Gilded Shrines & Pagodas – Busan, Kochi & Kagoshima

About this cruise

If you want the classic cruise without a massive time commitment, this is a strong option. 10 nights from Yokohama on August 16, 2026, visiting Kumano-Mie, Wakayama and Kochi, with additional stops along the Japan, Korea, China & Taiwan. There's a stretch of back-to-back port days, so those days are busy, but the sea days around them give you time to recharge. Karaoke bars, hot springs, and temples draped in moss. East Asia does culture and chaos in equal measure. Most ports give you about 8 hours, so you can do more than just tick off the main sights. As for the ship itself, From casual buffets to proper sit-down restaurants, Diamond Princess has 12 dining spots on board, most of them included. 10 nights is long enough to build a routine on board: favourite restaurant, favourite deck chair, favourite people. It starts to feel like a floating village. It's peak season, so the weather is at its best and the ship will be full. That's part of the fun. Good route, good ship, good timing. It all lines up.