Join our exclusive small group trip to Japan, where you’ll experience the magic of cherry blossom season in an intimate and personalized setting. With expert guides leading you through iconic landscapes, you’ll witness the breathtaking beauty of the sakura in full bloom.
What to expect?
- Cherry Blossom Viewing at several stops throughout the tour
- Views of Mount Fuji - weather dependent
- Japanese Tea Ceremony
- Travel on the Shinkansen - Bullet Train
- Stay in a Ryokan - Japanese style inn with hotsprings
Arrival Airport Transfer
Upon arrival at Tokyo Haneda International Airport (HND) or Narita International Airport (NRT), our representative will welcome you to Japan and assist you to transfer your hotel in central Tokyo.
Afternoon Free
Free afternoon/evening to unpack and rest.
Hotel Keihan Tsukiji Ginza Grande or similar 3.5* start hotel.
Tokyo full day tour
Today the group will spend the day exploring Tokyo like a local would. You will ride local trains and subways to efficiently get around the city visiting the neighbourhoods of Harajuku and Asakusa.
Learn how to purify yourself at the entrance of Meiji-jingu shrine and enjoy the sight of your first cherry blossoms. Stroll down colorful Takeshita street in Harajuku with its youthful fashionable atmosphere and Kawaii culture. You may even run into some cosplayers all decked out as their favourite anime character. Next is the elegant tree lined neighbourhood of Omotesando with its high style buildings and unique architecture housing designer luxury boutiques.
The Asakusa traditional district in the northwest section of the city boasts the magnificent Senso-ji temple and its five story pagoda. Here, incense burning worshippers are oblivious to the selfie taking tourists. Let our guide help translate the good fortunes printed on your Omikuji and save as a souvenir of Tokyo. Some shopping time for souvenirs or Japanese rice crackers is in order along Nakamise shopping street which leads to the outer gate of the temple. Lunch will be at a local restaurant in the neighbouhood.
Welcome Dinner
After a short rest and refresh at the hotel, the group will head out on foot to enjoy a welcome dinner.
Hotel Keihan Tsukiji Ginza Grande or similar 3.5* start hotel.
Full day excursion to Mt. Fuji and Hakone
This morning our group will head South West of Tokyo for about 100km to Hakone, part of the Fuji, Hakone, Izu National Park. Hakone is famous amongst the locals for its hot springs and magnificent views of Mount Fuji.
You will jump on to a cable car to continue the climb to our highest point at Sounzan. Next you will board the Hakone Ropeway gondola traversing the Okuwadani valley with views of the active sulphuric hotsprings below. The 30 minute gondola ride ends at Togendai station on the shores of lake Ashinoko.
You will continue your exploration of the area on a scenic boat ride across Lake Ashinoko with spectacular views of Mount Fuji (weather permitting). After disembarking, you will head back to Tokyo.
Hotel Keihan Tsukiji Ginza Grande or similar 3.5* start hotel.
Day at Leisure
Today is a free day to enjoy and discover Tokyo on your own.
Hotel Keihan Tsukiji Ginza Grande or similar 3.5* start hotel.
Bullet train from Tokyo to Kanazawa
You say goodbye to Tokyo today as you travel by bullet train for the approximately 3 hour ride to Kanazawa.
Kanazawa half day tour
Upon arrival in Kanazawa, the group will visit Omicho market with its many stalls full of sea creatures fresh out of the Sea of Japan. Omicho market has over 170 shops providing the locals including restaurant chefs with fresh fish, meat, oysters, pickles, produce, sweets, sake, coffee and more. Lunch will be at a local restaurant by the market.
Next stop is the well preserved historic Higashi Chaya district. The beautiful wooden chayas (tea houses) were the venues where Geishas once entertained nobility and rich merchants. The number of Geishas have dwindled over the years but there remains a few active tea houses here where Geishas still entertain their well off clients on a nightly basis. Our tour director will point them out to you.
One of the symbols of Ishikawa is the gold leaf, extremely thin leaves of gold used decoratively on handicrafts or ornaments. You will have the opportunity to learn about the gold leaf process and get hands on and decorate own choice of chopsticks, small plate or mirror with gold leaf as a unique souvenir of Kanazawa.
Daiwa Roynet Kanazawaeki Nishiguchi or similar 3.5* hotel
Kanazawa full day tour
The group will start the day with a visit to Kenrokuen Garden, a strolling park-like Japanese landscape garden considered to be one of the 3 most famous gardens of Japan. The garden invokes all six design elements of spaciousness, seclusion, serenity, subtleness, panoramas and water courses. Admire some cherry blossoms on the way. You will stop at the tea house and experience a traditional Japanese tea ceremony.
Join a Temari sushi making course where you will learn to make your own sushi in a fun environment from a professional chef. Lunch today will be the result of your own creation.
After the garden you will cross the manicured grounds of Kanazawa Castle Park and head to the historic Nagamachi Samurai District and explore the narrow lanes flanked by the traditional residences where the Samurais and their families lived during the Edo period. Stop by the restored Nomura Samurai house and its exquisite tiny garden best viewed from the second floor tea room.
Daiwa Roynet Kanazawaeki Nishiguchi or similar 3.5* hotel
Day at Leisure
Today is a free day to enjoy and discover Kanazawa on your own.
Daiwa Roynet Kanazawaeki Nishiguchi or similar 3.5* hotel
Visit Shirakawago and transfer to Kaga Onsen
The group will leave Kanazawa this morning and head to the mountains to visit Shirakawago. The village contains 114 thatched roofed gassho style houses and was designated as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site in 1995. The house are called gassho style houses because the steep triangular roof resembles “gassho” – hands meeting in prayer. You will have some free time to meander around the paths and rice fields surrounding the houses.
After Shirakawago, you will travel to the hotspring town of Kaga. If time allows, the group will visit Kakusenkyo Gorge before checking in to your Ryokan. Now is relaxation time, change into your yukata and enjoy the hotspring baths. Dinner tonight will be a feast for you eyes and your palate of traditional Japanese fare sourced from local ingredients.
Mori no Sumika Resort & Spa
Guest rooms are designed for you to enjoy a relaxed atmosphere in natural surroundings. Also, you can enjoy two types of baths. You will feel your fatigue melt away, as if you were in a secret hot spring in a forest, surrounded by the power of nature.
Travel to Kyoto by train
After a sumptuous Japanese breakfast, you check out of the Ryokan and travel by train to Kyoto (approx. 2 hours)
Kyoto half day tour
Upon arrival in Kyoto, you will head south to Fushimi Inari Taisha. This shrine dedicated to the Shinto God of rice is famous for its thousands of vermillion colored torii gates leading through the wooded forest to Mount Inari. Next, you will visit Kiyomizudera (pure water) temple, a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1994. Make your way up to the wooden stage of the main hall with beautiful views of city of Kyoto and the surrounding mountains.
The tour ends in Gion, the most famous Geisha neighborhood of Kyoto. Here you will see the many well preserved traditional wooden houses (machiya) of old Japan, many of which are tea houses where Geishas entertain their well to do clientele.
Hotel Keihan Kyoto Hachijoguchi or similar 3.5* hotel.
Kyoto Full day tour under the cherry blossoms
Today the group will spend the day in the foothills of Northern and Western Kyoto. You will visit Kinkaku-ji, a Zen temple also known as the Golden Pavilion. The top two floors of the building completely covered in gold leaf. The tour director will lead you through the beautiful gardens to the tea house where you will exit the temple.
A short walk down the street is Ryoan-ji. The attraction of this temple is its famous rock garden with its deceptively simple and clever arrangement of 15 stones. After some contemplative moments at the rock garden, you will leave the area and travel to the western side of Kyoto.
In Arashiyama, you will tour Tenryu-ji Zen temple with one of the finest gardens in Kyoto. You will exit the temple by the north gate which brings you right onto the famous verdant bamboo groves of Arashiyama.
Hotel Keihan Kyoto Hachijoguchi or similar 3.5* hotel.
Full day tour of Nara
Japan’s first permanent Capital, Nara is a city steeped in history and cultural treasures. Here you will find 3 UNESCO world heritage sites spread over 20 individual venues. You will visit Nara park where wild deer roam freely, Kofuku-ji, the family temple of the Fujiwara clan one of the most powerful families of the Nara and Heian periods. The Todai-ji temple – the largest wooden structure in the world, houses the colossal bronze statue of Buddha, known as the Nara Daibutsu.
In the afternoon explore Naramachi, the former merchant district of Nara. The district’s narrow lanes are lined with traditonal machiyas which have been preserved and repurposed into boutiques, shops , cafes and museums.
Farewell Dinner
This evening the group will assemble for the last meal and farewell dinner together.
Hotel Keihan Kyoto Hachijoguchi or similar 3.5* hotel.
Depart Kyoto
Transfer to Kansai (KIX) or Itami (ITM) airport for your departure flight by limousine bus.
Tour cost includes
- Arrival and Departure airport transfers by Airport Bus
- 11 Nights Accommodation
- 11 Breakfasts, 8 Lunches, 3 Dinners
- Fully guided on touring days
- All transportation (public and private) throughout the tour
- All Entrance and Admission Fees to the included sightseeing during the tours
- Luggage transfers on Day 5 and 8
Tour cost does not include
- International Airfare into Tokyo and out of Osaka
- Beverages during the included lunches and dinners
- Printed travel documents
- Travel Insurance
FAQs
All our groups have a maximum of 12 people. Our groups are kept small so we can have a much more immersive travel experience. As an example, a smaller group size allows us to get into smaller local restaurants and avoid the “group tour” style venues.
There is no specific fitness requirement to join this tour. There is quite a fair amount of moderate pace walking on many of the sight-seeing tours with many rest stops along the way. You should also be able to carry all your luggage (suitcases with wheels) on your own for short distances of 10-15 minutes walk.
While on this tour, you will experience many modes of transportation. While getting around the large cities, we take public transit such as subways and buses. Intercity, we go by bullet trains, express trains and local trains. We may also travel by a small chartered coach and even taxis if required. All the costs of transportation is included in your tour cost.
We stay at 3* to 4* hotels and one night in a Japanese ryokan. We have carefully selected properties for their location, quality and value. Generally in Japan hotel rooms tend to be on the smaller side and most rooms are configured with 2 single beds. We avoid rooms which are too small for comfort. At the ryokan, you will experience sleeping the Japanese way, futons at floor level on tatami mats.
Please note that hotels figuring on this itinerary as examples and might change depending on availability.
Yes, let us know at the time when you book the tour and we will assist you with purchasing your international ticket to/from Japan.
We accept credit card (Visa and Mastercard) or e-transfer/direct deposit to our bank account. We require a deposit of $500 to secure your spot on the tour and final payment is due 70 days prior to the start of the tour. You can refer to our terms and conditions page.
Our comprehensive final e-documents will cover amongst other things such items as budgeting, where to change money etc.
Cherry blossoms exact dates change every years depending on the weather. Unfortunately, we cannot predict with precision when the flowers will bloom, but we have chosen those dates as it seems for them that you will have the more change to see the sakura flowers at that time period.
