Two journeys for March, built around the same week and pointed in opposite directions. One is Japan on foot, city to city, with a night in a ryokan. The other is the Galápagos by ship, a different island every morning. Both are small group travel with the logistics handled, which is what I wanted for you and Joah.

Two Journeys• Two Continents• One March Week
Option 01

Classic Japan

ABERCROMBIE & KENT · TOKYO, HAKONE, OSAKA, NARA, KYOTO
9 Days
5 Destinations
18 Guests Maximum
March 12 to 20, 2027

Highlights

Nine days from Tokyo to Kyoto, moving the way Japan is best seen, which is slowly and on the ground. You try taiko drums and walk a seafood market in Tokyo, then stay at Gôra Kadan in Hakone, one of the country's most sought after traditional inns and a room A&K can hold precisely because the group is this small. From there the bullet train runs south past Mount Fuji to Osaka and the Dotonbori district, with a day trip to nearby Nara. Along the way, a tea ceremony, sumo, and a private geisha dinner.

What Is Included

Resident Tour Director
Local guides throughout
Airport meet and greet
Private transfers
Bags moved between hotels
Mid journey laundry service
Daily breakfast, many meals
Entrance fees and taxes
Gratuities
Internet access
Where You Stay

Four Seasons Tokyo at Otemachi, Gôra Kadan, Four Seasons Osaka, Hotel The Mitsui Kyoto.

Pace

Long walks at some sites. Welcome briefing 8:30 a.m. on Day 2, farewell dinner Day 9.

Per Person

$16,995 Available

Double occupancy. The departures on March 5 and March 8 run $15,995, and everything from March 15 onward jumps to $18,995 for cherry blossom season, so this date sits in a good spot.

View the full Classic Japan journey

Option 02

The Galápagos

SILVERSEA · SILVER ORIGIN · THE OUTER LOOP
7 Days
15 Landing Sites
100 Guests, 90 Crew
March 11 to 20, 2027

Highlights

Two nights in Quito to start, then a round trip cruise from San Cristóbal with no sea days at all, which means you wake up somewhere new every morning and go ashore. Kicker Rock, Prince Philip's Steps and Darwin Bay on Genovesa, North Seymour, the lava fields at Sullivan Bay, the Bolivar Canal, the Santa Cruz highlands and the tortoise breeding center, then Gardner Bay and Punta Suarez on Española before turning back. Silver Origin was built for these islands specifically, carries only 100 guests, and runs Ecuadorian national park guides and eight Zodiacs.

What Is Included

Butler for every suite
Nearly one crew per guest
All dining, open seating
24 hour in suite dining
Wines, spirits, beverages
Four shore excursions
Enrichment lectures
Gratuities
Port taxes and fees
Wi-Fi
Route

Two nights Quito, then round trip San Cristóbal. Zero days at sea on the cruise.

Pace

Zodiac landings twice most days. Active, but the ship comes to you.

Per Person

$15,021 From

Per person sharing a cabin. There is no single supplement here. If you take two cabins you each pay the full two guest per cabin fare, so one shared cabin is the value.

View the full Galápagos voyage

The altitude to plan around The trip opens with two nights in Quito at the JW Marriott, included in the fare. Quito sits at about 9,350 feet, so those first two days may feel a little uncomfortable before you drop down to the islands, which are at sea level. Silversea routes this trip through Quito and does not offer a lower departure city, so it is worth going in knowing to take the first day easy.
At a Glance

The Two, Side by Side

Both land inside the same March window. Neither overlaps the other cleanly, so this is one or the other.

Option 01Classic Japan Option 02The Galápagos
DatesMarch 12 to 20, 2027March 11 to 20, 2027
Length9 days10 days, including 2 nights Quito
WhereTokyo, Hakone, Osaka, Nara, KyotoQuito, then round trip San Cristóbal, 15 landing sites
Group Size18 guests maximum100 guests, 90 crew
Getting AroundBullet train and private transfers, hotel to hotelOne ship the whole week, Zodiac landings
The Trade-OffA long flight to get thereTwo opening nights at 9,350 feet in Quito
SupplierAbercrombie & KentSilversea
Per Person $16,995 Available $15,021 From
In Summary

My Recommendation

Honestly, either one of these would be wonderful for the two of you, and I would be happy to plan either. They are both small group trips with the hard parts handled, and you and Joah would love them for different reasons.

So my thinking comes down to the trade-offs rather than the trips themselves. Japan is a much longer journey to reach, and that travel day is real. The Galápagos is an easier flight, but it opens with two nights in Quito at 9,350 feet, and that altitude can feel uncomfortable for the first day or two before you drop down to the islands. Neither is a dealbreaker. They are just different things to weigh.

Have a look at both and tell me which way you are leaning. Once you do, I will pull firm pricing and check what is still open.

Warmly,

MELISSA FRIEDMANLEVINE, MD

Founder, Destination Doctor · Fora Centum Top 100 Advisor