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Japan & South Korea Discovery 14 Nights
Operated by Holland America Line
Tripcode: 06A14D
Overview
Destination:
Japan,
South Korea,
Start:Yokohama (Tokyo), Japan
Finish:Yokohama (Tokyo), Japan
Finish:Yokohama (Tokyo), Japan
Duration:15 days
Ship:
Westerdam
Travel Period
March 2026 - March 2026
Holland America Anniversary Sale: Onboard Credit + 50% Reduced Deposit^
Depart Tokyo for Japan’s coastal gems and South Korea’s captivating cities onboard Holland America Line's Westerdam for your 14-night cruising holiday. From cosmopolitan Kobe, Seoul's famed palaces, shrines and bustling street markets, to scenic cruising of Kanmon Strait, there is much to discover on this epic voyage. Enquire today about the various shore excursions (additional cost) to make the most of each destination.
Please note:
- Price is based on the Cruise Only fare, per person twin share in an Oceanview Stateroom assigned prior to sailing and includes $200 USD onboard spending money per stateroom.
- For the most up-to-date rates, itinerary, availability, and for more information about shore excursions and the different service levels, please enquire now.
Standard inclusions
- 24-hour room service;
- Complimentary dining at selected restaurants (Lido Market, The Dining Room, Dive In poolside grill);
- Entertainment including Billboard Onboard, World Stage and Rolling Stone Lounge;
- Fitness centre and Pickleball at Sea;
- Kids Club for ages 3 to 17.
Itinerary
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Collapse allDay 1: Yokohama (Tokyo), Japan
Departs: 5:00pm.
Until the mid-19th century, Japan lived in isolation, closed off from the rest of the world, and Yokohama was a mere fishing village. But in 1853, American naval officer Matthew Perry demanded the country open to foreign trade, and Yokohama was changed forever. The city quickly emerged as an international trading centre, and while today it is often overshadowed by nearby Tokyo, it continues to be one of Japan’s liveliest, and most international, destinations. With its microbreweries and international restaurants, Yokohama has a decidedly different feel from many other Japanese cities.
From Yokohama, it’s a quick trip to peaceful Kamakura, home to Daibutsu, Japan’s second-largest bronze Buddha, and to the important Shinto shrine Tsurugaoka Hachimangu. Head to Hakone National Park on a clear day and you’ll be rewarded with picture-postcard views of majestic Mt. Fuji.
Tokyo is the largest city on earth and packed with some of the world’s best shops, museums and restaurants, big and small. While the bright neon lights and the bustle of contemporary Tokyo may be what comes to mind when you think of the city, there is another side. Tokyo's historic gardens and neighbourhoods of traditional homes on narrow lanes speak to a timeless Japan that has survived into the 21st century.
Day 2: At Sea
Enjoy a variety of experiences onboard.
Day 3: Kochi, Japan
Arrives: 7:00am | Departs:4:00pm
High atop a hill in Kochi sits 17th-century Kochi Castle, once the seat of the Yamauchi lords. Explore this historic site and enjoy panoramic views of the city, then dine on sushi at Hirome Market.
Day 4: Kagoshima, Japan
Arrives: 8:00am | Departs: 6:00pm
Situated at the southern tip of Japan, Kagoshima is the capital of the prefecture of the same name and famous for its dramatic views of Sakurajima, an active volcano that smoulders across the bay. One of the most popular activities is taking a ferry to Sakurajima and hiking on the 100-year-old lava flow that is now a grassy peninsula. Kagoshima, however, offers much more than the volcano’s almost overwhelming beauty. The food scene provides opportunities to experience the area’s rich culinary culture and features dishes using locally caught fish and regional specialties, like satsuma a’ge (deep-fried fish cake) and shōchū, a traditional beverage made at more than 100 distilleries in Kagoshima alone. Although the city was officially founded in 1889, it has an even longer history that is reflected in the 17th-century gardens of Sengan-en. More recent events are covered at a museum dedicated to the kamikaze pilots who flew out of Kagoshima. Other popular attractions include the City Aquarium, the Museum of the Meiji Restoration with its exhibits exploring local history and the City Museum of Art with its collection that covers both local contemporary and older art. With so much to do, visitors may want to consider the Cute transit card. Available at tourist information offices, one-day Cute cards cover city buses, trams and Sakurajima ferries and also provide discounted admission to several attractions.
Day 5: Nagasaki, Japan
Arrives: 8:00am | Departs: 6:00pm
Situated in the northwest of Kyushu, the third-largest island in Japan, Nagasaki is one of the country’s most cosmopolitan port cities, with a decent tourism infrastructure, a fascinating past that stretches back to the early 7th century and a picturesque harbor that’s been an active port since the 16th century. Home to around 500,000 residents, the city is a buzzy yet relaxed place with abundant services, shops and restaurants as well as several cultural and historic attractions that are easily explored on foot and via public transportation. Check out the Nagasaki Peace Park and Atomic Bomb Museum, which outline the horrific bombing of the city during World War II while making a poignant pledge for world peace. Foodies will enjoy the wide variety of tastes to be found in Chinatown and the Shianbashi Gourmet Street. If you are visiting with children, the Huis Ten Bosch theme park—modelled on a medieval Dutch town—makes for a fun diversion. Look out, too, for popular annual events like October's Kunchi Festival and the wintertime Nagasaki Lantern Festival.
Day 6: At Sea
Enjoy a variety of experiences onboard.
Days 7-8: Incheon (Seoul), South Korea
Arrives: 8:00am | Departs 4:00pm
Once upon a time, Incheon was a quiet seaside village, pretty typical for Korea. The men went fishing, the women made kimchi. There were maybe a couple thousand people altogether in the region.
And then it got caught in the middle of a war. Incheon is where, late in 1950, the U.S. Marines landed, marking the beginning of the end of the Korean War, a war that ultimately claimed more than 40,000 American soldiers’ lives and an undetermined number of Koreans.
After the fighting, when Incheon had a chance to dig itself out from the mud and shrapnel, it became part of the Korean economic miracle, the country’s first official free-enterprise zone. With its perfect natural port, flat landscape and 3 million residents, it’s become as much a part of the Seoul megalopolis now as it is a place of its own.
Visit Incheon with a Korean War vet, and they likely won’t recognise a thing, except maybe a small area around Freedom Park. Where once there were rice ponds, there are now high-rise apartment buildings. Even the beach the Marines landed on has been filled and reshaped to make more room for the Korean economic miracle. But there’s an entire generation haunted by this place, and it’s well worth looking around.
Day 9: Jeju (Cheju) City, South Korea
Arrives: 10:00am | Departs 5:00pm
Jeju, formerly Cheju, may not be familiar to most Americans, but for Korean travellers the country’s largest island and home to one of 12 UNESCO World Heritage Sites is a popular destination. The island is roughly the size of Maui and has much in common with the Hawaiian islands. Like them, it is a volcanic island—it first emerged from the sea some two million years ago and the volcano Hallasan, which reaches a height of 1,950 meters, is the tallest peak in South Korea. It also shares the mild subtropical climate of Hawaii—even in winter, temperatures rarely drop below freezing—and offers a similar broad range of activities whether in the warm ocean water or exploring the island’s interior on well-marked and maintained trails.
Jeju has long been known as the "Island of Gods" after a legendary lost race from whom the island’s inhabitants are said to have descended. Perhaps this history helps explain the super-human feats of the haenyeo, women divers who harvest abalone from the sea floor without the use of scuba gear. Remarkable giants can still be spotted here with humpback and orca whales common in this part of the East China Sea.
Day 10: Busan (Pusan), South Korea
Arrives: 8:00am | Departs 5:00pm
South Korea’s second-largest city (after the capital, Seoul), Busan is located in the south-eastern corner of the country along the Sea of Japan. It combines a vibrant, big-city atmosphere with a famously laid-back attitude and subtropical landscapes. Often described as the "San Francisco of Korea," thanks mainly to its hilly terrain and close-knit neighbourhoods, it offers visitors a little of everything: fashionable boutiques, dynamic culture and buzzy nightlife, as well as sandy beaches, hot springs and nearby mountains crossed with hiking trails and dotted with temples. Cultural highlights include the Gamcheon Cultural Village; the spectacular Haedong Yonggungsa Temple, built into the side of a cliff; and Art Street in Sinchang-dong, which hosts art competitions, exhibitions and cultural events such as the annual Busan International Film Festival. Those who enjoy hiking can explore the famed cliffs of Taejongdae Park, while the white sand beaches at Gwangalli and Haeundae are ideal places to relax by the seashore. Foodies will love Busan, too, not just for its excellent restaurants but also for the many atmospheric markets: the low-key Millak Hoe Town Market, tourist spots like Jagalchi Fish Market and the market at Haeundae with its ramshackle stalls selling gukpab (a traditional rice soup).
Day 11: Fukuoka (Hakata), Japan
Arrives: 8:00am | Departs:6:00pm
Fukuoka, Kyushu's largest city, was once two separate entities: Fukuoka in the west and the merchant area of Hakata to the east. Joined together in 1889, the contemporary city—population 1.5 million—has a lively, modern atmosphere, an array of impressive architecture by international starchitects, including Rem Koolhaas, César Pelli, Emilio Ambasz and Aldo Rossi, and a number of cultural attractions and museums such as the Fukuoka Asian Art Museum. Modern developments like Canal City—a mixed-use complex designed by American Jon Jerde that contains hotels, cinemas, restaurants and shops—lend the city space a futuristic air, as does the striking 234-meter (768-foot) Fukuoka Tower, which is covered in mirrored glass and has an observation deck. On the historical side, sites like the Kushida Shrine and the ruins of Fukuoka Castle offer traditional and cultural insights. The pond in the centre of Ōhori, Fukuoka's largest park, was once part of Fukuoka Castle's moat, and you'll find gardens, a zoo, an amusement park and a car museum in Uminonakamichi Seaside Park.
Day 11: Scenic Cruising Kanmon Strait
Cruising only.
Day 12: At Sea
Enjoy a variety of onboard experiences at sea.
Day 13: Kobe, Japan
Arrives: 8:00am | Departs:11:00pm
One of the greatest things about Japan is its attention to detail. Nothing is too small for consideration. Nailheads on temple walkways are hidden by inlaid metal covers. If the train schedule says the train arrives at 11:05, it will not be there at 11:04.. Shops sell combs and hairpins made with the same patterns and in the same way as 500 years ago.
So maybe this attention to detail explains what happened in 20th-century Kobe. Some farmer was looking at his cow, thinking, “What possibilities of perfection am I missing?” Cows were still a new thing; they were banned as food almost until WWII, so cow rules were in flux when this farmer began massaging his herd with sake. The cows got pleasantly drunk on local beer and listened to classical music—and in return for the pampering, they produced, and continue to produce, heavily marbled, melt-in-the-mouth cuts of meat that can easily sell for a hundred bucks a dish. Like everything else in town, Kobe beef is all in the details.
Among the Japanese, Kobe is considered exotic: “If you can’t go to Paris, go to Kobe.” And it does make a nice break from Osaka’s relentless pace. Order a steak, find a window booth and watch the details.
Day 14: At Sea
Enjoy a variety of onboard experiences at sea.
Day 15: Yokohama (Tokyo), Japan
Arrives: 7:00am
Departure dates
Select your preferred date or enquire
Operator
Holland America
At Holland America Line, we believe travel has the power to change the world. We consider it our higher purpose to help make the world a better place through opening minds, building connections, and inspiring a shared humanity. For 150 years, Holland America Line has been a recognized leader in cruising. If you are looking for some of the most spacious and comfortable ships at sea, award-winning service, exquisite dining, extensive activities and enrichment programs and compelling worldwide itineraries, you've come to the right place.
Important Information
*Terms and conditions
Please note: We are proud to be an independent agent to travel providers of hotels, flights and other related services. We are not a tour operator. Details and information on the offer are provided by 3rd party businesses and although we do our best to verify the information, we cannot guarantee its accuracy on all occasions. These offers are not available in conjunction with any other offer unless otherwise stated. Pricing and availability are subject to change without notice.
For more information, please see Terms of Use
^Holland America Anniversary Sale Onboard Credit + 50% Reduced Deposit: Terms & Conditions
Receive $200 USD onboard credit per stateroom when you book this Holland America cruise travelling in an Oceanview Stateroom. Plus, enjoy a 50% reduced deposit. Book by 2 June 2025.
Conditions apply.
~Onboard Credit (‘OBC’) is per person, in USD, and applies to the first two guests in a stateroom only. Amount varies by stateroom type and itinerary duration as specified: For 4- to 8-day cruises, guests receive US$25 OBC per person if booked in an Inside or Ocean View stateroom; US$50 OBC per person if booked in a Verandah stateroom; and US$75 OBC per person if booked in a Suite. For 9+ day cruises, guests receive US$50 OBC per person if booked in an Inside or Ocean View stateroom; US$100 OBC per person if booked in a Verandah stateroom; and US$150 OBC per person if booked in a Suite. OBC expires at the conclusion of the cruise, is neither transferable nor redeemable for cash, and cannot be used in the Casino or medical centre.
#50% Reduced Deposit is a reduced per-person booking deposit available on new bookings only on select cruises and cruisetours booked outside of the final payment date. Balance is due on final payment due date, 90 days prior to sailing (unless otherwise stated). The offer is available only on select cruises and cruisetours unless sold out or otherwise withdrawn.
Further terms and conditions may apply, for full details, please enquire with your RACV Travel Expert when booking.
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14 nights
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