2027 TREASURES OF THE INLAND SEA

Exploring the Charms of Setonaikai

March 27 - April 8, 2027 (13 days & 11 nights)

Kansai, Kobe, Kobe Nunobiki Ropeway, Nunobiki Herb Gardens, Naruto Sightseeing Cruise, Awa Odori Kaikan, Awaji Island, Takamatsu, Ferry to Shodoshima Island, Kankakei Gorge, Shodoshima Olive Park, Marukin Soy Sauce Factory, Ferry to Takamatsu Ferry Terminal , Takamatsu, Shikoku Island, Shikoku Mura, Seto Naikai Museum of History & Folklore, Shikoku Aquarium, Fan Making Hands-on-activity, Imabari Towel Head Store, Shimanami Kaido, Innoshima Island, Murakami Kaizoku Museum, Ikuchijima Island, Kousanji Temple, Cave of 1000 Buddhas, Fukuyama, Tomonoura Fishing Village, Kurashiki, Bikan Historical Quarter, Okayama, Korakuen Garden, Bizen Osafune Japanese Sword Museum, Ako Marine Science Museum, Salt Making Hands-on-activity, Himeji, Himeji Castle Grounds, Ibonoito Museum (Somen-no-Sato), Arima Onsen, Kobe, Rokko Garden Terrace, Rokko Music Box Museum, Nifrel, LaLa port ExpoCity, Kawachi Winery, Osaka, Kansai

$100 EARLY BOOKING DISCOUNT
(deposit of $100 per person received by 8/15/2026)

Saturday, March 27  (Day 01)
HONOLULU TO OSAKA
Our tour commences this morning when we assemble at the airport for baggage check-in procedures.  We will depart Honolulu on Japan Airlines for our flight to Kansai International Airport in Osaka.  Lunch and a snack will be served on board the flight.

Sunday, March 28  (Day 02)
ARRIVE KANSAI (OSAKA)  (D)
We’ll arrive Kansai Airport in the late afternoon and after clearing entry procedures, we’ll transfer to our hotel located within the airport to spend the night.  A welcome dinner will be provided for you this evening at the hotel.

Accommodations at HOTEL NIKKO KANSAI AIRPORT or similar

Monday, March 29  (Day 03)
KANSAI * KOBE * TOKUSHIMA * AWAJI ISLAND  (B)(D)
We’ll travel to Kobe, capital city of Hyogo prefecture and considered as one of Japan’s most attractive cities.  We’ll visit the Kobe Nunobiki Herb Garden, Japan’s largest herb garden located on Mount Rokko above the city of Kobe.  Enjoy a ‘walk-in-the-sky on the Kobe Nunobiki Ropeway to the top to view various floral themed gardens, shops, including a rest house designed in the motif of the German “Wartburg Castle”.  We’ll continue our drive on the Akashi Ohashi, a suspension bridge linking the city of Kobe through Awaji Island and continuing on to Tokushima city to enjoy a performance of the lively Awa dance style by the dynamic Awa-no-Kaze dance troupe at the Awa Odori Kaikan.  Learn to dance and participate with them accompanied by the sounds of shamisen (three stringed guitars), taiko (drums) and fue (flutes).  The Naruto whirlpools that occur along the Shikoku coast of the Naruto Strait are created by large volumes of water moving between the Seto Inland Sea and the Pacific Ocean between high and low tides.  Whirlpools vary in size and are best viewed from a tide-viewing boat as we enjoy a cruise in the inland sea which brings you up close to the whirlpools (weather permitting and subject to availability).  We’ll spend the night at an onsen resort on Awaji Island.  Dinner will be provided for you tonight at the hotel.

Accommodations at GRAND MERCURE AWAJI ISLAND RESORT & SPA or similar 

Tuesday, March 30  (Day 04)
AWAJi * TAKAMATSU * SHODOSHIMA ISLAND  (B)(L)(D)
We’ll continue on to the castle town of Takamatsu, and visit Takamatsu Castle Park to view the ruins of one of Japan’s castles built along a waterfront adjacent to the Seto Inland Sea, featuring saltwater moats drawn directly from the sea.  We’ll proceed to the Takamatsu Ferry Terminal to take a car ferry to Tonosho Port on Shodoshima Island, known as Olive Island in the Seto Inland Sea.  Shodoshima is noted as the birthplace of olive cultivation in Japan, including a long history of soy sauce production. Enjoy a visit of Shodoshima Olive Park & Garden, surrounded by thousands of olive groves.  Enjoy browsing through the shop offering various olive-related products, such as olive oil, olive cosmetics and olive flavored candies.  A delicious lunch will be provided for you today.  We’ll enjoy a scenic ride on a ropeway through Kankakei Gorge to the observation deck of Kankakei National Park, offering panoramic views of the island.  The gorge is a nationally designated ‘Place of Scenic Beauty’ and is part of the Setonaikai National Park.  Subject to confirmation, we’ll visit a soy sauce factory to observe the production process of soy sauce before we check in for the night at an onsen hotel on Shodoshima Island.  Dinner will be provided for you this evening at the hotel.

Accommodations at BAY RESORT HOTEL SHODOSHIMA or similar 

Wednesday, March 31  (Day 05)
SHODOSHIMA * TAKAMATSU (SHIKOKU ISLAND)  (B)
We’ll proceed to the Tonosho Port to board a car ferry back to the Takamatsu Ferry Terminal in Takamatsu city on Shikoku Island.  On arrival, we’ll visit Shikoku-Mura, an interesting village featuring relocated and restored buildings, work huts, and a rice storehouse, all relocated from the four prefectures of Shikoku from the Edo period to the Taisho period.  Enjoy lunch on your own at YouMe Town Takamatsu, a large mall with a food court, a supermarket and other retailers.  In the afternoon, we’ll visit scenic Ritsuirin Koen, an outstanding landscape garden featuring many ponds, hills, trees and beautiful pavilions.  The gardens are set in front of wooded Mt. Shuin, serving a background of ‘borrowed scenery’ in a design of a Japanese Garden.  We’ll spend the night in Takamatsu, a port city on the Seto Inland Sea.  Dinner will be on your own this evening to try some of the local specialties of this prefecture.  Our hotel is conveniently located nearby the Takamatsu Train Station offering many restaurants and shops for your convenience.

Accommodations at JR HOTEL CLEMENT TAKAMATSU or similar 

Thursday, April 1  (Day 06)
TAKAMATSU * IMABARI  (B)(D)
Enjoy a visit of the Setonaikai Museum of History & Folklore, an impressive building of natural stone, located high above the Seto Inland Sea on the Goshikidai Plateau.  It features an imposing tower recalling a pirate castle, several exhibition areas containing numerous ships and a large whale skeleton.  The rooftop viewing deck offers a stunning view of the Inland Sea.  A visit to the Shikoku Aquarium, an oceanfront aquarium has four signature tanks containing aquatic life from the Pacific Ocean, the Seto Inland Sea, and a freshwater zone.  The aquarium also features a dolphin performance show and an interesting feeding time for penguins.  We’ll travel to Marugame to enjoy a hands-on-activity to make your own bamboo uchiwa fan at the Marugame Uchiwa Museum.  Observe as a craftsperson demonstrate the skills and techniques used to create the bamboo frame for the uchiwa fans.  We’ll continue on to spend the night in Imabari, a city best known for its towel production and fishing industry.  Dinner will be provided for you this evening at the hotel.

Accommodations at IMABARI KOKUSAI HOTEL or similar 

Friday, April 2  (Day 07)
IMABARI * SHIMANAMI KAIDO * FUKUYAMA (HONSHU) (B)(D)
Come, see, and feel authentic ultra-absorbent Imabari towels, renowned for their plushness and durability at the Imabari Towel Head Store, the official towel shop offering a wide variety of their products.  At the adjacent Imabari Towel Lab, observe towel loom and weaving demonstrations (subject to confirmation).  We’ll continue on to enjoy the beautiful scenery of the Seto Inland Sea on the Shimanami Kaido, a scenic expressway connected with bridges, connecting Shikoku Island to Honshu Island and passing over six small islands.  We’ll make a stop at Innoshima Island, the second island to visit the Murakami Kaizoku Museum containing artifacts and memorabilia of the Murakami Pirates, who controlled the Setonaikai throughout the Sengoku period.  Although called pirates, they were responsible for maritime traffic, security, and trade in the Inland Sea.  We’ll continue on to visit Kousanji Temple, an impressive temple belonging to the True Pure Land Sect of Japanese Buddhism, located on Ikuchijima Island, the third island.  Many of the buildings are modeled after some of Japan’s most famous temple buildings: Nikko’s Toshogu Yomeimon Gate and Byodoin’s Phoenix Hall.  A highlight of the temple is to venture into the Cave of 1,000 Buddhas, a unique and intriguing attraction offering an experience into the Buddhist concept of hell and paradise.  We’ll continue on to spend the night in Fukuyama in Hiroshima Prefecture, a city noted for its beautiful flowers and geta sandals.  Dinner will be provided for you this evening.

Accommodations at FUKUYAMA NEW CASTLE HOTEL or similar

Saturday, April 3  (Day 08)
FUKUYAMA * KURASHIKI * OKAYAMA  (B)
Enjoy a leisure stroll through the quiet town of Tomonoura, a picturesque old-fashioned fishing town in Fukuyama situated at the bay facing the Seto Inland Sea – part of the Seto Naikai National Park.  The town features a fishing townscape with many photogenic alleys lined by rustic old houses and has been picked as a filming location for several international and local movies such as “The Wolverine”.  We’ll continue on to the charming town of Kurashiki to enjoy a leisure stroll through the Bikan Historical Quarter featuring souvenir shops, boutiques, cafes and museums lined along the picturesque Kurashiki Canal.  We’ll continue on to spend the night in Okayama, capital city of Okayama Prefecture.  Enjoy a stroll through picturesque Korakuen Garden, noted as one of Japan’s ‘three best landscaped gardens’ and designated as a ‘Special Place of Scenic Beauty.’  The garden features seasonal flowers, a large pond, walking paths, and a crane aviary.  Weather permitting, the cherry blossoms may be in bloom at this time of the year.  Dinner will be on your own this evening.  Our hotel is conveniently located adjacent to the train station with various restaurants for your dining opportunities.

Accommodations at HOTEL GRANVIA OKAYAMA  or similar

Sunday, April 4  (Day 09)
OKAYAMA * AKO  (B(L)(D)
We’ll visit the interesting Bizen Osafune Japanese Sword Museum to see some of the finest cutting weapons ever produced and how they are made and maintained.  Subject to availability, we may be able to see a master swordsmith at work.  We’ll continue on to enjoy an interesting tour of the Ibonoito Museum Somen-no-Sato, a unique facility to learn all about the production of somen noodles through exhibitions and demonstrations.  At the conclusion of the tour, a delicious somen lunch will be provided for us prepared by the staff.  We’ll continue on to spend the night in Ako, a small city best known as Japan’s salt capital and home to the tale of the 47 Ronin, nestled on the shores of the Seto Inland Sea.  Dinner will be provided for you this evening at our hotel.

Accommodations at KAMENOI HOTEL AKO or similar 

Monday, April 5  (Day 10)
AKO * HIMEJI * ARIMA ONSEN (B)(D)
This morning, we’ll enjoy a visit of Himeji Castle, a hilltop castle noted as one of Japan’s three premier castles and as a National Treasure. Due to its brilliant white exterior, the castle is known as the “White Heron Castle”.  Weather permitting, the cherry blossoms should be in bloom all around the castle grounds.  We’ll visit the Ako Marine Science Museum, a facility providing a good overview of the area’s salt making history, the geological history of the Seto Inland Sea and Ako’s natural environment.  Enjoy a hands-on-activity at salt making at their salt farm ‘Shio-no-Kuni’.  We’ll continue on to spend the night in the charming onsen town of Arima, considered one of Japan’s oldest hot spring resorts.  Arima has two types of hot spring waters: Kinsen (gold water), brown water containing iron deposits and noted to be good for skin ailments & muscle pain, and Ginsen (silver water) containing radium & carbonate and noted to cure various muscle and joint ailments.  At your leisure, enjoy a stroll through the quaint town to browse through the various shops and cafes.  Dinner will be provided for you this evening at the hotel.

Accommodations at ARIMA GRAND HOTEL or similar 

Tuesday, April 6  (Day 11)
ARIMA ONSEN * KOBE * OSAKA  (B)
This morning, we’ll travel to the city of Kobe to view an extensive collection of antique music boxes and automatic playing instruments mainly from Europe and the U.S. at the Rokko Musical Box Museum & Garden MORINORE.  Subject to confirmation, enjoy a ‘concert without a performer’ with various self-playing musical instruments providing beautiful music in an intimate hall.  The Rokko Garden Terrace has one of the most scenic sights to enjoy a panoramic view of Mt. Rokko, the city of Kobe and more from the observatory and multiple view spots.  We’ll continue on to spend two nights in Osaka, Japan’s third largest city, best known for its delicious food and exciting nightlife.  Dinner will be on your own this evening to try some local specialties of this prefecture. 

Accommodations at HILTON OSAKA HOTEL or similar

Wednesday, April 7  (Day 12)
OSAKA  (B)(D)
Experience a visit to Nifrel, a unique futuristic facility featuring eight zones of art-like presentations of wildlife: an interactive zoo, a science museum, and an aquarium - all offering experiences with animals and nature.  The exhibits are visual as well as educational and will deepen your interest in living creatures and nature.  Located adjacent to the facility is LaLaport ExpoCity, offering a collection of many shops and restaurants for your shopping and dining opportunities.  Enjoy an interesting guided tour of Kawachi Winery, a family operated winery located in Habikino City.  Delicious varieties of their wine will be available for you to sample and enjoy at the conclusion of the tour.  Dinner will be provided for you this evening at the hotel.

Accommodations at HILTON OSAKA HOTEL or similar

Thursday, April 8  (Day 13)
OSAKA  (B)
Enjoy the morning exploring Osaka city at your leisure for your own activities.  In the afternoon, we’ll transfer to the Kansai Airport for our evening flight to Honolulu, arriving in the morning on the same day due to the crossing of the International Dateline.  A late meal will be served on board the flight. 

The tour price is based on double occupancy and a minimum group size of 20 passengers.  Fare adjustment may apply for groups of 20 or under.  The rate is based on tariffs and exchange rates effective 5/31/2026.  Tour fare is subject to change according to any airfare increase and fluctuation of the rate of exchange between U.S. and foreign currency.  In the event of revaluation, the land portion of the tour price may be adjusted prior to your final statement.  We reserve the right to revise content of the itinerary if necessary due to unforeseen issues, weather & safety concerns. 

Land portion based on 155 Yen = $1.00 U.S.

Printable Itinerary
2027 General Conditions
Tour Registration Form