Cherry Blossoms and Revered Traditions of Japan & South Korea by Small Ship

You will be met at Osaka airport and transferred to your hotel. Enjoy a Welcome Dinner this evening where you will meet your Botanical Guides and fellow travellers.

Travel to Kyoto this morning for a full day of touring. Admire the exquisite rock garden at the Zen temple of Ryoan-ji. Continue to Kinkaku-ji Temple, also known as the Golden Pavilion. The grounds here are a fine example of Muromachi-period garden design. Enjoy a private lunch and maiko (apprentice geisha) performance. Gain insight into the life of maiko and geisha during this unique experience. After lunch we view the gardens of Ginkaku-ji, one of Kyoto’s most celebrated Zen temples. See the cherry blossoms in bloom along the Philosopher’s Path, before returning to Osaka.

Enjoy a morning at leisure before travelling to the port of Kobe. This afternoon, we board our ship, the MS Island Sky, our home for the next 10 nights.

Having cruised westward along the shores of Japan’s main island, we arrive in the city of Okayama. After breakfast, we visit Koraku-en Garden, one of Japan's most significant gardens, whose name means 'Garden of Pleasure After'. After lunch, continue to Kurashiki, where we explore the old merchant quarter and its fine 17th-century wooden warehouses. These elegant edifices, with facades painted white and traditional black tiled roofs, line a canal framed by weeping willows.

Our ship traverses the Seto Inland Sea, bringing us to the island of Shikoku, the smallest of the four main Japanese islands. Here we tour the stunning city of Takamatsu. Continue to Kinashi Bonsai Village before exploring Ritsurin Park, a 350-year-old garden famous for its spring colours, magnificent cherry blossoms, and Chrysanthemum Moon pavilion. Return to the ship for dinner this evening.

Arrive in Hiroshima and visit the compelling Peace Memorial Park. The park is dotted with memorials, including the cenotaph containing the names of all the known victims of the atomic bomb that was dropped on the city in 1945. After lunch, continue to Miyajima. Considered one of Japan's top scenic wonders, Miyajima provides postcard-perfect vistas of its scarlet torii gate, which stands before the Itsukushima Shrine. We go ashore by Zodiac to explore the shrine, founded in the sixth century AD and dedicated to three goddesses. The shrine is a designated World Heritage site.

Situated along the saw-toothed coast of Uwajima Bay is the city of Uwajima. Today you will have the option of choosing between two activities.

You may like to visit Tensha-en Garden, which was built during the Samurai era, and enjoy a special tea experience.

Perhaps visit Uwajima Castle instead. The castle’s strategic position atop a hill in the middle of the town provided for its defence against the threat of an approaching enemy. From the castle, you are able to enjoy panoramic views of the city below.

Arrive on the shores of Shikoku’s neighbouring island, Kyushu. Here we explore Nagasaki, the second Japanese city destroyed by an atomic bomb during World War II. Tour the Nagasaki Peace Park, Atomic Bomb Museum and Glover Garden, also known as Madame Butterfly House. Continue to Dejima Island, built during the Edo Period to accommodate Portuguese Christian missionaries and prevent the propagation of their religion. It was also once the residential quarters of the Dutch, the only foreigners allowed to trade in Japan for 200 years during the period of isolation known as Sakoku. Japan’s fear of outside influence kept the country secluded from the rest of the world during this time. It remained that way until, at the behest of US Navy Commodore Matthew Perry, Japan signed the 1854 Treaty of Kanagawa, which permitted American ships to dock in two of its ports.

This morning, arrive on South Korea’s Jeju Island, an area full of natural wonders.

While here, you can choose to take a full-day tour taking in Camellia Hill Botanical Gardens, renowned for its stunning collection of more than 500 camellia varieties and scenic walking paths. Visit the Spirited Garden, which is replete with hundreds of bonsai plants. The garden was created by a single farmer, upon what was previously a wasteland of rocks.

Alternatively, set off on a full-day visit to the Haenyeo Museum. Here you will learn about the legendary female free divers of Jeju. Then head to Sunrise Peak, a volcanic crater and one of Jeju’s most iconic landmarks. Finally, follow winding boardwalks across the Saryeoni Forest Path, a tranquil and enchanting woodland that offers a refreshing escape into nature. The forest is known for its dense canopy of Japanese cedars and cypress trees.

Reaching the South Korean mainland, our ship docks in the city of Ulsan.

While here, you have the option of heading out on a full-day tour, which takes in the Gyeongju National Museum, Bulguksa Temple and the sprawling Taehwagang National Garden, which features the Hoes-Oudolf Ulsan Garden, the first Piet Oudolf garden in Asia.

You may prefer to visit the Jagalchi Fish Market and the impressive Gwangan Grand Bridge.

Returning across the Korea Strait, we arrive back in Japan today. Visit the city of Matsue, known as the ‘City of Water’. Matsue is surrounded by the lakes Nakaumi and Shinji, as well as the Sea of Japan.

Choose to delve into Japan’s modern art and culture at the highly regarded Adachi Museum of Art. The museum’s adjoining garden is a masterpiece of modern design which has won many awards and accolades. This work of ‘natural art’ has been designed not to be entered, however, but to be admired only from select vantage points.

Or perhaps visit Yuushien Garden, celebrated for its profusion of peonies. Carefully timed planting means that visitors can see the peonies here year-round, in dedicated indoor and outdoor displays.

This morning, we visit one of Japan’s premier highlights, the famed Kenroku-en Garden, which is ranked as one of the country’s top three gardens. Afterwards, walk across to Kanazawa Castle, originally built in the late 16th century as the stronghold of the Maeda clan. It served as a vital centre of political and military power, reflecting the architectural resilience and strategic importance of Japan's feudal era. This afternoon, immerse yourself in Kanazawa’s culture with a visit to the Higashi Chaya-gai Geisha District. The town retains its traditional housing and layout, which reaches back to the Samurai era. While in Kanazawa, keep a lookout for some of the handcrafted items the region is famous for, including the kimono and gold leaf. This evening, we enjoy a Farewell Dinner aboard our ship.

Disembark the ship this morning and travel by bullet train from Kanazawa to Tokyo. Visit Roppongi Hills Mori Tower for panoramic views of Tokyo before arriving at your hotel.

Explore the sites of Tokyo today with a morning spent at Ueno Park and Toshogu Shrine Peony Garden. Follow this with a visit to Nezu shrine. Famed for its series of vermilion torii gates, it is also the site of the Azalea Festival during the month of April. The festival is a showcase of 3,000 azalea plants in 100 varieties, making it one of Tokyo’s most enchanting settings. This evening, enjoy a Farewell Dinner.

After breakfast today you will be transferred to the airport as our journey concludes.