Cornelius Amann
October 06, 2026
5/5
Japan in Cherry Blossom: Tokyo, Hakone, Kyoto and Osaka
10 days from Tokyo to Osaka in blossom season: three nights in Tokyo, a ryokan night in Hakone, four nights in Kyoto with a day in Nara, and a last night in Osaka.
10 days · Tokyo to Osaka · up to 12 guests
Mount Fuji with snow on its upper slopes Photo: Yiannis Theologos Michellis, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Japan_Mt_Fuji_(14298594376).jpg)
The facts
At a glance
- Length
- 10 days, 9 nights
- Start and end
- Tokyo to Osaka
- Group size
- 7 to 12 guests
- Activity level
Moderate
Most days are 4 to 6 hours on your feet on park paths, city pavements, station stairs and shrine steps, about 8 to 12 km; day 7 (Nara and Fushimi Inari) is the longest, about 10 km, with a long seated lunch. Three mornings leave the hotel before 8 am (days 2, 6 and 8), each followed by a free afternoon. On each long day there is a way to sit part of it out.
- Meals included
- 9 breakfasts, 6 lunches, 2 dinners
- Room of your own
- + CAD 1,205 (estimated price)
- Season
- Cherry blossom season
Highlights
Why this trip
- Ueno Park at 7:30 am before the picnic blankets go down, then Yanaka's cherry-lined cemetery path
- Chidorigafuchi's blossom over the Imperial Palace moat at dusk
- A hanami picnic lunch under the trees in Shinjuku Gyoen, and Zojo-ji's cherries under Tokyo Tower
- The Hakone ropeway over Owakudani, a Lake Ashi cruise and a ryokan night with onsen and kaiseki dinner
- The Philosopher's Path at 7 am and Maruyama Park's great weeping cherry lit up at night
- Nara's deer and the Great Buddha, then Fushimi Inari's gates late in the day
- The Arashiyama bamboo grove at 7 am and blossom on the hills above the Togetsukyo bridge
- Osaka Castle in blossom, then a farewell street-food dinner in Dotonbori
What makes this trip different
Free time is part of the plan
Free time and choices are marked on the days they fall.
Solo without the penalty
A room of your own is + CAD 1,205 (estimated price).
Day by day
Itinerary
Tap any stop on the map to open that dayClick any stop on the map to open that day
Arrive in Tokyo
Tokyo Haneda or Narita airport to your hotel in central Tokyo
- Welcome dinner
- Stay in Tokyo
- Drive about 1.5 h
Fly into Tokyo Haneda (HND) or Narita (NRT). A driver meets you in the arrivals hall and takes you to the hotel: about 30 to 45 minutes from Haneda, about 90 minutes from Narita. The hotel is central and within a few minutes' walk of a metro or JR station.
Evening
Plan to land by about 3 pm to make the evening meeting; the exact time comes with your final itinerary. At about 6 pm your See Sight Tours guide meets the group in the lobby for a short briefing: where the blossom stands that week, how the metro works, how your suitcase is forwarded to Kyoto on day 3, and why three mornings start early. Each guest gets a loaded IC card for the trains. Then we walk to a neighbourhood izakaya for a welcome dinner of small plates to share. If the evening is fine and you are not too tired, the guide can show you the nearest street of cherry trees on the way back.
Included
- Pick-up at Tokyo Haneda (HND) or Narita (NRT)
- Welcome briefing with your guide
- IC transit card for the Tokyo metro
- Welcome dinner at an izakaya
Free time: Free until the evening briefing
Activity: From Narita the transfer is about 65 km and 90 minutes; from Haneda it is shorter.
Ueno, Yanaka and Chidorigafuchi at dusk
Ueno Park and Yanaka, then the Imperial Palace moat at Chidorigafuchi
- Breakfast
- Stay in Tokyo
- By train
We leave the hotel at about 7:15 to be in Ueno Park by 7:30.
Morning
In blossom week its long central avenue of cherry trees fills with picnic blankets by late morning; at this hour there are dog walkers, a few early tarps and the light coming through the petals. We walk past Shinobazu Pond and Bentendo temple, then up into Yanaka, one of the few Tokyo neighbourhoods that survived the 1923 earthquake and the war, where the cemetery's main path runs under an arch of old cherries.
Afternoon
Coffee and a wander down Yanaka Ginza's small shopping street follow, with lunch on your own (your guide has a list). The afternoon is free to rest. At about 5 pm we meet again and take the metro to Chidorigafuchi, where cherry trees lean over the moat of the old Edo Castle.
Evening
We walk the moatside path as the light goes, when in most years the trees are lit, and finish near Yasukuni-dori with dinner free.
Included
- Ueno Park and Shinobazu Pond at 7:30 am with your guide
- Yanaka cemetery's cherry avenue and Yanaka Ginza
- Chidorigafuchi moat walk at dusk
Optional experiences
- A rowing boat on the Chidorigafuchi moat (queues are long in blossom week; pay on the spot)
Easier option: Skip Yanaka and return to the hotel after Ueno, then rejoin for Chidorigafuchi.
Free time: Lunch on your own; afternoon free; dinner free
Activity: About 9 km on foot across the day with a long break. Roughly 90 minutes in Ueno, 90 minutes in Yanaka and an hour at Chidorigafuchi.
Zojo-ji under Tokyo Tower and a hanami picnic
Zojo-ji and Shiba Park, then a picnic in Shinjuku Gyoen
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Tokyo
- By train
Morning
A slower morning. At about 8:30 we reach Zojo-ji, the Tokugawa family temple in Shiba Park, where cherry trees frame the great Sangedatsumon gate with Tokyo Tower rising behind. From there the metro takes us to Shinjuku Gyoen, the former imperial garden, which opens at 9 am and has many cherry varieties planted across English, French and Japanese garden sections, so some are in bloom across a longer stretch than in most parks.
Afternoon
This is our hanami: we spread blankets under the trees and eat a picnic bento lunch, the way Tokyo has marked spring for centuries. Alcohol is not allowed in this garden, which keeps it calm. The afternoon is free: Meiji Jingu is about a 20-minute walk away, or rest.
Evening
Before dinner, leave your suitcase at the front desk with the forwarding slip your guide prepares; it travels to Kyoto by courier. Pack an overnight bag for Hakone. In the evening, your guide can point you to the lantern-lit cherries along the Meguro River.
Included
- Zojo-ji and Shiba Park with your guide
- Shinjuku Gyoen entry (booked ahead where the garden requires it)
- Hanami picnic bento lunch under the cherry trees
- Suitcase forwarding from your Tokyo hotel to your Kyoto hotel
Optional experiences
- Meguro River cherry trees in the evening (on your own, directions from your guide)
More active option: Walk on from Shinjuku Gyoen to Meiji Jingu and Harajuku with your guide, about 3 km.
Free time: Afternoon and evening free
Activity: About 45 minutes at Zojo-ji and 2.5 hours in Shinjuku Gyoen including the picnic. About 6 km on foot. Shinjuku Gyoen entry is booked ahead, since the garden has used timed reservations on peak blossom days; if no slots are available, the picnic moves to another cherry park nearby.
The Hakone loop and a ryokan night
Tokyo to Odawara by Shinkansen, then the Hakone Tozan Railway, cable car, ropeway and Lake Ashi cruise
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Hakone
- By train
Morning
We leave Tokyo mid-morning with only an overnight bag. The Tokaido Shinkansen reaches Odawara in about 35 minutes, and we start with a short walk in the grounds of Odawara Castle, whose moats are lined with cherry trees that usually bloom with Tokyo's. Then the Hakone loop on the Hakone Free Pass: the Hakone Tozan Railway climbs on switchbacks to Gora, about an hour with a change at Hakone-Yumoto, a cable car rises to Sounzan, and the Hakone Ropeway swings over Owakudani, a volcanic valley of steam vents and sulphur.
Afternoon
We stop there for lunch and a black egg boiled in the hot springs. If a volcanic alert closes the ropeway, a bus covers the same ground. From Togendai a boat crosses Lake Ashi to Moto-Hakone, with Mount Fuji over the far shore if the spring haze allows. Hakone is higher and cooler than Tokyo, so its trees may still be in bud.
Evening
By late afternoon we are at the ryokan: a yukata, the onsen and a kaiseki dinner of small seasonal courses.
Included
- Tokaido Shinkansen from Tokyo to Odawara
- Odawara Castle grounds
- Hakone Free Pass: Hakone Tozan Railway, cable car, Hakone Ropeway and the Lake Ashi cruise
- Owakudani and lunch at the top
- Night in a traditional ryokan with onsen
- Kaiseki dinner at the ryokan
Free time: Late afternoon and evening at the ryokan
Activity: Mostly seated on trains, the ropeway and the boat, with short walks between them. About 45 minutes at Odawara Castle and an hour at Owakudani, with lunch.
Hakone Shrine early, then Kyoto and Maruyama at night
Moto-Hakone and Odawara, the Shinkansen to Kyoto, then Gion and Maruyama Park
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Kyoto
- Drive about 42 min
Morning
An early soak while the onsen is quiet, then a Japanese breakfast. We leave at about 8 and reach Moto-Hakone by 8:30, before the queue builds at Hakone Shrine's red torii standing in Lake Ashi. We climb the cedar-lined steps to the shrine, then walk on to Onshi-Hakone Park, the grounds of a former imperial villa on a headland, for the view across the lake. Late in the morning our vehicle takes us down to Odawara, about 40 minutes, for the Shinkansen to Kyoto: about 2.5 to 3.5 hours depending on the train, since the fastest trains do not stop at Odawara and we book a Hikari that does.
Afternoon
Lunch is a bento on board. We reach Kyoto by mid-afternoon and your suitcase is waiting at the hotel.
Evening
After a rest, we walk into Gion at dusk: the Shirakawa canal under its cherries, Yasaka Shrine as the lanterns are lit, and Maruyama Park behind it, where a great weeping cherry is lit at night in blossom season and the lawns fill with picnics. Dinner is on your own.
Included
- Hakone Shrine and its lakeside torii by about 8:30 am
- Onshi-Hakone Park
- Shinkansen from Odawara to Kyoto, with a bento lunch on board
- Shirakawa, Yasaka Shrine and Maruyama Park at night with your guide
Easier option: Stay at the ryokan for a slower morning and join the group at Odawara station.
Free time: Afternoon rest in Kyoto; dinner free
Activity: About 45 minutes at Hakone Shrine, 30 minutes in Onshi-Hakone Park and 2 hours in Gion and Maruyama Park. Maruyama Park is very busy on blossom evenings; your guide keeps the group together.
The Philosopher's Path at 7 am
Ginkaku-ji, the Philosopher's Path and Honen-in, then Nanzen-ji and the Okazaki canal
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Kyoto
- Drive about 18 min
Kyoto's best-known blossom walk, before anyone else. Our vehicle drops us at the north end of the Philosopher's Path at about 7 am, and we walk south along the narrow canal under the cherry trees that line it for about 2 km, when the water is still and petals float on it. We loop up to Ginkaku-ji, the Silver Pavilion, as its gates open at 8:30, with its raked sand garden and moss, and step into the quiet thatched gate of Honen-in on the way. The path ends near Nanzen-ji, where we walk under the brick aqueduct that still carries water from Lake Biwa.
Afternoon
Lunch is yudofu, simmered tofu, a dish this neighbourhood has served temple visitors for centuries. Afterwards we follow the Okazaki canal, where cherry trees hang over the water, to the Heian Shrine, whose garden is known for its weeping cherries.
Evening
By about 2 pm you are free for the rest of the day: Nishiki Market, a nap, or the blossom along the Kamo River at sunset.
Included
- The Philosopher's Path at 7 am with your guide
- Ginkaku-ji at opening and Honen-in
- Nanzen-ji and the Suirokaku aqueduct
- Yudofu lunch near Nanzen-ji
- The Okazaki canal and the Heian Shrine garden
Easier option: Walk only the first half of the Philosopher's Path and meet the group at lunch by taxi.
Free time: Afternoon and evening free
Activity: Breakfast from about 6:15; we leave at about 6:40. About 8 km on foot, flat apart from the slope up to Ginkaku-ji. Roughly an hour on the path, 45 minutes at Ginkaku-ji, 45 minutes at Nanzen-ji and 45 minutes in the Heian Shrine garden.
Nara, then Fushimi Inari late in the day
Kyoto to Nara by Kintetsu, then JR to Fushimi Inari and back to Kyoto
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Kyoto
- By train
After yesterday's early start, a later one. Nara was Japan's capital in the 8th century, before Kyoto. We leave the hotel at about 8:15 for the Kintetsu limited express, about 35 minutes, and walk through Nara Park, where the deer wander under the cherry trees and bow for rice crackers, to Todai-ji. Inside its vast wooden hall sits the bronze Great Buddha, about 15 metres tall.
Afternoon
We go on past the Ukimido pavilion on its pond to Kasuga Taisha and its paths of stone lanterns, then sit down to a long lunch in Naramachi, the old merchant quarter.
Evening
In the afternoon the JR Nara line takes us back towards Kyoto, stopping at Inari for Fushimi Inari Taisha, open day and night. By late afternoon the day crowds thin, and we walk up through the tunnels of vermilion torii gates as the light turns gold. We are back at the hotel by about 6:30, with the evening free.
Included
- Kintetsu limited express from Kyoto to Nara
- Todai-ji and the Great Buddha Hall
- Nara Park, the Ukimido pavilion and Kasuga Taisha with your guide
- Sit-down lunch in Naramachi
- JR Nara line to Inari and Fushimi Inari Taisha late in the day
Easier option: Take the train straight back to Kyoto after lunch and skip Fushimi Inari, or walk only its first tunnels of gates, about 15 minutes.
More active option: Climb on with your guide to the Yotsutsuji crossroads at Fushimi Inari, about 45 minutes uphill on steps, for the view over Kyoto at sunset.
Free time: Evening free
Activity: The longest day on foot, about 10 km, broken by a long seated lunch and the train. About an hour at Todai-ji, 90 minutes in Nara Park and Kasuga Taisha, and 90 minutes at Fushimi Inari.
Arashiyama at 7 am and a tea ceremony
The Arashiyama bamboo grove, Tenryu-ji and the Togetsukyo bridge, then central Kyoto
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Kyoto
- Drive about 1 h
Our second early start in Kyoto, and the last. Our vehicle leaves at about 6:30 for Arashiyama on the city's western edge, about 30 minutes, and at 7 am we walk through the bamboo grove while it is quiet enough to hear the stalks knock together. When Tenryu-ji's gates open at 8:30 we are first into its garden, laid out in the 14th century around a pond against the hills, with weeping cherries by the main hall. We then walk down to the Oi River and the Togetsukyo bridge, where the hillside of Arashiyama is planted with cherry trees, and up into Kameyama Park above the river for the view.
Afternoon
Lunch is shojin ryori, the vegetarian cooking of Zen temples, served in small dishes. Our vehicle takes us back to the hotel by about 1 pm to rest. At about 3:30 we walk to a tea room for a tea ceremony, where the host shows you how to whisk your own bowl of matcha, then a short class making wagashi, the seasonal sweets served with tea.
Evening
The evening is free.
Included
- Arashiyama bamboo grove at 7 am with your guide
- Tenryu-ji garden at opening
- Togetsukyo bridge and Kameyama Park
- Shojin ryori temple vegetarian lunch
- Tea ceremony and a wagashi class in central Kyoto
Optional experiences
- Sagano Romantic Train along the Hozu gorge (seats sell out in blossom season; ask when you book)
Easier option: Stay at the hotel for breakfast and join the group at Tenryu-ji at 8:30 by taxi.
Free time: Early afternoon rest; evening free
Activity: We leave at about 6:30 with breakfast boxes for the van. About 30 minutes in the bamboo grove, an hour at Tenryu-ji, an hour on the river and in Kameyama Park, and 90 minutes for the tea ceremony and wagashi class. About 7 km on foot.
Osaka Castle in blossom and a Dotonbori farewell
Kyoto to Osaka by road, Osaka Castle park and the Okawa river, then Dotonbori
- Breakfast and dinner
- Stay in Osaka
- Drive about 1 h
Morning
A gentle morning. We leave Kyoto at about 9:30 with the suitcases in our vehicle and reach Osaka Castle park in about an hour. The castle keep, rebuilt in 1931 on the original stone walls, stands above moats lined with cherry trees, and the Nishinomaru Garden on the west bailey is a lawn ringed with blossom under the keep, the best place to see both together. From the castle we walk a short way north to the Okawa river, where a long promenade of cherry trees runs along the bank at Kema Sakuranomiya.
Afternoon
Lunch is on your own; your guide has a list. In the early afternoon we check in to a hotel near Namba and you have a few hours free.
Evening
In the evening the farewell: a street-food walk through Dotonbori under the neon and the Glico running man sign, past the moss-covered statue in Hozenji Yokocho, tasting takoyaki, kushikatsu and okonomiyaki as we go, and ending around one table for a last dinner together.
Included
- Transfer to Osaka with your suitcases
- Osaka Castle park and the Nishinomaru Garden with your guide
- The Okawa riverbank at Kema Sakuranomiya
- Dotonbori and Hozenji Yokocho street-food walk
- Farewell dinner
Optional experiences
- The Osaka Castle keep museum (on your own)
Easier option: Stay in the Nishinomaru Garden and skip the river walk.
Free time: Lunch on your own; afternoon free before the evening walk
Activity: About 90 minutes in the castle park and 45 minutes on the river, about 5 km on foot, and about 2 hours on the Dotonbori walk and dinner.
A free morning in Osaka and home
Osaka to Kansai International Airport
- Breakfast
- Drive about 1 h
Morning
The morning is yours. Kuromon Market is a short walk from Namba for a last snack of fresh fruit or grilled seafood, and the shopping arcades of Shinsaibashi start next to the hotel. If the blossom is late this year, your guide can point you to a park that is still in flower. Check-out is usually at 11 am, and the hotel holds your bags. Our vehicle then takes you to Kansai International Airport (KIX), about an hour by road and across the bridge onto the airport island, timed to your flight. For an international flight, book one leaving after about 2 pm to keep the free morning; if you fly earlier, we leave earlier. If you are flying from Osaka Itami (ITM), staying on in Osaka or travelling on by train, tell us when you book and we arrange the drop-off to match. Your guide says goodbye at the hotel, and we send you the photos the group shared during the trip.
Included
- Drop-off at Kansai International Airport (KIX)
Free time: Morning free
Activity: Book an international flight leaving after about 2 pm to keep the free morning.
- Tokyo3 nights
- Hakone1 night
- Kyoto4 nights
- Osaka1 night
- Overnight stop
- Day trip
- By boat or train
Wildlife and weather: Late March and early April are mild by day, often 12 to 18 C, and cool at night, with some rain; a day of wind or rain can bring the petals down early. Hakone sits higher and is colder, and its trees often bloom later than Tokyo's. Mount Fuji is often hidden by spring haze or cloud. The blossom draws Japan's biggest spring crowds, especially at weekends.
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Before you book
Right for you?
Good for you if you want
- Travellers who want to see Japan's cherry blossom and accept that its exact dates move with the weather
- First-time visitors who want Tokyo, Hakone, Kyoto, Nara and Osaka with four nights in Kyoto
- Early risers happy to leave before 8 am three times to see the famous blossom without the crowds
- Travellers who want the logistics handled in Japan's busiest spring week: hotels held, trains booked, suitcases forwarded
Not for you if you want
- Anyone who needs a guarantee of full bloom on a given day: no one can give one
- Travellers who dislike crowds: even with early starts, blossom week is busy
- Step-free access: stations, temples and shrines have many stairs
- Travellers who have done the Golden Route: our 13-day trip through the Japanese Alps goes further, and our 9-day Tokyo to Osaka trip runs in other seasons
Book flights after we confirm your seat.
9 nights
Where you'll stay
Your hotels are named in your trip confirmation.
- Tokyo3 nights
- Hakone1 night
- Kyoto4 nights
- Osaka1 night
One price
What's in the price
Included
Accommodation
- 9 nights: 3 in a central Tokyo hotel, 1 in a traditional ryokan with onsen in Hakone, 4 in a central Kyoto hotel, 1 in an Osaka hotel near Namba
- Hotels of at least a 3-star-plus standard within about a 10-minute walk of a station, named when we confirm your dates
- Rooms shared, or your own for a supplement
Transport
- Pick-up at Tokyo Haneda (HND) or Narita (NRT)
- Metro fares in Tokyo on an IC card
- Reserved seats on the Tokaido Shinkansen from Tokyo to Odawara and from Odawara to Kyoto (about 2.5 to 3.5 hours depending on the train)
- Hakone Free Pass from Odawara: the Hakone Tozan Railway, cable car, Hakone Ropeway and Lake Ashi cruise
- Suitcase forwarding from your Tokyo hotel to your Kyoto hotel
- Kintetsu train from Kyoto to Nara and the JR Nara line back via Inari
- A private vehicle and driver in Hakone on day 5, in Kyoto on days 6 and 8, and from Kyoto to Osaka with your suitcases on day 9
- Drop-off at Kansai International Airport (KIX)
Your guide
- A See Sight Tours guide with the group from the first evening in Tokyo to the last evening in Osaka, with local hosts where a site or class requires one
Activities
- Tokyo: Ueno Park, Yanaka and Chidorigafuchi at dusk
- Tokyo: Zojo-ji and Shiba Park, Shinjuku Gyoen entry and a hanami picnic
- Hakone: Odawara Castle grounds, Owakudani, the Lake Ashi cruise, Hakone Shrine and Onshi-Hakone Park
- Kyoto: Shirakawa, Yasaka Shrine and Maruyama Park at night
- Kyoto: the Philosopher's Path at 7 am, Ginkaku-ji, Honen-in, Nanzen-ji and the Heian Shrine garden
- Nara: Todai-ji and the Great Buddha Hall, Nara Park and Kasuga Taisha
- Kyoto: Fushimi Inari Taisha late in the day
- Kyoto: the Arashiyama bamboo grove at 7 am, Tenryu-ji garden, Togetsukyo and Kameyama Park
- Kyoto: tea ceremony and wagashi class
- Osaka: Osaka Castle park, the Nishinomaru Garden and the Okawa riverbank
- Osaka: Dotonbori and Hozenji Yokocho street-food walk
Meals
- All 9 breakfasts
- 6 lunches: a hanami picnic in Shinjuku Gyoen, Owakudani in Hakone, a bento on the Shinkansen, yudofu near Nanzen-ji, Naramachi in Nara and a temple vegetarian lunch in Arashiyama
- 3 dinners: a welcome izakaya dinner in Tokyo, a kaiseki dinner at the ryokan and a farewell street-food dinner in Osaka
Not included
- International flights to Tokyo and home from Osaka
- Visas or travel authorisations, if your passport needs one
- Travel insurance
- Lunches and dinners not listed
- Drinks
- Tips (not expected in Japan)
- Optional activities in your free time, such as a Chidorigafuchi rowing boat, the Sagano Romantic Train or the Osaka Castle keep museum
- Personal spending
- Japan's departure tax, which is added to your airline ticket
Extras
- Room of your own
- CAD 1,205 (estimated price)
When you can go
Dates and prices
Pick your start date when you request to book. We check that date and confirm it in your quote.
Prefer to travel without a group or guide? Ask us about arranging hotels, transport and city tours for you to travel independently.
Before you book
Booking terms
Nothing is charged now. Full terms and the cancellation schedule come with your quote, before you accept.
Business addresses
See Sight Tours Trips (USA): 3172 N Rainbow Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89108, United StatesSee Sight Tours Trips (Canada): 5305 50 Avenue, #1091, Red Deer, AB T4N 4B6, Canada+1-888-961-6584Guest reviews
What guests say
Reviews from guests on our day tours.
Jane
October 06, 2026
5/5
Susan
October 06, 2026
5/5
Tom L
October 05, 2026
5/5
MandL83
October 05, 2026
5/5
Darren O
October 05, 2026
5/5
Good to know
Questions
Prices in these answers apply from Jan 1, 2027. Black Friday offer: 10% off the small-group price for requests received by Dec 1, 2026. From CAD 6,035 per person. Dec 2 to Dec 31: from CAD 6,370. From Jan 1, 2027: from CAD 6,705.
What does the price include?
Nine nights in central hotels and a Hakone ryokan, all breakfasts, 6 lunches including a hanami picnic, 3 dinners, airport transfers at both ends, reserved bullet train seats, the Hakone Free Pass, suitcase forwarding from Tokyo to Kyoto, a See Sight Tours guide throughout, and every garden, temple and class in the day plan.
Will the cherry blossom be out when we are there?
Very likely somewhere on the route, but no one can promise full bloom on a given day. We set departures for the usual window, late March in Tokyo and a few days later in Kyoto, and pass on the forecasts from January. Your guide moves each day's plan to the trees that are out.
How do you avoid the blossom crowds?
By timing. We are in Ueno Park at 7:30 am, on the Philosopher's Path at 7 am and in the Arashiyama bamboo grove at 7 am, before the crowds, and at Fushimi Inari late in the day after the coach groups leave. A group of 12 also moves through busy places faster than a coach.
How big is the group?
The small-group trip runs with 7 to 12 guests. That is small enough to share one picnic spot under the trees, sit together at one izakaya table, and hear the guide in a crowded shrine.
Who leads the trip?
A See Sight Tours guide travels with the group from the first evening in Tokyo to the farewell dinner in Osaka, handling trains, tickets and timings and tracking where the blossom is best each day. Local hosts lead the tea ceremony and wagashi class. We introduce your guide before you travel.
How fit do I need to be?
Moderately fit. Expect 4 to 6 hours on your feet most days, about 8 to 12 km, with stairs in stations and at shrines. Three mornings start before 8 am, each followed by a free afternoon. Every long day has an easier option, and your suitcase is forwarded, so you never carry it up station stairs.
I am travelling solo. Is there a single supplement?
Yes, a room of your own is from CAD 1,205 more, about 18 percent of the trip price, shown before you book. Solo travellers are welcome on every departure. If you would rather share a room, ask when you book and we will tell you whether a roommate match is possible on your date.
What is the weather like in Japan in late March and early April?
Mild by day, often 12 to 18 C, and cool in the mornings and evenings, with some rainy days. Hakone is higher and colder. Bring layers, a light rain jacket and comfortable walking shoes. Wind and rain can bring the petals down early, which is one reason we move between several blossom spots.
How does booking work?
Prices are per person sharing a room, with taxes included: the small group starts from CAD 6,705 and the private trip from CAD 12,070. Choose your start date and send a request to book. We confirm your place within 24 hours, and no payment is taken until we have confirmed.
Can we travel privately or on our own dates?
Yes. The private version is for your party only, on a date you choose in the blossom window, with your own guide and the same hotels and experiences. If you would rather travel independently without a guide, send an inquiry from the dates section and we will quote the hotels, trains and forwarding separately.
Do I need a visa for Japan?
Citizens of Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and most European countries can visit Japan visa-free for short tourist stays. Rules differ by passport and can change, so check before you book, and fill in Visit Japan Web before you fly to speed up immigration and customs.
How is this different from your other Tokyo to Kyoto trips?
This one runs only in blossom season and is built around it: Ueno, Chidorigafuchi, a hanami picnic, the Philosopher's Path and Maruyama Park, with four nights in Kyoto. Our 9-day Tokyo, Mount Fuji, Kyoto and Osaka trip runs in other seasons, and our 13-day trip goes through the Japanese Alps.
See Sight Tours has been providing travel services across North America since 2006. Operating in 20 cities across Canada and the USA, the company specializes in small group tours that offer personalized, high-quality experiences for travelers.
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