Takachiho: Takachiho Gorge, Manai Waterfall, and Mythical Valley Boat Walks

A full-day course through Takachiho, the Land of Myth in northern Miyazaki Prefecture. Begin with an early boat ride through Takachiho Gorge, where towering columnar basalt cliffs frame the valley, and view Japan's Selected One Hundred Waterfalls' Manai Waterfall from the water's surface. Visit Takachiho Shrine, the head shrine of eighty-eight shrines, surrounded by ancient cryptomeria trees. For lunch, enjoy grilled Takachiho beef—a premium Japanese wagyu—at Gamadase Market. In the afternoon, ride the Grand Super Cart along the former Takachiho Railway tracks, crossing the 105-meter-high Takachiho Railway Bridge with sweeping gorge views. The day culminates at Kunimigaoka Hill, where you can survey the Aso Five Peaks and Sobo mountain range bathed in evening light, leaving the day's impressions etched in your heart.