Japan Intensive: Kyoto, Hiroshima & Busan Cruise

Day 1 - Tokyo

Arrive: Thu 22 April 2027 / Depart: Thu 22 April 2027 at 16:30

It’s hard to imagine Tokyo as a tiny fishing village named Edo. Tokyo is now the largest metropolitan area in the world, an exciting city with a seemingly unlimited choice of shopping, restaurants, museums, temples, and gardens to visit.

Day 2 - Hitachinaka, Japan

Arrive: Fri 23 April 2027 at 08:00 / Depart: Fri 23 April 2027 at 20:00

Day 3 - At Sea

Day 4 - Aomori

Arrive: Sun 25 April 2027 at 08:00 / Depart: Sun 25 April 2027 at 17:00

Found on Japan’s main island, Honshu, Aomori City spends most of the year offering visitors a taste of a sleepy, seaside city mixed with forward-looking developments and modern art. Combining the history of an established port town with modern facilities and attractions, the city has been called the economic and cultural center of the area.

Day 5 - Sakata, Japan

Arrive: Mon 26 April 2027 at 08:00 / Depart: Mon 26 April 2027 at 18:00

Day 6 - Toyama, Japan

Arrive: Tue 27 April 2027 at 08:00 / Depart: Tue 27 April 2027 at 16:00

Day 7 - Maizuru

Arrive: Wed 28 April 2027 at 08:00 / Depart: Wed 28 April 2027 at 20:00

Day 8 - Sakaiminato

Arrive: Thu 29 April 2027 at 08:00 / Depart: Thu 29 April 2027 at 17:30

Sakaiminato’s history is steeped in fishing tradition. Now the base of Western Japan’s fishing industry, Sakaiminato has been an open trading port with the U.S. and U.K. since 1899. Today the port town continues to be a haven for seafood lovers with fish markets and world-class restaurants scattered along its streets, making it the perfect place for visitors to taste the catch of the day.

Day 9 - Busan, South Korea

Arrive: Fri 30 April 2027 at 09:00 / Depart: Fri 30 April 2027 at 22:00

It is Pusan's premier trading port, adjacent to the Korean Straits and Japan, that makes it an international metropolis but its beautiful sea vistas that make it a charming place to unwind. Experience the serenity of Beomeo-sa Temple, climb the Busan Tower in Yongdusan Park and rejuvenate at Hushimchung Spa.

Day 10 - Nagasaki

Arrive: Sat 01 May 2027 at 10:00 / Depart: Sat 01 May 2027 at 20:00

Historically rich Nagasaki features beautiful seaside scenery and fabulous nighttime views from its mountain slopes. Secluded hot springs, fascinating museums, and ornate temples live side by side in this exciting city. Ten natural parks grace the area, and unique festivals can be experienced throughout the year. Walk through streets influenced by both Chinese and European cultures in fascinating Nagasaki.

Day 11 - Kitakyushu, Japan

Arrive: Sun 02 May 2027 at 08:00 / Depart: Sun 02 May 2027 at 20:00

Merged from five smaller cities in 1963, Kitakyushu is the gateway between the islands of Honshu and Kyushu—where the city sits on its northern tip. During WWII, the fate of the city could have been forever changed, if not for bad weather and smoke from the previous day’s bombing. It was the intended target of the Fat Man atomic bomb, but was passed over due to poor visibility in favor of Nagasaki.

Day 12 - Hiroshima

Arrive: Mon 03 May 2027 at 08:00 / Depart: Mon 03 May 2027 at 22:00

This "city of water and peace" is built in one of the most sheltered harbors on the Seto Inland Sea and is much more than the painful past it both honors and defies. Reflect and ring the bell of peace at Peace Memorial Park, then ferry to the holy island of Miyajima, famed for its Itsukushima Shrine and floating torii.

Day 12 - Cruising The Inland Sea

Day 13 - Takamatsu, Japan

Arrive: Tue 04 May 2027 at 12:00 / Depart: Tue 04 May 2027 at 20:00

On the Seto Inland Sea, looking out over the Sanuki mountain range, sits the island of Shikoku and the old castle town of Takamatsu, Japan. Now a vibrant city, Takamatsu has been an economic hub of the region since the Edo period. To get a sense of its history, visit Tamamo-koen Park. The 16th century Takamatsu Castle had been destroyed, but there’s still plenty to explore: ruins, water moats, and classic Japanese-style yagura or turrets.

Day 14 - Kobe

Arrive: Wed 05 May 2027 at 08:00

Famous for the beef that bears it name, Kobe is headquarters for numerous Japanese and international firms, and has long been an important port. It is also a short bullet train ride from Kyoto, ancient capital of Japan from the 8th to the 19th century. Here vestiges of the past are easier to find than in many of Japan's modern, high-tech cities: countless temples and shrines, the palaces and castles of shoguns and emperors, and narrow lanes paved in stone and lined with wooden buildings housing shops and restaurants that have been serving travelers for centuries.

Day 15 - Kobe

Depart: Thu 06 May 2027

Famous for the beef that bears it name, Kobe is headquarters for numerous Japanese and international firms, and has long been an important port. It is also a short bullet train ride from Kyoto, ancient capital of Japan from the 8th to the 19th century. Here vestiges of the past are easier to find than in many of Japan's modern, high-tech cities: countless temples and shrines, the palaces and castles of shoguns and emperors, and narrow lanes paved in stone and lined with wooden buildings housing shops and restaurants that have been serving travelers for centuries.