A soft landing
Begin and end with airport-connected hotels. Make the arrival and departure nights part of the holiday.
Fumi journeys · Air, flavour & onsen
Japan
Flying Visit.
Hokkaido arrival.
Southern flavours.
Hot-spring days.
Six special stays from New Chitose to Kyushu, Shikoku and Haneda. Fly between regions, then take your time.
13 days / 12 nights / 6 stays
A different way through Japan
A little flying.
A lot to linger over.
Begin with a quietly luxurious night at New Chitose Airport, fly south for Fukuoka’s food and riverside evenings, then follow the warmth to Kagoshima and the Kirishima mountains. Three nights in historic Dogo Onsen bring a different bathing rhythm before an easy airport-hotel finish at Haneda.
Follow the journey
From the north to the southern hot springs.
Your overnight bases
- New Chitose1 night
- Fukuoka3 nights
- Kagoshima1 night
- Kirishima3 nights
- Dogo Onsen3 nights
- Haneda1 night
Three places to linger
Fukuoka, Kirishima and Dogo each receive three nights, leaving room for an outing and a slower day.
Two kinds of onsen
Pair a mountain retreat in Kirishima with the bathhouses, lanes and tram journeys of Dogo and Matsuyama.
Your thirteen days
A journey with breathing space.
A suggested programme, with room for your own discoveries.
- Day 01
New Chitose · Night 1
Arrive gently in Hokkaido
Arrive at New Chitose Airport and settle into Portom International Hokkaido. Enjoy a quiet dinner and an early night. This is an airport stay; add nights if you want to explore Sapporo or Otaru.
- Day 02
Fukuoka · Night 2
Fly south to Fukuoka
Fly from New Chitose to Fukuoka, then use the domestic terminal’s subway connection to reach the city. Settle into Hotel Okura and begin with a gentle riverside walk around Nakasu.
- Day 03
Fukuoka · Night 3
Hakata, one flavour at a time
Build an unhurried day around Kushida Shrine, the Kawabata shopping streets and Canal City. Leave the evening for ramen or a yatai food-stall meal.
- Day 04
Fukuoka · Night 4
Dazaifu or another Fukuoka day
Make Dazaifu a half-day outing, or keep the day local with cafés, shops and the waterfront. A second easy city day works just as well.
- Day 05
Kagoshima · Night 5
A night with Sakurajima in view
Fly to Kagoshima and continue into the city. Solaria Nishitetsu is opposite Kagoshima-Chuo Station. Choose a Sakurajima-view room if the outlook matters to you; keep the evening simple.
- Day 06
Kirishima · Night 6
From the bay to the mountains
If your departure leaves time, choose one short Kagoshima outing. Continue to Kirishima-Jingu Station, then use a pre-arranged hotel shuttle or taxi to La Vista Kirishima Hills. Arrive in time to enjoy the bath and dinner.
- Day 07
Kirishima · Night 7
Cedar trees and a shrine visit
Visit Kirishima-jingu, arranging the outward and return transport together. Come back for a slow afternoon and another hot-spring evening.
- Day 08
Kirishima · Night 8
A day for the highlands—or the bath
Consider Ebino Kogen when weather, volcanic restrictions and local access allow. Ask locally about current conditions before choosing a walk. An extra day at the resort is an equally good plan.
- Day 09
Dogo Onsen · Night 9
Across to Shikoku
Transfer directly from the Kirishima area to Kagoshima Airport for the Matsuyama flight. Continue to Dogo Onsen by airport bus or taxi and check into Kowakuen Haruka. If arriving late, arrange dinner separately from any hotel meal plan.
- Day 10
Dogo Onsen · Night 10
The pleasure of staying in Dogo
Make the historic bathhouse district your focus: a visit to Dogo Onsen Honkan, the shopping streets and a café stop. Choose a bathing course and leave the rest of the day open.
- Day 11
Dogo Onsen · Night 11
Matsuyama by tram
Take the tram into central Matsuyama and visit the castle. Choose the approach and amount of walking to suit you, then return to Dogo for a final relaxed evening.
- Day 12
Haneda · Night 12
One last airport-hotel treat
Fly from Matsuyama to Haneda. Transfer from your arrival terminal to Terminal 3 and Villa Fontaine Grand. Leave time for dinner and Izumi Tenku no Yu if included in your room plan or purchased separately.
- Day 13
Departure day
Homeward, without a city transfer
Walk from the hotel to Terminal 3 for a flight departing there, or allow time to reach the terminal on your ticket. Finish the route with the international departure that suits your plans.
Six thoughtfully chosen stays
Hotels worth making time for.
The hotels are part of the journey: an elegant arrival, a good city base, a mountain retreat and a bathhouse-town stay.
01Night 1 · New Chitose Airport
Portom International Hokkaido
An airport arrival with a sense of occasion: Japanese art, calm interiors and dining without an onward city transfer. The hotel connects to New Chitose’s international terminal.
Original room idea: Superior Twin. Allow for the walk between domestic and international areas the following day.
02Nights 2–4 · Nakasu-Kawabata · Fukuoka
Hotel Okura Fukuoka
A comfortable city base with direct access from Nakasu-Kawabata Station. Spend three nights exploring the surrounding streets, riverside restaurants and the wider city.
Original room idea: high-floor Standard Double, non-smoking. Compare the room outlook and breakfast inclusion.
03Night 5 · Kagoshima-Chuo
Solaria Nishitetsu Hotel Kagoshima
A practical one-night stop opposite the station, with convenient airport-bus access. A Sakurajima-view room turns a short city stop into part of the experience.
Original room idea: Double with Sakurajima View. Select that room category when comparing prices; breakfast was optional.
04Nights 6–8 · Kirishima Onsen
La Vista Kirishima Hills
The mountain centrepiece: three nights in the hot-spring hills, with an open-air natural hot-spring bath in every room. Plan a shrine outing and leave plenty of time at the hotel.
Original room idea: top-floor Twin with dinner and breakfast. The A$960 example includes the A$4 tax amount in the supplied notes; book the meal plan explicitly.
05Nights 9–11 · Dogo Onsen · Matsuyama
Kowakuen Haruka
Stay in the bathhouse district itself. The hotel’s upper-floor baths look across Matsuyama, while its guest lift offers a convenient route toward the Dogo streets.
Original room idea: Standard Double, non-smoking. The A$524 example includes the A$4 tax amount in the supplied notes; breakfast was optional.
06Night 12 · Haneda Airport · Terminal 3
Villa Fontaine Grand Haneda Airport
A relaxed final night linked to Terminal 3, with restaurants, shops and the airport hot-spring complex close by. A useful finish before an early international departure.
Original room idea: non-smoking Run of House with an onsen ticket. Bathing is not included with every rate; choose the relevant plan. Breakfast was optional.
Independent hotel ideas. Compare the same room, meals and cancellation terms for your dates. About our independent selections.
Make the connections
Flights between regions. Easy days within them.
Arrive at New Chitose · CTS
Start with an international or connecting arrival that reaches the hotel on Day 1. Sydney–New Chitose nonstop service is seasonal; use the airline’s current timetable for your dates.
Qantas timetables ↗New Chitose → Fukuoka · CTS–FUK
The longest domestic hop brings you from Hokkaido to Kyushu. Fukuoka’s domestic terminal connects directly to the subway, making the final journey into town straightforward.
Fukuoka Airport subway access ↗Fukuoka → Kagoshima · FUK–KOJ
Fly as in the original route, allowing for the airport bus into Kagoshima city. If the flight does not suit, compare the Hakata–Kagoshima-Chuo Shinkansen and its door-to-door journey.
Kagoshima Airport flight information ↗Kagoshima → Kirishima · ground transfer
Use a suitable JR service to Kirishima-Jingu Station, then a taxi or the hotel’s advance-reservation shuttle. The hotel lists about 50 minutes by train from Kagoshima-Chuo and about 20 minutes onward; add connection time.
La Vista access and shuttle details ↗Kirishima → Kagoshima Airport → Matsuyama · KOJ–MYJ
Arrange the airport transfer from the mountain hotel rather than returning to Kagoshima city. Check this regional flight early when choosing dates, then match the Dogo bus or taxi to your arrival.
Kagoshima–Matsuyama timetable ↗Matsuyama → Haneda · MYJ–HND
Fly back to Tokyo and finish at the airport. The hotel is linked to Terminal 3; a domestic arrival may require a terminal transfer before check-in.
Haneda airport hotel ↗Haneda → home
Choose the international flight first, then check its terminal, check-in deadline and baggage allowance. Keep the final hotel night if an early departure makes it useful.
Check departure options ↗Plan your version
A useful budget, in Australian dollars.
Original planning example
A$4,697
A$2,628 in hotel quotes
+ A$2,069 estimated flights
A starting point for your own trip.
These amounts come from the supplied itinerary and are not live offers. Reprice for your dates, traveller numbers and room occupancy before using a per-person total.
Allow extra for local transport, meals outside the selected plans, sightseeing and insurance. The Kirishima quote included dinner and breakfast; the Haneda quote included an onsen ticket.
| Stay | Nights | Example total |
|---|---|---|
| Portom International Hokkaido | 1 | A$313 |
| Hotel Okura Fukuoka | 3 | A$528 |
| Solaria Nishitetsu Hotel Kagoshima | 1 | A$121 |
| La Vista Kirishima Hills | 3 | A$960 |
| Kowakuen Haruka | 3 | A$524 |
| Villa Fontaine Grand Haneda Airport | 1 | A$182 |
| Hotel total | 12 | A$2,628 |
Before you go
A few details make the difference.
Choose the flights before fixing the hotel dates
Build around the seasonal arrival and the Kagoshima–Matsuyama sector. This page uses relative days so the journey can move with the timetable.
Include the transfers in your travel day
There are four domestic flights in the original plan. Allow for check-in, baggage collection and the journey between each airport and hotel; flying time is only one part of the day.
Arrange the mountain connections
Book La Vista’s station shuttle ahead or arrange a taxi. Kirishima sights are spread out, so agree the return journey when planning an outing.
Make the hotels part of the trip
Compare dinner-and-breakfast plans in Kirishima and an onsen-ticket plan at Haneda. Ask each property about bathing access, meal times and the facilities you want to use.
Keep a flexible highland day
Late-winter weather and volcanic activity can affect access around Kirishima and Ebino. Use the local visitor centre’s current advice; a resort day is built into the rhythm.
Make the journey your own
More time in the north?
More nights in the bath?
Add Hokkaido nights before flying south, linger longer in Kirishima, or compare another route from the collection.