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CRUISE Ikuta Shrine. Kyoto, Japan
TOUR

K YOTO & THE ZEN OF JAPAN
CRUISE TOUR

TOKYO TO KYOTO, (or reverse ) | 11* or 12 DAYS
W H A T ’ S I NC L U DE D
From the tranquil Zen beauty of Kinkaku-ji Temple to the vibrant blinking plasma • Guided tours of Osaka UNESCO
screens and incessant press of pedestrians throughout Tokyo’s Shibuya Station, sites, including the stunning Kasuga
this cruise tour throughout Japan combines pristine natural beauty with Taisha Shrine with its 3,000 lights,
and the Todaiji Temple, housing the
contemporary and cosmopolitan contrasts. Nibble on freshly caught fish paired world’s largest bronze Buddha
with salty soy sauce and fiery wasabi in Shimizu’s world-famous Fish Market. • Guided tours of the brilliant gold leafed
Meander among East Asian relics and prehistoric stone tools in Busan’s museums, Kinkaku-ji (the Golden Pavilion) and
nightingale floored Nijo Castle — two
ornate temples and royal tombs in Gyeongju, one of South Korea’s most famous of the most popular UNESCO sites
UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Sip steamy green tea in the peaceful shade of in Kyoto
chestnut trees near the scenic Ritsurin Garden in Takamatsu City, or participate • Spend 2 hotel nights at the centrally
in the ancient rituals of a formal tea ceremony. Examine Kyoto’s majestic temples located Intercontinental Osaka, in the
heart of the business district
and storied Nijo Castle in detail as part of a 2-night inland stay, or explore the • Don a kimono and take part in a
Zen temple of Tenryuji in scenic and peaceful Arashiyama, one of the most Traditional Tea Ceremony where you
popular destinations in the city. It’s a perfect journey for those who love Japan, will learn the intricacies of how to
and adventurous travelers who want to go further inland to explore the distinctive prepare, serve, and drink matcha
culture and history of Kyoto. • All transfers to and from the various
included sites
• 9- or 10-day cruise aboard newly
transformed all-suite Star Breeze
from Tokyo to Osaka, or reverse
Y OU R C R U I SE T OU R D A Y - T O - D A Y SNAP SH O T S
Colored descriptions indicate land tour portion.
DAY 1 • TOKYO, JAPAN savor its symmetry sans lens. Either way, DAY 4 • AT SEA
There are as many Tokyos to discover as consider your day here well spent.
there are interests. Cuisine? It has more DAY 3 • SHINGU, JAPAN DAY 5 • KAGOSHIMA, JAPAN
Michelin stars than any other city. Culture? This castle town with its signature
Kabuki theater and sumo wrestling are Pilgrims have been climbing the Sakurajima Volcano dates to the
th
just the beginning. Shopping? The posh Kii Mountain Range for a thousand years, 14 century. Time-travel back to
boutiques of Ginza lie on one end of the but few visitors to Japan even know about the days of the samurai in Chiran’s
spectrum, workshops that hand-craft the trio of sacred shrines that compose picturesque samurai district, its views
samurai swords at the other. this UNESCO World Heritage Site. unsullied by telephone poles or parked
The most striking, Kumanonachi Taisha, cars. Go “sand bathing” in the naturally
DAY 2 • SHIMIZU, JAPAN includes a fiery orange pagoda posing heated sands of Ibusuki.
Frame the perfect portrait of Mount Fuji next to Nachi Falls, the tallest waterfall in
from a hundred perfect angles, or just Japan. Don’t fail to turn around and look
back down the often mist-shrouded valley.

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