Japan in Bloom

A spring journey timed for the cherry blossom, pairing Japan’s most famous blossom spots with quieter historic towns, a ryokan stay and scenic train travel.

Start with four nights in Kyoto among its temples and historic streets, then travel west to the canal town of Kurashiki for two nights. Continue to Kanazawa for three nights in its samurai and teahouse districts and famous gardens.

Spend two nights in Hakone, including a traditional ryokan stay with a kaiseki dinner and hot spring bathing in the shadow of Mount Fuji, before finishing with two nights among Tokyo’s blossom-filled parks and historic neighbourhoods. Private guided tours are included in key places along the way.

Blossom season is short, and hotels, ryokan and reserved trains sell out months ahead, so it pays to book early. Like all our trips, it’s easy to adjust to suit you.

Is this a private trip, and can I change it?

It’s a private trip built around your dates, not a group tour on fixed departures. You have a private guide for three full days and two half days in key places along the route. The rest of the time is yours. You can change anything: add nights, swap places, upgrade hotels or slow the pace, and we’ll reprice it for you.

When is the best time to go?

This trip is timed for cherry blossom season, which usually runs from late March to mid-April. Kyoto and Tokyo tend to be at their best between the last week of March and the first week of April, but the exact timing changes each year with the weather.

Hotels, ryokan and reserved trains sell out months ahead for blossom season, so book as early as you can. If you’d rather avoid the crowds, the same route is lovely in autumn.

Which airlines do you use?

We most often use British Airways or Japan Airlines, which fly direct from London to Tokyo, or Finnair via Helsinki, which is often good value. We can also book flights from regional UK airports.

Flights to Japan are overnight, so you arrive the day after you leave. Most flights home leave in the morning and land in the UK the same day, though some connecting flights are overnight.

What are the hotels like?

In the cities we choose well-run hotels close to the main stations, which makes travelling by train much easier. Boutique hotels are rare in Japanese cities, so many are modern business-style hotels. They’re spotless and efficient, but the rooms are small, especially in Tokyo. Check-in is usually from 3pm and check-out around 10 or 11am. On most trips you can upgrade to superior or deluxe hotels.

What’s it like staying in a ryokan?

A ryokan is a traditional Japanese inn. You sleep on futons laid out on tatami mats, dinner is usually a multi-course kaiseki meal, and most have hot spring baths. The baths are often shared and separated by gender, and some still don’t allow visible tattoos. If that’s a concern, we can choose a ryokan with a private bath. We can add a ryokan night to any trip.

View itinerary in detail

To get a feel for the trip, choose one of the options below to view a sample day-by-day itinerary. This will open in a new window.

All of our Japan holidays are completely tailor-made, so this is simply a starting point.

We can of course adjust the route, hotels and pace to suit your plans.