Japan's cherry blossoms on Seven Seas Explorer 2026

Depart from home in the UK today on your overnight flight bound for Tokyo.

On arrival in Tokyo today, you'll take a private transfer to your hotel for your three-night stay, with daily breakfast included. The rest of the day is yours at leisure to explore on your own or rest and acclimatise to your new surroundings after your flight.

Stay: Tokyo Hilton or similar

Get to know the sights of Tokyo with a guided half-day tour, which includes a visit to the Tokyo National Museum whose collection is comprised of Asian art and archaeological objects with a focus on Japan.

You'll then head to the Ginza area, home to one of the world’s most luxurious shopping districts, home to upscale boutiques and department stores alongside a prestigious collection of restaurants and bars. Enjoy free time to browse and perhaps visit some of the area’s free galleries before returning to your hotel. The rest of the day is free to explore the city and its parks, awash in the delicate pinks of the season.

Stay: Tokyo Hilton or similar

This morning you'll journey to the Asakusa area in Tokyo’s Old Town where you'll visit the Asakusa Senso-ji Temple, which dates to the early 7th century. Weather permitting, enter the temple to view the shrine, taking in the intricate architecture and centuries of history. Then, take a walk down Nakamise-dori, the ‘Street of Inside Shops'. This atmospheric alley is lined with vendors selling everything from traditional food to local crafts.

Later, be sure to pause for photos outside the Imperial Palace Plaza, where Japan’s Emperor and Empress reside and samurai warriors lived from the 17th to 19th centuries, and view the famed Nijubashi, two bridges, which form an entrance to the inner palace grounds.

Stay: Tokyo Hilton or similar

After breakfast, check out of your hotel and enjoy a final tour of Tokyo with a visit to the Meiji Shrine. Dedicated to Emperor Meiji, the father of modern Japan, the shrine stands in a forest at the heart of the city. You'll then continue to the Hamarikyu Garden, an Edo Period Japanese garden surrounded by futuristic skyscrapers.

Next up is the modern Odaiba area, built on a collection of man-made islands in Tokyo bay, which date back to the Edo Period (1603-1868) and later connected together via a series of landfills. Featuring some of the city's boldest architecture, Odaiba is best viewed from above, with the observation deck at the Fuji Television building offering the ideal bird’s eye view. This afternoon, you'll transfer to Seven Seas Explorer where, after settling into your stateroom or suite, you'll enjoy the first of your included gourmet dinners served onboard.

Stay: Seven Seas Explorer

If you arrive into the lively port of Shimizu on a clear day, you’ll be able to spot magnificent Mount Fuji. Many of today’s shore excursion options will revolve around the chance to visit this iconic landmark, framed by glorious cherry trees in bloom.

Alternatively, visit the S-Pulse Dream Plaza to tour the Shimizu Sushi Museum, featuring informative displays and models showing the history of Japan’s most famous culinary export. Stroll the Kashi-no-Ichi Market, where fresh seafood is sold, and be sure to stop for a delicious cup of tea. Other options include a visit to the grounds of a castle where the legendary Shogun warrior Ieyasu once lived, explorations of a local fish market and Shinto shrine, a Japanese tea-making experience, and more.

Stay: Seven Seas Explorer

As Japan’s old imperial capital, Kyoto is packed full of ancient temples and shrines, while its historic Higashiyama District is among the most characterful and best-preserved in Japan. You’ll have two days to explore the city and its surrounds, leaving plenty of time for you to choose between a wide array of shore excursions.

Don't miss the chance to learn more about Kyoto's ingrained Geisha culture and partake in a traditional tea ceremony. Or, head further afield to visit ancient Nara, the cradle of Japanese arts, literature, and crafts. Stroll through Nara Park, famed for its wild deer, Kasuga Grand Shrine and magnificent cherry blossoms. Otherwise, you might take a tour of Osaka with its multi-tiered 16th-century castle, or collect exotic mementos to take home from Kobe, such as silks, ceramic teapots, paper parasols, artworks, and pottery. Indulge in traditional Japanese fare or savour a dinner of celebrated Kobe beef. 

Stay: Seven Seas Explorer

You’ve experienced some of Japan’s most impressive city sights, but today’s visit to Kochi brings you to a land of abundant natural landscapes. From an expansive coastline to the clear Shimanto River and the deep green forests surrounding it, Kochi is perfect for exploring temples surrounded by nature as well as hidden limestone caves and beaches hugged by verdant pines.

To the north of Kochi, rugged mountains add to the drama while to the south beautiful Tosa Bay features rocky headlands and sweeping sea views. Alternatively, pretty Cape Muroto hosts a Global Geopark – all volcanic seascapes and ancient fossils – and Cape Ashizuri's sandy beaches offer lazy days under sunny skies. Spend the day soaking up the great outdoors, visiting the regions museums, or getting creative at a Japanese paper-making workshop in a local craft village.

Stay: Seven Seas Explorer

Cosmopolitan Hiroshima is surrounded by dense forests and hot springs, a contrast symbolising the city’s sombre history of rebirth and resilience. You’ll find moving memorials to the world’s first atomic bomb attack, which took place on 6th August 1945, including the Children’s Peace Monument as well as the Peace Memorial Park and its Atomic Bomb Dome, a haunting symbol of the bomb’s destruction and a World Heritage Site since 1996.

Simply walking the wide boulevards of this vibrant city and sampling their delicious street food—particularly the Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki—is the perfect way to spend your time. For something outside the centre, ferry to the Island of Itsukushima, a Cultural Heritage-listed Shinto holy place famous for its ‘floating’ torii gate. 

Stay: Seven Seas Explorer

Spend part of the day cruising the Kanmon Strait as you make your way to South Korea. Take in the scenery, allowing yourself time to relax and recharge onboard.

The ship will dock in Busan, located on the south-eastern tip of the Korean Peninsula only 2.5 hours from Seoul. Busan is South Korea’s second-largest city, and thanks to its deep harbour, it’s one of the largest commercial ports in the world. It is famous for its exceptional beaches, scenic cliffs, and ancient temples set high in the mountains. You’ll have plenty of choice today, whether you want to take in the main sights on a highlights tour, attend a cultural performance, or visit South Korean temples and markets.

Stay: Seven Seas Explorer

Back in Japan, arrive at Nagasaki, Japan’s early gateway to trade with the west. Perhaps this is why you’ll see evidence of outside influences here; from European-style homes to the fusion cuisine (particularly the Castella sponge cake, introduced by Portuguese missionaries, and the Chinese food reinterpreted for Japanese tastes), Nagasaki offers a glimpse at Japanese culture with a twist.

This vibrant city was also the site of the dropping of the second atomic bomb, so a visit to Nagasaki’s Peace Park is a necessary and moving experience. The city’s natural beauty is best viewed from atop Mount Inasayama, or you can drive through the countryside to browse the galleries of Arita, the birthplace of Japanese porcelain. 

Stay: Seven Seas Explorer

Spend a day onboard cruising the Philippine Sea and taking advantage of all the spectacular options available on the Seven Seas Explorer. Treat yourself to day at the spa, sample culinary delights at the ship’s many restaurant options, or enjoy onboard programming by day and by night.

Stay: Seven Seas Explorer 

Beppu is best known as one of the most famous hot spring resorts in Japan, producing more hot spring water than any other in the country. Steam rises from vents in the earth, providing opportunities for onsen bathing at every turn. This charming, hilly city features the traditional and modern, retaining its quaintness even as a favourite spot for tourists. Winter visitors are treated to the seasonal treat of the town being filled with warm escaping steam.

Stay: Seven Seas Explorer

Enjoy another day at sea as you make your way back toward Tokyo. Your last day onboard can be as full or as relaxing as you wish, with plenty of programming to keep you busy or hours to relax in your room or in the ship’s many lounge and bar areas. Treat yourself to one last delightful dinner onboard.

Stay: Seven Seas Explorer

The ship docks in Tokyo this morning. Enjoy breakfast onboard before disembarkation. You will be privately transferred to the airport for your onward flight back to the UK.