How We Design a Private Kyushu Tour for a Multi-Generation Family From Singapore
Planning a family holiday is one thing. Planning one for three generations, with almost half the family in their 80s, is quite another.
J came to me through his mum, who had previously engaged me to design and arrange her own Japan tour. This time, she recommended that J approach me to organise a private Kyushu tour for their multi-generation family.
There were eight travellers altogether: his maternal grandmother, his paternal grandparents, his parents, his paternal auntie, himself, and a helper travelling with his maternal grandmother. One of his grandparents used a wheelchair.
J had initially considered self-driving around Kyushu.
However, he had never driven in Japan before. With three generations travelling together, elderly grandparents, a wheelchair and luggage to manage, my advice was that self-driving would probably create more stress than freedom.
A private vehicle with a driver would allow the family to concentrate on something much more important: spending time together.
It Started With a 15-Minute Discovery Call
During our initial 15-minute Discovery Call, something became very obvious to me.
J adored his grandparents.
He brightened up whenever he spoke about them and what would make them happy.
The seniors could not walk for long periods, so we knew immediately that this could not be an itinerary packed with five or six attractions every day. The journey needed to be slower, with fewer stops and enough time for everyone to move comfortably.
Then we started talking about ryokans.
J beamed.
His maternal grandmother, whom he fondly called Ah Ma, loved onsens. If she could enjoy an onsen during the trip, he knew she would be very happy.
The rest of the family loved onsens and good food too. They enjoyed shopping, browsing and buying things. Ah Ma liked hands-on activities. J wanted a scenic train journey and hoped to photograph Kyushu’s famous floating torii gates.
Food required some thought as well. Ah Ma did not eat beef. The helper did not eat pork.
J, on the other hand, loved beef.
Now I had something to work with.
During the call, I also explained how we work at Epic Travel Designer, including our paid Travel Design Proposal. If the traveller subsequently engages us to arrange the tour, the proposal fee is counted towards the final tour fare.
Finding Ryokans That Actually Worked for the Seniors
After the call, one of the first things I started thinking about was the ryokans.
It wasn’t simply a matter of finding a beautiful ryokan with an onsen.
The seniors could not walk properly, which made using a large public onsen potentially unsafe. I therefore wanted ryokans with private in-room onsens.
Then came another consideration.
They needed Western beds.
I could hardly expect travellers in their 80s with mobility difficulties to sleep on futons on the tatami floor and struggle to get up the following morning.
The combination of a good ryokan, Western beds and an in-room private onsen was much rarer.
Where possible, I also looked for in-room kaiseki dining. This gave us more flexibility around the family’s different dietary requirements. On other evenings, they could dine together in the ryokan restaurant and enjoy the experience as a family.
Almost half of their accommodation nights eventually became ryokan stays.
Rather than inserting a ryokan somewhere simply for the experience, I chose bases naturally known for their hot springs, including Yufuin and the more remote Kurokawa Onsen.
Kurokawa Onsen was particularly suitable. It is more off the beaten track, with no train station, and getting there requires more planning. But once there, onsen hopping is part of the experience. Visitors can purchase an onsen pass and wander between participating ryokans to enjoy different baths.
That gave this family flexibility.
The grandparents could enjoy their private onsens comfortably in their own rooms, while the younger and more mobile family members could head out for onsen hopping around Kurokawa Onsen.
Everyone could experience the same onsen town, just in a way that suited them.
Sometimes Good Travel Design Means Leaving Things Out
Takachiho Gorge is often recommended to travellers exploring Kyushu.
It is beautiful, and under different circumstances I would happily consider it.
But not for this family.
The walking conditions and rocky terrain were simply not appropriate for grandparents with limited mobility and a wheelchair. There was no point putting a famous attraction into an itinerary merely because everyone says it is a “must-see”.
A destination has to suit the traveller.
We instead prioritised relatively flat attractions and places where wheelchairs could be rented, so the seniors did not have to walk unnecessarily long distances.
Finding Things Three Generations Could Enjoy Together
A multi-generation holiday should not mean that the grandparents merely sit and watch while everybody else has fun.
I wanted activities they could genuinely do together.
Their trip happened to fall during strawberry season, so strawberry picking was an easy choice. It is simple, fun and something grandparents, parents and grandchildren can enjoy side by side.
Ureshino also fitted the family beautifully.
Apart from being an onsen destination, the area is known for tea. I often recommend a tea experience in Japan because it goes beyond sightseeing. There are principles behind the Japanese tea ceremony that can be appreciated and applied to everyday life.
The floating torii gates J wanted to see were also nearby, so we could fulfil another of his requests without forcing a major detour.
I generally like to introduce some form of Japanese culture into my clients’ journeys rather than filling every day solely with sightseeing.
In Kumamoto, we arranged a private wagashi-making workshop with an English interpreter.
Wagashi are traditional Japanese sweets. Everyone could sit together, learn something about Japanese culture, make their own sweets and, most importantly, spend time doing something together.
For this family, it was spot on.
One Family, Two Itineraries at Mt Aso
Of course, Mt Aso was on the list.
But once again, the itinerary had to adapt to the travellers rather than expecting the travellers to adapt to the itinerary.
The seniors were not able to manage the walk towards the crater.
So we split the family temporarily.
The seniors relaxed nearby over tea, with the driver looking after them, while the more mobile members of the family continued towards the crater for a light hike.
One family, two itineraries.
Nobody was forced to miss Mt Aso because of the grandparents, and the grandparents were not forced to struggle through an activity that was unsuitable for them.
Later, everyone came together again.
That flexibility is particularly important when I design multi-generation private tours.
Slow Travel Also Means Staying Put
We generally kept the family in each base for at least two nights.
There was no rushing to pack eight people’s luggage every morning just to tick another city off a list.
With longer stays, they had time to enjoy the destination, their ryokans and, most importantly, one another’s company.
For a family like this, the number of attractions visited was never going to be my measure of a successful holiday.
Solving the Scenic Train and Luggage Problem
One of the more complicated requests was J’s scenic train journey.
Eight travellers, elderly passengers, a wheelchair and everyone’s luggage do not combine particularly well with a leisurely scenic train experience.
So the route had to be designed around the logistics.
On the day of the scenic train journey, their driver transported the luggage ahead to their next hotel. The family could then board the later scenic train without having to drag their suitcases along.
When they arrived at their final destination, their luggage was already waiting for them.
They got their scenic train.
I got my logistics to work.
Everyone was happy.
A Grand Finale for Three Generations
For their final night, I wanted something memorable.
We arranged a private izakaya experience that took the family to different izakayas for food and drink tasting, together with dinner.
After travelling across Kyushu, soaking in onsens, making wagashi, picking strawberries, drinking Japanese tea and experiencing the countryside together, it became a fitting finale to their family journey.
And that was how this particular multi-generation Kyushu private tour came together.
No Two Private Kyushu Tours Should Be the Same
Nothing in this itinerary came from a template.
It was not an itinerary I had designed for another client, changed the name on, and recycled.
Every decision came back to what J told me during that first conversation.
His grandparents mattered.
Ah Ma’s onsen mattered.
Mobility mattered.
Food mattered.
Family bonding mattered.
Even his love of beef mattered.
At Epic Travel Designer, we design and arrange complete private Japan tours from Singapore, including private journeys through Kyushu for families, seniors and multi-generation groups.
We gather the travellers’ priorities, design the route from scratch and arrange the different components required to make the journey work, including airport transfers, private transportation with drivers, accommodation and breakfasts, ryokans, attractions, cultural experiences and activities suitable for the family.
And when our travellers arrive in Japan, we don’t simply hand them an itinerary and disappear.
We remain involved throughout their journey, from the day they arrive until the day they leave.
Because a well-designed private tour is not about how many places we can squeeze into an itinerary.
It is about designing a journey around the people who are actually travelling.
About The Author
Best Teo is the Chief Travel Designer of Epic Travel Designer, a Singapore-based boutique travel company specialising in customised private tours that designs well-paced, seamless travel experiences across Japan, focusing on logistics, flow, and meaningful travel.