There's not much further south in Japan you can go than Kagoshima. Set on a bay in the shadow of a volcano, the city's setting has earned it comparisons to Italy's Naples, making it the perfect backdrop for your travel photos. Kagoshima's residents are are rumoured to be Japan's friendliest, and hiring a guide will help you engage with locals, who will be pleased to welcome you to their city.

Take a Kagoshima private tour and explore the Japanese city known as 'Naples of the Asian world' with a local guide.

Your first stop should be Kagoshima harbour, for views of Sakurajima, the 1100-metre volcano across the water. Your guide can give you a run-down of the famous 1914 eruption, when lava flowed for a month, filling in parts of the bay and creating a land bridge.

Tour the grounds of a 350-year-old home and garden at Sengan-en Shoko Shuseikan, then head to Chiran to visit restored samurai houses, stopping at a shouchu brewery to taste the distilled spirit

Kagoshima

Experience World Cultural Heritage Site and Japanese Samurai Garden

In Kagoshima, there are two World Natural Heritage Sites (Yakshima Island, Amami – Okinawa) and one World Cultural Heritage Site. Sengan-en area is recognized as World Cultural Heritage Site, Sites of Japan’s Meiji Industrial Revolution: Iron and Steel, Shipbuilding and Coal Mining in 2015. Kagoshima is one of the 8 prefectures and 23 components. 
Kagoshima is the birth place of modernization in Japan and it has different face of industrialization compared to other places. 
Sengan-en is the Japanese garden which was organized and inherited by Shimazu family for over 500 years.
You will enjoy to see componence of modernization of Japan and traditional samurai garden and residence.

Walking through modern industrialization sites and traditional Japanese Garden

In this tour, you can enjoy both old and new aspects of culture in Kagoshima.

First you go to pottery of very traditional ware "Satsuma Pottery". You can enjoy viewing a climbing kiln, workman spirits and beautiful works in a tranquil atmosphere of Japanese garden.
After enjoying beauty of art crafts, you have lunch of local produce at a restaurant in the pottery village.
Then you go to a whiskey distillery. At a factory, you can observe how the genuine Japan whisky is produced there and have a chance to taste it!

Satsuma pottery and genuine Japan whisky in Kagoshima

Tour of Kagoshima of old and new culture

Volcano Island Sakurajima & Sea Kayaking Adventure

Sakurajima is the symbol of Kagoshima Prefecture. It is an active volcano that is still erupting. About 3, 000 people are living at the foot of the volcano. Is it possible to live on an active volcano? What does it like? I will tell you on the site.

On this tour, you can see the history of Sakurajima's eruption and experience nature by going and looking around the majestic Sakurajima from the surface of Kinko-bay. Sakurajima is an important place and a power spot for the people of Kagoshima.

When I was living away from Kagoshima, I also used to look at pictures of Sakurajima when I needed energy.
I hope you can experience Sakurajima with your whole body and soul and feel its power!!

I am looking forward to guiding you around Sakurajima!!

Feel the power of nature through your body and soul!

Kagoshima-Ibusuki Natural Sand Steam Bath tour

First, we take a JR(Japan Raiway) scenic train "IBUSUKI NO TAMATEBAKO*" at Kagoshima Chuo Station to go to Ibusuki city, southern part of Kagoshima prefecture. The train is well known as a scenic train featuring a Japanese folk story.
First destination is a facility of Natural Sand Steam Bath. You are literally buried in a warm sand! It must be comfortable and I'm sure it could become an unforgettable experience for you.
Then go to a local Ramen shop. You can enjoy a special local ramen with dried bonito which is rich in Umami taste! There are some famous local Ramen shops there including the champion in a Kagoshima Ramen competition in few years ago.
Then go back to Kagoshima city by a train.

*If you are going to join this tour as a cruise excursion, the train you are taking is a local train instead of IBUSUKI NO TAMATEBAKO.
And also tour starting time varies according to the arrival time of your cruise ship.

Hot spring foot bath in front of Ibusuki Station

Remarkable experience in Natural Sand Steam Bath and tasty local Ramen

First, we go to Senganen Japanese garden. There are a museum, a residence of local leaders built in the 19th century and its garden created in the 17th century. We can enjoy the view of the garden and history of Kagoshima there. At a restaurant in the garden, we can enjoy local cuisine for lunch. Most of its ingredients are locally produced.

After visiting Senganen, we go to Mt. Sakurajima, an active volcano. We can feel the massive energy of the earth and observe how the local people live with the volcano.

Senganen Japanese Garden ( inside of the house)

Senganen Japanese garden and an active volcano Mt. Sakurajima

Kagoshima highlight tour

This tour is good for first time visitor to Kagoshima. Also it is good for tourists want to experience something outside of city. You will experience natural hot spring outside sand-bath in Ibusuki and visit former samurai residence complex in Chiran. Also, in Chiran, you can visit Peace Museum. If you want to try local lunch, you can try to have it too.

Outside sand-bath and Samurai residence complex

Kagoshima highlights No.2

Ibusuki & Chiran highlights tour in Kagoshima

Using a chartered taxi, we go to Ibusuki city first. That is about one hour drive to south from Kagoshima city. At Natural Sand Bath, you are literally buried in a sand and enjoy hot steam bath while lying on the sand. It must be an unforgettable experience. Before going to the next destination, you have lunch at a local noodle restaurant. The broth of the noodle uses very famous and traditional delicacy of dried bonito. You can enjoy Umami taste with it. Then next destination is Chiran Samurai Residences and gardens in Chiran town, one hour drive from Ibusuki city. Those gardens are nearly 270 years old and open to public now. You can imagine how then samurais lived there. At the end of the tour, we back to anywhere you want in Kagoshima city.

Ibusuki Natural Sand Bath and Chiran Samurai Residences

If you are interested in local distilled spirit, please try this one. Kagoshima is famous for Shochu, which is the distilled spirit from mainly sweet potato. Since the production process of Shochu and whisky is almost same, Shochu factory in Kagoshima also produce good quality Japan whisky. Later, we will visit samurai residence complex in Chiran. You will travel down to South part of Kagoshima.

Experience Japan whisky and Samurai residence complex

Kagoshima Local Distilled Spirit and Samurai residence

Chiran highlights Full Day tour from Kagoshima

Using local bus, you go to Chira town. That is about one hour drive to south from Kagoshima city. The first destination is Chiran Samurai Residences and gardens. Those gardens are nearly 270 years old and open to public now. You can imagine how then samurais lived there. Before going to the next destination, you have lunch at a local restaurant there. Then you go to Chiran Peace Museum featuring young pilots of Kamikaze Operation in WWⅡ. The museum brings a message that how awful war is and how important the world Peace is. The last place to visit is a local green tea producer. Let's make your own green tea! We are coming back to Kagoshima city using a local bus again.

Chiran Samurai Residences, Chiran Peace Museum and making own green tea experience

This tour is good for first time visitor to Kagoshima. In this tour, you will visit two major icons of Kagoshima. First, you will feel the natural power of active volcano Sakurajima. Approx. 3,700 people are still living on Sakurajima. Also, you will visit former Kagoshima Lord’s residence with Japanese samurai garden. Sengan-en area is part of the complex of Japan’s industrialization that is registered as World Cultural Heritage Site. 

Active volcano Sakurajima &amp; Sengan-en Japanese garden

Kagoshima highlights No.1

This tour is good for first time visitor to Kagoshima and have limited time to travel around. In this tour, you will visit active volcano Sakurajima You will feel the natural power of active volcano Sakurajima. Approx. 3,700 people are still living on Sakurajima. We will stop by visitor center to learn about history of Sakurajima, observatory place, and local pottery. If time allows, we also can go to outside foot bath.

Feel the nature of active volcano

Explore active volcano Sakurajima

First, you go to Ibusuki city, 1 hour drive to south of Kagoshima city, to enjoy Natural Sand Bath. You are literally buried in a sand to enjoy natural steam bath. It must be an unforgettable memory for you. Then, you have a lunch of Somen-Nagashi floating noodle, which is very local way to enjoy fine noodle and you can experience only in Kagoshima. Next destination is Kamafuta Shrine. The Shrine is standing at seashore and people try their luck in a very unique way there. The last place to visit is Distillery of genuine Japanese Whisky. You can have a tour in the factory and at the end of the tour, we go to a Japanese traditional house with long history and try the taste its whisky(there are additional costs for tasting). Then back to Kagoshima city.

Experience Natural Sand Bath, Somen-Nagashi floating noodle, Kamafuta Shrine, Distillery of genuine Japanese Whisky

Kagoshima Local Experience Tour

We meet at your hotel or a bus/tram station near your hotel.
Then take a sightseeing bus and go to Museum of Meiji Restoration or "ishinfurusatokan ",
where we can learn what Saigo Takamori did and how he was like with exhibition and movie.
We take the bus again, watch a statue of Saigo from a bus window, and drop by Saigo's cemeteries. Then, go to Senganen Garden. There are a museum, a house and its garden. We can learn unique history of Kagoshima and enjoy magnificent view of garden and Mt. Sakurajima from there, and feel then people's life in feudal era.
Taking a bus again, we back to your hotel or anywhere you want to stop.

In front of Museum of the Meiji Restoration

Going Museum of Meiji Restoration and Senganen Garden

Meiji Restoration Tour in Kagoshima

First, we go to Mt. Sakurajima, an active volcano, by a ferry. You can feel the massive energy of the earth and observe how the local people live with the volcano. In addition, you make ash art using colored volcanic ash.

Experience an active volcano Mt. Sakurajima

Kagoshima Mt.Sakurajima tour

First, we go to Senganen Japanese garden. There are a museum, a residence of local leaders built in the 19th century and its garden created in the 17th century. We can enjoy the view of the garden and Mt. Sakurajima from the garden, and history of Kagoshima. Also you can get to know how local leaders spent their time there.

After visiting Senganen, we explore Tenmonkan downtown area for one hour and see traditional or local shops there.

Then, we go to local Izakaya (Japanese style bar restaurant). Tasting local cuisine in Izakaya restaurant, you can enjoy talking with friendly stuffs of the izakaya and local people.

Senganen Japanese Garden (inside of the house)

Chiran tours

Explore with 15 tours and 2 guides.

Yumi T.

$ 283 (USD)

Mikiko H.

$ 318 (USD)

Yumi T.

$ 233 (USD)

Mikiko H.

$ 353 (USD)

Mikiko H.

$ 389 (USD)

Yumi T.

$ 466 (USD)

Mikiko H.

$ 353 (USD)

Yumi T.

$ 445 (USD)

Mikiko H.

$ 389 (USD)

Yumi T.

$ 381 (USD)

Yumi T.

$ 297 (USD)

Mikiko H.

$ 389 (USD)

Mikiko H.

$ 283 (USD)

Mikiko H.

$ 247 (USD)

Mikiko H.

$ 283 (USD)

Meet your local guides in Chiran

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