The Cherry Blossom Tour follows the historic Tokaido road from Tokyo to Kyoto. It is a great opportunity for first time travelers to experience some of the iconic features that the country has to offer. Stay in a traditional Ryokan on the mountainside of Hakone, ride the extensive ropeway across the mountains for a great view of Mt. Fuji (weather permitting), and walk the ancient streets of Kyoto and try to spot a Geisha!
This tour is designed to show off the beautiful cherry blossoms that millions of Japanese enjoy every year. As we travel, you’ll see the countryside filled with cherry blossoms** Join us as we explore the wonders of Japan together!
** The cherry blossom trees do not always bloom as predicted. It is possible that due to an exceptionally warm or cold season that the cherry blossoms will not be in bloom during our visit.
Finally! You have arrived in Japan! Check into your hotel and get settled, then join the guide for a Introduction Tour of Japan. This will allow you to get your first taste of adventure by walking the streets of Tokyo. We will use this time to help familiarize you with the customs, the transportation system, and maybe teach you a few useful phrases!
Checkout a Japanese 7-Eleven or Family Mart (where you will probably get breakfast from)! Taste something delicious from a street vendor or small shop. Learn the ebb and flow of the train stations and how to navigate the city!
Don’t go to bed too early! You might be tired but due to the time change, you can go to bed at 8pm and still get 10+ hours of sleep! If you go to bed early you might find yourself awake at 4 in the morning!
Walking: Light // Included Meals: None
Take the day to explore Yoyogi Park and the Meiji Shrine! This large park and shrine are a central part of Tokyo life for locals.
Enjoy the latest crazy fashion by exploring Harajuku, crazy outfits, socks, and good food can be found there. Sometimes you’ll even see locals dressed in these marvelous fashions!
Finish the day with Shibuya, the Time Square of Tokyo. Lit up brightly and never asleep, Shibuya boasts of many shops and eateries worth your time! Cross the scramble crosswalk and take a photo with Hachiko, or shop at one of the many stores (Tokyu Hands, Mega Donki, Disney Store, Marui and more!)
Walking: Medium // Included Meals: None
Shinjuku Station is the busiest train station in the world, servicing 3.5 million passengers a day! Join us for an early morning as we explore the maze of shops that stretch through the station (we’ll probably even find some good breakfast!).
Then, riding the fabled Odakyu Romancar, enjoy a scenic ride into the Hakone mountains. Enjoy lunch on the mountainside and explore the shops before continuing on to the delightful Ryokan where we will be staying. This guest house has Onsen, hot spring baths where you can soak and relax from the long travels that started off this trip.
Finish off the day with a traditional Kaiseki meal in your room!
Walking: Medium // Included Meals: Dinner
Enjoy a traditional breakfast served at the Ryokan and check your bags at the front desk for the “Hakone Carry Service”; they will take your bags to the train station for you so you can explore Hakone bag free!
Travel along the ropeway across the mountain peaks and catch a magnificent view of Fuji (weather permitting). Stop to try the black eggs cooked in the naturally boiling hotsprings. Sail across Lake Hakone in a pirate ship and walk the ancient Tokaido trade route through a path lined with giant cedar trees.
Discover the beautiful Hakone Shrine and enjoy lunch before heading back to the train station by bus!
Then ride the famous shinkansen (bullet train) to Osaka!
Once you are checked into Osaka, explore Dotonbori for dinner! We stay near this exciting area full of night life so that you have many options each night for food and activities.
Walking: Heavy // Included Meals: Breakfast
Start your day early in Kyoto and walk through the streets of the city to the famous Kiyomizu-dera temple! Walk the temple grounds, see the great stage that towers above the trees, and make a wish at the Otowa Waterfall.
Continue down the hill through the incredibly well-preserved streets of Higashiyama, Ninenzaka and Sannenzaka. These streets are known for the shops, cafes, restaurants, and preserved homes! You can just feel the history oozing from every wall and stone around you.
Finish the walking tour at Maruyama Park and it’s beautiful cherry blossom views!
If there is time before sunset, checkout the amazing Nishiki Market! Try snacks, explore the alleyways and crowds of a busy historic marketplace!
As the sun begins to set, explore the nearby streets of Gion! Full of ancient history and traditions, Gion is at the center of the modern day Geisha. Maybe you’ll even spot one!
Walking: Heavy // Included Meals: None
Back in Kyoto again (and starting exceptionally early this time), find yourself at the infamous Fushimi Inari Taisha shrine. The earlier you arrive, the fewer people there will be to impede the amazing experience it can be! Reflect as you walk through the seemingly endless torii gates that carve a path through the forest. After a good hike, enjoy the street food that is regularly available near the entrance of the shrine, tasting the rich culture of Japan.
If available for your tour, enjoy a tour of the Fushimi sake breweries and taste various local sakes from the area!
Continue your day to the Arashiyama bamboo forest! The bamboo forest is amazing to walk through and the local town usually has street food available during the cherry blossom season. See the people enjoying their time during the sakura festivals!
Walking: Heavy // Included Meals: None
Take an early morning bullet train to the sacred island of Miyajima. Explore the shrine and walk out to the Great Torii if the tide is out. The island also has many deer who are eager to meet you! Walk the forest trails and visit the 5 story pagoda towering above the town. The shrine here is one of my utmost favorite in Japan!
If the tide permits, sail across the inlet sea and up the delta rivers of Hiroshima to your next destination! (Otherwise we’ll take the ferry and a train!)
From there, head into the heart of Hiroshima and enjoy a lunch of the city’s famous (and award-winning) okonomiyaki! Visit Peace Park, see the dome still standing after the atomic blast, ring the Peace Bell, and even leave an origami paper crane. This is a time to reflect on a sobering history and appreciate our newfound friendship with Japan.
If Peace Park is too heavy or emotional for you, opt to see the Hiroshima Castle instead!
Walking: Medium // Included Meals: None
Take a short bullet train ride to Himeji and see the majestic castle that still stands there. This original castle stands tall above the city, waiting to be explored. The courtyard and grounds are full of cherry trees for a beautiful view! The castle is fairly empty but interesting to walk through. The grounds are full of history and wars of ages past. The garden next to the castle is majestic and absolutely worth visiting!
After visiting the castle and garden (and maybe lunch) make your way to Osaka’s Shinsaibashi for some great shopping an culture! For dinner, if you’ve had enough of Dotonbori by now, head just a few train stops away to Shinsekai instead! This area is known for being preserved since WWII and is famous for it’s kushiyaki (food on a stick).
Walking: Heavy // Included Meals: None
Say goodbye to Osaka and Kyoto, your morning train to Tokyo awaits! During this ride you may catch another view of Fuji!
Once we’ve settled in Tokyo, join us at the Edo-Tokyo Museum! Are you an artist? You could instead opt instead for the Sumida Hokusai Museum and see the wood blocks that make the classic Japanese wave painting!
Spend the evening in Akihabara (Electric Town). This part of Tokyo is every anime fan’s dream. Stores and arcades on every corner! See how the entire block just lights up!
Walking: Light // Included Meals: None
Ueno Park is a beautiful park full of cherry blossoms and one of the premier viewing spots in the city.
It can be a bit crowded at Ueno park because it is so popular, so we’ll start early! The park is surrounded by a zoo, and several museums so pick what you like! We’ll probably grab a snack or early lunch before heading out!
From the park we will walk through a large, picturesque cemetery with traditional headstones and beautiful cherry blossom lining the roads. This large cemetery houses famous artists, actors, and politicians from many eras!
From the cemetery we’ll venture into Yanaka Ginza, a traditional 1950s shopping street with original architecture and stores! There we can shop, snack and explore until dinner!
Walking: Heavy // Included Meals: None
Time to really explore Asakusa. Start at Sensoji temple before the shops open and immerse yourself in Japanese religion and culture. Once it hits 10 am, hit up Nakamise and let the shopping begin! This is a great time to find souvenirs for those at home or a great hat or fan for yourself!
After lunch, follow the guide to a lesser known cherry blossom viewing area. A thin strip of a park, nestled between residential areas with areas for kids to play. Walk and enjoy the quiet atmosphere of everyday life in Japan!
Before it gets too dark, climb to the top of Sky Tree, one of the tallest towers in the world! See Tokyo stretch endlessly before you, the cars looking like toys because you are so high up!
Finish the night with a farewell dinner as we close out our trip.
Walking: Heavy // Included Meals: Dinner
This is your final day and it is yours! This is an open day so you can visit any remaining sites, shrines, stores, or just walk aimlessly through the streets of Tokyo.
As always I will never leave you stranded with nothing to do. Join the guide in Ikebukuro or Ginza (depending on traveler interest)!
For Ikebukuro, this growing part of Tokyo has shopping, arcades and even a Pokémon center! It has everything a general traveler or anime fan could want in one place!
For Ginza, this is the “5th Avenue” of Tokyo. Many amazing shops and high end goods, it’s fun just to explore (even if you can’t afford everything there!)
If you are leaving Japan on this day, ensure that you arrive early at the airport so that you don’t miss your flight!
