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Before you go
Your trip to Aso.
Illustrative images. The pictures in this guide are illustrations based on the real place, not photographs, and may differ from it.
Aso – Kumamoto Destination Kumamoto and Aso about 52 km from Kumamoto
How to get there
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Aeroporto de Kumamoto (KMJ) Mashiki · 37 km
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Estação de Aso 1 km
Approximate distances. Check flights and bus, train or boat schedules before you travel.
The Hohi Line express train links Kumamoto to Aso Station in about 1 hour 15 minutes, and continues to Oita and Beppu. Long-distance buses connect Aso with Kumamoto, the airport and Beppu. By car, the Yamanami Road leads to Yufuin to the northeast.
How many days
A full day for Kusasenri, Daikanbo and the shrine. With an overnight stay you can see Daikanbo at sunrise, when mist often fills the caldera, and continue on to Takachiho or Yufuin.
When to go
In spring, after the grass burn carried out earlier in the year, the fields turn green. Autumn, from October to November, turns the grass golden and brings misty mornings. Summer is humid, with heavy rains in June and July. Winter is cold, and high roads can have ice.
The seasons shown are the most usual ones; nature doesn't always follow the calendar.
Do you need a car?
It helps. The caldera sights are 15 to 20 km apart, and the buses to Kusasenri and Daikanbo have few departures. Taxis from Aso Station can be hired by the hour for tours.
Suggested itinerary
An order that works
Built with the places on this page. No rush: it's paced so you have time to see them.
One day in Aso
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Morning
Kusasenri
From Aso Station, take a bus or drive up to Kusasenri, the grasslands with a pond, horses and the volcano museum opposite. Check whether the crater area is open.
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Afternoon
Aso Shrine
Descend to Aso Shrine and walk along the spring street in front, with water bubbling from spouts along the shops.
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Late afternoon
Daikanbo
Go up to the caldera’s northern rim at Daikanbo to see the five peaks and the plain in low light.
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Evening
Uchinomaki hot springs
Stay at an inn in Uchinomaki and try akaushi, the red cattle beef raised on Aso’s pastures.
Check before you go. Opening hours and days change, and places may close for renovations, holidays or events. This itinerary is a suggestion from Cidade Turismo, not a commitment: plan yours by checking directly with each place you intend to visit.
Before you go
Frequently asked questions
What is Aso’s caldera?
It is the depression left by massive eruptions tens of thousands of years ago, about 25 km from north to south. Tens of thousands of people live inside it, in cities, villages and farms, and the five peaks rise in its center.
How to climb Kusasenri without a car?
Sporadic buses run from Aso Station up to Kusasenri in just over half an hour. Taxis from the station also make the trip.
Where to stay in the Aso area?
In Uchinomaki, the onsen village near Aso Station, or near the shrine. On the south rim of the caldera, Minamiaso has rural inns and hot-spring baths.
What is the Aso grass burn?
It is the noyaki, a controlled burn carried out by residents at the start of the year, generally in March, to renew the pasture and prevent forest from reclaiming the fields. Some roads may close on burn days.
Beyond the guide
