Cruising the Land of the Rising Sun
Northbound
Your explorations begin during your stay in Osaka and include nearby Nara and Kyoto – city of two thousand temples and shrines – and end in Tokyo; on your cruise, sightseeing excursions include Uno Ko, Uwajima, Kagoshima, Nagasaki… Uncover layers of Japanese culture – past and present; explore historic sights and trend-setting neighborhoods… attend a taiko drumming performance, a geisha performance, a sumo wrestling demonstration… and more.
You’ll explore the volcano Sakurajima, visit a pearl farm, tour modern and historic museums, and see how the Japanese produce one of their most popular beverages – Kirin beer. Travel in style aboard Le Soléal – with outside staterooms; a choice of chic or casual dining; and all-day complimentary beverages, including wine and spirits. And that’s just the beginning of the amenities and services onboard.
ONLY WITH TAUCK
Special Tauck Experiences include local cultural entertainment, a sumo wrestling demonstration, geisha and taiko performances and more.
Cruise prices are per person. All hotel and cruise ship accommodations, motor coach transportation, port charges, land excursions, admissions, entertainment, sightseeing, special dinners, porterage, and the services of the Tauck Directors, hotel and ship staff, and local guides and drivers are included. Bar & restaurant beverages are included throughout the day aboard ship, including house wine & spirits. Transportation from Kansai International Airport to the St. Regis, Osaka, The Ritz-Carlton Osaka or The Conrad Hotel Osaka according to your booking, is included, regardless of the time you check in to the hotel, provided you have furnished us with accurate flight arrival information at least three weeks before the start of your tour. Transportation from the The Shangri-La Hotel Toyko, The Palace Hotel Tokyo or The Mandarin Oriental Tokyo to Tokyo’s Narita Airport according to your booking, is also included at the end of your cruise. Transportation to and from the airport may be shared with other Tauck guests.
Rates and schedules are not guaranteed until booked and will vary based on departure date.
Tour begins: The St. Regis Osaka, The Ritz-Carlton, Osaka or The Conrad Osaka. A transfer is included from Osaka’s Kansai International Airport or Itami Airport to The St. Regis Osaka, The Ritz- Carlton, Osaka or The Conrad Osaka. After settling in to your hotel, depart for a Tauck Exclusive evening in Osaka that includes a welcome reception, a Geiko / Geisha cultural lecture and performance, and a welcome dinner.
MEALS – Dinner
LODGING The Ritz-Carlton, Osaka
LODGING The Conrad Osaka
LODGING The St. Regis Osaka
Temples and traditions in Kyoto
Immerse yourself today in the loveliness of classic Kyoto, city of 2,000 temples and shrines. Like a divine dream the Zen Golden Pavilion, bathed in gold leaf and capped by a golden phoenix, sits in a landscape design meticulously preserved since the 1400s, with a strategically placed pond that hauntingly reflects the shimmering golden temple. Next visit the Sanjusagen-do, a Buddhist temple in Kyoto’s Higashiyama District – officially called “Rengeo-in” (“Hall of the Lotus King”). After lunch at a local restaurant, attend a traditional Japanese Taiko drumming experience and explore more of Kyoto before returning to your hotel in Osaka (note that sightseeing days 2 and 3 may alternate.)
MEALS – Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Head to the city of Nara this morning to visit Todai-ji (Eastern Great Temple), a Buddhist temple complex that was once one of the city’s powerful Seven Great Temples. Its Great Buddha Hall houses the world’s largest bronze statue of the Buddha Vairocana, known in Japanese as Daibutsu. Part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site officially called the “Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara,” Todai-ji temple also serves as headquarters of the Kegon school of Buddhism in Japan. After lunch at a local restaurant, visit Nara Park at the foot of Mount Wakakusa; established in the 14th century, it is one of the oldest public parks in Japan and is a national treasure – as are the more than 1,200 free-roaming wild sika deer that call the park home. Return to your Osaka hotel for an evening spent as you please.
MEALS – Breakfast, Lunch
Begin the day with morning sightseeing in Osaka by motor coach, walking tour and visits to local markets. After lunch at a local restaurant, enjoy a walking tour of Osaka’s Dotumburi district followed by some free time to explore as you wish. Then drive to the port of Osaka, where your yacht, Le Soléal, awaits. Begin your cruise along the southwestern coast of Honshu, the largest island in the Japanese archipelago, bound for Uno Ko and Naoshima.
MEALS – Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
LODGING – Le Soléal
Anchor in Tamano (Uno Ko) and travel to the old merchant town of Kurashiki for a walking tour of its historic quarter, where warehouses, shops, and mills remain virtually unchanged by time. Another Kurashiki treasure, the Ohara Museum of Art, reveals a great collection of Western art. Enjoy a choice of three activities this afternoon. On one, you’ll ferry to the unique little island of Naoshima, exclusively devoted to art installations and the work of the world-class architect Tadao Ando. Another choice is a bicycle ride through Uno Ko. Beer is considered by many to be the most popular alcoholic drink in Japan and your third choice today is a visit to Kirin Yokohama Beer Village, one of nine factories of the Japan Kirin Group. Your tour winds its way around parts of the factory, offering views from above through observation windows of various parts of the manufacturing process – and includes the tasting bar, where you can sample Kirin beers. Back onboard ship, enjoy your captain’s farewell dinner tonight.
MEALS – Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
LODGING – Le Soléal
EXCURSION CHOICES – Cycling Excursion in Uno K
In your next port of call, Hiroshima, you’ll set off on a morning sightseeing tour and visit the Hiroshima Peace Memorial and sites associated with the WWII atomic bomb blast of August 1945. After lunch at a local restaurant serving regional fare, you can choose to visit the iconic Miyajima-Itsukushima Shrine that seems to float on water (a photographer’s dream); or take a tour of the local Mazda factory. Sail on to Uwajima tonight.
MEALS – Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
LODGING – Le Soléal
Spend a morning in a rural area around the port city of Uwajima on Shikoku, with a choice of three excursions. One takes you into the countryside to visit a pearl farm – where you’ll view a hatchery and see farmers working on bamboo rafts from which baskets of pearl oysters are suspended in the water for culturing – and the 16th-century Dairakuji temple, known as Musasabi-dera (“Flying Squirrel Temple”) for the wild flying squirrels that live there, for an eclectic tour led by a Buddhist monk. Another explores Nanrakuen Garden, the largest traditional garden on Shikoku, presenting a series of beautiful gardens based on themes of “mountain, village, city, and sea;” your guided visit includes a walk through the exquisitely maintained gardens, a calligraphy demonstration and a tea ceremony. A third choice includes a visit to a series of danbata (terraced fields) that form a “staircase” on a steep mountain slope, appearing to roll right down the hillside and into the sea; and a walk through the forest to a beautiful waterfall in Yakushidani Canyon outside Uwajima. Return to your ship for lunch, and sail on to Kagoshima.
MEALS – Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
LODGING – Le Soléal
EXCURSION CHOICES – Danbata Terraces & Waterfall Walk
Kagoshima lies on the southwestern tip of Japan’s southernmost main island, Kyushu. Excursion choices include a short ferry ride across the bay to see Sakurajima (“Cherry Blossom Island”), an active volcano; take a guided scenic drive and stop at its visitor information center to learn about Sakurajima’s volcanic history… and immerse your feet in a volcanic hot spring. Or visit Sengan-en Garden, a traditional Japanese garden and stately home in Kagoshima, passed down in the Shimadzu family for over 350 years. The charming garden boasts spectacular views of Sakurajima across the bay, while the house provides a glimpse into the lifestyle of a powerful feudal lord. Third choice, in Chiran, is a visit to this well-preserved samurai district’s Chiran Peace Museum for Kamikaze Pilots, on the site of a former airstrip used by Kamikaze pilots during World War II. Return to the ship late afternoon.
MEALS – Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
LODGING – Le Soléal
EXCURSION CHOICES – Chiran Peace Museum for Kamikaze
Arrive in Nagasaki for another day of historic sights: the Nagasaki Peace Park, filled with notable monuments and memorials; and the Atomic Bomb Museum. After lunch aboard the ship you have a choice of a visit to the Glover Gardens, an al fresco museum memorializing the Europeans who settled in Nagasaki in the late 19th century, and the Dejima Museum; or the Nagasaki Ropeway up Mount Inasa. Set sail this evening for South Korea.
MEALS – Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
LODGING – Le Soléal
EXCURSION CHOICES – The Nagasaki Ropeway on Mt. Inasa
Your crossing of the Strait of Korea to Busan, South Korea, today is a perfect time to enjoy some of the amenities aboard ship. After docking in Busan, city sightseeing includes the United Nations Memorial Cemetery, honoring troops from many nations who fell during the Korean War; and a tour of the renowned Jagalchi Fish Market, a traditional seafood market on Busan’s waterfront, and the largest in the country. In Korea as in Japan, seafood has been a mainstay of local cuisine for millennia, and your visit to this vast cooperative market offers an in-depth look at this longstanding cultural tradition. Return to the ship this afternoon and set sail for Sakaiminato.
MEALS – Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
LODGING – Le Soléal
Your yacht arrives in Western Japan’s fishing industry center, Sakaiminato, for a visit to the Adachi Museum. Following lunch, you can take an excursion to Matsue, known as “the water city” for its river, canals, and setting on two lakes and the Sea of Japan (weather permitting, take in a great view of the city and beyond from its feudal fortress; visit the Black Castle, which presides over the city in solemn majesty); or enjoy free time in Sakaiminato to pursue your own interests. Tonight say goodbye to captain and crew of your Tauck small ship at the captain’s farewell dinner.
MEALS – Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
LODGING – Le Soléal
EXCURSION CHOICES – Exploring Sakaiminato at Leisure
After disembarking your small ship in Maizuru, take a scenic drive to Kyoto to board the Bullet Train for a quick trip to Japan’s capital city, Tokyo. Walking from your premier Tokyo hotel, your guide introduces the luxury shopping district of Ginza. Enjoy dinner and time to check out this remarkable city on your own.
MEALS – Breakfast, Lunch
LODGING Mandarin Oriental, Tokyo
LODGING Palace Hotel Tokyo
LODGING Shangri-La Hotel, Tokyo
Plunge into an eclectic day in cosmopolitan Tokyo with a visit to the Meiji Shrine – honoring the deified spirits of Japan’s Emperor Meiji and his wife, Empress Shoken, who died in 1912 and 1914, respectively – plus a guided tour of the Edo-Tokyo Museum. Lunch is at a local restaurant before an afternoon spent poking around on your own. Finish the day in style with our farewell reception and dinner at Happo-en with traditional music and what’s sure to be a highlight of your cruise adventure in Japan, an unforgettable sumo wrestling demonstration that has to be seen to be believed.
MEALS Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
LODGING Mandarin Oriental, Tokyo
LODGING Palace Hotel Tokyo
LODGING Shangri-La Hotel, Tokyo
Tour ends: Tokyo. Fly home anytime. A transfer is included from the Mandarin Oriental, Tokyo, Shangri La Hotel, Tokyo or Palace Hotel, Tokyo to Narita International Airport or Haneda Airport. Allow a minimum of three hours for flight check-in.
MEALS Breakfast