Entry Level
Cultural
Transfers
7 Nights
6 - 12
Group size
Leaders
This itinerary has options for you to extend & customise your experience before &/or after your holiday. See Itinerary for details.
(Available as a small group tour or tailor-made holiday)
To learn more on the Ryukyu Islands, you can read our Journal post here.
The white sandy beaches and glistening clear waters of the Ryukyu Islands remain an oasis of time and nature amidst the ever-increasing modernisation of their neighbouring Asian countries. With a rich and unique history including the Ryukyu Kingdom 琉球國 from the 15th to the 19th Century, it is where the martial art of Karate first originated before spreading to Japan, and where culture flourished due to it’s positioning as a centre of maritime trade.
There is also an optional ‘mainland’ Japan add-on that includes the stunning temples of Kyoto the ancient capital, as well as the neon jungle of Tokyo, for those whom want to explore this bustling metropolis before flying home.
Single rooms are available on a first come, first served basis. We will charge on a pro-rata basis if a single room is only available for part of the trip.
This itinerary has options for you to extend & customise your experience before &/or after your holiday. See below for details.
Transfer
Dinner
Boutique Hotel
After arriving in Cagliari you will be transferred to your hotel to check in. After check in, you’ll be taken on a city tour of Cagliari, guided by one of our most experienced guides, lose yourself in the alleys among the small craft shops and discover the reasons why Cagliari is the jewel of the Mediterranean.
The tour will take you through all the city has to offer, from the charm of thousand-year-old buildings and areas, to the beauty of one of the largest city beaches in Europe and then to the lagoon areas within the city populated by numerous species of birds.
The second part of the tour will take you to the National Archaeological Museum which is located in the ancient Castello district, inside the Citadel of Museums. It is the most important archaeological museum in Sardinia with over 4000 objects that tell a story almost 7000 years long, from Prehistory to the Early Middle Ages, from Neolithic mother goddesses to Nuragic bronzes, from Phoenician and Punic jewels to Roman statuary and finally to cult objects from the Byzantine era.
There will be a choice of two recommended options for dinner either an authentic pizzeria or a seafood restaurant.
Overnight: Giardino Segreto or similar
Transfer
Wildlife
Lunch
Boutique Hotel
After breakfast, we will head to The Molentargius – Saline Regional Natural Park whichis a stunning wetland of international value, especially as a habitat for numerous species of water birds, within the metropolitan area of Cagliari.
The history of the reserve is linked to the long history of the salt pans in the city so much so that the site owes its name to molenti (donkeys in Sardinian), the "means of transport" used in the past to bring the salt collected from the salt pans to the port.
The naturalistic complex that extends for about 1600 hectares includes fresh water basins, water with different degrees of salinity and a plain of sandy origin. The Park boasts a rich variety of plant and animal species, many of which are protected. In particular, the site is famous for the presence of pink flamingos, "sa genti arrubia"(the red people) as they say in these parts, which nested here for the first time in 1993.
In the afternoon, embark on a journey back in time with a private trip to the Salt Pans of Conti Vecchi. This guided tour lets you walk in the footsteps of 1930s salt workers, exploring historic structures like the workshop, chemical lab, main office, and archive. The adventure includes a train ride through the saltworks, where the industry's history blends with nature, and flamingos roam freely.
Overnight: Giardino Segreto or similar
Transfer
Lunch
Dinner
Boutique Hotel
Today’s adventure takes you to the vibrant town of San Sperate. Known as the "Museum Town," San Sperate is an open-air gallery, where hundreds of murals—bright, expressive, and deeply rooted in memory—tell the stories of its people, its traditions, and its evolving identity. This unique form of street art began in 1968, when visionary local artist Pinuccio Sciola launched a revolutionary project to transform his hometown into a living canvas. A space where art and community would grow hand in hand. Since then, artists from all over the world have added their voices to the walls, and the town continues to breathe creativity.
Guided by a local expert, you’ll explore this dynamic village through a walking tour of its most iconic murals and hidden corners. You’ll also visit one of its most extraordinary sites: the Giardino Sonoro (Sound Garden), an open-air museum conceived by Sciola himself. Here, you'll walk among great limestone, basalt, and granite sculptures—stones that sing.
After lunch you will embark on a circular route Belvedere of Nebida, a route that winds for about 700m close to the sea, offering a breathtaking view of Pan di Zucchero (meaning Sugarloaf), one of the most beautiful stacks in Italy.
Tonight we head back to Nebida for the night and to enjoy dinner.
Overnight: stay in Pedra Rubia, or similar
Transfer
Packed Lunch
Dinner
Boutique Hotel
Starting in the morning, you will set off to discover one of the most captivating stretches of the Cammino Minerario di Santa Barbara: the 7-kilometre route linking San Nicolò Beach to Portixeddu. This coastal trail winds between wild cliffs and secluded coves, where Mediterranean light dances on the waves and sculpts landscapes made to be captured through the lens.
With its gentle elevation, this stage is accessible to all, perfect for taking the time to observe and wait for the perfect light. Arriving in Portixeddu, framed by dunes and pine forest, the view opens onto a horizon that melts into deep blue: a scene that feels designed for photography. Total length 7 km, ascent 310 m, 325 m descent.
Late afternoon sees you meeting Monica and the people of Arbus, an authentic corner of Sardinia, where time flows at the rhythm of nature and the bond with the land is deep and genuine. In her farm, surrounded by silent pastures and the scent of wild herbs, Monica raises rare black sheep (la pecora nera) with passion—guardians of an ancient tradition and pride of the territory.
During a two-hour walk, she will guide us among her animals, sharing her story and the daily gestures that define agropastoral life: milking, transforming milk into cheese, and patiently waiting for the wheels to mature.
Round off your day with dinner in the village of Montevecchio.
Overnight: Miniera Fiorita, or similar
Transfer
Breakfast
Packed Lunch
Dinner
Boutique Hotel
First, enjoy the sunrise in Montevecchio and then take a visit to the old mining area of the Medio Campidano province which was central to the mining industry in the south-west. Today, it is the site of the Geominerary park of Sardinia, a UNESCO world heritage site. A historical-cultural tour of the site allows you to discover a “ghost world” evoked by a complex of mines, a few hundred metres from the Piscinas dunes and close to other beaches on the Costa Verde.
Savour the sunset in Piscinas - the Dunes of Costa Verde. After walking along the unpaved and sandy trails, you will suddenly spy the immense and deep golden expanse, extending seven kilometres.This 'pearl' of the Costa Verde, in south-western Sardinia, is a dazzling yellow-ochre desert, stirred by the wind and dotted with Mediterranean greenery.
This wonderful oasis far from everything, with imposing and sinuous dunes of fine, warm golden sand that reach up to 60 metres in height, is shaped by the mistral winds and extends several kilometres from the hinterland until diving into the boundless and shimmering blue sea.
Overnight: Miniera Fiorita, or similar
Transfer
Lunch
Dinner
Boutique Hotel
A late departure and visit to Barumini "Su Nuraxi", the "giant" in the heart of Marmilla territory. Lunch will be in the hotel you are staying in but first a chance to explore the beauty of Barumini.“Su Nuraxi”, the nuragic complex of Barumini and part of the 58 Italian sites on the UNESCO World Heritage List is one of Sardinia’s landmarks.
The Nuragic complex, built between the Middle Bronze Age and the Late Bronze Age, is the best preserved of the 7000 nuraghi of the island, the centre of the social life of the Nuragic tribes. Explore the massive central tower, built from large dressed stones. The green hills of the Trexenta region, in southern Sardinia, conceal prehistoric ‘houses’ of the deceased, built on the rocky slopes and enriched with mysterious decorations.
The necropolises of Corongiu and S’Acqua Salida – also known as Pranu Efis, from the name of the locality in which it lies - are located slightly north of the town of Pimentel, just one kilometre away from each other. Carved into sandstone banks, they date back to the Final Neolithic period. There is much to explore and absorb in this rich cultural and historical part of Sardinia.
Overnight: Sa Lolla Hotel Ristorante or similar
Transfer
Lunch
Boutique Hotel
An early start to catch the sunrise in Nuraghe Arrubiu in Orroli. A Nuragic site that is much more than its picturesque ruins, it is a place of mystery and the vestiges of an ancient past. Visiting the Nuraghe Arrubiu whose name translates to red nuraghe, due to the colour of the stones which dominate the plateau. Discover the little-known history of this ancient civilization.
Then you'll stop for lunch at the Farmhouse. Immerse in the rustic charm of a countryside restaurant just steps from the ancient majesty of the Nuraghe Arrubiu, where each course is made with ingredients sourced straight from nearby fields.
After lunch, enjoy a visit to Orroli itself. Amidst the village's stone houses extending along the Pranemuru plateau, the ancient manor houses stand out and are used as museums and artisan workshops.
In the late afternoon, immerse yourself in a workshop where history, flavour, and sustainability come together. Here, in an authentic setting, an ancient farming art is brought to life: the production of the famous “Bread of the Centenarians,” named after the remarkable longevity of the people in this area. During your visit, you will be welcomed by a family-run, women-led business that has preserved a timeless knowledge: baking with organic hard wheat Senatore Cappelli, stone-milled on volcanic mills to retain the precious germ and all its nutritional qualities.
After an enriching adventure in Orroli you will head back to Baramini for the night.
Overnight: Sa Lolla Hotel Ristorante or similar
Transfer
Breakfast
After breakfast today, you will be transferred to Cagliari airport for your international departure flight, reinvigorated by beauty that Sardinia has to offer.
Single rooms are available on a first come, first served basis. We will charge on a pro-rata basis if a single room is only available for part of the trip.
Carbon Compensation is not the perfect solution, and it is important to first reduce our carbon emissions as much as we can, yet trees remain an excellent natural technology to sequester carbon dioxide from the atmosphere to slow global warming.
For every client and guide who attends a YellowWood Adventure, we donate £30 to our partner charity WeForest to plant 15 trees to (over) compensate for the carbon footprint of the tour.
We also invite our clients to match this with an optional additional £30 for another 15 trees to be planted to help compensate for the carbon footprint of their international flights.
WeForest run many tree planting and tree maintenance projects such as this seedling nursery in the Amhara region of Ethiopia, the Amazon Rainforest in Brazil and many other projects in other countries including Zambia, Malawi, Tanzania & India.
Click Here to find out more about their amazing projects around the world.
Single rooms are available on a first come, first served basis. We will charge on a pro-rata basis if a single room is only available for part of the trip.
We fully believe in, and practice, Responsible Tourism and recognise the value of using hotels run by locals. The accommodation on this adventure really accentuates your experience and the mixture of hotels you will be staying in is very representative of the contrasts found in Japan. We feel that using different types of hotels helps deliver to you the complexity of Japan. It is a crazy patchwork of ancient & modern, corporate & family businesses, nature and urban, all of which coexist peacefully side by side. To authentically represent Japan, we have included as many of these as we can!
Having said that, there are themes with the various types of accommodation, and they will all be chosen for cleanliness, comfort, safety, proximity to our route (to avoid unnecessary extra travel which in Japan can be very expensive) and a warm client welcome, as well as reliability in their service to us.
Please be aware that in areas where tourism is still developing, or in remote areas (like the smaller islands we visit), we may not have a wide range of options. An aspect of our adventures is to escape the ‘trappings’ of familiar culture and to experience new things with are exciting and memorable and reflect the country we are visiting.
The list below gives information on our first choice of accommodation for this adventure. Where hotels are fully booked or unavailable, we will use an alternative of a similar standard, and equally well situated. We will provide you with an accurate list of accommodation, with contact information to leave with relatives, prior to departure on your adventure.
Kagoshima (Day 1): Hotel Sunflex Kagoshima. Modern 3* hotel (tower block) with ensuite rooms, wi-fi, in a convenient location for sightseeing and within easy reach of the ferry terminals for our onwards travel.
Yakushima (Day 2 & 3): Seaside Hotel Yakushima. Modern 3* hotel set in stunning scenery with coastal views and mountain backdrops. Ensuite rooms with Wif-fi. Restaurant & spa.
Overnight Ferry (Day 4): Ferry to Tokunoshima - we eat dinner on board and sleep on the overnight ferry in 2nd Class bunks. Shared facilities.
Tokunoshima (Day 5 & 6): Sunset Resort: small local hotel situated on the beach where you can relax after a day of sightseeing. Ensuite rooms & restaurant serving delicious seafood (as you would expect!).
Okinerabu (Day 7): Hotel Seaworld: delight in the nostalgic 70's / 80's feel and warm welcome from this small local hotel, on the coast. Ensuite rooms & colourful restaurant dining room!
Okinawa (Day 8-10): Hotel Palm Royal Naha: Charming urban 3* resort hotel in city centre with small swimming pool, spa bath and poolside bar/restaurant.
Unless you have booked a single room (where they are available) and paid the single room supplement for those nights, you will be sharing a twin room with another client (of the same gender).
It may be that you only visit Japan once; for reasons of economy, time, or environmental considerations relating to long haul travel. So you need to make this visit count, and try to enjoy what cultural experiences you have on offer. One such experience is to visit an onsen: a geothermally heated spring with water that contains multiple minerals believed to have health and well-being benefits.
Japanese onsen have been used for centuries and are commonplace in some family homes, or attached to a hotel or ryokan. On this adventure, you will periodically be offered the option of enjoying an onsen and we highly recommend that you do! The hot-spring bath is a wonderful place to relax, meditate and immerse yourself in Japanese tradition.
As you might expect, there is a strict etiquette to follow (they are not 'water play' areas):
Supporting you on your holiday will be an experienced, local, English speaking Japanese guide with a good knowledge of the areas visited. They will be joined by local experienced and licensed guides in Yakushima, Tokunoshima & Okinoerabu. In Kagoshima we will have an English speaking assistant who will accompany our group to the pier to ensure that travel to Yakushima and Tokunoshima goes to plan.
We work closely with our Japanese Tour Operator partners both before and during your adventure to ensure that they understand your needs and the standard that YellowWood Adventures expects. We believe that it is a very important positive aspect of Responsible Tourism, to employ the expertise of local suppliers, as well as offering you a much more informative and authentic experience.
Your group will be any number from our minimum group size of 6, up to a maximum of 12 clients. This number works really well with the ratio of guides, and ensures the optimum level of service to you during your adventure.
We get clients booking alone, as couples and in small groups of friends. If you have a group of friends or family who are interested in having their own customised trip, then please let us know and we can cost it for you.
This adventure is a fabulous mix of sightseeing with private transfers, and exploring the stunning islands on foot.
To get the most of out of this adventure, you need to be in good physical health, and enjoy walking as a way of exploring an area. You do not need to be an experienced hiker as the walks on the itinerary are taken at a leisurely pace (to enable wildlife spotting and photography) on well trodden paths, for short periods of time (up to 2hrs) and with regular stops. You will be carrying just a day pack and bottle of water (bottled water) when walking or sightseeing.
Walking shoes or lightweight walking boots are more appropriate for this trip than hard and heavy walking boots.
Please note that you need to have an open mind to adventure travel, and experiencing different cultures to your own, first hand.
Your YellowWood adventure starts at the start hotel in Kagoshima city, Kyushu Island. We understand that arriving into an unfamiliar airport can be daunting, so we aim to give you as much information here as possible to help you prepare. If you would like us to get you a quote for a private airport transfer then do contact us.
Finding flights
Flights are not included in the cost of your holiday, and whilst we are happy to help advise you, responsibility for booking the correct flights rests with you. We recommend that you use a comparison tool such as www.momondo.co.uk or www.skyscanner.net when searching for flights.
It is worth noting, if you are going to be using domestic flights, that Japanese Airlines (JAL) and ANA offer discounted domestic fares to foreign visitors. These have to be e-booked directly via their websites.
There are a few different airports on Kyushu Island, so whilst Kagoshima airport is an obvious choice as the start hotel is in Kagoshima city, you can also choose to fly in to Fukuoka, for example, and to continue to Kagoshima city by bullet train (1hr 40mins).
On your plane into Japan you will be asked to complete landing cards (disembarkation cards) and a custom form to declare goods/cash you are bringing with you. These are then handed in at immigration / custom control. At the border control you will receive a passport stamp with landing date and allowed stay period.
Please ensure you check with your airline, the procedures you need to follow regarding checking luggage if you are transiting rather than flying direct to Kagoshima.
Foreign Travel Advice
For the latest travel advice from the Foreign Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) including security and local laws, plus passport and visa information, check www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice. We also receive notifications direct from the FCDO so we are always aware of the ‘status’ in our destination countries.
Kagoshima Airport: It is the second busiest airport on Kyushu Island (the 3rd largest island of Japan's 5 main islands). It has both international and domestic terminals and English signage is widely used in appropriate locations, for international travellers. Depending on whether you arrive via a domestic or international flight, you ay or may not have to go through immigration. Following immigration, you will, as expected, head to baggage reclaim, then customs. There is an information centre with English speaking staff who can direct you to either a bus stop or taxi stand, depending on your preference.
Taxis: Drivers will not necessarily speak English, though they are likely to have the basics. They will either know, or be able to look up, the hotel address. The airport is approx 40kms (40min journey) from the city, as it serves the whole province. Expect to pay approx 10-11,000JPY for the journey (£67 on 2.3.21).
Bus: For a more cost effective option, it is easy to get one of the regular (every 30mins or so) public buses from Kagoshima airport to the city centre. Expect to pay approx 1400JPY (£10.50).
Holiday insurance is essential for all Yellow Wood Adventures. Unfortunately anyone without insurance is not able to take part in the holiday, so please make sure you arrange cover. We recommend sorting your insurance when you book so that if you have problems during the run up to your holiday, and need to cancel, you are covered, particularly in the light of effects that the pandemic has had on travel.
Prior to the holiday, we will ask you to send us details of your insurer, policy number, 24 hr emergency assistance contact details and the name, address, and telephone numbers of your NOK or persons to be notified in the event of an emergency.
Your insurance needs to cover you for moderate walking with the following fairly standard inclusions:
We would also recommend that you have cover for the following optional items:
For information on Japan, such as climate, weather, language, social norms, food & drink etc, please have a read of our Country specificinformation.
YellowWood Adventures
This is a new itinerary for YellowWood and as such, we do not yet have any reviews. We would love you to be the first to review the adventure!
Receive a 15% discount off Water-to-Go filtration water-bottles to help reduce plastic waste.
All adventures can be tailored as private bespoke trips.
Please contact us for more information:
+44 207 846 0197
Select dates: Choose the dates for your adventure and consider adding any extra adventures or add-ons to enhance your experience.
Check the box to agree to our Terms & Conditions.
Make Booking: Click on "Make Booking." If you're booking more than 56 days before your adventure, you'll be redirected to secure WorldPay to make your deposit. If it's 56 days or less before your adventure, you'll need to make full payment. Rest assured, your money is held securely by the Travel Trust Association.
Your booking will show as 'pending' in your YellowWood online account.
Confirmation: We'll be in touch as soon as possible to confirm your booking or discuss any availability limitations. Please refrain from booking transport or flights until we've emailed you to confirm your booking. (Note: Receipt of your booking form is not confirmation.)
Making payment: Once your booking is confirmed, we'll change the status of your final invoice from 'Pending Approval' to 'Outstanding,' indicating that it's ready for payment online.
You will receive a reminder email for your final payment 56 days before the departure date.
Feel free to contact us with any questions about your adventure or booking, we're here to help!
To help you choose the right adventure for you, we have given each itinerary a grading that relates to the level of Walking / Trekking you will experience during the trip. This grading can be found on the Yellow map on the adventure page of the website.
All of our trips involve a level of general activity so are designed for people who are in good health, enjoy the outdoors, and have a taste for adventure and some level of fitness. As will be clear from our destinations, the climate (and altitude) may be different to that which you are used to, so please take this into consideration when choosing the most suitable holiday.
Please read our Adventure Itinerary & Essential Information for more information and don't hesitate to contact us if you would like to chat through whether you have found a suitable adventure for you.
You need to be in good physical health to enjoy your active holiday, but you don’t need to be an experienced hiker. These itineraries offer a mix of sightseeing and easier walking for around 2-4hrs a day, with the emphasis on sights and cultural experiences.
Walks will be well marked or on defined pathways, and often around sites of interest. The expected amount of descent/ascent will depend on the landscapes of the destination, but will not exceed 400m/day, and will often be much less. Walks are at low altitude (below 3000m).
You will not be required to carry more than a day sack with water and essentials. Ensure you are aware of the weather conditions likely in the destination you are visiting and have a pair of comfortable and worn in walking shoes/boots.
You need to have a good level of fitness and be a regular walker for these adventures, with ideally some trekking experience. You can expect to be walking for 3-6 hours per day, not including rest stops, normally on good trail paths but with some uneven surfaces at times.
You will not be required to carry more than a day sack. You may be walking in more challenging temperatures. You will generally be walking at low altitude (below 3000m) but may walk at altitudes up to 4000m. The amount of ascent could be up to 800m in a day but will frequently be less. You may walk on consecutive days.
Ensure you are aware of the weather conditions likely in the destination you are visiting and have suitable clothing for this adventure.
You need to have a good level of fitness with previous experience of trekking. Extra training before your trip will ensure that you get the most out of your adventure. Areas will be remote and terrain uneven.
Expect to walk for 5 – 8 hours a day, not including breaks, with some very steep ascents and descents. You will be walking at altitude (over 3000m but not higher than 5000m).
Ensure you are aware of the weather conditions likely in the destination you are visiting and have suitable equipment/clothing for this adventure (see the packing list for your adventure).
Please check individual itineraries for details of what you will need to be carrying with you.
CLICK HERE to schedule a call online with YellowWood Founder Sam McManus.
Or call us directly 24/7 on: