Inland Sea of Japan & South Korea

Arrive at Kansai International Airport or Osaka Itami International Airport. Transfer to the Kyoto Hotel Okura.

Your first evening in Kyoto is at leisure to explore on your own. Enjoy a walk through the city that is the cultural heart of Japan. Your hotel is ideally located near many restaurants, shops and other attractions. Stop by the Gohagan Hospitality Desk for suggestions and inspiration.

Visit the iconic temples of Ryoan-ji and Kinkaku-ji this morning. Ryoan-ji is a Zen Buddhist temple with a world-famous rock garden. Continue to Kinkaku-ji, the Golden Pavilion. The top two stories of this stunning Zen temple are covered in gold leaf.  These two temples, along with the temples you will visit tomorrow, are on the UNESCO World Heritage list as part of the Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto.

This afternoon, stroll the paths of the Bamboo Forest, an iconic, serene natural wonder that draws visitors with its peaceful, otherworldly atmosphere. Tall green bamboo stalks grow into a dense overhead canopy that sways gently and rustles in the breeze. Take a deep breath in this Edenic oasis in the midst of the city.

Alternately, you may choose to explore Kyoto on your own. Take a stroll through Nishiki Market, home to some 130 vendors. Kyoto residents have been shopping at this illustrious market for four centuries. Not only can you find fresh fish, tsukemono (the pickles that accompany nearly every Japanese meal), sake, seasonings and other foods and condiments, but there are shops that specialize in chopsticks, cookware, pottery, hand fans and more. There also are several restaurants, where you can enjoy the traditional flavors of Kyoto. Stop by the Gohagan Travel Hospitality Desk for sightseeing and dining suggestions.

Tonight, join your fellow passengers for a Welcome Reception, followed by dinner on your own.

First built 14 years before Kyoto was selected in 794 as the capital of Japan, Kiyomizu-dera looks over the city from its perch on the eastern hills. Many people gather on the temple’s large terrace, noted for being built without any nails, to gaze at the delicate cherry blossoms in the spring and colorful maple leaves in the autumn. After touring the temple, take a walk through the surrounding charming neighborhood, where the streets are lined with traditional shops and restaurants.

Visit Nijo-jo, a castle built by Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu, the first ruler of the Tokugawa shogunate, in 1603. One of the distinguishing features of the castle are its nightingale floors, which squeak when walked upon. This served as an alarm system to alert the occupants of intruders. The castle is regarded as a top example of samurai residential architecture.

Take a private tour of Kanazawa and its main highlights. Visit two fascinating districts of the city. Higashi Chaya is an area known for its teahouses where geishas entertain with song and dance performances (Chaya means teahouse). The Nagamachi Samurai district is located outside Kanazawa Castle and traditionally housed the samurais. Notice the distinctive narrow lanes with private gates, earthen walls and canals that characterize this neighborhood. Finally, stroll through the beautiful Kenrokuen Garden, one of Japan’s top three landscape gardens. The grounds were formerly the outer garden of the Kanazawa Castle and took two centuries to create. Look for the beautiful cherry blossoms on the grounds. We’ll have lunch today while touring Kanazawa.

Transfer to the Heritage Adventurer for embarkation. Shortly after, gather for a welcome briefing and a safety drill.

Dinner tonight, and every night of the cruise, onboard the ship.

Nestled in a remote valley and flanked by the mountains of Gifu, Shirakawa-go is an isolated settlement. This UNESCO World Heritage site is famous for its traditional farmhouses, some dating back 250 years. The heavily forested region receives considerable snowfall in the winter, and the farmhouses need roofs that will easily shed the high volume of snow. Their distinctive architectural style, developed over many generations, boasts steep, thatched roofs, made without nails. The steeply pitched roofs shed the snow, and as an added bonus, they provide a large attic space used for cultivating silkworms.

Make your own plans for lunch before returning to the ship.

Tonight, join your fellow passengers for a Captain’s Welcome Reception, followed by dinner.

Spend the day getting acquainted with the ancient capital of Gyeongju, seat of the Silla Dynasty for nearly 900 years. The Gyeongju Historic Areas—comprised of pagodas, sculptures, tumuli and ruins of temples and palaces—are inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list. During your excursion, visit Bulguksa Temple, another UNESCO-inscribed site, which is the center of Korea’s Buddhist culture. Admire the wooden buildings sitting on stone terraces. The temple’s design is considered a masterpiece not only of Korean Buddhist architecture, but also of secular architecture.

Tour the Gyeongju National Museum, boasting many precious archaeological artifacts, including gold jewelry, pottery, art and more. Stop for lunch, where you’ll enjoy a performance of traditional music and dance. The tour concludes at Tumuli Park, part of the Gyeongju Historic Areas, and home to nearly two dozen royal tumuli, or burial mounds. Visit a fifth-century tomb, named Cheonmachong (Heavenly Horse) Tomb after a leather ceremonial saddle found during the tomb’s excavation, and see many of the artifacts that were found inside.

Stroll through a charming 17th-century neighborhood in the city of Kurashiki. The Bikan District is the old merchant quarter, where white-walled homes, shops and storehouses preserve the ambiance of the affluent years of an important trading port on the Kurashiki River.

Return to the ship for lunch.

Visit the tranquil Koraku-en garden in the heart of Okayama. Built over several years beginning in the late 1600s, the garden was a retreat for the daimyo, the feudal lords. Vast lawns surround ponds and small pools of water. Admire the various pavilions and buildings interspersed around the garden. This garden is iconic and recognized throughout Japan as one of the top three parks in the country. It is located just beside Okayama Castle, which can be seen from the garden as “borrowed scenery.”

Join your fellow passengers for a Farewell Reception and Dinner, and raise a glass to your amazing adventure!