Asia from Busan Cruise

Day 1 - Busan

Arrive: Fri 12 March 2027 / Depart: Fri 12 March 2027 at 21:00

Second to Seoul, Busan is the most populated city in South Korea. On an MSC cruise you will discover the most interesting attractions of this city of three and a half million inhabitants overlooking the Strait of Korea; an economic, cultural and educational reference point for the whole country. The city offers many leisure opportunities. An authentic dining experience is a must, you can taste kimchi, a spicy fermented cabbage dish. Shopping lovers can’t miss the Shinsegae Centum City Department Store, the largest shopping complex in the world and the Gukje market, one of the largest in Korea: every road is crowded with stalls, where it's easy to find local handicrafts. On an excursion you can visit Gamcheon, a quiet and peaceful village of narrow lanes and colourful houses, the place of residence for many Korean artists. There are over 35,000 specimens of fish, reptiles, amphibians and algae at the Busan Aquarium, which you can visit on an excursion. Located in Haeundae Beach, the complex is a state of the art marine life centre where you can interact with cute seals or walk through an underground tunnel where dreaded sharks swim. An emotional plunge into Buddhist spirituality can be experienced at the temple of Beomeosa, acknowledged for being one of Republic of Korea's national treasures. Built in the 14th century, the place of worship is immersed in the Mt. Geumjeongsan forest, north of Busan.

Day 2 - At Sea

Day 3 - Shanghai

Arrive: Sun 14 March 2027 at 07:00 / Depart: Sun 14 March 2027 at 16:30

When your MSC cruise brings you to Shanghai it is easy to understand that after years of stagnation, this great metropolis is undergoing one of the fastest economic expansions the world has ever seen. As Shanghai begins to recapture its position as East Asia’s leading business city, a status it last held before World War II, the skyline is filling with high-rises – there are well over a thousand now. Gleaming shopping malls, luxurious hotels and prestigious arts centres are rising alongside, while underneath everything snakes the world’s longest subway system. Shanghai’s 23 million residents enjoy the highest incomes on the mainland, and there’s plenty for them to splash out on; witness the rash of celebrity restaurants and designer flagship stores. MSC Grand Voyages cruises also offer excursions to the Bund – Shanghai’s original signature skyline –, a strip of grand Neoclassical colonial edifices on the west bank of the Huangpu River Pudong on the opposite shore – a backdrop domestic visitors queue up against to have their picture taken. Named after an old Anglo-Indian term, “bunding” (the embanking of a muddy foreshore), the Bund’s official name is Zhongshan Lu but it’s better known among locals as Wai Tan (literally “Outside Beach”). By whatever name, this was old Shanghai’s commercial heart, with the river on one side and the offices of the leading bank and trading houses on the other. Jinmao Tower is a beautiful building, an elegant tapering postmodern take on Art Deco, has an observation deck on the 88th floor. An ear-popping lift whisks you up 340m to the top in a matter of seconds. The spectacle of the city spread out before you is of course sublime, but turn round for a giddying view down the building’s glorious galleried atrium. Shanghai Museum is one of the city’s highlights, with a fantastic, well-presented collection.

Day 4 - At Sea

Day 5 - Kagoshima

Arrive: Tue 16 March 2027 at 07:00 / Depart: Tue 16 March 2027 at 16:00

In the far south of Japan an MSC cruise will help you discover the city of Kagoshima. It is populated by little more than half a million people and enjoys a mild climate for most of the year. The town is dominated by the active volcano Sakurajima and is called the "Naples of Japan" for its similarity to the landscape of the city of Naples. It is not uncommon for the volcano to perform with spectacular eruptions. On an excursion you can visit Shiroyama Park, located in the city centre but stretching all the way to mount Shiroyama. Just over a hundred metres high, it was the backdrop of a battle between the Imperial Army and a group of samurai rebels in the late 19th century. The park leads to the Observatory from where you can admire the spectacular scenery of the town and the bay of Kagoshima as well as the volcano. Along the northern coast of the centre are the Senganen gardens, also known as Isoteien, a lovely example of a Japanese garden with ponds, streams, shrines and a bamboo grove. They date back three hundred years and were constructed by the Shimazu family. There is a fine restaurant inside the garden where you can dine and enjoy the meat and fish specialities that this country offers and for which it is famous all over the world. Next to Senganen is a building which dates back to the mid-19th century which originally housed a machinery factory and is now the "Shoko-Shuseikan" museum. It houses objects from the Shimazu family 700 year history.

Day 6 - Busan

Arrive: Wed 17 March 2027 at 10:00 / Depart: Wed 17 March 2027

Second to Seoul, Busan is the most populated city in South Korea. On an MSC cruise you will discover the most interesting attractions of this city of three and a half million inhabitants overlooking the Strait of Korea; an economic, cultural and educational reference point for the whole country. The city offers many leisure opportunities. An authentic dining experience is a must, you can taste kimchi, a spicy fermented cabbage dish. Shopping lovers can’t miss the Shinsegae Centum City Department Store, the largest shopping complex in the world and the Gukje market, one of the largest in Korea: every road is crowded with stalls, where it's easy to find local handicrafts. On an excursion you can visit Gamcheon, a quiet and peaceful village of narrow lanes and colourful houses, the place of residence for many Korean artists. There are over 35,000 specimens of fish, reptiles, amphibians and algae at the Busan Aquarium, which you can visit on an excursion. Located in Haeundae Beach, the complex is a state of the art marine life centre where you can interact with cute seals or walk through an underground tunnel where dreaded sharks swim. An emotional plunge into Buddhist spirituality can be experienced at the temple of Beomeosa, acknowledged for being one of Republic of Korea's national treasures. Built in the 14th century, the place of worship is immersed in the Mt. Geumjeongsan forest, north of Busan.