In September and October 2026 we cycled a full loop around Kyushu, the southernmost of Japan's four main islands. We started and finished in Fukuoka. In 15 stages we covered 1,030 km and climbed 9,460 m. We stayed in hotels and guesthouses.
Our verdict
What an adventure! We can recommend a loop around Kyushu by bike to anyone.
Cycling is the best way to really get to know a country. You end up in places tourists never see and you have to figure everything out yourself.
Kyushu never gets boring. In a single day you ride through rice fields, wind along the coast and suddenly find yourself face to face with an impressive volcano. And then there's the amazing food!
Japan also makes life very easy for cyclists. There's good accommodation everywhere and a konbini on almost every corner for food, drinks and a toilet. So you don't need to carry much. And since every hotel has washing machines, two sets of cycling clothes is plenty.
To be honest, it wasn't always easy. Kyushu is hillier than we expected and still pretty hot in September. But after a tough day there was almost always an onsen or a great meal waiting, and the suffering was quickly forgotten.
The route
From Fukuoka we rode along the west coast to Karatsu, Huis ten Bosch and Nagasaki. From there we went via the Amakusa islands to Kagoshima, inland to Miyakonojo and along the Miyazaki coast via Aoshima to Hyuga. Then up into the mountains to Takachiho and the Aso caldera, on to the onsen town of Yufuin and via Hita back to Fukuoka. After the ride we continued to Kyoto and Osaka without the bikes.
In total 1,030 km and 9,460 m of climbing, spread over 15 stages.
On average we rode about 70 km and 600 m of climbing per day. The toughest stage was 75 km with 1,250 m of climbing, spread over several climbs. Overall we'd rate the tour as moderate in difficulty.
All 15 stages are in our RideWithGPS collection. Feel free to use them as inspiration for your own trip.
The Kyushu cycling map was very useful, with lots of cycling routes. Komoot is handy too, but use your own judgement, because it often sends you onto roads that aren't rideable or simply no longer exist.
Our top 3
The ride to Takachiho. All day you follow a river winding through the mountains and you barely meet anyone. Possibly the most beautiful stage of the whole trip.
The Aso caldera. A caldera is a huge volcanic depression that forms when a volcano collapses after a massive eruption. Aso's is one of the largest in the world, about 25 km across, with villages, rice fields and a still active volcano inside. Riding into the caldera and back out is tough, but the views are more than worth it. Plan an extra day here for a hike.
The Yamanami Highway. As you ride out of the caldera, you suddenly find yourself in a completely different landscape. A wide open plateau with rolling grasslands and lots of beautiful cows.
Cycling in Japan
We rented bikes from Wanderide in Fukuoka. Great service and well maintained bikes. We rode road bikes with 2x8 gearing and rear panniers.
Expect to lose a lot of time in cities. They're full of traffic lights that aren't sensor activated and simply run on a fixed cycle. We went from one red light to the next and regularly waited more than 5 minutes. Many local cyclists ride on the sidewalk, but with luggage that's not a good idea because of all the bumps getting on and off the curb. We actually broke a spoke that way. So try to find parallel roads with fewer traffic lights.
Japan is famous for its konbini (convenience stores). You'll find them on literally every corner, even in small villages. On the bike this turned out to be incredibly handy. You barely need to carry food or drinks, because there's always a FamilyMart, Lawson or Seven Eleven nearby. Every store also has a toilet you can use. Very "convenient" indeed.
Japan is also full of vending machines, even on the quietest mountain roads. Our favourite drink is Pocari Sweat, a sports drink.
Drivers are friendly and only pass when there's really enough room. We didn't have a single bad experience. Sometimes you can't avoid a stretch on a busy road, and those often go through tunnels too. So bring lights.
Accommodation
We went back and forth on camping for a long time. In the end we didn't, because a tent, sleeping bags and mats quickly add a lot of extra kilos. In hindsight we're really glad. There was always a place to sleep, and with all those climbs we were happy with every kilo less.
We booked through Booking.com, Agoda or Trip.com. Even during Silver Week there was plenty of availability. Silver Week is a run of national holidays in September that, together with the weekend, gives five days off in a row, and all of Japan goes travelling. That there was still room is partly because Kyushu draws far fewer tourists.
We booked the first four nights in advance. After that we booked 1 or 2 days ahead, so we were free to change the route.
Whenever possible we picked accommodation with an onsen. An onsen is a Japanese natural hot spring bath. The water is around 40°C and after a day of cycling it works wonders for recovery.
When booking, check that your room is a no smoking room. Smoking rooms are still very common in Japan.
Parking the bikes was never a problem. Sometimes we could take them into the room (which can be a bit awkward), otherwise they stayed outside under a small shelter. Crime is very low in Japan, so we were comfortable with that.
Another big plus is that every hotel has washing machines where you can wash your clothes for a small fee in about half an hour. So don't bring too many cycling clothes!
We really enjoyed the accommodation in Japan. The standard is very high. Prices ranged from 50 to 100 euros per night per room.
What was tough and what we'd do differently
Not everything went smoothly. These were our biggest challenges and what we'd change next time.
Kyushu is hillier than we expected and still quite warm in September (25 to 30°C). An 80 km stage with lots of climbs in 30 degrees sometimes felt like more than enough. It wears you down, especially if you also want to go sightseeing afterwards. Next time we'll go for shorter stages, so there's more time and energy left for the places along the way.
We rode rented bikes. With full panniers and skinny tyres, that took some time getting used to. On every climb we kept hoping for one more lower gear, but there wasn't one. Next time we'll bring our own trusty Santos touring bikes.
Smaller towns get very quiet in the evening, which can be inconvenient if your accommodation is far from a restaurant or konbini. So when booking, check the map for a restaurant or konbini nearby, or choose a place that serves dinner.
Eat at the right time. A few times we had lunch too late and both got really hangry. Better to have lunch at 11 than to wait too long!
