5 Night Nagasaki & Busan Cruise

When you cruise from Shanghai, check the essential items off the to-do list: See the classical architecture of the Bund neighborhood and walk among the smell of tea and incense in the fortified Old City. Then, if you have extra time, see the nearby Qibao Ancient Town — check out the pagoda-like bell tower, see Qibao Template (it dates back to the 900s) and snap pics of the photogenic bridges and buildings along the Puhui River.

A beautiful and bustling city, Nagasaki’s streets have been touched by foreign culture for generations. This is the port by which the Portuguese and Dutch brought Japan into contact with Western culture in the 1500s, and over the years, international influence has continued to transform Nagasaki into the hub of cosmopolitan activity it is today. Explore the Dutch Slope, where you’ll find Dutch residences from the 1800s and Japan’s first Protestant Church, Higashi Yamate. Cruise to Nagasaki to see the oldest bridge in Japan, Megane-bashi – or ‘Spectacles Bridge’, so called for its arched appearance. Then, visit Nagasaki Peace Park, with its 18-metre-wide fountain built to memorialise the events that took place here when the atomic bomb struck in 1945.

When you first set eyes on the cityscape of Busan, you’ll see soaring skyscrapers set in the green mountainside. Korea’s second-largest city, Busan is a hub of international allure and local flare. An efficient bus and train system lets you bounce throughout the city — head to Gamcheon Culture Village, a hillside arts district where you’ll find a kaleidoscopic collection of multicolored houses adorned with murals and graffiti. Then, climb the stairs to Haedong Yonggung Temple, set against the dramatic rocks and windswept waters of the coastline. Cruise to Busan and end your day with a leisurely stroll along Haeundae Beach, set between modern skyscrapers and wide-open views of the ocean and mountains.

When you cruise from Shanghai, check the essential items off the to-do list: See the classical architecture of the Bund neighborhood and walk among the smell of tea and incense in the fortified Old City. Then, if you have extra time, see the nearby Qibao Ancient Town — check out the pagoda-like bell tower, see Qibao Template (it dates back to the 900s) and snap pics of the photogenic bridges and buildings along the Puhui River.