Kagoshima Tour Featuring Katsuo Ramen & Sand Bath Experience
Explore Ibusuki in Kagoshima! Visit a katsuobushi factory, unwind in the famous Kagoshima sand bath, discover a unique geothermal steam cooking area, & indulge in regional delights like katsuo ramen.
Highlights
Explore a katsuobushi factory, learn about the production process, and meet the people who keep the operations running
Visit a charming roadside station (michi no eki) and pick up local produce
Experience Ibusuki’s famous healing sand baths and relax as you’re buried in warm sand
Visit a geothermal steam cooking area and cook your fresh produce for lunch
Enjoy either nagashi somen or katsuobushi ramen as your closing meal
Experience Details
Embark on a Kagoshima adventure in Ibusuki, exploring its food and culture. Tour a katsuobushi factory, shop at a roadside station, unwind in a Kagoshima sand bath, visit a distinctive public cooking area, and savor a delicious regional lunch, including renowned katsuo ramen.
Ibusuki is a picturesque coastal city in the Satsuma Peninsula of Kagoshima Prefecture. Renowned for its unique black-sand beaches, therapeutic sand baths, and captivating natural landscapes, Ibusuki offers visitors a distinct and relaxing escape.
Itinerary:
Meet at Ibusuki Station
Visit a katsuobushi (dried bonito (bonito flakes) factory
Visit and buy vegetables at a roadside station (michi no eki)
Experience a warm sand bath (sunamushi)
Cook vegetables and eggs using geothermal steam at a public cooking area (sume ryori)
Enjoy lunch (nagashi somen or katsuobushi ramen)
Transfer back to Ibusuki Station
Our first stop is a katsuobushi factory, where you’ll go behind the scenes of the production process (processing, cleaning, freezing, drying, smoking, fermenting, and drying). Katsuobushi is dried and fermented skipjack tuna, a fundamental ingredient in washoku (Japanese cuisine). After this, visit a charming roadside station (michi no eki) to pick up local produce and goodies that’ll come in handy at a later stop during this experience.
Next, head to one of Ibusuki’s top claims to fame; natural hot sand baths! Ibusuki has the only natural sand baths worldwide, making it a popular destination for domestic and overseas travelers seeking rejuvenation. Relax and unwind as you’re buried in warm sand that has healing properties. From here, it’s time to phone in that produce you picked up earlier today!
Visit a geothermal steam cooking area, where you’ll play chef as you steam the produce you picked up at the roadside station. With your appetite activated, move on to the day's final stop; lunch at a nagashi somen noodle or katsuobushi ramen restaurant.
Inclusions
Taxi hire and transportation to the various locations is included
Nagashi somen or katsuobushi ramen
Katsuobushi factory tour
Hot sand bath experience
Exclusions
Transport to Ibusuki
Purchases made at the roadside station (eggs, fresh produce, etc.)
Meeting Point and Meeting Time
Meet your host at Ibusuki Station at 8:00. Further information and a Google Maps link will be provided on booking.
Remarks
Lunch options: Nagashi somen is available April-October and katsuobushi ramen is available year-round
Preferences: If you prefer ramen over somen noodles, please advise upon booking
Cancellation Policy
Cancel your booking at least 2 days before the experience start time to receive a full refund minus a 3.2% transaction fee.
Experience Location
With a signature laid-back atmosphere to the south of Japan, Kagoshima Prefecture is surrounded by the ocean and lush scenery woven with stunning hiking trails and steaming hot springs, featuring local cuisine whose ingredients are grown from the rich soils of the surrounding volcanic landscape region.
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