Photo: mahlervv / CC BY 3.0The short answer
Le Soléal docks at East Port Quay (expected) in Karatsu.
Karatsu in one glance
Cut to the 24 Mar call
What fits your 3.5 hours
Off the ship and back
The berth, the way into town and back in Karatsu
On your own
All ten, rankedMore of Karatsu within 3.5 hours
Each one is a round trip from the gangway that fits the usable hours of this call.
Niji-no-Matsubara and Karatsu Burger
Yobuko morning market
Nanatsugama sea caves by boat
Basalt columns and sea caves on the open Genkai coast, the largest 3 m wide and 110 m deep; a Natural Monument.
Karatsu ware
Stoneware fired around Karatsu since the early Edo period, from everyday dishes to tea bowls, and long valued for tea.Days that fit Le Soléal’s call
Rainy-day plan3.5 hours ashore: the days that fit
Cut to the 24 Mar call. The half hour to get off and the hour before all-aboard are already kept free.
Swipe sideways for the other days →
Needs a 4.5-hour callabout 2.5h
The castle and the Takatori residence
Any call of 4.5 hours or more; not on a Monday unless it is a holiday, nor the day after a Monday holiday (the residence is closed)
- 0:00Taxi from the East Port Quay to Karatsu Castle (3.7 km, about 10 min, about ¥1,800, our estimate)
- 0:15Karatsu Castle: the museum and the 5th-floor lookout
- 1:15Walk down to the Kyu-Takatori residence (1.1 km, about 15 min, our estimate)
- 1:30Kyu-Takatori residence: the Noh stage and the Western wing
- + 2 more stops on the full route
Two taxis, about ¥1,800 there and ¥1,600 back (our estimates)
Open in Google Maps, in 2 parts
Your 24 Mar call on one page
Le Soléal in Karatsu: the day sheet
Wed, 24 Mar 2027, 13:30–19:00 (5.5 h in port), at East Port Quay (expected; 2027 berth not yet published). Off the ship from 14:00, back at the gangway by 17:30. Print it or save it before you lose the ship's Wi-Fi.
At the pier, before you set off
The terminalNo cruise terminal is listed.
Cash and ATMsOur sources list no ATM or exchange at the quay. Carry yen for buses (fares are not printed on the timetable), the Nanatsugama boat (¥2,200) and the morning market.
Wi-Fi and dataNo port Wi-Fi is published. Buy an eSIM before sailing.
Steps and slopesThe castle has a lift from Maizuru Park, ¥100 one way, free for 70 and over. The Former Karatsu Bank has a ramp, a lift and an accessible toilet.
Weather ashore · a usual March day in Karatsu
15° / 6°C59° / 43°F
Rain on about 10 days in 30 — the rain-day plan if the day turns wet
A layer for the evening
The forecast for Wed 24 Mar appears here from Thu 18 Mar.
Normals 2010–2020: Japan Meteorological Agency, Karatsu station · The official figures →
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Every Le Soléal call at Karatsu
2 calls listed, Mar 2027. The pattern, and the plan for each kind of day
Arrivals run 07:00–13:30 and departures 12:30–19:00: check your own date in the table before choosing a day.
Wed 24 Mar2027In port: 13:30–19:00usable: ~3.5 hberth: East Port Quay (expected)Short
Sun 28 Mar2027In port: 07:00–12:30usable: ~3.5 hberth: East Port Quay (expected)Short
Add all 2 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.
Wed 24 Mar, Sun 28 Mar
07:00 or 13:30 to 12:30 or 19:00 · about 3.5 usable hours · gangway by 11:00 or 17:30
About 3.5 usable hours, back at the gangway by 11:00 or 17:30: stay within a short taxi ride of the berth, one place done properly, and skip anything that needs a coach.
No guided day on this site fits these calls and is open on them; the timed plans below are the day.
Quick answers
Le Soléal at Karatsu
Where does Le Soléal dock in Karatsu?
Le Soléal docks at East Port Quay (expected) in Karatsu — Karatsu Castle 4.1 km, about 55 min round the harbour; JR Nishi-Karatsu Station 1.7 km, about 25 min; Karatsu Jinja 3.2 km, about 45 min — our estimates on OSM routing. Berths can be reassigned on busy days; the daily programme has the final word.
How long is Le Soléal in Karatsu?
Wed, 24 Mar 2027: 13:30–19:00 (5.5 h in port); Sun, 28 Mar 2027: 07:00–12:30 (5.5 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 3.5 usable hours on the call of Wed, 24 Mar 2027, back at the gangway by 17:30.
What can you do in Karatsu with 3.5 hours from Le Soléal?
1 of the port's timed days fits the call of Wed, 24 Mar 2027: The castle and the Takatori residence (about 2.5h).
What is the weather like in Karatsu in March?
On a usual March day Karatsu reaches about 15 °C (59 °F), with a low of about 6 °C (43 °F); rain (1 mm or more) falls on about 10 days in 30. These are the Japan Meteorological Agency's 2010–2020 normals for Karatsu. From 7 days before the call, this page shows the forecast for the day itself.
Checked · Researched, not yet visited · 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.