A self-drive loop of Kyushu from Fukuoka: Nagasaki's peace memorial, Kumamoto Castle, the Mount Aso caldera, Beppu's hot spring hells and Yufuin in 9 days.
Kyushu is the most underrated island road trip in Japan. While most visitors ride the shinkansen between Osaka and Tokyo, a fraction make it south to Japan's third-largest island. Those who do get rewarded: compact distances, quiet mountain roads, extraordinary volcanic scenery and a string of cities that each have their own distinct character.
This Kyushu road trip itinerary covers the island's headline stops in nine days as a self-drive loop from Fukuoka. You will leave with a grounding in modern Japanese history from Nagasaki, the satisfaction of standing inside an active volcanic caldera at Mount Aso, and a solid argument that Beppu and Yufuin together make the finest onsen experience in the country.
Japan drives on the left. An International Driving Permit (IDP) is required and must be arranged in your home country before departure; most automobile associations issue them on the spot. Rental cars are available in English at Fukuoka Airport from Toyota, Nissan and Orix. Request an ETC card at the rental desk for cashless expressway tolls. Road signs on expressways include English. Google Maps works reliably throughout Kyushu.
Fukuoka is Kyushu's largest city and a comfortable entry point. Pick up your rental car and check in near Hakata or Tenjin. The evening is best spent at a riverside yatai: outdoor food stalls that open around 6pm along the Naka River. Order Hakata ramen (pork bone broth, thin noodles), yakitori and a local draft. It is one of the more agreeable ways to arrive anywhere in Japan.
If you have a morning before heading out: Ohori Park and the small Fukuoka Castle ruins are a pleasant walk, and Tochoji Temple houses Japan's largest seated wooden Buddha.
The drive from Fukuoka to Nagasaki takes about 100 minutes by expressway. Nagasaki sits at the end of a fjord-like bay and feels noticeably different from most Japanese cities. It was the only port open to the outside world during Japan's Edo-period isolation, and the legacy shows in its architecture, food and general atmosphere.
Day 2 is for the Peace Memorial Park and Atomic Bomb Museum. The museum is thorough, sobering and essential. Allow a full morning. In the afternoon, walk to Dejima (the reconstructed Dutch trading post) and across the Meganebashi stone arch bridge, which has spanned the Nakashima River since 1634.
Day 3: take the cable car up Mount Inasa for what is regularly cited as one of Japan's three finest night views, and spend the day exploring Glover Garden and the Chinese-influenced Shinchi Chinatown. Nagasaki's champon noodle soup is the local speciality and considerably better here than anywhere else.
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From Nagasaki, the expressway east to Kumamoto takes around two hours. Kumamoto is a city that takes a quiet pride in its castle, one of Japan's three great fortresses. The earthquake of 2016 caused severe damage, and the restoration of the main keep took five years. It reopened in 2021 and the result is impressive. The castle sits on a hill above well-kept grounds; the early morning before tour buses arrive is the best time to visit.
Beyond the castle, the Shimotori covered arcade has good food options and the local dishes are worth seeking out: basashi (raw horse meat) is the Kumamoto speciality that gets the most attention, though horse hotpot and local ramen are equally worth trying.
Kumamoto is one night on this itinerary. The push to Aso is short enough to allow a full morning at the castle before driving on.
From Kumamoto, drive east through the caldera rim on the Milk Road (Route 339), passing the Daikanbo viewpoint that looks back over the whole basin. Mount Aso is the world's largest inhabited caldera: roughly 25 km across, with a population of around 50,000 people living inside its ancient walls.
The active crater is Mount Nakadake. On days when sulphur levels allow, you can walk to the crater rim and look directly into the steaming vent below. Check the activity status at visitkyushu.com before driving up; closures are common and change without much notice. Even on a closed day, the caldera roads and highland meadows are extraordinary.
Spend a second night in the Aso area to see the landscape change with the morning. The grasslands around Kusasenri are grazed by horses and cattle; on still mornings the caldera fills with cloud and looks like an inland sea.
The drive from Aso to Beppu along the Yamanami Highway is the road trip highlight of Kyushu. The route climbs into the Kuju Mountains through open highland meadows, passes the Kokonoe suspension bridge (worth a stop for the gorge views) and descends to the coast at Beppu in around 90 minutes. Fill your fuel tank in Aso town before leaving.
Beppu produces more hot spring water than anywhere in Japan outside Iceland. The Jigoku Meguri (Eight Hells of Beppu) is the tourist anchor: eight geothermal pools in dramatically different colours. Umi Jigoku (cobalt blue), Chi-no-Ike Jigoku (blood red) and the geyser Tatsumaki Jigoku are the strongest. Buy the combo ticket at your first stop; it covers all eight and takes around 90 minutes to complete.
For a proper soak, Beppu's public sento bathhouses are cheap, local and far less performative. Takegawara, open since 1879, is worth the visit for its sake barrel architecture as much as its sand bath.
Yufuin is a 30-minute drive inland from Beppu: short enough to make it a morning move and leave most of the day free. The town sits in a flat basin ringed by mountains, with Mount Yufu (1,583 m) dominating the skyline to the north.
The Yunotsubo Kaido main street has concentrated a good density of craft shops, small museums and cafes into a 15-minute walk. The Lake Kinrin viewpoint at the far end of the street is best in the early morning when mist rises off the water. Yufuin's onsen are quieter and more traditional than Beppu's: most ryokan have outdoor baths (rotenburo), and many offer kashi-kiri (private bath bookings by the hour for non-staying guests). An overnight in a ryokan here is the most distinctively Japanese sleep on the route.
The drive back to Fukuoka takes around 100 minutes by expressway. If your flight is evening, leave Yufuin mid-morning for one last wander through Fukuoka's Tenjin district and a final bowl of Hakata ramen. Return the rental car at the airport; domestic and international terminals are linked by a free shuttle bus.
When to go: Spring (March to May) brings cherry blossom and mild temperatures. Autumn (October to November) has clear skies and good light for the volcanic landscapes. Summer is humid and typhoon season (August to September) can disrupt plans. Winter is cold at altitude but uncrowded.
Budget: Expect to spend around 200,000 to 250,000 yen for two people across nine days (car rental, fuel, expressway tolls, mid-range hotels and ryokan, and meals). Entry fees for attractions are modest. Expressway tolls add up; the ETC card gives a slight discount and avoids fumbling for change.
Driving tips: Japanese road signage is clear. Expressways are numbered and have frequent service areas with good food. Speed limits are enforced: 80 km/h on expressways outside urban areas. Parking in cities is managed by small, clearly signed car parks; fees are reasonable.
Fuel: Petrol stations are plentiful in cities and on expressways. Fill up before the Yamanami Highway section between Aso and Beppu; stations are sparse on the mountain road.
IDP and licence: Your International Driving Permit must be issued before you arrive in Japan. Most national automobile associations issue them quickly and cheaply. Bring both the IDP and your domestic driving licence.
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The full route — stops, maps, and driving times — is on Routebook by Kington.
A self-drive loop of Japan's southernmost main island: atomic history in Nagasaki, a restored samurai castle in Kumamoto, the world's largest inhabited caldera at Mount Aso, volcanic hot spring hells in Beppu, and the serene onsen town of Yufuin.
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