In Japanese, it’s called Nihon or Nippon, meaning Land of Sun Origin. Japan is made up of a chain of some 3,000 East Asian islands in the Pacific Ocean with four major islands: Hokkaido, Shikoku, Kyushu and Honshu. The latter is the largest and the most settled. Most of the islands are mountain ridges that protrude above sea level, some have still active volcanoes. It’s a fascinating and interesting scene. Japan is now the sixth largest country in the industrialized world and the third largest in its economic strength. We will learn to get to know many facets of Japan on this an unforgettable cruise on one of Costa Lines luxury ships. In addition to Japan, the cruise includes a visit to Jeju Island in South Korea.
Arrival to Tokyo, the capital of Japan since 1868. We’ll meat the tour guide at the hotel AT 12:00PM. At 2:00PM We’ll get to know this special city.
READ MOREWe will visit the Meiji Shrine, dedicated to Emperor Meiji, the young emperor who put an end to feudal rule in Japan. We will continue to the Harajuku and Shibuya quarters, the lively entertainment centers of Tokyo youth. The Shibuya Crossing, the “Times Square” of Tokyo is elegantly built in the spirit of the 21st century with massive video screens and sparkling lights.
Close thisWe’ll start the day with a visit to Tokyo’s fabled Tsukiji Fish Market, where over 2000 tons of fish and other sea creatures are sold daily.
READ MOREFrom here we’ll continue to the fascinating Edo-Tokyo Museum, which tells the story of this megalopolis from its birth in the 16th century to the present day. Afterwards we’ll make our way to Ginza, Tokyo’s business and shopping district. Our next stop is Asakusa, formerly Tokyo’s entertainment district and today a complex of temples, shrines and interesting shops. We’ll end today’s busy schedule with a visit to Akihabara, Tokyo’s electronics quarter, that began as a series of warehouses selling leftover US Army surplus equipment after World War II.
Close thisAfter Shabbat services, kiddush and lunch, we’ll enjoy a walking tour in the vicinity of the hotel.
We’ll complete our sightseeing in Tokyo this morning. In the afternoon, we’ll make our wat to the port of Yokohama where we’ll board the luxury vessel that will serve as our luxurious floating hotel. We set sail at 22:00.
READ MORERemember to be on board to wave farewell to the mainland!
Some details about the magnificent NEO ROMANTICA, one of Costa Lines series of luxury cruise liners:
• 12 guest decks
• Restaurants and lounges with by panoramic views.
• Elegant Boutique
• A new bar complex in the Atrium
• An upgraded and ornate showroom with performances almost every evening
• All staterooms feature Holland Holland’s unique charm
• Spacious and elegant staterooms with a window (some with a private balcony at an extra charge)
• Mariner’s Dream luxury beds with quality linens
• Luxury terry towels
• Flat screen TV with DVD
• Roomy storage space
• Fresh fruit at no extra charge
• Drinks – order as much as you wish: juices and other free drinks
• Free shoe shine service.
• Plentiful, delicious, quality Kosher meals
In addition, the ship has a magnificent theater for performances, music and singers, casino, bars, movie house, luxury restaurants, a spa, gym, swimming pool and jacuzzi, and of course an active entertainment team every day.
This morning we arrive to the port of Kobe, the 6th largest city in Japan, located between the slopes of Mount Rokko and the ocean.
READ MOREKobe has a small Jewish community that began with a group of Sephardic Jews who immigrated here and continued with Jewish refugees who arrived here during World War II from Lithuania. Today’s Jewish community is made up primarily by people who settled in the city for business reasons. Upon arrival we will tour the city.
Close thisA day at sea enables us to enjoy all the wonderful facilities the ship has to offer. Want to swim? There are indoor and outdoor pools and a relaxing jacuzzi too.
READ MOREWant to sit a read? The library has a huge selection of books, and the coffee shop is located right alongside. How about a massage at the spa? A game of cards in the club? A matinee in the cinema? A sing along in the piano bar? There’s so much available! Enjoy it all.
Close thisToday we drop anchor on the island of Jeju, one of the most beautiful treasures of South Korea, which enjoys great popularity among Koreans as a vacation and recreation area.
READ MOREThe island was declared one of the seven new wonders of the world. As we will tour this volcanic island, we’ll discover one of the 120 caves that were created by lava flows – the giant Manjang Cave. The cave is nine kilometers long and 30 meters high. It’s home to a multitude of stalactites and stalagmites that were formed by the cooling of volcanic lava, including a 7.6-meter-high column, which is considered the highest of its kind in the world.
Close thisAfter breakfast, we’ll continue our tour of the island. We’ll visit the bowl-shaped crater – Siouangsen – created by a volcanic eruption some 5000 years ago.
READ MOREWe’ll continue to visit a site that tells the story of the Haenyo – female divers known for their independent spirit, iron will and determination. The Haenyeo are representative of the semi-matriarchal family structure of Jeju Island. At the end of the tour we will return to the ship, which sails at noon.
Close thisToday we dock in Kagoshima. We’ll board a ferry to cross over to the Sakurajima peninsula. Here we’ll visit the Sarugajo Natural Canyon.
READ MOREFrom there we’ll climb to the nearby observation point from where there’s a spectacular view of the entire peninsula. Afterwards we’ll continue to the beach area and visit Nagisa Park to admire the volcanic landscape. After visiting the peninsula, we will return to the ship and get organized for Shabbat.
Close thisA restful Shabbat day aboard ship. We’ll enjoy Shabbat services, kiddush and lunch, shiurim and lectures. This is also an opportunity to enjoy some of the Shabbat-friendly facilities that the ship has to offer.
Our magnificent cruise has come to an end. We will disembark at Yokohama Port and travel to Kawasaki in Kanagawa prefecture.
READ MOREHere we’ll visit Nihon Minka-en, an open museum with a collection of ancient Japanese houses. Afterwards we’ll make our way to the resort town of Hakone, on the bank of Lake Ashi, one of the lakes in the vicinity of Mount Fuji. The best-known symbol of Japan, Mount Fuji was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2013. If the weather permits, we might ascend part way up the mountain. Then we’ll continue to visit the Hakone Open Air Museum, a spacious garden displaying modern sculptures by leading sculptors from all over the world, as well as a special pavilion housing the largest private collection of the works of Pablo Picasso. From here we’ll continue to the volcanic Uwakudani Valley where we’ll be able to view the volcanic thermal activity for which this area is well known.
Close thisWe’ve kept the best for last! After breakfast we’ll travel to Nikko, which is in the mountains of Tochigi Prefecture 150km north of Tokyo.
READ MOREWe’ll visit the Nikko National Park, beginning with Lake Chuzenji and the impressive Kegon Waterfalls – the tallest falls in Japan. We’ll then visit the complex of temples and shrines located in the Nikko forests. These were declared by UNESCO in 1999 as a world Heritage Site worthy of preservation. These are the most impressive examples of Japanese cultural construction styles, with intricate and ornate wood carvings on the walls and copper roofs. This large complex, containing several spectacular temples and shrines, is dedicated to the memory of the Shogun Tokugawa Eiyasu who established a dynasty that ruled Japan for three hundred years.
Close thisOur exciting tour and cruise have come to an end. We’ll transfer to the airport for our flights back home.
* Price per person in USD double or twin room
** Supplement Price for single room
include fuel and taxes
7 days of cruising on one of Costa’s ships
Air-conditioned bus for all tours and transfers according to the itinerary
Tours, visits and site entrances according to the itinerary
First class hotels
Half board kosher throughout the trip and possibility of preparing sandwiches for lunch while on tour
Travel, health and basic cargo insurance
Tips for service providers abroad
A tour guide from the staff of Shai Bar-Ilan
International flights
Tips for ship service providers only $ 15 per person per day (to be paid directly to the ship)
Tourist tax 1000 YEN per person (approx. $10 per person) will be paid ion departure from Japan
Any personal expenses
Evening entertainment not included in the detailed program
Tips for the Israeli tour guide – $5 per person per day
There may be changes to the order of places visited. We will make every effort to visit every place mentioned in the itinerary.
The tour organizers have no control over airline services such as seating, special meal requests, changes in departure times or delays. These remain the sole responsibility of the airline company.
The kosher meals on other cruise lines are provided by each Cruise Lines’ kosher meal supplier. All kosher meal suppliers are under recognized rabbinical kashrut supervision.
On board the ship we have our own separated section of the kitchen in which all the kosher meals are prepared. Furthermore, we obtain brand new sets of flatware (meat and milk) for each and every cruise.
Hashgacha aboard ship is performed by our specially trained tour guides, and for large groups, there is a logistics and kashrut supervisor aboard as well.
Breakfast is prepared using our utensils. We use local fresh fruits and vegetables, and we use milk products when they are permitted. We use kosher cereals, and bread. We usually serve hard boiled eggs and sometimes scrambled eggs or omelets. At breakfast, we prepare our lunches so that people have their choice as to what they eat for lunch. We bring food from Israel to supplement what is served in the hotel such as cheeses, peanut butter, tuna, etc.
For dinners, we serve either fish or meat (usually chicken) as our main course. In areas where meat is not available nor readily acquired, we will have fish. When possible, we acquire the meat locally from Chabad or other reliable kosher source, and in some cases we fly the meat in from Israel. We try to provide as many meat meals as possible. The main course at dinner is preceded by soup and salad and accompanied by freshly prepared vegetables. Dessert typically consists of fresh fruits.
We do not guarantee Pat Israel and Chalav Israel for all destinations.
In many destinations we have our own dishes and silverware. Where we don’t, we provide disposables at the meals. When we cook in hotel kitchens, we use our own knives, cutting boards, pots and pans, cooking implements and disposable metal trays. All food preparation is done on covered surfaces under the strict supervision of our trained staff/guides who function as our mashgichim.
We make great efforts to assure that our travelers will experience local foods first-hand, while maintaining stringent observance of Kashrut laws on all occasions.
On most of our tours, you will be accompanied by two of our staff members- one a guide for the tour who is knowledgeable about the places you are visiting and will accompany you throughout the day and the second, a person who will deal with the logistics of the tour and provide kashrut supervision in the kitchen.
It is our aim to provide the finest hotel possible in each area we visit. We require our hotels to allow us to work in the kitchen and to supervise the cooking and there are many hotels that are not willing to cooperate. They simply have no desire for us to be “meddling” in their cooking process nor are they happy about our bringing our equipment into their kitchens. We work very hard to find the best hotel in the area that will meet our requirements. Because we are not ready to compromise on kashrut, we may not always be able to use a five star hotel.
Terms of Payment
Registration fee is $ 500 per person
Up to 90 days before the trip, supplementing 30% of the cost of the trip
Up to 45 days before the trip, supplementing 100% of the cost of the trip
Terms of cancellation
When canceling for any reason from the time of registration and up to 90 working days before departure, the passenger will be charged $97 only.
Cancellation for any reason from 89 working days to 30 working days before the trip the passenger will be charged $1500 + $47.
Canceled for any reason from 29 working days to 14 working days before the trip the passenger will be charged $2500 + $47.
If canceled for any reason from 13 working days before the trip until the date of departure the passenger will be charged the full cost of the trip including all the accompanying costs.
* If visas are issued to the countries of destination and / or flights, the prices will be added to the specified cancellation fees
Remarks
Fridays and Saturdays, holidays and holidays in Israel, Sundays and holidays abroad are not counted as a working day count.
If any air tickets are issued or additional services such as a visa are purchased, etc., their prices will be added to the cancellation fees specified above.
In case of change, cancellation or malfunction related to flights, cruise or transportation, the responsibility lies with the airline or transportation company.
There may be changes in the itinerary due to changes in internal flight times and other objective reasons.
The performance of the trip is subject to the conditions and responsibilities as they appear on the website
Passports must be valid for at least 6 months after the date of return.
