Dear Cycling Enthusiasts,
In 2018 Santana announced a circumnavigation of Hokkaido, and were stunned when every stateroom sold within 7 minutes. Over the course of six Japan scouting trips, Jan and I made great contacts who insisted on accompanying us to view amazing rides and regions beyond the scope of our original itinerary.

While Santana’s original itinerary was excellent, our redesigned itinerary certainly takes it up a notch.
Japan 7-Region Cycling Cruise
Six weeks of scouting pinpointed the best ports for cycling!
In addition to cycling that’s exotic and diverse, this event is designed to include interactive sessions with some of the friendliest people on earth; local hosts who will help us to appreciate their country and culture.
Why haven’t more cyclists toured Japan? Until now, western cyclists have been deterred by Japan’s indecipherable maps and signs. Fortunately, with Santana's GPS route guidance, enjoying expertly designed routes through prime regions of Japan is suddenly possible. No need to translate signs, fumble with paper, or wonder if you’re lost; a glance at your handlebars is all it takes to know you’re on course.
It’s surprising so few cyclists have discovered Japan, a fascinating country with the world’s most careful and courteous drivers!
2023 Japan Cycling Cruise
Photo Itinerary
Santana’s carefully curated choice of daily routes provide interactive stops at samurai villages, feudal castles, swordsmiths, sake breweries, bamboo forests, pearl farms, sacred Shinto shrines, and ancient Buddhist temples.
Day 1: Our 11-day Odyssey begins in Kobe, where the Kobe Cruise Terminal is just outside the city center. If you care to arrive a couple of days before embark, our optional non-cycling PreTour includes shuttles from Osaka’s KIX airport (which hosts over a dozen daily nonstops to America’s West Coast), a perfectly-sited hotel and a fast-paced overview of one of Japan’s signature cities.
On embark afternoon we’ll reassemble and test our bikes (or accept an optional rental bike) at the pier.
Day 2: Is there such a thing as a perfect bicycle ride? During our series of Japanese scouting trips, dozens of Japanese guides asked if our plans included Japan’s Shimanami Kaidō bike path. From our decades of planning rides for enthusiasts, Jan and I have learned that non-enthusiasts are too-easily wowed by traffic-free facilities. We were skeptical, and didn’t find time to check out this bike path until our fifth visit.
If anything, the rave reports you’ll find through a web-search are understated. If a better day of cycling exists, Jan and I haven’t yet found it. Our list of ports was reshuffled to save this best day for last.
A bicycles-only bridge
The preferred starting point for this ride is the coastal town of Imabari, where our ship will dock briefly to see us off for our final day of cycling. The Shimanami Kaidō hops across Japan’s Inland Sea by using seven bridges that link six stepping-stone islands. Because the 44-mile bike path is too challenging for occasional cyclists, inter-island bike ferries shorten the distance by as much as 60%
Upon reaching the finish in Onomichi, enthusiasts celebrate at a waterfront bike shop that is also a pizzeria and cyclists’ hotel. After the town’s Mayor was apprised of Santana’s cycling cruise, he invited us to dock our ship next to Japan’s most famous bike shop. On our tour’s final afternoon we’ll repack bikes during a ship-side party.
Day 3: After two years of effort, the tiny port of Hirao finally agreed to host its first cruise ship. Why did Santana continue to request a port where cruise ships aren’t wanted? Great cycling and friendly locals.
Why did officials finally relent? After careful consideration they decided that hosting a small ship filled with American bicycle riders was curiously irresistible.
Day 4: Where do the Japanese go for an island holiday? While Japanese golfers will fly to Hawaii, cyclists from Japan and Korea are more likely to travel to Tsushima, a volcanic archipelago that’s a short ferry crossing from either country.
Originally too remote for agriculture or effective foreign control, for centuries the chieftains of Tsushima used piracy to leverage beneficial trading alliances with Japan, Korea and China.
Now a Japanese national park known for beautiful coastal forests, finding an assortment of intriguing rides was too easy.
A bike and pedestrian bridge in the heart of Ulsan’s central park
Day 5: After an overnight crossing, we’ll wake up for a one-day visit to a different country! Because our cruise ship is foreign-flagged, Japanese maritime law requires our itinerary to include a foreign port. After surveying the various alternatives, we chose the South Korean port of Ulsan for a fortuitous day of sights and cycling.
Our provisional plan is a peninsular ride through a mysterious bamboo forest where we’ll learn about pandas, an animal they hope to reintroduce.
In a port surrounded by sprawling parks and forests, we’ll stop at a traditional Korean brewery that doubles as a distillery.
On the way back to our floating hotel, a pedestrian bridge spanning rock outcroppings provides a dramatic view of the Sea of Japan.
Day 6: Another small port that rarely hosts cruise ships is Hagi. In a country filled with replicas, our ship’s tie-up is adjacent to a real Samurai castle and village.
Today’s traffic-free course follows the Abu River through a monkey-inhabited forest to reach a narrowing canyon where fishing enthusiasts watch soaring eagles to discover the best spots. At the upper end of the gorge, a fishermen’s tavern will be a worthy goal for those who want to coast back to the shore.
After a bit of refreshment, strong riders can climb through switchbacks for a longer return through a parallel valley. Either way, this is among the finest days of cycling we’ve ever scouted.
The objects in the water are local fisheries
Day 7: The petite-proportions of our yacht-sized cruise ship allows our tour to include Uwajima—a famous destination for Japanese cyclists that’s rarely visited by foreigners.
By now you’ll understand that the Japanese accept foreign cyclists as quickly as they turn away from normal tourists.
Unless you’ve previously learned the language, our cycling cruise will be the best possible way to meet and interact with the Japanese.
Today’s ride hugs a winding coastline to find a small pearl plantation where we’ll be able to meet biologists, divers, and artisans.
A stop at a remote fishing village allows hikes through an amphitheater of terraced gardens tended by friendly locals.
Day 8: By this day most will be ready to tackle a longer route with a few hills. Even if you aren’t that energetic, however, you’ll still be able to reach a prime example of Japan’s “Magnificent Seven” castles—more remarkable because Kochi’s castle is the country’s oldest, and retains its original form.
Even closer to the port is Chikurinji Temple. Surrounded by the Makino botanical gardens, this Buddhist temple and active teaching center surrounds a perfectly-proportioned five-story wooden pagoda.
If you haven’t yet experienced a Buddhist temple, the monks are incredibly warm and welcoming, appreciative of respectful visitors, and will perform a blessing to help guide your continued journey of Japanese discovery.
Day 9: Following a second luxuriously restful night aboard, we arrive at Shingu, a national pilgrimage center known as the Gateway to the Heavens.
In an area famous for great cycling, we’ll have a wide range of routes. One option climbs to a hidden pagoda temple that’s incredibly picturesque.
Day 10: On the first morning of our cruise you’ll wake up in Fuji, a town at the base of Japan’s iconic volcano. Our tour was carefully timed to allow a keepsake photo of you, your bike and Mt. Fuji, all framed by cherry blossoms.
Our warm-up ride takes us through a fragrant tea plantation to a famous Shinto shrine, where we’ll obtain an introduction to Japanese spiritualism that will help us to better understand Japan and its mysterious culture.
Disembark Day: After a tenth night aboard the Star Breeze, our cruise disembarks in Tokyo, where the Yokohama Cruise terminal is near the city center. If you care to explore Tokyo with our group, our optional non-cycling Tokyo PostTour includes shuttles, a perfectly-sited hotel, and a fast-paced overview of Japan’s signature city.
Ship & Stateroom Info Tomorrow!
Dates & Pricing on Wednesday!
Your personal invitation to Reserve a Suite will arrive on Thursday at 10am Pacific!
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