Four nights: southern stays or more time at the northern gorge?
For unhurried Udo and Obi visits, spend one night in Aoshima, two in Nichinan, and one in Miyazaki city. To spend two nights at Takachiho Gorge and also see the coast, put one city night before and after the Takachiho stay. Returning from the north involves another drive to Aoshima; before departing, check whether you can finish the visit by sunset. If time is short, move the coastal visit to day 1 in advance. Both are rental-car itineraries requiring separate rental, fuel, and parking costs.
Choose an itinerary for 5 days, 4 nights
Stay separately on the coast and in Obi
This rental-car trip spends one night in Aoshima, two in Nichinan, and one in Miyazaki city. Visit Udo and Obi on different days, then stop for coastal views at Horikiri on the journey north. Use the final day for the city museum and car return.
Stay separately on the coast and in Obi →5 days, 4 nights BAoshima and Takachiho: two different landscapes
This rental-car trip spends one night in Miyazaki city, two in Takachiho, and another in the city. Allow one day for the gorge walk and one for boating. Visit Aoshima on the return day only if there is enough time. Before departing, check whether you can finish the long drive, breaks, shrine visit, and return to parking before sunset. If that looks difficult, move Aoshima to day 1 in advance.
Aoshima and Takachiho: two different landscapes →Stay separately on the coast and in Obi
This rental-car trip spends one night in Aoshima, two in Nichinan, and one in Miyazaki city. Visit Udo and Obi on different days, then stop for coastal views at Horikiri on the journey north. Use the final day for the city museum and car return.
Day 1
After reaching your Aoshima hotel, walk to the shrine and around the island, then spend the first night by the sea.
- Car rental office → Aoshima hotel
Drive from the car rental office to your Aoshima hotel, park, then head to the coast.
Aoshima Shrine operatorRental duration prices and inclusionsCar pickup procedure
- Aoshima hotel → Shrine and 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 walking time from your hotel's booked address to the coast; it differs from the station-based estimate.
Aoshima Shrine operatorRental duration prices and inclusions
Four nights do not automatically equal a 96-hour rental charge. Fuel and parking at each hotel are extra.
Day 2
- Aoshima hotel → Udo tourist parking lot
Leave your Aoshima hotel and drive to Udo Shrine's tourist parking lot. Follow the official restrictions on the access roads to parking lots 1 and 2.
Official access-restriction noticeUdo access and opening information
- Udo tourist parking lot → Main sanctuary and return to the car
Follow the listed approximately 20-minute approach from the tourist parking lot to the main sanctuary. Descend the stairs to visit the cave sanctuary, then return to the same lot. Those 20 minutes do not include the shrine visit and return.
Official access-restriction noticeUdo access and opening information
- Main sanctuary and return to the car → Nichinan hotel
Drive to your Obi or Nichinan hotel, walk nearby, and have dinner. You can use Obi Castle Tourist Parking for the following day's town visit; ordinary passenger cars park free.
Official access-restriction noticeUdo access and opening informationStation and driving accessHistory museumPreservation association admission and parkingUdo tourism access guide
Ordinary Udo shrine visits are free; ask the facility about the tourist parking fee separately. Check fuel for this day's drive and parking fees at your Nichinan hotel separately.
Day 3
- Nichinan hotel → Obi tourist parking lot
Travel from your Nichinan hotel to Obi Castle Town and check the official parking directions.
Station and driving accessHistory museumPreservation association admission and parking
- Obi tourist parking lot → Castle Town and optional facilities
Park at Obi Castle Tourist Parking and walk the streets around the castle. For indoor facilities such as the history museum or Komura Jutaro Memorial Hall, compare the ¥300 individual ticket with the ¥800 combined ticket. Ask at the counter which facilities are included and open that day. With Udo on a separate day, spend time on Obi's streets and exhibits.
Station and driving accessHistory museumPreservation association admission and parking
- Castle Town and optional facilities → Same Nichinan hotel
After walking, optional exhibits, and a meal, return to Obi Castle Tourist Parking and collect the car. Drive back to the same Nichinan hotel at your reserved address. Hotel parking and round-trip fuel are extra.
Station and driving accessPreservation association admission and parking
Obi Castle Tourist Parking is free for ordinary passenger cars. Outdoor walks require no ticket; choose separately between ¥300 adult individual admission and the ¥800 combined ticket for indoor visits. Round-trip fuel and hotel parking are extra.
Day 4
- Nichinan hotel → Horikiri parking lot
Leave your Nichinan hotel and stop at Horikiri Pass while driving north toward Miyazaki.
- Horikiri parking lot → Coastal viewpoint and return to the lot
Check the officially listed free parking, walk through the open coastal viewpoint area, and return to the same lot. The walk time from parking to the viewpoint is unconfirmed. Skip the stop if access is restricted or the weather is bad.
- Coastal viewpoint and return to the lot → Miyazaki city hotel
Collect the car and drive to your booked Miyazaki city hotel. Confirm its parking location and spend the final night in the city.
On day 4's return from Nichinan to the city, split the Horikiri viewpoint visit and drive to leave time for breaks.
Horikiri parking is free. Fuel for Nichinan–Miyazaki city and parking at the final city hotel are extra.
Day 5
- Miyazaki city hotel → Prefectural museum parking lot
Leave your city hotel and drive to the prefectural museum.
Prefectural museum permanent-exhibition admissionPrefectural museum opening calendarPrefectural museum public transportationPrefectural museum driving access and parking
- Prefectural museum parking lot → Museum permanent exhibition
Follow the driving directions through the west gate to Parking Lot 1 in front of the main building, park, and walk to the entrance. Visit the permanent exhibition after the 9:00 a.m. opening. The walk time from the lot and parking fee are unconfirmed.
Prefectural museum driving access and parkingPrefectural museum permanent-exhibition admissionPrefectural museum opening calendar
- Museum permanent exhibition → Refuel and return the car
Return to the same parking lot and collect the car. Refuel, drive to the contracted return office, and complete the staff inspection and payment.
Car return procedureCar return and fuel paymentPrefectural museum driving access and parking
- Car return office → Train or flight departure point
Allow separate travel time from the return office to your actual departure point. If the museum closes on the final day, check whether you can reach it before last admission after returning to the city on day 4. Move the visit only if this is possible. Otherwise, omit the final-day museum and use the time for car return and departure.
To move the museum to day 4 because of a closure, recheck whether you can arrive before its 4:30 p.m. last admission and 5:00 p.m. closing. Change dates only if enough time remains after the coastal viewpoint.
The permanent exhibition is free; ask the operator about parking fees separately. Allow fuel for driving to the return office and check refueling or contractual fuel-payment terms. Transportation from the office to your booked train or flight is extra.
Included: Admission: ordinary Aoshima and Udo shrine visits and the museum's permanent exhibition are free; ordinary passenger-car parking at Obi and parking at Horikiri are free
Extra costs and conditions: Required costs: rental from day 1 pickup to day 5 return, fuel, hotel/Aoshima/Udo/museum parking; optional Obi indoor tickets ¥300/¥800, lodging, meals, and departure transportation extra; tolls extra if using toll roads
Get an official rental quote using pickup and return dates and times, vehicle class, coverage, and options. Add fuel and parking fees for places not listed as free. Optional indoor admission in Obi costs ¥300 for an adult individual ticket or ¥800 for the combined ticket. Without a car, consider three-night itinerary A with separate JR round trips to Aoshima and Obi from a Miyazaki Station hotel. It has a different number of nights and stops, and excludes Udo. To add Udo, separately confirm round-trip buses and the walking route from the stop to the main sanctuary after the restrictions. Add tolls if using toll roads.
Official Aoshima Shrine visiting guideUdo admission and visiting guidePrefectural museum permanent-exhibition admissionRental duration prices and inclusionsCar return and fuel paymentStation and driving accessPreservation association admission and parkingOfficial Horikiri Pass visiting guide
Aoshima and Takachiho: two different landscapes
This rental-car trip spends one night in Miyazaki city, two in Takachiho, and another in the city. Allow one day for the gorge walk and one for boating. Visit Aoshima on the return day only if there is enough time. Before departing, check whether you can finish the long drive, breaks, shrine visit, and return to parking before sunset. If that looks difficult, move Aoshima to day 1 in advance.
Day 1
Pick up the car and visit the city shrine, then stay at the city hotel before driving to Takachiho the next day.
- Car rental office → Shrine parking lot
Drive from your rental office in Miyazaki to the shrine and confirm the official parking location.
Official Miyazaki Shrine visiting guideRental duration prices and inclusionsCar pickup procedure
- Shrine parking lot → Shrine visit and city hotel
Visit the grounds, then return to parking and collect the car. Have a meal and spend the night at your city hotel. Advance boat reservations for day 3 close at 9:00 a.m. two days before use, so check availability before departing. Follow your visit date's information for same-day tickets, reservation-only dates, sellouts, and suspensions.
Takachiho boat calendar and reservation rulesRental duration prices and inclusionsOfficial Miyazaki Shrine visiting guide
Four nights do not automatically equal a 96-hour rental charge. Fuel and parking at each hotel are extra.
Day 2
- Miyazaki city hotel → Takachiho hotel
Leave your city hotel and drive to Takachiho. Add breaks and congestion to the official reference time of about 2 hours 15 minutes.
- Takachiho hotel → Gorge parking and open walking section
After reaching Takachiho, drive to the gorge parking area. Park in an available lot assigned by the attendant and walk from there to an open section of the path. Boat reception and the path entrance may be different, so check the route from your lot to the open path.
Official Takachiho Gorge visiting guideTakachiho boat calendar and reservation rules
- Gorge parking and open walking section → Same Takachiho hotel
After the visit, return to the lot you actually used, collect the car, and return to the same hotel. If the path is restricted or the weather is bad, shorten the visit or go back to the hotel.
Official Takachiho Gorge visiting guideTakachiho boat calendar and reservation rules
Gorge parking costs ¥1,000 each at lots 1 and 2, ¥800 at lot 3, and ¥500 at lot 4. Check whether the free lot 5 is usable on your date. This day's fuel and Takachiho hotel parking are extra. A listed free price alone does not establish an available alternative; recheck its opening status for your date.
Day 3
- Takachiho hotel → Gorge parking lot
Travel from your Takachiho hotel to the gorge. There is no dedicated or reservable boat parking, and a boat booking does not guarantee access to Parking Lot 1, Oshioi.
- Gorge parking lot → Boat reception in Parking Lot 1
Follow the attendant's directions to park, then walk to reception inside Parking Lot 1. Official estimates to the boats are about 15 minutes/700 m from lot 2, 20 minutes/1 km from lot 3, and 25 minutes/1.5 km from lot 4.
- Boat reception in Parking Lot 1 → Boat and open walking section
Before your reserved time, allow for parking queues, walking, reception, and reaching the boarding area. Explore the gorge on a 30-minute boat ride. Those 30 minutes do not cover the full visit from parking to returning to the car. If high water or maintenance suspends boating, check which walking sections are open before deciding what to visit.
- Boat boarding area and walking section → Parking lot used and Takachiho hotel
After boating and sightseeing, return to the parking lot you used and collect the car. Allow for the uphill walk and breaks, then return to the same Takachiho hotel for a meal.
Online boat reservations open at 9:00 a.m. 14 days before use and close at 9:00 a.m. two days before. Check the official calendar for date-specific prices, advance or same-day ticket terms, and maintenance closures. Thirty minutes is the use time for one boat; parking, walking, reception, and the return are separate. Add the fee for the lot used: ¥1,000 each at lots 1 and 2, ¥800 at lot 3, or ¥500 at lot 4. Check whether lot 5 is open that day.
Day 4
Return from Takachiho to Miyazaki city. Visit Aoshima only if you can still leave the island before sunset after the long drive and breaks.
- Takachiho hotel → Miyazaki city and Aoshima coastal parking
Leave your Takachiho hotel and drive toward Miyazaki. Check the actual route, breaks, and congestion, allowing separately for travel to your city hotel and Aoshima tourist parking. If there is not enough time to finish the shrine visit and return to the car before sunset, omit Aoshima and use the day for returning to the city and resting. Decide before the trip if you need to move Aoshima to day 1. Do not treat the official northbound 2-hour-15-minute estimate as a confirmed time for this return route.
Official Takachiho Gorge visiting guideOfficial Aoshima Shrine visiting guide
- Aoshima coast → Aoshima Island
Walk across Yayoi Bridge from the coast to Aoshima Island. Check the route from your parking lot to the shrine; it differs from the approximately 10-minute/800 m walk from the station.
- Aoshima Island → Aoshima Shrine
Visit the shrine grounds. Ordinary visits are free, with listed hours from 6:00 a.m. to sunset. Leave enough time to get off the island before dusk.
Official Aoshima Shrine visiting guideOfficial Miyazaki Shrine visiting guideOfficial Takachiho Gorge visiting guide
- Aoshima Shrine → Parking lot and city hotel
Leave the shrine before sunset, cross Yayoi Bridge, and return to the coastal parking lot you used. Collect the car and return to your Miyazaki city hotel. The shrine has no parking lot of its own; use a local tourist lot or a parking location confirmed by your hotel, checking its fee and walking route separately.
When driving to the shrine, confirm the parking location and fee for your date and the walk from parking to the coastal bridge. Leave time to rest after the long drive.
The official approximately 2-hour-15-minute estimate is for Miyazaki city to Takachiho. Check the return-day drive separately using the actual route and traffic. If you determine before departing that Aoshima will not fit on the return day, visit it instead of the shrine on day 1, then adjust the return-day shrine visit to its seasonal closing time. If driving takes longer than expected that day, omit sightseeing and return to the city hotel. Confirm the return office and hotel addresses before finalizing this change.
Fuel for the long return drive and Aoshima round trip, city hotel parking, and Aoshima parking are extra. If swapping to a shrine visit, the listed free ordinary shrine parking applies there; it does not establish free Aoshima parking.
Day 5
- Miyazaki city hotel → Prefectural museum parking lot
Leave your city hotel and drive to the prefectural museum. Follow the driving directions via the Yanosaki intersection and west gate. Parking Lot 1 is in front of the main building beyond the west gate.
Prefectural museum permanent-exhibition admissionPrefectural museum opening calendarPrefectural museum public transportationPrefectural museum driving access and parking
- Prefectural museum parking lot → Permanent exhibition and car return
From the official parking area, visit the natural history, history, and folk-culture permanent exhibits, then refuel and drive the same car to your contracted return office.
Prefectural museum permanent-exhibition admissionPrefectural museum opening calendarPrefectural museum public transportationPrefectural museum driving access and parking
- Car return office → Departure point
Allow time to reach your booked train or flight departure point. If the museum is closed, check before departing whether you can move the visit to day 1. If you also need to move Aoshima to day 1, choose your stops by comparing last admission, sunset, and car pickup time. If the timing does not fit, omit final-day sightseeing and use the time for car return and departure.
Prefectural museum permanent-exhibition admissionPrefectural museum opening calendarPrefectural museum public transportationPrefectural museum driving access and parkingCar return and fuel paymentCar return procedure
The permanent exhibition is free; ask the operator about parking fees separately. Allow fuel for driving to the return office and check refueling or contractual fuel-payment terms. Transportation from the office to your booked train or flight is extra.
Included: Admission: ordinary Miyazaki Shrine and Aoshima visits and the museum's permanent exhibition are free; ordinary Miyazaki Shrine parking is free
Extra costs and conditions: Required costs: five days' car rental, fuel, parking, and day 3's per-boat charge; lodging, meals, and departure transportation extra; tolls extra if using toll roads
On day 3, add the date-specific 30-minute per-boat price and parking. Check the official reservation calendar for your actual boating date. Add the fee for the gorge lot used: ¥1,000 each at lots 1 and 2, ¥800 at lot 3, or ¥500 at lot 4. Car and boat prices are per vehicle and per boat, so distinguish them from adult per-person admission. Get an official rental quote using pickup and return dates and times, vehicle class, coverage, and options; add fuel and hotel, Aoshima, and museum parking separately. Without a car, consider three-night itinerary A with separate JR visits to the city and southern coast. It has different nights and stops and excludes Takachiho. To visit Takachiho, prepare separately for regular buses via Nobeoka or the direct Miyazaki service, plus access from the bus center to the gorge. Add tolls if using toll roads. Boating overtime costs ¥1,000 per additional 10 minutes beyond 30 minutes. Check maintenance closures in your date's reservation calendar and confirm whether Parking Lot 5 is open.
Official Miyazaki Shrine visiting guideOfficial Aoshima Shrine visiting guidePrefectural museum permanent-exhibition admissionTakachiho boat calendar and reservation rulesRental duration prices and inclusionsCar return and fuel payment
Frequently asked questions
Can a three-day Southern Kyushu Pass cover a four-night trip?
The Southern Kyushu Pass is valid for three consecutive days, so it cannot cover all five days. The All Kyushu Pass has three-, five-, and seven-day options, but neither pass covers rental cars, fuel, parking, or boats in the two driving itineraries. If you will also use JR to reach other cities, compare ordinary fares for the rides within the pass's validity with its price.
JR Kyushu Pass coverage, consecutive validity, and eligibility
Sources and dates checked
- Official Aoshima Shrine visiting guide ·
- Official access-restriction notice ·
- Udo admission and visiting guide ·
- Preservation association admission and parking ·
- Station and driving access ·
- Official Miyazaki Shrine visiting guide ·
- Official Takachiho Gorge visiting guide ·
- Official Horikiri Pass visiting guide ·
- Prefectural museum permanent-exhibition admission ·
- Prefectural museum opening calendar ·
- Prefectural museum public transportation ·
- History museum ·
- Udo access and opening information ·
- Takachiho boat calendar and reservation rules ·
- Aoshima Shrine operator ·
- Udo tourism access guide ·
- Prefectural museum driving access and parking ·
- Rental duration prices and inclusions ·
- Car return and fuel payment ·
- Car pickup procedure ·
- Car return procedure ·
- JR Kyushu Pass coverage, consecutive validity, and eligibility ·