Southern Japan with Hiroshima and Nagasaki

We’ll visit Korakuen Garden, renowned as one of Japan’s most beautiful gardens, featuring lakes, waterfalls, and traditional teahouses. By crossing a pedestrian bridge over the river, you’ll have the opportunity to visit Okayama Castle, a sixteenth-century Japanese fortification rebuilt in 1966 after being destroyed in a World War II bombing (visit inside the castle not included). Afterward, you’ll have free time to explore the city, an active provincial capital with just over 700,000 inhabitants.

Arrival in this city, known worldwide for its tragic history as the site of the atomic bombing in 1945. We’ll visit the Peace Memorial, the Atomic Bomb Dome, and the poignant Peace Memorial Museum. After the visits, you’ll have time for lunch. In the afternoon, we’ll head to the outskirts of Hiroshima to board a small ferry for a 15-minute ride to Miyajima, an island renowned for its spiritual significance as a place where "man lives alongside the Gods." Here, we’ll visit the iconic Itsukushima Shrine, dedicated to the guardian of the seas and famous for its torii gate that appears to float on the water. You’ll have time to explore the shrine and wander through the charming center of the island.

We set out toward Kyushu, Japan’s third-largest island, connected to the main island by impressive bridges. Known for its mild climate, natural beauty, and unique blend of tradition and innovation, Kyushu offers a truly distinctive experience.

We’ll arrive in the island’s largest and most populated city. Our first stop is Canal City Hakata, a modern and expansive shopping and entertainment complex built around an artificial canal. This lively urban oasis features fountain shows every 30 minutes. You’ll have free time to stroll around and enjoy lunch at your leisure. Afterwards, we’ll visit Tocho-ji Temple, founded in 806, famous for its five-story pagoda, large Buddha statue, and the Senju Kannon, the thousand-armed goddess of mercy. Free time at the end of the visit.

This emblematic Shinto shrine is dedicated to Sugawara no Michizane, the deity of learning and scholarship. Surrounded by beautifully maintained gardens and ponds, the site is famous for its over 6,000 plum trees, whose blossoms attract many visitors in late winter. The shrine is especially popular among students, who come to pray for academic success.

We arrive in this historic city, sadly known for being destroyed by an atomic bomb during World War II. We’ll begin by visiting Ōura Church, Japan’s oldest Christian church, dedicated to the 26 Martyrs of Nagasaki. This church, which blends Gothic architecture with local design elements, was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2018 as part of the “Hidden Christian Sites in the Nagasaki Region". Free time for lunch in Chukagai, Japan’s most vibrant Chinatown, with its colorful pedestrian street filled with restaurants and food stalls. After lunch, we’ll visit the Atomic Bomb Museum (admission included), offering a powerful reflection on the horrors of war. Next, we’ll head to the Peace Park, where we’ll admire moving sculptures donated by countries around the world as symbols of hope. Finally, we’ll visit the Dejima area, a former artificial island that, for centuries, served as Japan’s only gateway for international trade. We’ll explore its historical reconstruction (admission included).

We will walk “through the hells,” as this area is popularly known, which in the 17th century was the setting of Christian persecution, during which many were martyred through torture using volcanic steam.

Free time in the shopping area near the castle to stroll and have lunch. Afterwards, we will visit Kumamoto Castle (admission included), considered one of the three great castles of Japan, famous for its black towers and massive stone walls, some of which are still undergoing reconstruction following the 2016 earthquake. We will then visit Suizenji Jojuen (admission included), a landscaped garden from the Edo period that recreates mountains, lakes, and other elements of the Japanese landscape in miniature. Free time at the end of the visit in this modern city.

We will take a shuttle from the base of the volcano up to the crater. Its caldera, one of the largest in the world, measures approximately 25 km in diameter. Inside the caldera rise several volcanic peaks, the most active being Mount Nakadake, from which we can admire an impressive steaming sulfur lake surrounded by a dramatic volcanic landscape. Free time.

We will visit the well-known “Hells of Beppu” (admission included), starting with Umi Jigoku, renowned for its vivid blue water and beautifully landscaped gardens, and continuing to Kamado Jigoku, very popular with families for its ponds of varying colors and temperatures, decorated with demon figures. After the visit, transfer to the hotel and free time.

We’ll visit one of Japan’s most important Shinto shrines, and the main sanctuary dedicated to Hachiman, the protective deity of Japan. This is the head shrine of more than 40,000 Hachiman shrines across the country. Founded in the 8th century, it blends traditional architecture with spacious gardens surrounded by nature. We’ll stroll across its iconic red bridge and through its main pavilions, a photogenic and deeply spiritual setting.