domestic Terminal

We returned the car at the domestic terminal.

After returning the car, we browsed the souvenir shops in the domestic terminal. Some items are also available in the international terminal, but we bought impulsively.

It is recommended to buy refrigerated cakes, which last about eight hours and are not available in the international terminal.

Other items, including unique ones like Calbee Jagariko, can be purchased at the international terminal.

Free shuttle buses are available from the domestic terminal to the international terminal every six minutes.

International Terminal

Not knowing how much we would shop on the return flight, we paid an extra 200 NTD for additional luggage weight with Tigerair.

The total checked luggage weight allowed was 70 kg, but we only used 51 kg.

The international terminal was very crowded. After checking in our luggage and receiving our boarding passes, we proceeded to the duty-free area.

After passing through security, the terminal had duty-free shops and a 7-11. Since we were flying with Tigerair, each person was allowed only two pieces of hand luggage.

Finally, we waited at the designated gate to board the flight back to Taiwan.

Upon arrival in Taiwan, we took a shuttle directly home, concluding our trip to Japan.