Four nights: stay in the south or spend more time at the northern gorge?
For more time at Udo and Obi, travel the southern coast with one Aoshima night, two Nichinan nights and one Miyazaki city night. To spend two nights near Takachiho Gorge and see the coast too, choose the itinerary with a city night before and after Takachiho. The return day from the north requires another journey to Aoshima, so check before your trip whether you can finish sightseeing by sunset. If time is tight, plan the coastal visit for day 1 instead. Both itineraries require rental cars, with rental, fuel and parking costs budgeted separately.
Choose a 4 nights, 5 days itinerary
Stay along the coast and explore Obi on a separate day
This rental-car trip splits four nights between Aoshima for one night, Nichinan for two and Miyazaki city for one. Visit Udo and Obi on separate days, then stop for coastal views at Horikiri Pass on the drive north. Leave the final day for the city museum and returning your car.
Stay along the coast and explore Obi on a separate day →4 nights, 5 days BAoshima’s coast and Takachiho’s gorge
This rental-car trip spends one night in Miyazaki city, two in Takachiho and one more in the city. Allow a day each for a gorge walk and boating, and visit Aoshima on the return day only if time permits. Before setting out, check whether the long drive, breaks, worship and return to the car park will all fit before sunset. If they will not, plan to visit Aoshima on day 1 instead.
Aoshima’s coast and Takachiho’s gorge →Stay along the coast and explore Obi on a separate day
This rental-car trip splits four nights between Aoshima for one night, Nichinan for two and Miyazaki city for one. Visit Udo and Obi on separate days, then stop for coastal views at Horikiri Pass on the drive north. Leave the final day for the city museum and returning your car.
Day 1
After reaching your Aoshima hotel, walk around the shrine and island and spend your first night by the sea.
- Car rental point → Aoshima hotel
Drive from the rental location to your Aoshima hotel, park and head to the coast.
Aoshima Shrine operatorCar-rental time bands, rates and inclusionsCar-collection procedure
- Aoshima hotel → Shrine and return to the same hotel
Cross the coastal bridge to visit Aoshima Shrine and the island, then return to the same hotel for a meal. Check the walk from your booked hotel address to the coast; the walking time from the station does not apply to the hotel.
Aoshima Shrine operatorCar-rental time bands, rates and inclusions
Four nights do not automatically equal a 96-hour rental. Fuel and parking at each hotel cost extra.
Day 2
- Aoshima hotel → Udo visitor car park
Leave your Aoshima hotel and drive to Udo Shrine’s visitor car park. Follow the latest official access instructions for the road restrictions affecting car parks 1 and 2.
- Udo visitor car park → Main sanctuary and back to the car
Follow the access guidance for the roughly 20-minute walk from the visitor car park to the main sanctuary. Descend the steps to worship at the cave sanctuary, then return to the same car park. Those 20 minutes exclude worship and the return walk.
- Main sanctuary and back to the car → Nichinan hotel
Continue to your hotel in the Obi/Nichinan area, walk nearby and have dinner. Obi Castle visitor car park is an option for the following day’s town visit and is free for ordinary passenger cars.
Official restriction noticeUdo access and openingStation and vehicle accessHistory MuseumPreservation association fees and parkingUdo tourism access information
General worship at Udo is free; confirm the visitor car park’s charges with the facility. Budget that day’s fuel and confirm parking charges at your Nichinan hotel separately.
Day 3
- Nichinan hotel → Obi visitor car park
Travel from your Nichinan hotel to Obi Castle Town and check the official parking guidance.
Station and vehicle accessHistory MuseumPreservation association fees and parking
- Obi visitor car park → Castle town and optional attractions
Park at Obi Castle visitor car park and walk the lanes around the castle. For indoor attractions such as the History Museum or Komura Jutaro Memorial Hall, compare the ¥300 single ticket and ¥800 combined ticket. Confirm which facilities are included and open that day at the ticket desk. Visiting Obi and Udo on separate days leaves time for Obi’s streets and exhibitions.
Station and vehicle accessHistory MuseumPreservation association fees and parking
- Castle town and optional attractions → Same Nichinan hotel
After walking, any indoor visits and a meal, return to Obi Castle visitor car park and collect your car. Drive back to the same Nichinan hotel using its booked address. Hotel parking and fuel for the return drive cost extra.
Station and vehicle accessPreservation association fees and parking
Obi Castle visitor car park is free for ordinary passenger cars. Outdoor walks need no admission ticket; optional indoor visits cost ¥300 for a single adult ticket or ¥800 for a combined ticket. Fuel to and from your hotel and hotel parking cost extra.
Day 4
- Nichinan hotel → Horikiri car park
Leave your Nichinan hotel and drive north towards Miyazaki, stopping at Horikiri Pass.
- Horikiri car park → Coastal views and return to the car park
Check the official free-parking guidance, walk around the open coastal viewing area and return to the same car park. Walking time from the car park to the viewpoint has not been confirmed. Skip the stop if access is restricted or the weather is poor.
- Coastal views and return to the car park → Miyazaki city hotel
Collect your car and drive to your booked Miyazaki city hotel. Check where to park and spend your final night in the city.
On day 4, leave time for breaks between the Horikiri viewpoint and the drive from Nichinan back to the city.
Horikiri parking is free; fuel for the Nichinan–Miyazaki drive and parking at your final city hotel cost extra.
Day 5
- Miyazaki city hotel → Prefectural museum car park
Leave your city hotel and drive to Miyazaki Prefectural Museum of Nature and History.
Prefectural museum permanent exhibition feesPrefectural museum opening calendarPrefectural museum public-transport informationPrefectural museum vehicle access and parking information
- Prefectural museum car park → Museum permanent exhibits
Follow the vehicle-access guidance through the west gate to car park 1 in front of the main building, then walk to the museum. Visit the permanent exhibitions after the 09:00 opening. The walking time from the car park and parking charge have not been confirmed.
Prefectural museum vehicle access and parking informationPrefectural museum permanent exhibition feesPrefectural museum opening calendar
- Museum permanent exhibits → Refuel and return the car
After your visit, return to the same car park and collect your car. Refuel, drive to your contracted return branch and complete the staff’s vehicle inspection and payment procedures.
Car-return procedureCar return and fuel settlementPrefectural museum vehicle access and parking information
- Car-return branch → Train or flight departure point
Allow additional travel time from the return branch to your actual departure point. If the museum is closed on your last day, check whether you can reach it before last admission after returning to the city on day 4, and move the visit only if that works. Otherwise, omit the museum on the final day and leave time for returning the car and departure.
To move a museum visit to day 4 because of a closure, confirm you can actually arrive before last admission at 16:30 and closing at 17:00. Make the change only if the coastal stop still leaves enough time.
Permanent exhibition admission is free; ask the operator about museum parking charges. Budget fuel for driving to the return branch and check the contract’s refuelling or fuel-settlement terms. Transport from the branch to your booked train or flight costs extra.
Included items: General worship at Aoshima and Udo and permanent museum exhibitions are free. Ordinary-car parking at Obi and parking at Horikiri are also free.
Extra costs and conditions: Budget car rental from collection on day 1 to return on day 5, fuel, hotel parking and parking at Aoshima, Udo and the museum. Optional Obi indoor admission at ¥300 for a single ticket or ¥800 for the combined ticket, accommodation, meals and departure transport cost extra. Add tolls if you use toll roads.
Get an official car-rental quote using collection and return dates and times, vehicle type, cover and extras. Add fuel and parking charges apart from places specifically listed as free. For indoor visits in Obi, add ¥300 for a single adult ticket or ¥800 for a combined ticket. Without a car, consider the 3-night/4-day itinerary A, staying near Miyazaki Station and making separate JR return trips to Aoshima and Obi. Its nights and stops differ, and it does not include Udo. To add Udo, separately check outward and return buses and the walk from the stop to the main sanctuary under the access restrictions. Add tolls if you use toll roads.
Aoshima Shrine official visitor informationUdo worship fees and visitor informationPrefectural museum permanent exhibition feesCar-rental time bands, rates and inclusionsCar return and fuel settlementStation and vehicle accessPreservation association fees and parkingHorikiri Pass official visitor information
Aoshima’s coast and Takachiho’s gorge
This rental-car trip spends one night in Miyazaki city, two in Takachiho and one more in the city. Allow a day each for a gorge walk and boating, and visit Aoshima on the return day only if time permits. Before setting out, check whether the long drive, breaks, worship and return to the car park will all fit before sunset. If they will not, plan to visit Aoshima on day 1 instead.
Day 1
Collect your car and visit the city shrine, then stay in Miyazaki city before the drive to Takachiho the next day.
- Car rental point → Shrine car park
Drive from your rental location in Miyazaki to the shrine and check the official parking location.
Miyazaki Shrine official visitor informationCar-rental time bands, rates and inclusionsCar-collection procedure
- Shrine car park → Worship and city hotel
After visiting the grounds, return to your car and drive to your city hotel for dinner and the night. Advance boat bookings for day 3 close at 09:00 two days before the ride, so check availability before your trip. Follow your visit date’s conditions for same-day tickets, reservation-only operation, sell-outs and suspensions.
Takachiho boat calendar and booking rulesCar-rental time bands, rates and inclusionsMiyazaki Shrine official visitor information
Four nights do not automatically equal a 96-hour rental. Fuel and parking at each hotel cost extra.
Day 2
- Miyazaki city hotel → Takachiho hotel
Leave your city hotel and drive to Takachiho. Add breaks and congestion to the official reference driving time of about 2 hours 15 minutes.
- Takachiho hotel → Gorge car park and open walking routes
After reaching Takachiho, drive to the gorge car parks. Park where the attendants direct you, then walk from that car park to an open route to see the gorge. The boat reception and walking-route entrance may be in different places, so check the route from your car park to the open path.
Takachiho Gorge official visitor informationTakachiho boat calendar and booking rules
- Gorge car park and open walking routes → Same Takachiho hotel
After sightseeing, return to the car park you used and drive back to the same hotel. Shorten the visit or return to your hotel if paths are restricted or the weather deteriorates.
Takachiho Gorge official visitor informationTakachiho boat calendar and booking rules
Gorge parking costs ¥1,000 each at car parks 1 and 2, ¥800 at car park 3 or ¥500 at car park 4. Confirm whether the free car park 5 is available on your travel date. That day’s fuel and parking at your Takachiho hotel cost extra. A free rate alone does not make a car park an available alternative; check whether it is open for your date.
Day 3
- Takachiho hotel → Gorge car park
Drive from your Takachiho hotel to the gorge. There is no dedicated or reservable boat parking, and a boat reservation does not guarantee a space in Oshioi car park 1.
- Gorge car park → Boat reception in car park 1
Park as directed by the attendants and walk to reception inside car park 1. Official guidance gives walks to the boats of about 700 m from car park 2, taking 15 minutes, 1 km from car park 3, taking 20 minutes, and 1.5 km from car park 4, taking 25 minutes.
- Boat reception in car park 1 → Boat ride and open walking routes
Allow time before your reservation for parking queues, walking, reception and reaching the boarding area, then explore the gorge on a 30-minute boat ride. Those 30 minutes do not cover the whole visit from parking to returning to your car. If high water or maintenance suspends boats, check which paths remain open and plan your visit around them.
- Boat boarding area and walking routes → Your car park and Takachiho hotel
After boating and sightseeing, walk back to the car park you used. Allow time for the uphill walk and breaks, then drive to the same Takachiho hotel for a meal.
Online boat reservations open at 09:00 fourteen days before the ride and close at 09:00 two days before it. Check the official calendar for your date’s price, reservation or same-day ticket conditions and maintenance closures. Thirty minutes is the rental period for one boat; parking, walking, reception and the return journey take additional time. Add the actual parking fee: ¥1,000 each for car parks 1 and 2, ¥800 for car park 3 or ¥500 for car park 4. Check whether car park 5 is open that day.
Day 4
Return from Takachiho to Miyazaki city today. Visit Aoshima only if the long drive and breaks still leave time to leave the island before sunset.
- Takachiho hotel → Miyazaki city and Aoshima coastal car park
Leave your Takachiho hotel and drive towards Miyazaki. Check your actual route, breaks and traffic, and allow separately for reaching your city hotel and the Aoshima visitor car park. If you cannot finish worship and return to the car park before sunset, omit Aoshima and use the day for returning to the city and resting. Decide before your trip if you will visit Aoshima on day 1 instead. The official 2-hour-15-minute reference for the northbound drive does not establish the time for this return journey.
Takachiho Gorge official visitor informationAoshima Shrine official visitor information
- Aoshima coast → Aoshima island
Walk across Yayoi Bridge from the coast to Aoshima island. Check the walking route from your car park to the shrine; the roughly 10-minute/800 m walk from the station does not apply.
- Aoshima island → Aoshima Shrine
Worship in the shrine grounds. General worship is free, with visiting hours listed as 06:00 to sunset. Leave enough time to get off the island before sunset.
Aoshima Shrine official visitor informationMiyazaki Shrine official visitor informationTakachiho Gorge official visitor information
- Aoshima Shrine → Car park and city hotel
Leave the shrine before sunset, cross Yayoi Bridge and return to the coastal car park you used. Collect your car and drive to your Miyazaki city hotel. The shrine has no car park of its own; use a local visitor car park or a parking location confirmed by your hotel, and check its fee and walking route separately.
When driving to the shrine, check where to park that day, the fee and the walk to the coastal bridge. Leave time to rest after the long drive.
About 2 hours 15 minutes is the official reference for driving from Miyazaki city to Takachiho. Check the return drive separately using the actual route and traffic. If you decide before your trip that Aoshima will not fit on the return day, visit it instead of the shrine on day 1 and adjust the return-day shrine visit to its seasonal gate-closing time. If the drive runs late, omit sightseeing and return to your city hotel. Confirm your hotel address and car-return location before finalising this change.
Fuel for the long return drive and Aoshima visit, plus parking at your city hotel and Aoshima, costs extra. If you swap to the shrine that day, its general parking is listed as free; that does not make Aoshima parking free.
Day 5
- Miyazaki city hotel → Prefectural museum car park
Leave your city hotel and drive to Miyazaki Prefectural Museum of Nature and History. Follow the vehicle-access guidance via Yanosaki junction and the west gate. Car park 1 is inside the gate, in front of the main building.
Prefectural museum permanent exhibition feesPrefectural museum opening calendarPrefectural museum public-transport informationPrefectural museum vehicle access and parking information
- Prefectural museum car park → Permanent exhibitions and car return
Park at the official location and visit the permanent natural-history, history and folklore exhibitions, then use the same car to refuel and reach your contracted return branch.
Prefectural museum permanent exhibition feesPrefectural museum opening calendarPrefectural museum public-transport informationPrefectural museum vehicle access and parking information
- Car-return branch → Departure point
Allow time to reach your booked train or flight as well. If the museum will be closed, check before your trip whether it can fit on day 1. If you also need to move Aoshima to day 1, compare last admission, sunset and car-collection times to choose your stops. If the timing does not work, omit sightseeing on the last day and leave time for car return and departure.
Prefectural museum permanent exhibition feesPrefectural museum opening calendarPrefectural museum public-transport informationPrefectural museum vehicle access and parking informationCar return and fuel settlementCar-return procedure
Permanent exhibition admission is free; ask the operator about museum parking charges. Budget fuel up to car return and check the contract’s refuelling or fuel-settlement terms. Transport from the return branch to your booked train or flight costs extra.
Included items: General worship at Miyazaki Shrine and Aoshima and permanent museum exhibitions are free. General parking at Miyazaki Shrine is also free.
Extra costs and conditions: Budget five days of car rental, fuel and parking, plus one boat on day 3. Accommodation, meals and departure transport cost extra. Add tolls if you use toll roads.
For day 3, add the price for one boat for 30 minutes on your visit date and the parking fee. Boat prices vary by date, so check the actual amount in the official booking calendar. Add the parking fee you incur: ¥1,000 each at gorge car parks 1 and 2, ¥800 at car park 3 or ¥500 at car park 4. Car and boat charges are per vehicle and per boat; keep them separate from admission for one adult. Get an official car-rental quote using collection and return dates and times, vehicle type, cover and extras, then also add fuel and parking at your hotels, Aoshima and the museum. Without a car, consider the 3-night/4-day itinerary A for JR visits to the city and southern coast. Its nights and stops differ, and it does not include Takachiho. For Takachiho, separately arrange the regular bus via Nobeoka or direct service from Miyazaki, plus travel from the bus centre to the gorge. Add tolls if you use toll roads. Boat overtime costs ¥1,000 per additional 10 minutes. Check the calendar for maintenance closures and confirm whether car park 5 is open on your travel date.
Miyazaki Shrine official visitor informationAoshima Shrine official visitor informationPrefectural museum permanent exhibition feesTakachiho boat calendar and booking rulesCar-rental time bands, rates and inclusionsCar return and fuel settlement
Frequently asked questions
Can a three-day Southern Kyushu Pass cover a four-night/five-day trip?
The Southern Kyushu Pass lasts three consecutive days, so it cannot cover all five days. The All Kyushu Pass has three-, five- and seven-day versions, but neither pass covers rental cars, fuel, parking or boats on the two driving itineraries. If you use JR to visit other cities before or after Miyazaki, compare the pass price with ordinary tickets for the journeys you will actually make within its validity.
JR Kyushu pass coverage, consecutive validity and eligibility
Sources and check dates
- Aoshima Shrine official visitor information ·
- Official restriction notice ·
- Udo worship fees and visitor information ·
- Preservation association fees and parking ·
- Station and vehicle access ·
- Miyazaki Shrine official visitor information ·
- Takachiho Gorge official visitor information ·
- Horikiri Pass official visitor information ·
- Prefectural museum permanent exhibition fees ·
- Prefectural museum opening calendar ·
- Prefectural museum public-transport information ·
- History Museum ·
- Udo access and opening ·
- Takachiho boat calendar and booking rules ·
- Aoshima Shrine operator ·
- Udo tourism access information ·
- Prefectural museum vehicle access and parking information ·
- Car-rental time bands, rates and inclusions ·
- Car return and fuel settlement ·
- Car-collection procedure ·
- Car-return procedure ·
- JR Kyushu pass coverage, consecutive validity and eligibility ·