Japan is a hot destination right now - and a cool way to take in its many highlights is onboard a cruise circumnavigating its main island.
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Travellers can relax onboard Celebrity Millennium from Kyoto to Tokyo on this fully-escorted cruise from Travelrite and The Senior, which includes sightseeing tours at each port of call.
With a choice of two departures - May 21 to June 9, 2024, and September 30 to October 19, 2024 - there is no reason to miss out on discovering why Japan is such a popular destination.
The many beauties of Kyoto are the first to be uncovered. We'll be transfixed by the Golden Pavilion with its two top floors covered in gold leaf, before heading to Ryoanji Temple and Japan's most lauded rock garden.
Gion, Kyoto's famous geisha district, is also on the program. We'll see the famous Silver Pavilion, Nanzenji Temple and the Imperial Palace, the former palace of the emperor.
Then it's all aboard the Shinkansen train - known as the bullet train - which travels up to 270 km/h to get passengers to Tokyo... fast.
There's the chance to check out parts of old Tokyo like the Asakusa Kannon Temple as well as the more modern city and its Ginza shopping district.
The Imperial Palace East Gardens, part of the royal residence, is a wonderful example of traditional Japanese landscape design.
From the port of Yokohama, the group will board elebrity Millennium to start our loop of Japan.
A highlight is a visit to Mt Fuji, a still active volcano and the highest and the most sacred of the country's "Three Holy Mountains".
After such an exciting start, our group then has a restful day at sea enjoying the exceptional facilities onboard. Refurbished in 2016, Celebrity Millennium has a contemporary sophisticated feel, with stately public spaces, a diverse art collection to enjoy and a luxurious experience to be savoured.
Modern Osaka, the next port of call, is considered Japan's street food capital and home to the Shitennoji Temple built in 593.
After another day spent sightseeing in Osaka, the group heads to Hiroshima. We will visit the Peace Memorial Park, which commemorates the site where the first atomic bomb was exploded, and see the Genbaku Dome, the surviving remnant of a structure that crumbled in the explosion.
Next up is a day at sea before reaching the port of Busan in South Korea.
We'll marvel at the ancient Silla capital, Gyeong-Ju, listed as one of UNESCO's top 10 historic sites.
Heading back to Japan, we visit Aomori, positioned on the northernmost point of the main island, Honshu.
Aomori is one of the most culturally rich cities in the northern Tohoku region and home to Hirosaki Castle, built in 1611.
Further north is Hakodate, one of the main cities on Hokkaido, Japan's second largest and northernmost island. Our travellers will delight in bustling morning markets and the magnificent Goryokaku Tower which, at 107 metres tall, provides a bird's eye view of the city and surrounding mountain ranges.
This 19-night tour is priced from $8690 per persof twin share ($11,890 single).
Find out more about this trip of a lifetime by calling Travelrite on 1800-630-343 or click HERE
