OVERVIEW
A journey through Japan’s best-known cities during sakura season. Cherry blossoms reveal themselves in waves across the country – from Tokyo’s parks and Kyoto’s temple gardens to Hiroshima’s Miyajima island and Kanazawa’s Kenroku-en.
This itinerary is designed to reach each city during its bloom window, combining the country’s essential cultural landmarks with the unique atmosphere that only hanami season brings.
PRICE FROM
USD 5,750 per person
Double occupancy. Excludes international flights & insurance
WHEN TO VISIT
Late March – mid April
Timing follows the sakura bloom
DURATION
13 days
Ideally 2 weeks
GROUP SIZE
Private – just your group
STYLE
Fully tailor-made
Every detail adapted to you
WHAT’S INCLUDED
✓ Private local guide
✓ Day-by-day itinerary
✓ Accommodation booked
✓ Airport transfers
✓ Transport planning & tickets
✓ 7/7 on-the-ground support
SAMPLE ROUTE
This is a sample route - every stop, duration and experience is adapted to you.
Yōkoso - welcome to Japan. After clearing customs and immigration, a private car transfers you to your centrally located hotel, and your first day is yours to settle in at your own pace.
You might lock in one of Tokyo's great meals - a multi-course kaiseki or an omakase sushi counter - or follow your guide out for yozakura, cherry blossoms viewed after dark under the lanterns.
A huge, fascinating metropolis that sets high-tech visions of the future beside glimpses of old Japan. The headline sights - Asakusa, Shinjuku, Shibuya, Harajuku, the Meiji Shrine - are worth it, but Tokyo's real charm is more discreet: the maze of streets behind the main ones, with a village feel, clean-design shops, small cafés and bars far from the crowds.
In spring the highlight is unmistakable - hanami at Chidorigafuchi Moat for the Chiyoda festival, and the lawns of Yoyogi Park.
Another day among the blossoms. Join Tokyoites welcoming spring along the two-kilometre Sotobori promenade, in Shinjuku Gyoen, beneath the sea of pink in Ueno Park, at a Yoyogi hanami picnic, or along the Meguro-gawa, Tokyo's sakura river.
Alternatively, choose from our Tokyo experiences for the day.
Travel by shinkansen or the Romance Car to Hakone - a picturesque resort town in the Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park, known for its natural beauty, hot springs and, weather permitting, views of Mount Fuji. The journey itself is part of the fun, linking mountain trains, a funicular and a ropeway with a cruise across peaceful Lake Ashino-ko.
Hakone is one of Japan's great onsen resorts, fed by more than a dozen hot springs. In the evening, settle into the rhythm of the mountains - a traditional kaiseki dinner followed by a soak in the hot-spring waters.
Before transferring to Odawara for the shinkansen to Kyoto, you might visit the Hakone Open-Air Museum with its Picasso pavilion.
In the evening, explore Gion with your guide - the geisha district running through Higashiyama from Yasaka Shrine to the Kamo River. Its lanes of traditional wooden machiya glow under the evening light, and as dusk falls you may glimpse a geiko or a maiko hurrying to an appointment.
Capital of Japan for over a millennium and, by reputation, its most beautiful city. Largely spared wartime bombing, Kyoto kept the customs and traditions of old Japan - though its beauty rewards effort, hidden in the temples and parks that ring the centre rather than always on the surface.
For a few weeks, cherry trees bloom on every corner of the city, from the Philosopher's Path to the temple gardens.
Nara was Japan's capital from 710 to 784. It holds many of the country's great historical sites, above all Todai-ji and its Daibutsuden - the Hall of the Great Buddha, one of the world's largest wooden structures.
From here to Mount Yoshino, part of a UNESCO World Heritage site, where the slopes are planted mostly with shirayamazakura, the wild mountain cherry. The area is known as hitome senbon - "a thousand trees at a glance." In truth there are some 30,000.
Shinkansen to Okayama, home to Korakuen - ranked among Japan's three great traditional gardens alongside Kenroku-en and Kairakuen - and Okayama Castle. Some 300 cherry trees fill the garden's orchard and grounds, with another 200 around the castle.
Spend the evening in Kurashiki's Bikan historical quarter, which truly shines after dark when lanterns light the canal and old streets - each spring illuminated with Kiriko paper hoods, Japanese umbrellas and shadow pictures.
Shinkansen to Hiroshima, the principal city of the Chūgoku region. The Atomic Bomb Dome is framed each spring by a row of cherry blossoms along the river - a peaceful yet haunting reminder, the blossoms and water softening the memorial's weight.
Spend the rest of the day on Itsukushima - Miyajima - famous for its great torii gate, which at high tide appears to float. One of Japan's three finest views, lit nightly until 11pm, and especially beautiful with around 1,900 cherry trees in bloom across the island.
Shinkansen to Himeji, at the western edge of Kansai, a city famous for its wooden castle. Himeji-jō - the White Heron Castle - is a renowned hanami spot, ringed by around 1,000 cherry trees, Somei-Yoshino, weeping and yaezakura, set against the white castle walls.
In the afternoon, on to Osaka. Spend the evening in Dōtonbori - an explosion of neon and entertainment that comes alive after dark, one of Japan's iconic streetscapes, teeming with shoppers, families and friends.
Train and shinkansen to Kanazawa, a captivating city on the Sea of Japan coast, renowned for its well-preserved historical districts, rich cultural heritage and Kenroku-en - one of Japan's three most beautiful landscape gardens. As seat of the powerful Maeda clan in the Edo period, it grew into a town of great cultural achievement, rivalling Kyoto and Edo.
Unlike Kyoto, which can feel overrun, Kanazawa sees far fewer visitors. Explore the geisha districts after dark and hear the tales of what went on here in the Edo period.
Begin at Omicho Market - Kanazawa's largest fresh-food market since the Edo period - for squid, octopus, ikura and uni, eaten right on the spot. Before leaving, time for the city's celebrated crafts, with skills passed down through generations.
In the afternoon, board the shinkansen to Tokyo for your last evening in the land of the rising sun.
Depending on your departure time, a final morning of shopping in Tokyo - a paradise for everything from cutting-edge fashion and electronics to food halls and unique souvenirs, across districts to suit every taste and budget.
Private car transfer to the international airport for your departure flight.
OVERVIEW
When is cherry blossom season on this route?
Full bloom usually reaches Tokyo in late March, and Kyoto and Kanazawa in early April. Yoshino’s slopes bloom from bottom to top into mid-April. Each city stays at its peak for about a week.
What if the blossoms come early or late?
Peak dates shift by a week or more from year to year. Weeping cherries open first and yaezakura one to two weeks after the main bloom, so most weeks from late March to mid-April have trees in flower somewhere on the route.
What is included in the price?
From USD 5,750 per person, double occupancy: private local guide, accommodation, airport transfers, train tickets and 7/7 on-the-ground support. International flights and travel insurance are not included.
How far ahead should we book?
9 to 12 months ahead. Kyoto hotels for early April fill first.
PERFECT FOR
Cherry blossom enthusiasts
Travellers who have timed their trip specifically for sakura season and want to experience it across multiple cities.
First-time visitors to Japan
A carefully paced introduction to Japan’s essential landmarks, culture and cuisine – all during the most beautiful season.
Couples & honeymooners
The romance of sakura season, ryokan stays, and private guided experiences makes this ideal for couples.
Adventure seekers
Travellers who want both must-see landmarks and hidden gems, guided by local insights you won’t find online.
