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The harbor of Nagasaki with a cruise ship at the downtown pier

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Where does Explora III dock in Nagasaki?

In port Sun, 3 Oct 2027, 07:00–18:00 (11 h in port). 3 calls listed in all, below.

Photo: Adobe Stock / Licensed

Nagasaki in one glance

Champon at Shikairo, Nagasaki

Champon at Shikairo

The restaurant that invented champon in 1899 still ladles it under a chandeliered dome by the harbor.about 2h · 3–5 min walk from the terminalOura Cathedral & Dutch Slope, Nagasaki

Oura Cathedral & Dutch Slope

Japan’s oldest surviving church, built in 1864 for the foreign community — the discovery of hidden Christians here in 1865 stunned the world.about 2h · 5–10 min walk uphill, or tram one stopCastella at Fukusaya, Nagasaki

Castella at Fukusaya

Portuguese sponge cake perfected over 400 years — Fukusaya’s 1624 original shop still hand-mixes every batch.about 1h · 3 min walk to the Matsugae branch
Cut to the 3 Oct call

What fits your 9 hours

Oura Cathedral under a blue sky, NagasakiThe Peace Statue in Nagasaki Peace ParkGuests sitting by the river near the Megane Bridge, NagasakiFits your 3 Oct call · with a guide · NagasakiNagasaki Highlights Private Full-Day Tour by CarPrivate car · per person5.0★ · 24 reviewsUS$233 each · US$466 for twoPickup at the pierneeds an 8-hour callfits 100% of calls hereFree cancellation 24h aheadNot open on 3 Oct in the operator’s schedule · checked 14 NovWhy we would book it, and the clock
Off the ship and back

The berth, the way into town and back in Nagasaki

Book before you sail

Three more guided days that fit 9 hours

Each takes no more than the 3 Oct call leaves you. Booked through Viator; there is no tour desk at the pier.

Every guided day in Nagasaki
Nagasaki Highlights Private Half-Day Tour by TramFits your 3 Oct callPrivate5.0★ · 44

Nagasaki Highlights Private Half-Day Tour by Tram

US$149 each · US$298 for twoPickup at the pierneeds a 6-hour callfits 100% of calls hereFree cancellation 24h aheadWhy it is hereNagasaki Highlights Private Full-Day Tour by TramFits your 3 Oct callPrivate car · per person5.0★ · 53

Nagasaki Highlights Private Full-Day Tour by Tram

US$194 each · US$388 for twoPickup on requestneeds an 8-hour callfits 100% of calls hereFree cancellation 24h aheadWhy it is hereNagasaki Highlights Private Half-Day Tour by CarFits your 3 Oct callPrivate car · per person4.9★ · 80

Nagasaki Highlights Private Half-Day Tour by Car

US$175 each · US$350 for twoPickup on requestneeds a 6-hour callfits 100% of calls hereFree cancellation 24h aheadWhy it is here

Tours are booked through Viator (a Tripadvisor company). If you book, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. It never decides what we recommend.

Days that fit Explora III’s call

9 hours ashore: the days that fit

Cut to the 3 Oct call. The half hour to get off and the hour before all-aboard are already kept free.

Rainy-day plan

Swipe sideways for the other days →

Glover Garden, NagasakiHillside villas and champon, NagasakiOura Cathedral & Dutch Slope, Nagasaki

Needs a 5-hour callabout 3hwalkhistory

Hillside villas and champon

For a downtown berth — the wharf-side hills done on foot.

  1. 0:00Walk from Matsugae wharf to Glover Garden
  2. 0:15Glover Garden villas + harbor views
  3. 1:15Oura Cathedral next door
  4. 1:45Champon at Shikairo — the 1899 birthplace
  5. + 1 more stop on the full route

Free — all on foot

Open in Google Maps, in 2 parts

  1. 1Your ship → Glover Garden → Oura Cathedralon foot
  2. 2Oura Cathedral → Shikairo → Your shipon foot
Follow this routeGuided versionNagasaki Highlights Private Half-Day Tour by TramPeace Park told properly, by tram with a private guide; some stairs and slopes · from US$149
Green-and-cream Nagasaki tram no. 308The Peace Park & Atomic Bomb Museum, NagasakiDejima, Nagasaki

Needs a 7-hour callabout 5hhistoryfood

The bomb and the trading island

For visitors who want both halves of this city's story.

  1. 0:00Tram north to Peace Park (~30 min riding, one change; 40–50 min door to door)
  2. 0:30Atomic Bomb Museum + Peace Park
  3. 2:30Tram back to Dejima
  4. 3:00Dejima — the fan-shaped Dutch island, rebuilt
  5. + 2 more stops on the full route

Trams ¥300–600 (or the ¥600 day pass)

Open in Google Maps, in 4 parts

  1. 1Your ship → Peace Park by tramtrain or bus
  2. 2Peace Park by tram → Atomic Bomb Museumon foot
  3. 3Atomic Bomb Museum → Tram back to Dejimatrain or bus
  4. 4Tram back to Dejima → Chinatown snack → Your shipon foot
Follow this routeGuided versionNagasaki Highlights Private Half-Day Tour by TramSame museum-to-Glover arc by tram with a local guide · from US$149
Peace Park & Atomic Bomb Museum, NagasakiThe full circle, NagasakiDejima trading island, Nagasaki

Needs a 9.5-hour callabout 7.5hhistorywalk

The full circle

For long calls that want the bridge, the island and the hills.

  1. 0:00Peace Park + museum by tram, unhurried
  2. 2:45Megane-bashi spectacles bridge + castella at Fukusaya
  3. 4:00Dejima, then Chinatown sara-udon lunch-late
  4. 5:30Glover Garden at golden hour
  5. + 1 more stop on the full route

Tram day pass ¥600

Open in Google Maps, in 3 parts

  1. 1Your ship → Peace Park + museumtrain or bus
  2. 2Peace Park + museum → Megane-bashi bridgetrain or bus
  3. 3Megane-bashi bridge → Chinatown lunch → Glover Garden → Your shipon foot
Follow this routeGuided versionNagasaki Highlights Private Full-Day Tour by CarSame full-city arc, by private car with a guide for the long day · from US$233
Your 3 Oct call on one page

Explora III in Nagasaki: the day sheet

Sun, 3 Oct 2027, 07:00–18:00 (11 h in port). Off the ship from 07:30, back at the gangway by 16:30. Print it or save it before you lose the ship's Wi-Fi.

First Japanese port: immigration on the day

Explora III arrives from Busan, so Nagasaki is where you enter Japan

Japan checks every foreign passenger in person at the first Japanese port, before anyone goes ashore: a passport check and fingerprints. No official time is published for it, so plan the start of the day around the queue.

Before any tourLeave the first hours freeThe only official figure is from Hakata in 2015: ships of 1,000+ passengers took about 85 minutes once the cruise permit was in use. If you book a guide, say this is your ship’s first Japanese port and agree a start time with margin.
Landing permitCarry it ashore all dayForeign passengers on approved ships usually enter on a Cruise Landing Permission (船舶観光上陸許可) and receive a landing permit. The law requires holders to carry it at all times instead of the passport; passengers landed normally carry their passport.
CustomsLeave fruit and meat on boardMost fruit, vegetables and meat products may not be brought into Japan; the penalty can be up to three years’ imprisonment or a ¥3 million fine. Declaration forms are given out on board: follow your cruise line’s instructions.

Sources: Immigration Services Agency of Japan (Immigration Control Act, Art. 14-2 and 23), Japan Customs, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. Checked 25 October 2026. Our guide to the first Japanese port

At the pier, before you set off

The terminalMatsugae terminal: immigration, free Wi-Fi, tourist desk, currency exchange, ¥600 tram passes, barrier-free toilet, lift.
Cash and ATMsTrams and taxis take cards; Glover's upper gate and Gunkanjima Cruise want cash. ATMs from Matsugae: post office 130 m, FamilyMart 190 m, 7-Eleven 350 m.
Wi-Fi and dataFree Wi-Fi in the terminal, at every tram stop, Glover Garden and the Peace Park. No SIM seller published nearby; buy an eSIM before sailing.
Steps and slopesSteep hillsides. Oura Cathedral is stairs only; Glover Garden has moving walkways, ramps and free electric wheelchairs. Only nine low-floor trams a day from Oura-kaigan-dori.
Weather ashore · a usual October day in Nagasaki
24° / 17°C75° / 62°F

Rain on about 6 days in 30 — the rain-day plan if the day turns wet

The forecast for Sun 3 Oct appears here from Mon 27 Sept.

Normals 1991–2020: Japan Meteorological Agency, Nagasaki station · The official figures →

Add to calendar
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Every Explora III call at Nagasaki

3 calls listed, Oct 2027–Nov 2027. The pattern, and the plan for each kind of day

Arrivals run 07:00–09:00 and departures 18:00–19:00: check your own date in the table before choosing a day.

Sun 3 Oct202707:00–18:00~9 h—Full day
Tue 19 Oct202709:00–19:00~8 h—Full day
Tue 2 Nov202709:00–19:00~8 h—Full day

Add all 3 calls to your calendar

Usable hours follow the one rule: off the ship 30 minutes after arrival, all-aboard 30 minutes before departure, back at the gangway an hour before that. Overnight calls count the longest stretch ashore between 08:00 and 21:00 (the night is not touring time). Dates and times from the cruise line’s published itinerary; the port has not listed these calls yet; the daily programme has the final word.

The full day · 3 calls

Sun 3 Oct, Tue 19 Oct, Tue 2 Nov

07:00 or 09:00 to 18:00 or 19:00 · about 8 to 9 usable hours · gangway by 16:30 or 17:30

About 8–9 usable hours, back at the gangway by 16:30 or 17:30: the port's full timed day fits, and so does a guided day that returns in time.

No guided day on this site fits these calls and is open on them; the timed plans below are the day.

Quick answers

Explora III at Nagasaki

Where does Explora III dock in Nagasaki?

The port has not published Explora III's berth in Nagasaki for 3 Oct; ships here normally use Matsugae / Dejima wharf, downtown. Berths can be reassigned on busy days; the daily programme has the final word.

How long is Explora III in Nagasaki?

Sun, 3 Oct 2027: 07:00–18:00 (11 h in port); Tue, 19 Oct 2027: 09:00–19:00 (10 h in port); Tue, 2 Nov 2027: 09:00–19:00 (10 h in port). Off the ship 30 minutes after arrival, all-aboard 30 minutes before departure, back at the gangway an hour before that: plan for about 9 usable hours on the call of Sun, 3 Oct 2027, back at the gangway by 16:30.

What can you do in Nagasaki with 9 hours from Explora III?

3 of the port's timed days fit the call of Sun, 3 Oct 2027: The hillside sampler (about 3h), Two stories of one city (about 5h), The full circle (about 7.5h). 3 guided days fit the call.

What is the weather like in Nagasaki in October?

On a usual October day Nagasaki reaches about 24 °C (75 °F), with a low of about 17 °C (62 °F); rain (1 mm or more) falls on about 6 days in 30. These are the Japan Meteorological Agency's 1991–2020 normals for Nagasaki. From 7 days before the call, this page shows the forecast for the day itself.

Checked · Visited in person · Takumi Yamada

Dates and times from the cruise line’s published itinerary; the port has not listed these calls yet. Schedules change; your ship's daily programme has the final word.