Gilded Pagoda Circuit – Hakodate, Busan & Kochi

About this cruise

A week or so at sea, a few great ports, and nothing to organise once you're on board. This 10-night sailing from Yokohama on May 18, 2027 visits Hakodate, Niigata and Busan, with additional stops along the Japan, Korea, China & Taiwan. Expect a run of consecutive ports, 7 stops total, with the busiest days packed close together. The sea days around them feel earned. Street food that'll ruin you for takeaway back home, ancient shrines, and cities that run like clockwork. People come back from this cruise talking about Kochi: Japan's castle town on the Shikoku coast. Roughly 8 hours ashore per stop. No need to rush. You won't go hungry on Diamond Princess. 7 restaurants come with the fare, plus 5 more when you feel like treating yourself. The shows alone are worth the extra nights. You'll catch comedy, music, theatre, and themed evenings you'd miss on a shorter trip. And May is a good time to go. Mild weather, things starting to bloom, and fewer people than summer. 7 ports, 2 countries, one suitcase. That's the appeal.