Click here to join this CAU Study Tour to discover the local flavors, rich cultures, dynamic histories, and architectural landmarks of Japan and South Korea.

Experience off-the-beaten track Southern Japan and South Korea as you learn from Professor Eric Tagliacozzo about the maritime pathways of the region. Learn about ancient sailing routes and marvel at South Korea's freediving mermaids, the Haenyeo, who preserve the ancient tradition of diving without oxygen tanks.

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Eric Tagliacozzo is the John Stambaugh Professor of History at Cornell. He is an historian of Asia who works on long-distance trade and contact between Asia's regions, connecting maritime Asia through its sub-sections into a single, inter-connected web. He is the author, editor, or co-editor of fifteen books, all of them dealing with movement and cross-cultural contact across Asia's seas in different eras, and at different moments. His first monograph on the history of smuggling won the Harry J. Benda prize from the Association of Asian Studies (AAS), and he has also won the Stephen and Margery Russell Teaching Prize at Cornell. He has run a number of programs and initiatives at Cornell, and regularly teaches courses on inter-Asian contact in his classes at the university. Eric is a CAU-fan-favorite who has led multiple CAU Study Tours throughout the world.

Your travel companions are as curious as you are. Join them for a lunch of okonomiyaki, a Japanese specialty of savory pancakes, as you discuss the nuanced blend of tradition and modernity in these East Asian countries. Later, join your new friends for a stroll along a Jeju Island beach as you reflect on all you've learned.

This small-group tour is limited to 24 participants and exclusive to Cornell alumni, families, and friends. We welcome anyone to learn and travel with us, but know that you'll be in an intimate, interactive learning environment. Space is extremely limited!

On this Study Tour, begin in Japan with visits to Osaka, Fukuoka, and Nagasaki, where centuries of trade and exchange helped shape the region. Continue to Seoul to explore how Korean traditions, from tea culture to political ideas, influenced its island neighbor. Then venture south to the coastal port city of Busan before concluding on Jeju Island, where dramatic volcanic scenery, ancient seafaring customs, and local culinary traditions offer a vivid sense of place and history.

Visit lesser-known yet historically significant sites—places that reveal the evolving relationship between Japan and Korea, the tensions and cooperation that have defined their past, and the resilience of their cultures. Walk in the footsteps of merchants, diplomats, and scholars who once navigated the complex political landscapes of East Asia and experience the blend of tradition and modernity that characterizes both nations today.

Visit Kyoto's Temple of the Golden Pavilion (Kinkaku-ji) and the famous Fushimi Inari Shrine with its 10,000 red torii gates that wind up Inari Mountain. Enjoy local favorite cuisines like Nishin Soba and relax in natural hot spring baths as you look forward to the journey ahead.

Depart home on an overnight flight to Osaka, historically known as the merchant city of Japan.

(Meals aloft.)

Arrive in Osaka, host of the World Exposition in 2025 and the second-largest metropolis in Japan after greater Tokyo. Transfer to the 5-star Imperial Hotel Osaka, located on the banks of the Okawa River in Sakuranomiya. Gather this evening for a welcome reception.

(Meals included: Reception)

Professor Tagliacozzo will launch his lecture series today. Enjoy a guided exploration of Osaka, including a visit to the National Museum of Ethnology, and discover more about the Ainu indigenous culture of Japan. Then, drive to Kobe for a sake tasting and special dinner of Japan's prized Wagyu beef. An optional guided night walk through Dontonbori rounds out your evening.

(Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

Take the Shinkansen bullet train to Hiroshima, a castle town that, for centuries, was the region's most important port. Hiroshima is forever defined by its place in history as the target of the world's first atomic bomb attack, and its role today at the center of an international peace movement. Let the city's story move you as you visit the Atomic Bomb Dome, Peace Memorial Museum, and Children's Peace Monument.

Meals included: Breakfast, Dinner)

Following a morning lecture by Professor Tagliacozzo, board a ferry to the sacred island of Miyajima. Visit Itsukushima Shrine and Senjokaku (Pavilion of 1,000 Mats), built in 1587. Just offshore, the massive torii gate appears to float at high tide. Delight in the beauty of this UNESCO World Heritage site.

(Meals included: Breakfast, Dinner)

Today we embark by rail to Fukuoka, a city famous for its ramen. After a visit to Shofukujj, the oldest Zen temple in the country, try your hand at making tonkotsu ramen for lunch. Later, check in to your centrally located hotel, where you might choose to experience the onsite onsen (hot spring baths) or join your travel companions for dinner at your leisure.

(Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch)

Today is full of tour highlights in the bustling Japanese port city of Nagasaki. Step onto Dejima, a tiny fan-shaped island where all official international trade took place when Japan was closed (known as sakoku, from 1603-1868). Dine on chanpon, a hearty noodle dish originating in Nagasaki, then enjoy exploring Glover Garden in the afternoon.

(Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

After a short flight this morning, you'll arrive in Seoul. Set out for the Gwangjang Market for a food tour of local specialities. Then, visit the largest of the Five Grand Palaces built during the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1897), Gyeongbokgung Palace, and experience a taste of the grandeur of Korea's royal past as you witness a Changing of the Guard ceremony. Tonight, we dine on Korean barbecue.

(Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

This morning, we'll hear from Professor Tagliacozzo before embarking on a walking tour through the traditional alleyways of Seoul's Bukchon Hanok Village. Walk in the footsteps of Korea's ancient noble class through these neighborhoods saved from the city's rapid redevelopment. Following lunch and a traditional tea ceremony, the remainder of the day is at leisure.

(Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch)

Busan, South Korea's second-largest city, is a vibrant coastal metropolis. Drink in the colors of Gamcheon Culture Village and its bright collection of houses, art installations, and sculptures with breathtaking views. Our accommodations are at the 5-star Grand Josun Busan on Haeundae Beach, South Korea's most famous. We'll gather for a dinner of local delicacies.

(Meals included: Breakfast, Dinner)

We'll hear Professor Tagliacozzo's last lecture of our journey today before setting out for the bustling Jagalchi Market, where most vendors are women. From there, we'll explore modern Korean culture with a deep dive of K-pop, K-drama, and Korean beauty, all of which have thrust South Korea onto the global stage. Visit iconic K-drama filming locations like Taejongdae Lighthouse.

(Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch)

Our trip would not be complete without visiting Jeju Island, called the "Hawaii of Korea," and classified as a UNESCO World Heritage site, Biosphere Reserve, and Global Geopark. Take guided walks through Hallasan National Park to spot unique lava formations, waterfalls, and breathtaking panoramic views, before checking into your island resort and enjoying a meal of local delicacies.

(Meals included: Breakfast, Dinner)

Today, meet the female freedivers known as Haenyeo, who have harvested shellfish from Jeju's waters for hundreds of years and still today maintain a semi-matrilineal island society. Enjoy the Haenyeo's catch from the sea for lunch before stopping at Manjanggul Cave, a drained lava tube. In the evening, gather for a festive farewell dinner and toast to the memories of your learning exploration.

Take a group transfer to the Jeju International Airport for connecting flights home. Bid your new friends and fellow travelers farewell, for now—and start planning your next adventure!

June 4 – 8, 2026

Spend three nights at the Westin Miyako Kyoto, first opened in 1890 and featuring natural hot spring baths (onsen). Explore Miho Museum in Shiga, designed by architect I.M. Pei, and Nijo Castle, famous for its "nightingale" floors, deigned to squeak when stepped on to ward off intruders. In Nara, walk the grounds of Todai-ji, one of Japan’s most famous and historically significant temples. Settle in for your great journey, then transfer to meet the rest of the group in Osaka on Monday, June 8th. Add this extension during registration.

June 7 – 20, 2026

Produced by CAU in partnership with Criterion Travel

Click here to register!

Download the brochure:

[DOWNLOAD LINK HERE]

September 18 – 29, 2026

Featuring Benjamin Anderson, Associate Professor of the History of Art and Classics aboard the 18-cabin Queen Eleganza yacht.

When you travel with Cornell's Adult University, you save yourself the hassle of planning, and benefit from unique itineraries in hard-to-reach parts of the world with our award-winning partners. Our partners are deeply invested in providing high quality experiences for alumni, family, and friends. On CAU Study Tours like this one, your travel and learning are enhanced with Cornell faculty who travel alongside you.

We are committed to ensuring that CAU and Cornell Alumni Travel tours provide a welcoming and inclusive experience for everyone. You can find the expectations that are applicable to all attendees of Cornell University alumni events, both on and off campus, by visiting this link.