11 days 10 nights
Specific Tour
14 people
English
Quick answer
An 11-day private Japan tour timed for the cherry blossoms of late March and early April: three nights in Tokyo, a ryokan night at Lake Kawaguchiko by Mount Fuji, four nights in Kyoto, a day in Nara and two nights in Osaka with a trip to Himeji Castle.
From US$1,540 per person for the whole tour, as an indicative price for a small private group in 4★ hotels. It changes with group size, hotel level and season, and is confirmed in your tailor-made quote.
| Day | Route and highlights | Overnight |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arrive in Tokyo | Tokyo |
| 2 | Tokyo: Ueno Park, Asakusa and the Sumida River | Tokyo |
| 3 | Tokyo: Shinjuku Gyoen, Meiji Shrine and Chidorigafuchi | Tokyo |
| 4 | Lake Kawaguchiko and the Chureito Pagoda | Lake Kawaguchiko |
| 5 | Travel to Kyoto and Gion by night | Kyoto |
| 6 | Kyoto: the Philosopher's Path and Maruyama Park | Kyoto |
| 7 | Kyoto: Arashiyama and the Golden Pavilion | Kyoto |
| 8 | Kyoto: Fushimi Inari, Daigo-ji and Kiyomizu-dera | Kyoto |
| 9 | Nara and on to Osaka | Osaka |
| 10 | Himeji Castle and Osaka Castle | Osaka |
| 11 | Depart Osaka | — |
Private tour with your own English-speaking guide · 11 days / 10 nights · Tokyo – Lake Kawaguchiko – Kyoto – Nara – Osaka – Himeji
This Japan cherry blossom tour follows the sakura through some of the country's most beautiful settings at the time of year the Japanese celebrate most. Spring picnics, or hanami, fill the parks, and temples and castles are framed by clouds of pale pink. You begin in Tokyo with three nights to enjoy Ueno Park, the Sumida River, Shinjuku Gyoen and the moat of Chidorigafuchi, with a private guide to help you through the crowds and find quieter corners.
A night at Lake Kawaguchiko gives you the best chance of the classic view of Mount Fuji above the Chureito Pagoda and its cherry trees, followed by a hot-spring bath at your ryokan. Kyoto is the heart of the trip, with four nights to see blossoms along the Philosopher's Path, at Maruyama Park, Daigo-ji and the lanes of Gion, at a calm pace with early starts to beat the crowds.
The tour ends with Nara's deer park and temples, and Himeji Castle, the white keep that rises above hundreds of cherry trees. Blossom dates move a little each year, so we plan your trip around the latest forecasts and adjust the order of the days if the trees bloom early or late.
Moderate. Expect 10,000 to 15,000 steps a day, with stairs at stations, temples and the Chureito Pagoda (about 400 steps). Popular blossom spots are busy, so some days start early. Train rides are short; the longest transfer is from Lake Kawaguchiko to Kyoto, about three and a half hours. Suits couples, families with children over 10 and active older travelers.
Ten nights: a 4-star hotel in central Tokyo (three nights), a ryokan with hot-spring baths at Lake Kawaguchiko (one night, Japanese-style room), a 4-star hotel in Kyoto (four nights) and a 4-star hotel in Osaka (two nights). Hotels fill early in spring, so we recommend booking six to nine months ahead.
Cherry blossoms usually open in Tokyo and Kyoto in the last week of March and are at their best for about a week, often into the first days of April. Around Mount Fuji, they open a little later, in early to mid-April. Dates vary each year with the weather, and this is Japan's busiest travel period, so early booking and flexible planning are key.
Your guide and driver are yours alone for the whole trip, so the pace, the stops and the start time each morning follow you. The standard version has an English-speaking guide; guides who speak French, German, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Russian, Hebrew, Arabic, Chinese or Vietnamese can be arranged on request.
More ideas: All private tours in Japan · Japan in Autumn: Tokyo, Takayama, Shirakawa-go, Kanazawa and Kyoto in 11 Days · Japan's Golden Route: Tokyo, Hakone, Kyoto, Nara and Osaka in 10 Days
Photos: Kentagon, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Basile Morin, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons; KimonBerlin, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Basile Morin, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Basile Morin, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Basile Morin, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Basile Morin, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Netherzone, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Gorgo, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons; Martin Falbisoner, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Japan Cherry Blossom Tour: Tokyo, Mount Fuji, Kyoto, Nara and Himeji in 11 Days is a starting point. Our Hanoi travel designers adjust every day to your pace, interests and hotel style, then run the trip with your own guide and driver.
On arrival at Narita or Haneda airport, you are met and driven by private car to your hotel in central Tokyo. After check-in, take time to rest. If you arrive early, take a short walk to a nearby park or along a canal to see your first blossoms of the trip. Your guide will contact you to confirm the plan, with the latest bloom forecast, and give you a transport card for the trains and subway.
Overnight: Tokyo
Begin at Ueno Park, one of Tokyo's most famous hanami spots, where more than a thousand cherry trees line the main avenue and families spread out picnic mats beneath them. Continue to Asakusa for Senso-ji temple and the stalls of Nakamise Street. Then walk along Sumida Park beside the river, where blossoms frame views of the Tokyo Skytree. In the evening, you may like to see the city lights from the Skytree itself.
Overnight: Tokyo · Meals: B
Visit Shinjuku Gyoen, a large garden with many varieties of cherry that bloom at slightly different times, so there is usually something in flower. Walk through the forest of the Meiji Shrine and the streets of Harajuku. In the afternoon, head to Chidorigafuchi, where cherry trees lean over the moat of the Imperial Palace; you can rent a rowing boat on the water. In the evening, see the lit-up blossoms along the Meguro River.
Overnight: Tokyo · Meals: B
Send your main luggage ahead to Kyoto and travel by express train or bus to Lake Kawaguchiko, at the foot of Mount Fuji. Climb the steps of Arakurayama Sengen Park to the five-story Chureito Pagoda, where, on a clear day, Mount Fuji rises behind the pagoda and cherry trees. Then walk or cycle along the northern shore of the lake. Spend the evening at your ryokan, with hot-spring baths and a traditional dinner.
Overnight: Lake Kawaguchiko · Meals: B, D
Look for Mount Fuji in the early morning light, then travel to Mishima and take the Shinkansen bullet train to Kyoto, about three and a half hours in total. Meet your Kyoto guide and check in to your hotel. In the evening, walk along the Shirakawa canal in Gion, where cherry trees hang over the water and are lit up after dark, and through the lanes of Hanamikoji, where you may see geiko and maiko on their way to appointments.
Overnight: Kyoto · Meals: B
Start at Ginkaku-ji, the Silver Pavilion, and walk the Philosopher's Path, a stone footpath beside a canal lined with hundreds of cherry trees. Continue to Nanzen-ji, a large Zen temple with a brick aqueduct in its grounds, and the gardens of Heian Shrine, known for their weeping cherries. End the day at Maruyama Park, where a huge weeping cherry is lit up at night and Kyoto families gather for evening picnics.
Overnight: Kyoto · Meals: B
Head west to Arashiyama, where cherry trees cover the hills above the Togetsukyo bridge. Walk through the bamboo grove and visit Tenryu-ji, whose garden is especially lovely in spring. In the afternoon, visit Kinkaku-ji, the Golden Pavilion, and the rock garden of Ryoan-ji, where a large weeping cherry stands beside the famous wall. Return to central Kyoto for a free evening to explore the restaurants of Pontocho.
Overnight: Kyoto · Meals: B
Go early to Fushimi Inari Shrine to walk its tunnels of red torii gates before the crowds. Then visit Daigo-ji in southeast Kyoto, a World Heritage temple where the ruler Toyotomi Hideyoshi held a famous blossom-viewing party in 1598; its weeping cherries are among the finest in Japan. In the late afternoon, visit Kiyomizu-dera and walk down the old lanes of Sannenzaka and Ninenzaka.
Overnight: Kyoto · Meals: B
Travel to Nara, Japan's first permanent capital. Walk through Nara Park, where deer roam freely beneath the blossoms, to Todai-ji and its great bronze Buddha, housed in one of the largest wooden buildings in the world. Continue to Kasuga Taisha and the five-story pagoda of Kofuku-ji. In the afternoon, travel to Osaka and check in. Spend the evening among the neon signs and food stalls of Dotonbori.
Overnight: Osaka · Meals: B
Take the Shinkansen to Himeji, about 30 minutes. Himeji Castle, known as the White Heron for its gleaming walls, has stood since the early 17th century and is surrounded by around a thousand cherry trees. Climb inside the main keep and walk through the nearby Koko-en garden. Return to Osaka in the afternoon for the park around Osaka Castle, another favorite hanami spot, before a final evening in the city.
Overnight: Osaka · Meals: B
Enjoy breakfast and some free time, depending on your flight. You are then taken to Kansai International Airport, about an hour away, for your journey home. If you would like to extend your spring trip, Osaka has direct flights to Hanoi, Seoul and Shanghai, and we can plan a few more days in Vietnam, Korea or China.
Meals: B
We watch the official bloom forecasts closely and can swap the order of days, for example seeing Kyoto before Tokyo, to follow the flowers. Shinjuku Gyoen and the area around Mount Fuji have later-blooming trees, which helps if you arrive after the peak.
As early as possible, ideally six to nine months ahead. Spring is Japan's busiest season and good hotels in Kyoto sell out early.
The famous spots are busy, especially at weekends. Your guide plans early starts and quieter alternatives, so you can enjoy the blossoms without spending the day in crowds.
Yes. This is a private tour with your own English-speaking guide. We also arrange private guides who speak French, German, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Russian, Hebrew, Arabic, Chinese or Vietnamese: tell us when you enquire and we confirm your guide in the quote. Book early for the busiest seasons, such as spring and autumn.
Nothing is payable until you approve your written quote. We then ask for a 30% deposit to confirm, and the balance 45 days before arrival, by bank transfer or card. Bank details come with your booking confirmation; always confirm them with us by phone or WhatsApp (+84 812 247 572) before any transfer.
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