Day 1: Osaka / Kyoto
Depart the U.S. one day prior. Arrive in Osaka, where you'll be met and transferred to Kyoto. Check into the deluxe Kyoto Hotel Okura.
Accommodations: Kyoto Okura Hotel
Included Meals: None
Day 2: Kyoto
Spend the day exploring what the Japanese call Nihon no Furasato, meaning "The Heart of Japan." The capital of Japan for more than 11 centuries, it remains a living museum of Japan's artistic and cultural heritage. Visit Kiyomizu Temple, dedicated to the 11-faced Buddhist deity, Kannon. Built on stilts, this UNESCO World Heritage Site offers an outstanding view of the city. Stone steps lead down to the Otowa no taki (Sound of Feathers) Waterfall. Pilgrims often drink the water which is said to cure all illnesses.
Accommodations: Kyoto Hotel Okura
Included Meals: None Day 3: Sightseeing in Kyoto
The Ryoanji (Peaceful Dragon) Temple, founded in 1450, is world famous for its stone Zen garden. The Kinkakuji (Golden Pavilion) is named for the gold leaf on Japanese lacquer that covers the second and third floors. Kinkakuji functions as a Zen shariden, that is, it houses sacred relics of Buddha. Nijo Castle has thick outer walls, a moat, hidden rooms where the shogun's samurai could observe visitors, and corridors constructed with "nightingale floors" that squeak to warn of anyone approaching.
Accommodations: Kyoto Hotel Okura
Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner Day 4: Sightseeing in Nara / Kobe
Todaiji Temple is famous for its mighty bronze Buddha, the Daibutsu - the largest bronze statue in the world. The seated giant weights 550 tons and incorporates 290 pounds of gold. A huge pillar to the right of the statue is thought to open the path of enlightenment to those who can crawl through the hole in its base. Horyuji Temple, founded in 607, is the oldest intact temple complex in Japan, and houses the world's oldest wooden buildings. This UNESCO World Heritage Site holds more than 2,300 items considered of historical importance, including a vast collection of Buddhist art. transfer to Kobe and check into the deluxe Kobe Okura Hotel.
Accommodations: Kobe Okura Hotel
Included Meals: Breakfast and Lunch Day 5: Kobe
Morning is at leisure in Kobe. Join the cruise group for the afternoon tour of Himeji Castle. Embark the Spirit of Oceanus in the afternoon.
Accommodations: Spirit of Oceanus
Included Meals: Breakfast and Dinner Day 6: Okayama / Kurashiki
Indulge yourself in Zen perfection as you tour Korakuen Garden, one of Japan's three most famous gardens, and participate in an ancient tea ceremony. Visit the Ohara Museum, which hosts an eclectic mix of classical European, Chinese, and Japanese folk art. At Ohashi House, tour the home of wealthy merchants. Stroll the charming lanes of Kurashiki, along canals crisscrossed by humpbacked stone bridges and bordered by willow trees.
Accommodations: Spirit of Oceanus
Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner Day 7: Miyajima / Hiroshima
Itsukushima is one of the most important Shinto shrines. View the famous red torii gates as the ship anchors just offshore, and tour the shrine with a Shinto priest. In Hiroshima, a city now devoted to peace, tour the Peace Memorial Park, Atomic Bomb Dome, and Peace Memorial Museum.
Accommodations: Spirit of Oceanus
Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner Day 8: Day at Sea
Leisurely cruise through Saikai National Park and the Kujukushima Islands (literally the "99 Islands") off the west coast of Kyushu. This beautiful, and rarely explored part of Japan offers many beautiful sights.
Accommodations: Spirit of Oceanus
Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner Day 9: Yakushima
Yakushima Island became Japan’s first UNESCO World Heritage site in 1993, and its natural wonders will astound you. Yakushima has a particularly diverse flora, with some 1,900 species and subspecies, including ancient specimens of the sugi (Japanese cedar). It also contains a remnant of a warm-temperate ancient forest that is unique in this region. Spend your time here on nature walks and taking in the sublime Japanese beauty.
Accommodations: Spirit of Oceanus
Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner Day 10: Kagoshima
Kagoshima is Kyushu's southernmost major city and the capital of Kagoshima Prefecture. The city is often compared with its Italian sister city Naples due to a similarly mild climate, palm tree lined streets, and Sakurajima, Kagoshima's Vesuvius. Kagoshima is best known for its Satsuma ware and Silk.
Accommodations: Spirit of Oceanus
Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner Day 11: Nagasaki
In this second city destroyed by an A-bomb in World War II, tour the Atomic Bomb Museum, Glover Garden (built by an enterprising Scotsman who helped overthrow the shogunate), and Oura Catholic Church, which inspired Japan's secret Christians to emerge from centuries in hiding.
Accommodations: Spirit of Oceanus
Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner Day 12: Ulsan / Kyongju
Step into the world of Korea's Shilla dynasty in the ruins of Kyongju. A thousand years ago, this open-air museum was their capital, sparkling with palaces and gardens. Today, the ruins and burial mounds bring to life memories of a 900-year rule that lasted from the time of Julius Caesar to Charlemagne.
Accommodations: Spirit of Oceanus
Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner Day 13: Hagi
Japan's revolution began here in Jokamachi's old samurai residential quarter, where you'll tour a samurai's home. Yoshida Shrine is a monument to one of the last of the samurai, killed by the shogun for attempting to ensure Japan's survival by opening up to the West. Also, visit Daisho Temple, the resting place of the two first Mori daimyo and all the even-numbered daimyo (odd-numbered daimyo were laid to rest on the other side of the Matsumoto river). Make an optional visit to a pottery studio for pastel-glazed pottery once reserved for the samurai.
Accommodations: Spirit of Oceanus
Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner Day 14: Takamatsu / Cruising the Inland Sea
Ritsurin Koen was designed at the bequest of an early 17th century feudal lord, who envisioned a fantastic garden set against the beautiful backdrop of Mt. Shiun. Shikokumura Village gives you a glimpse into peasant life in the Edo period. Spend the afternoon cruising the Inland Sea. Designated a national park, the Inland Sea is an area of great natural beauty with its emerald green waters dotted with thousands of islands.
Accommodations: Spirit of Oceanus
Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner Day 15: Kobe
After a short tour of Kobe, transfer to Kansai International Airport for your return flight home.
Accommodations: N/A
Included Meals: None | 
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