Private Tour

Private guided tour: Mt. Aso volcano, grasslands, Aso Shrine

Overview

Available languages

Chinese (Taiwan)

English

French

Dutch

5 hours 30 minutes

Mobile ticket

Starting with a visit to our historic Aso Shrine, which has a history of more than 2000 years, you can discover the Japanese way of praying. Your guide will then take you to visit the adjacent Monzenmachi, one of the oldest streets in Aso; where many stores are lined up. You'll get to try out the mineral water springs and stroll along the tree covered avenue. After our lunch, we will visit the top of Mount Aso, where you can feel the breath of the earth. It is a real treat to experience our living earth, and how locals link their religion with the surrounding nature.

Additional Info

Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller

Service animals allowed

Public transportation options are available nearby

Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries

Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health

Suitable for all physical fitness levels

Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

What‘s Included

Prayer at the shrine

Lunch

Air-conditioned vehicle

Little gift souvenir

Any food or drinks besides the lunch time plate

Meeting and Pickup

Pickup points

Select a pickup point

What To Expect

On this tour, our professional guide will take you around in a private car to the must-visit spots in Aso and the famous "Akaushi" beef meal. 1. Aso Shrine First, we will visit Aso Shrine, which enshrines the active crater of Mt. Aso. We then have the opportunity to enter the main shrine for a Japanese prayer. Inside the shrine, the Shinto priest will chant your wishes. Feel free to let us know if your religion or beliefs limits you to take part in the experience. 2. Delicious Akaushi beef lunch This tour includes the local and popular Akaushi beef cutlet menu in the price, but we can also accommodate any dietary restriction and/or allergy. After your meal, feel free to take a stroll through the Monzenmachi shopping street, check out the small shops, take a few pictures. Make sure to enjoy the power of the volcano by trying out the fresh mineral waters coming up there. 3. Mount Aso Get a view of the active Nakadake crater emitting volcanic gasses. Walk through the Mars-like landscape, "Furubochu", where mountaineering priests once practiced, and the beautiful Kusasenri Grassland. Optionally, to end the tour, we may bring you to a hot spring next to JR Aso Station.

Options

Private guided tour: Mt. Aso volcano, grasslands, Aso Shrine

Pickup included

Reviews

4.95

20 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

A Great Tour of Aso with Kana
David T,
Jul 8, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00
Kana is an excellent tour guide, answering all our questions and when she didn’t know something, she would say so! Unfortunately the volcano level went from 1 (viewable) to 2 (non-viewable). We still got into the National Park and could see the volcano from afar. She offered a couple of alternatives which turned out to be just as good, if not better!. The Shinto Shrine ceremony in the morning was one of the many highlights. She was adaptive (pescatarian for lunch), and willing to show us as many things as possible in our tour time. Kana is well traveled with good English skills. One of the most interesting alternatives was a “once a month” Shinto story performance in her home town. She explained the storyline and we got to meet and get pictures with the performers. A special thanks for getting us onto the most direct road to Beppu!
Wonderful Aso Experience!
Willy T,
Jun 4, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00
Our guide Kana Illig was very friendly and accommodating. Being an Aso resident, she shares generously about local practices and culture. The prayer session in the Aso Shrine was very enlightening as this is our first time after so many visits to Japan. Trekking to vantage points to get awesome views! Overall, we had a wonderful experience in Aso from beginning to end! Thanks Kana and driver for making this memorable!
Great day in Aso
rebeccakD5359HA,
Apr 13, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
This tour made for a great day. We were coming by train from Kumamoto and our guide Kana helped us book the train tickets back. Then we went to the shrine which was beautiful; there was a wedding (we were able to catch a peek), so we couldn’t have the “special blessing” included in the tour. It was agreed we would come back later for it. Then we walked around the town for a bit and had a delicious lunch of local beef. After lunch, we drove to the Aso crater and took a short hike (30 mins) to the top. It was very impressive. Kana was very friendly, asked us questions as to our preferences and did her best to accommodate them. After the volcano tour, we went back to the shrine where we had a beautiful Shinto blessing experience. It was very moving and interesting. Would recommend this tour.
Outstanding Tour Guides and Team
David C,
Mar 20, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00
Wonderful guides Yuko and Joyce. Don’t hesitate to book this experience. So grateful for our time with them!
It was really great....
JoergOlaf D,
Mar 10, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00
It was really great. Nathalie knows so much about this area; the absolutely interesting Shintozeremonie, the nice Tea tasting, the delicious Bento Box and the impressiv Vulkano.
Aso Town and Aso-san tour
T6095NOjamess,
Jan 31, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
Arriving by train at Aso station, we were greeted warmly by our guide, Natalie, right outside the station. She was incredibly knowledgeable about Aso town and Aso-san, and told us in great detail the local history and traditions. Very graciously, Aso-san allowed us to view the crater at the end of our tour (as poor conditions can make it unsuitable for viewing) and although we went overtime, Natalie was more than happy to take us for a tour. Amazing experience.
Enjoyed the tour
Yunling Z,
Dec 29, 2024
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
Joyce was very nice and attentive to our needs. We enjoyed her guided tour. It made the Aso experience more accessible than if we’d explored on our own (mother + 7yo).
Brilliant tour around Aso
Veronique A,
Dec 12, 2024
- Review from Viator
5.00
The tour with Nathalie was fantastic. She is very knowledgeable about the cultural, religious and environmental dimensions of Asos and its surroundings, making the tour very informative and lively.
Fantastic tour guide who really knew her way in the area, hidden gems and beautiful scenery.
GylM,
Jun 15, 2024
- Review from Viator
5.00
This was an outstanding custom tour that we worked out in advance. Our tour guide Kana-san is a local of the area and knew her way around - we felt like we were getting an "insider tour" done especially for us. We hit all the highlights in Aso area, great views and some fun hiking and history. Kana-san also had some "secret gems" to show us that we didn't expect, and were really worthwhile. I'll keep her secret safe and all I will say is that the corn was great. Thank you. This was the best guided tour we've ever had.
True local, recommended!
Niels v,
Jun 11, 2024
- Review from Viator
5.00
Natalie is a true local and her passion for Aso shines through during her tour! She knows Aso like the back of her hand and showed me everything I needed to see and more. 100% recommended if you're visiting Japan.