Kagoshima Highlights Private Tour, Sakurajima Volcano and More
cost
From 70,000 yen per person
Note *1: The above prices are in Japan. Please select your country and currency when applying and confirm the cost.
overview
Customize your tour by choosing your preferred destinations within a 7-hour period, or choose an 8-hour or 6-hour tour. Sakurajima, a trapezoidal volcano towering over Kagoshima Bay, is a truly active volcano, erupting an average of 200 times per year. Experience the wonders of nature while soaking in Japan's longest 100-meter footbath. Drive to the observation deck, the highest accessible point, for a close-up look at the Earth's surface. Enjoy Japan's best Wagyu beef, black pork, ramen, and more at Tenmonkan Sengan-en, a tranquil 12-acre traditional garden built in 1658. The feudal lord's villa has been cherished for generations. A World Heritage Site of modernization projects and a sophisticated crystal-cut glass factory. Whiskey Distilleries, Mars & Kanosuke. Japan produces some of the world's finest whiskeys. Experience the deep aroma of whiskey barrels wafting from the Chiran Peace Museum, samurai residences and gardens, natural artisanal amber rice vinegar, sand baths, and more.
Note*1: Please select your desired tourist spots from the list in the tour information and create your own itinerary.
Note *2: To obtain the nationally certified guide-interpreter qualification issued by the Japanese government, you must have sufficient knowledge and understanding of Japanese culture and history.
What's Included
- fee
- 7-hour chartered taxi: Average price is 34,000 yen for up to 3 people, 46,000 yen for up to 8 people
- Sakurajima ferry round trip fare: 500 yen per person, 4,700 yen for cars depending on size
- Admission fee - Sengan-en (¥1,600.00 per person)
- Lunch (you & guide)
itinerary
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1
Sakurajima Visitor Center
Watch a 13-minute film with English subtitles about real volcanic activity. There are also several panels explaining past explosive eruptions, post-eruption vegetation, and what life is like on an active volcano.
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2
Sakurajima Nagisa Footbath Park
Boasting a total length of 100 meters, this is one of the largest footbaths in Japan. It uses natural hot spring water with a source temperature of 42 degrees that springs from 1,000 meters underground. Soaking in the reddish-brown footbath will warm your body and make you feel relaxed. Take a break while looking out at Kagoshima Bay stretching out before you and Sakurajima towering behind you.
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3
Kurokami Buried Torii
The approximately three-meter torii gate of Kurokami Shrine is buried in the ground, with only the upper beams remaining. Rather than digging it up, the village elders chose to leave it buried in the ground to convey the threat of an eruption to future generations. Standing quietly next to the gate, as if nestled against it, is an old fig tree that miraculously survived the eruption.
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4
Shioyagamoto Port
A small, idyllic port where you can see the changes in lava vegetation between 1,300 years ago and 80 years ago.
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5
Arimura Observatory
This observation deck is located on a small hill in the lava field that was created by the massive explosion in 1946. It is located in the middle of a 1km long lava promenade, and offers a view of the world-famous active volcano Sakurajima and Kinko Bay right in front of you. Sakurajima looks different from other locations when viewed from here. With its steep triangular shape and the nearby crater of Minami-dake, which is still active, you can hear the rumbling and explosions that accompany eruptions on some days, allowing you to experience a different side of Sakurajima.
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6
Yunohira Observatory
Climb Sakurajima's highest peak, 373 meters above sea level, and enjoy views of the dramatic volcanic rock walls and the peninsula across Kagoshima Bay.
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7
Astronomical museum
Enjoy lunch in the charming shopping area of Tenmonkan, where you can choose from Wagyu beef, Kurobuta pork, ramen, and more.
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8
Senganen
Established 350 years ago in 1658, this tranquil 12-acre traditional garden features tranquil ponds, babbling brooks, mystical shrines, bamboo forests, and mountain hiking trails offering panoramic views of Kagoshima Bay and the volcano beyond. Visit the home where the Shimazu family has lived and loved for generations. Featuring impeccable Yakusugi cedars carved from trees over 1,000 years old, this charming blend of Japanese, Chinese, and Western influences is a testament to the history of Japan's first feudal domain, striving for modernity, and the exquisite craftsmanship of Kagoshima's crystal-cut glass. Admission not included.
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9
Shoko Shuseikan
The former Shuseikan Machine Factory is a historic museum that opened in 1923. The main building, built in 1865 as the "Shuseikan Machine Factory," which processed metal for ships and other equipment, is the oldest surviving Western-style factory building in Japan. In 2015, it was registered as a World Heritage Site as part of the "Sites of Japan's Meiji Industrial Revolution." It is also known as the "Stone House," which uses welded tuff formed by volcanic eruptions instead of bricks. The museum showcases the history of the Shimazu family and their efforts at modernization. It houses and exhibits approximately 10,000 items, primarily related to the Shimazu family, including Satsuma Kiriko glassware made during the Edo period, the world's oldest daguerreotype photograph (replica) taken by a Japanese person, and machinery from the factory era.
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10
Iso Craft Museum
The Satsuma Kiriko workshop began in 1851, closed in 1877, and reopened 100 years later. A thick layer of colored glass is cut to reveal the clear glass underneath. The gradation between the colored glass and the clear glass underneath is called "Bokashi" and is a distinctive feature of Satsuma Kiriko.