10 Night Cruise sailing from Kanazawa to Kobe aboard Heritage Explorer. Hotel stay pre-cruise in Tokyo.

Cruise Overview:

Heritage Expeditions, pioneers in authentic small ship expedition cruising, invite you to join them on an unforgettable exploration of Japan, 'the Land of the Rising Sun'. Set sail on this voyage to experience medieval castles and temples, magical gardens, beautiful landscapes, and discover a strong cultural history. Our explorations take us beyond the well-known highlights to remote stretches of coastline and islands tourists rarely have the opportunity to experience, made possible on our purpose-built expedition ship Heritage Adventurer.

A country rich in history and tradition, Japan seamlessly blends ancient customs with ultramodern living which we will experience as we cruise from iconic cities to remote coastlines and islands. Our intended destinations are designed to showcase contemporary cities and modern museums alongside medieval castles and shrines from the Edo-period, culturally rich islands and fascinating wilderness and wildlife. Historical highlights include the five-storey Pagoda of Miyajima, the 17th Century Matsue Castle, the sobering Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park with its eternal Flame of Peace, Teramachi District with its temples and shrines, including the famed 'Ninja Temple', the Jokamachi District with its old Samurai houses, Hagi Castle ruins and beautiful Zen Tokoji Temple.

There is also the opportunity to explore traditional art through visiting galleries and meeting local artists including learning the fascinating art of Japanese paper making on our visit to the town of Matsue and a day in South Korea's Ulsan visiting the fascinating UNESCO World Heritage Site Gyeongju - the 'museum without walls' among other highlights. We'll also moor at Uwajima, one of Japan's premier pearl producers with the opportunity to visit one of the city's traditional pearl farms.

For those with a passion for nature we plan to venture into several National Parks and gardens including Daisen-Oki and Hakusan National Parks, Kenrokuen Garden one of the Three Great Gardens of Japan, Samurai era Tenshaen Garden and one of Japan's most famed gardens the 28-acre formal 17th Century Koraku-en garden.

We hope you can join us for this rare opportunity to join this in-depth exploration around the coastline and islands of Japan, as we discover the unspoiled nature, primeval wilderness, incredible gardens, cultural treasures, traditional villages and futuristic cities resplendent with their unique charms.

Heritage Adventurer is a true pioneering expedition vessel of exceptional pedigree. Often referred to as the 'Grande Dame of Polar Exploration' due to her celebrated history and refined design, she was purposebuilt for adventure in 1991 at Finland's Rauma shipyard and specifically designed for Polar exploration.

Setting a peerless standard in authentic expedition travel, Heritage Adventurer (formerly known as MS Hanseatic) combines the highest passenger ship iceclass rating (1A Super) with an impressive history of Polar exploration. Having held records for the most northern and southern Arctic and Antarctic navigations, and for traversing both the Northwest and Northeast Passages, makes Heritage Adventurer perfect for pioneering New Zealand-based Heritage Expeditions signature experiential expedition travel.

Originally designed to accommodate 184 guests, Heritage Adventurer now welcomes just 140 expeditioners ensuring spacious, stylish and comfortable voyages, while a fleet of 14 Zodiacs ensures all guests are able to maximise their expedition adventure. Heritage Adventurer proudly continues our traditions of exceptional, personalised expedition experiences as Heritage Expeditions flagship.

Every year Heritage Expeditions voyages with small groups of between 18 and 140 intrepid travellers to some of the most unique and remote islands, coasts and shorelines on earth aboard their expedition ships Heritage Adventurer and Heritage Explorer on voyages ranging from 5 – 28 days.

Founded in 1985 by the Russ family in Christchurch, New Zealand, Heritage Expeditions is still proudly family-owned and operated. Contributing to conservation through experiential learning and providing funds for research and management, they are pioneers in environmentally-responsible expedition travel offering intimate group excursions to Antarctica and the Subantarctic Islands, through the Pacific, and around New Zealand on their purpose built expedition ships.

Each expedition is meticulously planned and led by a team of botanists, ornithologists, naturalists and experts in their field, ensuring guests maximise every opportunity to learn, discover and experience as much as possible, while minimising the impact of their visit and returning as ambassadors for these very special places.