Sacred Japan & South Korea: A Voyage from Osaka to Niigata - Tokyo, Including South Korea
20% off selected departures

DAYS 11 / SHIP Heritage Adventurer

DEPARTURES 6 May 2026

PLACES VISITED

PRICES FROM ~~$8,495~~ $6,901 USD (More Rates)

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’; Hagi’s Jokamachi District with its old Samurai houses, Hagi Castle ruins and beautiful Zen Buddhist Tokoji Temple featuring examples of Japan’s iconic Shinto Shrines and Torii Gates.

During our expedition, we will also explore Japan’s traditional and contemporary art as we visit galleries and meet local artists including an option to visit Japan’s ‘art island’ Naoshima, and a day in South Korea’s Ulsan exploring UNESCO World Heritage Site Gyeongju - the ‘museum without walls’ alongside a visit to Haeinsa Temple, considered one of the three great temples in South Korea. Our voyage also visits parts of Japan where relatively few tourists set foot such as Sado Island - widely considered a perfect miniature Japan and thriving cultural capital filled with performing arts, natural scenery, samurai history, and more.

For those with a passion for nature, we plan to visit Daisen-Oki and Hakusan National Parks, Kenrokuen Garden – one of the Three Great Gardens of Japan alongside one of Japan’s most famed gardens, the 28-acre formal 17th Century Koraku-en Garden. Explore one of Japan’s main bonsai centres at Kinashi Garden and discover the wonders of Japanese circuit-style Yuushien Garden home to more than 250 types of Japanese Peony.

Helping us understand all we will see and experience, and travelling with us throughout the voyage, will be our expert Guest Speakers and Japanese guides who will add immeasurably to your enjoyment and understanding of this captivating country. We hope you can join us on this in-depth exploration around the coastline and islands of Japan, as we discover the unspoiled nature, primeval wilderness, incredible gardens, cultural treasures, traditional villages and futuristic cities resplendent with their unique charms.

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Sacred Japan & South Korea: A Voyage from Osaka to Niigata - Tokyo, Including South Korea

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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, and 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: Enjoy breakfast at the hotel before exploring Osaka. Opportunities here include visiting Minoh Park and Osaka Castle. With an area of just 9.6 square kilometres (963 hectares), Minoh Park is one of Japan’s smallest National Parks and home to the iconic 33-metre high Minoh Waterfall and diverse wildlife, including the Japanese Giant Salamander and protected Mino Monkeys. Explore Osaka Castle, one of Japan’s most famous landmarks, take in the views from Osaka Castle Main Tower and relive dramatic stories of warlords and Osaka’s fascinating history. We also plan to visit Dotonbori, Osaka’s vibrant downtown hub of food and culture, for lunch. This afternoon your Captain and Expedition Team welcome you aboard Heritage Adventurer.
Day 3: Tomano: From the port of Uno-Ko, we will visit one of Japan’s most famed gardens, 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, where we 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 4: 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 5: Hagi: Hagi was a minor fishing port until Mori Terumoto fortified it in 1604, and it was Mori Samurai that helped spark off the anti-Tokugawa revolt in the mid-19th Century. Today, it is better known for its traditional pottery making. This morning we will explore the Teramachi District with its temples and shrines, the Jokamachi District, where we find old Samurai houses and take time to visit the Hagi Castle ruins, Shizuki Park and Tokoji Temple. Spend this afternoon exploring the small town of Senzaki, birthplace of famous Japanese poet Misuzu Kaneko, and home to designated national natural monument and place of scenic beauty Ryugu no Shiofuki/The Dragon Spout, and the region’s famous fish cake cuisine Senzaki Kamaboko which date back to the 1680s. Or travel to the outskirts of the city and the Yoshika Taibi Memorial Museum which is dedicated to a large collection of Hagiyaki pottery which was highly prized in the Edo period as wares for tea ceremonies. Alternatively, discover the natural wonders of 300 million year old limestone Akiyoshido Cave.
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 delicacies and 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: Matsue, Japan: 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 including more than 250 types of Japanese Peony, or 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 8: 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 9: 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 religious life incorporating puppet theatre, Okesa folk songs, Ondeko drumming and 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 10: Niigata to Tokyo: This morning sail into the bustling port town of Niigata, famous for snow, rice, sake, hot springs and the six-arched, granite-sided stone Bandai Bridge, designated as a Nationally Important Cultural Property in 2004, and one of the most scenic spots in the city. Enjoy breakfast before travelling by Shinkansen, ‘bullet train’, to Tokyo, check into your hotel and spend the evening at your leisure.
Day 11: Tokyo: After breakfast continue your adventure or take a complimentary coach, departing 9am, to Tokyo International Airport (Haneda Airport).

Our ship: Heritage Adventurer

Heritage Adventurer is a true pioneering expedition vessel of exceptional pedigree. Often referred to as the 'Grande Dame of Expedition Cruising' due to her celebrated history and refined design, she was purpose-built for adventure in 1991 at Finland's Rauma shipyard and specifically designed for Polar exploration. Setting a peerless standard in authentic expedition travel, Heritage Adventurer (…

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Pricing

6 May 2026

Sacred Japan & South Korea - 6 May 2026 to 16 May 2026 - Heritage Adventurer

A Voyage from Osaka to Niigata - Tokyo, Including South Korea

Osaka → Niigata

20% off selected departures

Cabin Category	Price Per Person	Description	Availability
Main Deck Triple	~~$8,495~~ $6,901 USD	Main Deck Triple Cabins on Deck 3 are a spacious 22m2 and feature two porthole windows, two single beds and one Pullman bed which folds down from the wall, comfortable lounge, writing desk, private en-suite with shower, ample storage and a flat screen entertainment system.	Available
Superior Triple	~~$8,695~~ $7,061 USD	Superior Triple Cabins on Deck 5 are a spacious 22m2 and feature large panoramic windows, two single beds and one Pullman bed which folds down from the wall, comfortable lounge, writing desk, private en-suite with shower, ample storage and a flat screen entertainment system.	Available
Deck 4 Superior	~~$9,615~~ $7,797 USD	Superior Cabins on Deck 4 are a spacious 22m2 and feature large panoramic windows, king or two single beds, comfortable lounge, writing desk, private en-suite with shower, ample storage and a flat screen entertainment system.	Available
Deck 5 Superior	~~$10,235~~ $8,293 USD	Superior Cabins on Deck 5 are a spacious 22m2 and feature large panoramic windows, king or two single beds, comfortable lounge, writing desk, private en-suite with shower, ample storage and a flat screen entertainment system.	Available
Main Deck Single	~~$11,575~~ $9,365 USD	Main Deck Single Cabins on Deck 3 are a spacious 22m2 and feature two porthole windows, king bed, comfortable lounge, writing desk, private en-suite with shower, ample storage and a flat screen entertainment system.	Available
Superior Single	~~$12,435~~ $10,053 USD	Superior Single Cabins on Deck 5 are a spacious 22m2 and feature large panoramic windows, king bed, comfortable lounge, writing desk, private en-suite with shower, ample storage and a flat screen entertainment system.	Available
Worsley Suite	~~$13,150~~ $10,625 USD	Located on Deck 6, Worsley Suites are a spacious 22m2 and feature large panoramic windows, king or two single beds, comfortable chaise-style lounge suite, writing desk, private en-suite with shower, ample storage and a flat screen entertainment system. Receive complimentary in-room dining, minibar replenished daily, Heritage Expeditions keep cup, notebook and pen.	Available
Heritage Suite	~~$15,500~~ $12,505 USD	Located on Deck 6, Heritage Suites are an expansive 44m2 and feature large double panoramic windows, king bed, large living area with a sofa, coffee table and chairs and grand marble bathroom with a double basin, bathtub and shower, large writing desk, floor to ceiling cabinetry for storage and a flat screen entertainment system. Receive complimentary in-room dining, minibar replenished daily, free laundry, US$100.00 per person SPA credit, Heritage Expeditions keep cup, notebook and pen.	Available

20% off selected departures

Book before 30 April 2025 and SAVE 20% on all berths on Sacred Japan & South Korea departing in 2026.

T&C's apply, new bookings, excludes landing fees and optional extras, cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer.

Includes:

Landing fees, one night hotel accommodation equivalent to your on board accommodation (incl. dinner/breakfast), pre cruise transfer and post cruise bullet train transfer, all on board ship accommodation with meals, house beer, wine and soft drinks with lunch and dinner, and all shore excursions and activities. Programme of lectures by noted naturalists.

Excludes:

All items of a personal nature, laundry, drinks, gratuities. International/domestic flights, visas and travel insurance.

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Sacred Japan & South Korea: A Voyage from Osaka to Niigata - Tokyo, Including South Korea 20% off selected departures