KYUSHU CYCLING TOUR, JAPAN — TRADITION, CULTURE, ONSEN & VOLCANIC LANDSCAPES

2027 DATES TO BE ANNOUNCED IN NOVEMBER 2026

Explore Kyushu, Japan by bike - a cycling journey through rural landscapes, samurai castles, dramatic volcanoes and bubbling onsen towns

JOIN THE 2027 KYUSHU EXPRESSION OF INTEREST LIST

This tour at a glance

2027 KYUSHU Dates

DATES :
2027 dates to be announced in November 2026.

Start: Fukuoka, Japan
Finish: Kumamoto, Japan

Difficulty

Moderate

Daily rides are approximately 70–110 km, averaging around 80 km, with average daily climbing of approximately 1,100 m.

Duration

11 nights, 10 days riding including 2 loop rides

Includes two two-night stays, each offering the option of a loop ride or a rest day.

Pricing (2027 TBC)

$TBC AUD per person (twin/dbl share)
$TBC AUD single supplement
Tour Deposit $900 per person

Tour Highlights

cycle kyushu’s volcanic landscapes

Northern Kyushu is a region known for its national parks and natural beauty. On this Kyushu cycling tour, we ride through bamboo forests, tea fields, river valleys and rice paddies, climb to cross the Kuju Highlands and ride the Aso volcanic caldera - conquering the climb to the smoking active volcano - Aso-san on our final day. This is rural Japan at its spectacular best.

discover traditional rural japan

This tour is a fascinating journey through Japan’s history and culture. We cycle through lush forests to ancient temples, follow coastlines past samurai castles and visit historic tea houses surrounded by rolling tea fields. Along the way, we stay in restored Edo-period merchant houses and traditional ryokan, immersing ourselves in the character of rural Japan, before finishing at the magnificent Kumamoto Castle.

relax in kyushu’s famous onsen

Kyushu is bubbling with geothermal activity! We discover a variety of onsen towns, from hidden mountain hot springs to Kannawa in Beppu, where steam rises from the streets. Most nights, our accommodation offers its own onsen — the perfect way to unwind after a day in the saddle and experience an enduring part of Japanese life.

taste the flavours of japan

This tour has a huge focus on traditional and regional cuisine. We enjoy multi-course kaiseki dinners, eat at local ramen and tofu stalls, and go on ‘izakaya’ crawls. We learn about sake and shochu, taste tea at one of Japan’s premier tea regions and indulge in the unique experience of Hell steamed cuisine “jigoku mushi” in Beppu. As cyclists we also make the most of Japan’s Konbini and Michi-no-eki along the way!

Details

Ride Kyushu - Volcanoes, Samurai Castles & Bubbling Onsen Towns

Join us on a small-group, supported road cycling tour through Kyushu, Japan, exploring volcanic highlands, rural villages, historic castle towns and traditional onsen regions over 10 days of riding.

route overview

We meet in Fukuoka city - easily accessible by air and shinkansen, it offers a perfect blend of modern attractions and traditional charm, with vibrant street food (don’t miss the must-try Hakata ramen) and yaitai stalls along with galleries, beautiful parks, lively nightlife and temples tucked away in traditional neighbourhoods.

We warm up with a morning city-explorer loop ride along the beautiful coastlines of Shikanoshima island including a short ferry ride and climb to the observatory for 360 degree views over Fukuoka and Hakata bay. In the afternoon we take the Shinkansen (bullet train) south - to zip us out of the city to the countryside ready for the riding ahead.

Over 10 days cycling, we explore the best of northern Kyushu - visiting Fukuoka, Oita and Kumamoto Prefectures. We ride through tea fields, rice paddies, lush forests and river valleys, visiting Samurai castles and houses, ancient temples deep in the forest. We spend 2 nights in Beppu - a famous onsen town - our hotel is in the heart of the Kannawa district, surrounded by steam and hot springs.

The second part of the Tour is mountainous - we ride along the famous Yamanami Highway, through the beautiful highlands a of the Kuju-Aso National Park. We cross the Makinoto Pass (1330m) and stay overnight in a historic ryokan onsen town lost in the mountains where local produce is used for a memorable kaiseki meal.

We spend 2 nights in Taketa - a historic castle town surrounded by rolling hills and farmland - with its traditional streetscapes featuring a beautiful wagashi (sweet) store and shochu and sake brewery, interesting izakaya, and a fascinating cultural museum - a perfect spot to spend rest/loop day.

The tour culminates with 2 days riding around the spectacular Aso-caldera, one of the world’s largest volcanic caldera. Aso Gogaku (the 5 peaks of Aso) stands in the centre and our final climb to Nakadake - an active and smoking volcanic crater located in the centre of the 5 peaks of Aso is a highlight of the Tour.

We finish with a descent to Kumamoto city - the site of one of Japan’s ‘big 3 castles’ for a celebratory final night together.

TerraiN, DIFFICULTY, DISTANCES & CLIMBING

This tour is on sealed roads and cycle paths and is suitable for road bikes. The terrain is largely flat valleys and rolling hills building to mountains with longer climbs (15-20km) in the second part of the Tour.

Distance 650km with optional extras up to a total 750km. (Approximate)
Average Daily Distance 70-110km / day. Average 80km.
Average Daily Altitude 1100m . Max daily altitude 1700m.
Rest/Loop Days 2 loop/rest days in Beppu and Taketa.

FOOD & REGIONAL Cuisine‍ ‍

Food is always a big and exciting part of WOR tours. It helps us understand about the terroir, lifestyle and philosophy of the people. From vending machines to conbini, street food, local markets, noodle bars, izakaya and the traditional art form of multi course kaiseki dinners - this tour to Japan offers so many wonderful tastes and flavors.

BIKES

Bring your own. E-bikes welcome however remember this tour is mountainous (limited number per tour due to size/weight for our support vehicle). Contact us for further info. and if you are interested in hiring.

Group Size and Supported Cycling

Small to mod sized group of cyclists. (Max 14)

We provide mechanical bicycle support and a Japanese-English guide on tour.

Our crew will be on the road each day to support you, however this is not a fully-guided “peloton/bunch” style ride. You will be able to ride at your own pace and stop when you want. You must be comfortable with using a GPS device (e.g. Garmin, RidewithGPS on a smartphone). See our FAQ or contact us for further information.

Hotels, Ryokan and Onsen

We stay in a mix of western style hotels and traditional ryokan (inns) - where we enjoy onsen (japanese bath) and relax in yukata in the evenings. Accommodation is mostly of a high standard. On one or two nights there may not be a private bathroom in your room - you will use the hotel/ryokan onsen as is traditional in Japan.

Meals Included 11 breakfasts, 7 dinners.

TOUR START AND FINISH

Start‍ ‍in Fukuoka, Japan. Easily accessible by air (Fukuoka International Airport with flights to Australia - via Tokyo/Osaka/Taipei/HongKong/Singapore for example) or high speed rail links throughout Japan (Shinkansen).

Finish in Kumamoto, Japan. Kumamoto connects with Fukuoka via Shinkansen. There is also a domestic airport for air connections throughout Japan and International airport with flights to Australia via Taipei.

inclusions, exclusions and further information

Inclusions Request our Tour information document for a comprehensive list of inclusions.

Exclusions Your bike & spare parts, travel to start/finish hotel, alcoholic & specialty beverages, other breakfasts/lunches/dinners not included in the Tour

Tour Brochure & Itinerary Request Tour Brochure PDF via email.

Pre / Post Tour We have numerous ideas for how to extend your stay in Japan. Travel via one of Japan’s main cities (e.g. Tokyo/Osaka) for a stop-over or explore more of Kyushu post tour.