Sacred Japan and South Korea

Pricing based on departure date: 5 May 2027

Experience all-inclusive luxury cruise travel on an unforgettable 10-day exploration of Japan, ‘the Land of the Rising Sun’ with Heritage Expeditions, pioneers in authentic small ship expedition cruising. Our voyage Sacred Japan & South Korea has been carefully curated to showcase Japan’s seamless blend of ancient customs and ultramodern living, culinary creativity, arts and gardens. We will cruise from iconic cities to seldom visited remote coastlines and islands best explored by sea aboard our purpose-built expedition flagship Heritage Adventurer.

Historic highlights on our journey include the five-storey Pagoda of Miyajima; the 17th Century Matsue Castle; the sobering Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park with its eternal Flame of Peace; Kanazawa’s Teramachi District with its temples and shrines, including the famed ‘Ninja Temple’. We will also discover Fukuoka’s trendy yatai food stalls, vibrant art installations, historic ruins and colourful coastal parks. We also plan to explore Japan’s traditional and contemporary art as we visit galleries and meet local artists. One option includes a visit to Japan’s ‘art island’ Naoshima, and a day in South Korea’s Ulsan. Here we will explore UNESCO World Heritage Site Gyeongju - the ‘museum without walls’ alongside a visit to Haeinsa Temple, considered one of South Korea’s three great temples.

DETAIL ITINERARY

Day 1: Osaka
Arrive at Honshu’s largest port city Osaka where modern architecture and a vibrant dining scene are nestled alongside the 16th Century shogunate Osaka Castle. Make your way to your hotel where you will spend the first night of the expedition. This evening meet your fellow voyagers and expedition guides over dinner at the hotel.

Day 2: Osaka/Niigata
Enjoy breakfast at the hotel before boarding your flight to the bustling port town of Niigata. Famous for snow, rice, sake, hot springs and the six-arched, granite-sided stone Bandai Bridge which was designated as a Nationally Important Cultural Property in 2004, and one of the most scenic spots in the city. This afternoon your captain and expedition team will welcome you aboard Heritage Adventurer.

Day 3: Sado Island
Today we will explore remote Sado Island off the coast of Niigata. Comprising the mountain ranges of Osado and Kosado flanking the Kokunaka Plain, Sado was once a destination of political exile. It now boasts its own rich cultural and eligious life incorporating puppet theatre, Okesa folk songs, Ondeko drumming, demon dances, and Noh theatre thanks to some of its more famous displaced figures. Home to the Japanese Crested Ibis, extinct on the mainland, and the iconic Taraibune Tub Boats, which we will have the opportunity to experience. This island off the beaten path combines stunning natural scenery including Senkakuwan Bay and Ogi Peninsula, and wilderness and wildlife with a rich history including gold and silver mining, Samurai warrior culture and unique agri- and aqua-culture practices. Sado Island is widely considered a perfect miniature version of Japan. Here, we will visit the Shukunegi Village National Important Preservation Area and learn more about traditional taiko drumming at the Sado Island Taiko Centre.

Day 4: Kanazawa
Options today include exploring the historic mountain settlement and UNESCO World Heritage Site of Shirakawa-go, high in the remote mountains of the Shogawa River Valley in Hakusan National Park. Take in the sights on mountain walks and experience the unique cultural traditions including the region’s iconic Gassho-zukuri farmhouses. Some of which are more than 250 years old, designed to withstand the heavy snow in winter and provide a large attic space for cultivating silkworms. Alternatively explore the rich art centre of Kanazawa discovering some of the unique styles of Japanese art. Kanazawa is rightly famous for its Kutani-style pottery, exquisite lacquerware, gold-leaf workmanship, hand painted silk, and classical Noh dance-drama performed since the 14th Century. Wander the winding cobblestone streets of Kanazawa’s Geisha district Higashi Chaya. Explore elegant restaurants and craft galleries and visit the impressive Edo-period Kenroku-en Garden, one of the Three Great Gardens of Japan.

Day 5: Matsue
Arrive at the port of Sakaiminato, entry point to Matsue, known as ‘the town of water’ due to being situated between Lake Shinji and Lake Nakaumi. We plan to visit Matsue Castle, a national treasure and one of Japan’s few largely intact 17th Century castles. Other options today may include exploring Daisen-Oki National Park and Mount Daisen with its rich Buddhist culture. It was once home to 3,000 soldier monks and offers panoramic views from the summit at the Ogamiyama Shrine before visiting the breathtaking Daisenji Temple. Visit the Japanese circuit-style Yuushien Garden combining the traditional elements of a pond, waterfalls, streams, stone lanterns, rock garden and a variety of seasonal flowers. These include more than 250 types of Japanese Peony, or visit the Adachi Museum of Art renowned for its superb Japanese gardens and collection of contemporary Japanese paintings, comprising some 1,500 of the country’s most highly regarded paintings produced after the Meiji period.

Day 6: Ulsan, South Korea
Today we cross the Sea of Japan to Ulsan in South Korea where we plan to visit the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Gyeongju. The capital of the Silla Dynasty and dating back to the first millennium, Gyeongju is known as ‘the museum without walls’ and is full of ancient Korean history and Buddhist culture. Stroll among excavated monuments, temples, tombs and pagodas at Tumuli Park and the Bulguksa Buddhist Temple. We may also visit the iconic Woljeonggyo Bridge. Savour Korean delicaciesand explore Hwanglidangil Road, South Korea’s trendy yet traditional Korean-style food, pub, and shopping street and walk in the beautiful Taehwagang Bamboo Forest. Today is a perfect taste of South Korea.

Day 7: Fukuoka, Japan
The largest city on the island of Kyushu, Fukuoka is the union of the castle town of Fukuoka on the west bank of the Naka River and the merchant town of Hakata on the east bank. This buzzy metropolis combines an effortless blend of trendy yatai food stalls (which made Lonely Planet and The New York Times 2023 travel lists) with vibrant art installations, historic ruins and colourful coastal parks. During our time here there may be opportunities to explore the northern city of Kitakyushu and famed Kokura Castle, TOTO Museum and Kawachi Wisteria Garden or Nanzoin Temple with its reclining bronze Buddha (thought to be the world’s largest bronze statue) and the Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine, which is built on the grave site of poet and scholar Sugawara no Michizane and surrounded by beautiful gardens, ponds and bridges with more than 6,000 plum trees.

Day 8: Hiroshima & Miyajima
Despite its history, including being the site of the world’s first atomic bomb attack on 6 August 1945, Hiroshima is a vibrant and thriving cosmopolitan community. We plan to visit the beautiful Peace Park and Museum, with its sombre cenotaph containing names of atomic bomb victims, and the permanently lit ‘Flame of Peace’. We plan to time our visit to Miyajima Island during high tide, where possible, to experience the floating Torii Gate. Considered one of Japan’s most scenic spots it is also the location of the famed Daisho-in Buddhist temple. Choose to indulge in fresh local oysters and ice cream, while native Sika deer wander the streets, and enjoy the views of the Shinto Shrine and Torri Gate.

Day 9: Tomano/Uno-Ko
From the port of Uno-Ko, we will visit one of Japan’s most famedgardens, Koraku-en, which translates as ‘garden of pleasure after’. This 17th-Century formal garden has 28 acres to explore and offers stunning views of the nearby towering Okayama Castle. This afternoon we will continue to Kurashiki. Here we plan to explore the old merchant quarter, and its fine 17th-Century wooden warehouses painted white with traditional black tiles along a canal framed with weeping willows and filled with koi. There will also be the opportunity to visit the Ohara Museum of Art, which includes rare works by Matisse, Picasso and Renoir and collections from Japan’s renowned Mingei movement, including ceramics by Shōji Hamada. For those interested in art you may wish to travel to Naoshima Island –Japan’s art island – for a full-day excursion. Your day on Naoshima Island will have you admiring its architecture and art museums, including Chichu Art Museum and Benesse House, featuring work by Japanese and international artists including the iconic pumpkins by Yayoi Kusama.

Day 10: Osaka
This morning sail back into Osaka, after breakfast there will be a complimentary coach to a central hotel or either Kansai or Osaka International Airports. To allow time for disembarkation procedures and travel from Osaka, we do not recommend booking flights departing before 1300 hours.

Note: During our voyage, circumstances may make it necessary or desirable to deviate from the proposed itinerary. This can include poor weather and opportunities for making unplanned excursions. Your Expedition Leader will keep you fully informed. This tour offers a variety of activities and excursions. Your personal interests will determine which of these you wish to join. Please note that some activities and excursions will run at similar times, and it will not be possible to participate in both. Accordingly, refunds for excursions and missed landings are not available. Voyages are planned and scheduled pending final regulatory approval.

Your Ship: Heritage Adventurer

Heritage Adventurer is a true pioneering expedition vessel of exceptional pedigree often referred to as the ‘Grande Dame of Exploration Cruising’.

Purpose built for adventure in 1991 at Finland’s Rauma shipyard and specifically designed for Polar exploration, Heritage Adventurer (formerly known as MS Hanseatic) is 124-metres long, boasts the highest passenger ship ice-class rating (1A Super) and an impressive history of Polar and remote region exploration making her perfect for Heritage Expeditions signature experiential expedition travel.

Originally designed to accommodate 184 guests, we now welcome just 140 expeditioners to create a spacious, comfortable on board experience and continuation of the exceptional, personalised expedition experience synonymous with the company. A fleet of 14 Zodiacs ensures all guests are able to maximise their expedition experience. On board, enjoy stylish, sophisticated accommodations spanning 4 decks, visit the captain and crew in the Bridge with our Open Bridge Policy and dine on gourmet fare from leading chefs. Watch your adventure unfold from numerous spectacular indoor and outdoor viewing locations including Heritage Adventurer’s famed Observation Lounge resplendent with 270-degree views and join our world-renowned team of naturalists, botanists, historians and experts as they interpret the natural and human history discovered during each voyage, as well as hosting regular lectures. And should you require a little R&R, unwind in the library, pool, gym, hot tub, sauna and steam room, indulge in some retail therapy or find a quiet place to enjoy a coffee or cocktail from the café and bar.

Osaka, Osaka/Niigata, Sado Island, Kanazawa, Matsue, Ulsan (South Korea), Fukuoka, Hiroshima & Miyajima, Tomano/Uno-ko, Osaka

All fares are displayed in AUD, and pricing is per person based on twin share occupancy unless stated otherwise. Although all due care is taken to keep information as up-to-date as possible, pricing and availability are subject to change without notice: due to varying timing schedules of supplier automated update processes; currency fluctuations; fuel surcharges or government tax & fee changes and may not be guaranteed until paid in full. Gratuities may be an additional onboard charge depending on particular cruise line selected. Please ask your cruise consultant for any clarification of Terms & Conditions.