Discover Kyushu aboard the Cruise Train Seven Stars – POA
5 days from £pp
Experience the Cruise Train Seven Stars in Kyushu, the most exclusive and breathtaking rail journey in Japan. The 7 prefectures of Kyushu are connected by 3,000 km of tracks and a journey on the Cruise Train unfurls across them. A truly unique locomotive, launched in 2013 at a cost of over £20 million, no expense has been spared in creating the most luxurious environment, with a total capacity of only 30 passengers. Accompanied by your own English speaking local guide, sit back and relax as Kyushu’s alluring landscape slides past through panoramic windows.
Day 1
On day one you will arrive at the Hotel Nikko Fukuoka, a 4-star international class hotel, just a short walk to Hakata Station and known as the gateway to Kyushu. Your English speaking local guide will meet you at the hotel and accompany you to the fine dining restaurant Canoviano Fukuoka for a welcome dinner and introduction to the city of Fukuoka and the island of Kyushu.
Day 2
After breakfast in the hotel you will head to Hakata Station for a welcome ceremony in the Kinsei Lounge. Boarding the Seven Stars in Kyushu and departing Hakata Station you will make for Moji Port, with its atmosphere of history and high adventure, and architectural structures from the Meiji and Taisho periods. At dinner, savour an exquisite menu of Kyushu cuisine aboard the Seven Stars in Kyushu before settling down to relax and sleep in your luxury carriage.
Day 3
When morning arrives you will find the train has arrived at Aso Station. Step off the Seven Stars in Kyushu and enjoy the early morning scenery of Aso, having a relaxed breakfast at the platform restaurant ‘Mars’, featuring dishes made with fresh vegetables grown with care in Aso. In the afternoon you will head towards Yufain, Kyushu’s leading onsen (hot spring) resort, where you will spend the night in a traditional Japanese ryokan.
Day 4
After a relaxing breakfast at the ryokans, travel by private coach from Yufuin to Beppu Station. Between Beppu and Miyazaki stations, you will relax and enjoy the nature and scenery of the southern country, with its endless blue sky and ocean and the forests and valleys of the interior. In the late afternoon the Seven Stars in Kyushu will continue onto Kagoshima-huo Station where you will spend the night aboard the train and enjoy an evening of fine dining made with the freshest ingredients in Kyushu.
Day 5
On the final morning of your Seven Stars in Kyushu adventure you will depart Kagoshima-Chuo en route to Hitoyoshi Station for a sightseeing excursion and Bento-style lunch. In the afternoon you will depart for the final leg of your journey through loop lines and switchbacks taking in the beautiful Kyushu scenery for the last time before you arrive back to where it all began at Hakata Station for a farewell event to celebrate your experience aboard the Seven Stars in Kyushu.