Cherry Blossoms Japan – SOLD OUT

MARCH 2024

Start Point – Tokyo
Finish Point – Osaka
Tour Style – Hosted Tour
Accommodation – Premium Hotels, Boutique Hotels
Meals – As per itinerary
Transport – Private Coach / Van, Bullet Train
Max Group Size – Min 10, Max 12

DATES:

18 Mar 2024 – 31 March 2024

RATES: AUD$

– from $14, 950 per person Twin Rate
– from $16, 995 per person Single Rate

RATES: NZD$

– from $15, 725 per person Twin Rate
– from $17, 550 per person Single Rate

*Rates are per person based on Twin Share & Single Room.
*Prices are subject to change until paid in full.
*International Airfares are not included. PLEASE ASK US FOR A QUOTE.

Day 1 – Arrive Tokyo

Arrive at Tokyo, pass through immigration; collect your luggage and clear customs.

Arrival transfer is not included, as guests will arrive at different times.
However, we can quote you for a Private Transfer, offer advice on Taxis, and if any guests arrive simultaneously, can organise for you to share the Transfer.

The journey from Narita, on the far outskirts of Tokyo, into Ginza takes about 90 minutes or more, depending on traffic.
The journey from Haneda, in Ota, Tokyo, into Ginza takes about 30 minutes or more, depending on traffic.

Arrival time is scattered late this evening, so have a good rest, ready for the journey ahead.
Check into our hotel, enjoy a drink at the bar and relax.

Overnight: Millenium Mitsui Garden Tokyo

Day 2 – Tokyo

The best way to discover a city, is by walking it and riding it’s rails, and today we do both. So after breakfast we will explore Tokyo with our English-speaking guide.

Our first stop is a visit to the Tsujiki Outer Market – located on the edge of Tokyo Bay the market is a maze of streets where we can feast on fresh sushi, or pick up unique souvenirs, ranging from seaweed to sushi knives to handmade ceramics. We can take some time to see the knives at the likes of Tsujiki Masamoto.

From here, we walk back to the Ginza district. Ginza is Tokyo’s most famous up-market shopping, dining, and entertainment district. It is known for its architecture, dining, tea rooms, entertainment, and attractions. We stop at Ginza 6  to visit Tsutaya – one of Tokyo’s most divine ‘design’ bookstores. You might also want to grab a coffee at Starbucks. I am not a fan of Starbucks, but there is no denying this is a stunning coffee shop. We may even have time to shoot up to the rooftop – worth it!

We visit the Mitsukoshi Ginza Depachika Food Hall. The in-house food halls – or depachika – are known for their comprehensive array of gorgeous sweets and confectionery, immaculately packaged food, ready-to-eat dishes and picture-perfect bento.

We will stop at Itoya – one of the city’s most beautiful and well-stocked stationary shops. We will walk past Ginza Place, Louis Vuitton Ginza, Mikimoto 2 and then jump on a train and travel to Shibuya to see the famous crossing.

After this, we visit the Shibuya Sky Tower and the 360° open-air observation deck located on the roof. Shibuya Sky is more than just an observatory: it spans three floors and has an indoor section which incorporates dazzling digital art displays to encourage you to see the city in a different way. On the 46th floor, there is a café and bar, where we can sit back with a drink as we enjoy the aerial views of Tokyo. We will stop for a well deserved cocktail at The Roof, overlooking the city.

After all this excitement, it is time to return to the hotel, slow down and have a good nights rest.

Overnight: Millenium Mitsui Garden Tokyo. (B / L / Cocktail at The Roof)

Day 3 – Tokyo – All About The Blossoms

*Luggage forwarding this morning from Tokyo to Kanazawa.

This morning we visit the Imperial Palace (East Gardens), the current residence of Japan’s Imperial Family and former grounds of the Edo Castle. Tokyo Imperial Palace is located in the very center of Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo. Since 1869, the historical site in Tokyo has been officially used as a residence of Japan’s Imperial family. The palace grounds boast beautiful natural spots as well as historic structures which can be found around the massive area including beautiful parks and gardens. The current site of the Imperial Palace was formerly known as the site of the Edo castle, the main castle of Tokugawa Shogunate. The original building of the Imperial palace was destroyed during World War II, but completely restored to the similar style close to the original one afterwards.

We will stroll the Ueno Park featuring more than 1000 cherry trees. It is one of Tokyo’s most popular spots for cherry blossom viewing.

We stop for lunch near Senso-Ji. Sensoji is perhaps the most famous and photographed of Tokyo’s temples. It is the oldest Buddhist temple in the capital, and the five-story pagoda, trails of incense and vast eaves will take you back to a Tokyo of time gone by. The shopping street leading to Sensoji Temple, known as Nakamise-dori, is lined with about 90 shops selling crafts, souvenirs and plenty of sweet and savory snacks.

Before returning to our hotel, we will wander Yanaka Ginza, part of Tokyo’s historic shitamachi (an old town ambience reminiscent of Tokyo from past decades) area, known for its traditional Showa-period townscape. We may even still find ourselves here at sunset – to the north of the shopping street, the Yuyake Dandan (literally, ‘sunset staircase’ in Japanese) is a famous feature of the area. A position at the top of the staircase may grant you a magnificent sunset view.

We return to the hotel, and our evening is free.

Overnight: Millenium Mitsui Garden Tokyo. (B / L)

Day 4 – Kanazawa

This  morning we are transferred to the Tokyo Station where we board our Shinkansen to Kanazawa. Tokyo and Kanazawa are directly connected with each other by the Hokuriku Shinkansen, the ride taking 2.5 to 3 hours. We ride in the comfort of Gran Class.

We are met at Kanazawa station and transferred to our hotel. After check in & refresh, we meet back in the lobby.

We now have the honor of visiting a craft master (an artisan who has achieved a particular level of respect for their art). Our stop is the home of Hisatsune-san, a master of Kaga Yuzen, the art of kimono dyeing, where delicate landscapes, flowers and birds are painted onto fine silk. Despite working with international brands and collaborating with high-profile designers, Hisatsune-san still works out of his living room, assisted by his daughters. You’ll see what he’s currently working on (each kimono takes around three months to complete) and how the dyes are extracted from natural ingredients including plums, cherry blossom and persimmons.

We then visit the D.T. Suzuki Museum for some zen. D.T. Suzuki (1860-1966) was the Japanese writer responsible for introducing Zen Buddhism to the West, and this Museum is the perfect monument to the man and his work. The structure of the museum itself actually conveys the message of the man and the religion he sought to explain. Like Zen itself, the museum invites you to contemplate and empty your mind of distraction. The water “garden” outside the museum is sublime as is the fine traditional Japanese garden behind it.

We return to the hotel. Our evening is free to relax and rest.

Overnight Mitsui Garden Hotel Kanazawa. (B / Light Meal on Train)

Day 5 – Kanazawa

Day 7 – Kanazawa / Kyoto

This morning we visit Kenroku-en Gardens. Almost 12 hectares (29 acres) in size, this spacious garden forms the green heart of Kanazawa. It’s ranked by the Japanese as one of the top three gardens in the country and it’s a fine place for a peaceful and contemplative walk. The name means “six attributes garden,” which is a reference to a Chinese book that describes the six attributes of the perfect garden. Located adjacent to Kenroku-en is Kanazawa Castle.

We have a Kaiseki style lunch at nearby Kanazawa Gyokusen House,  (or similar) a 200-year-old samurai residence built in the late Edo period. The expansive 720-tsubo two-level pond spring stroll garden is said to boast a history that is nearly 120 years older than Kenrokuen.

In the afternoon, we leave Kanazawa town, and board our Limited Express Thunderbird for Kyoto, home to some of Japan’s most important works of art, its richest culture and its most refined cuisine. Our train will take just over 2 hours to reach Kyoto Station.

We are met at the station and transferred to our hotel for check in. Rest and relax. Your evening is free.
*We can meet in the hotel bar this evening for a cocktail and a re-cap of our coming days in Kyoto.

Overnight The Good Nature Hotel: (B / L)

Day 8 – Kyoto

This morning we meet our Guide & Driver in the lobby, and then visit Saihō-ji, Koke-dera Moss Garden. Koke-dera, which means “Moss Temple” is one of the most aptly named temples in Kyoto. It’s a lush green paradise with over 120 types of moss present in the two-tiered garden, resembling a beautiful green carpet with many subtle shades. Built on the site of an ancient temple, Saiho-ji Temple was restored and made into a Zen temple in 1339 by the monk Muso Soseki, who is also said to have designed the upper tier of the garden. It is acclaimed by many as Kyoto’s most beautiful garden and is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage.

We then take a tour of rural Arashiyama. Arashiyama is filled with temples and shrines, but the star attraction is the sublime Arashiyama Bamboo Grove which we will take a walk through.

We will visit the mesmerizing Tenryuji temple. Built in 1339, Tenryuji is the most important temple in Kyoto’s Arashiyama district; a sprawling Zen temple with one of the finest gardens in Kyoto and wonderful mountain views. We will have a very special lunch of a shojin-ryori (Zen vegetarian cuisine) on the temple grounds.

We then visit a beautiful property called Okochi Sanso Villa and Garden. Formerly the estate of the famed film actor Okochi Denjiro (1898-1962), this sublime villa and surrounding gardens are some of the finest examples of traditional Japanese residential architecture anywhere, the gardens are mind-boggling and the teahouse is a wabi-sabi gem.

We have lunch at the likes of Arashiyama Yoshimura, famous for soba and tempura, and the amazing view of Arashiyama and the Katsuragawa River.

Return to the hotel for rest & refresh. We can then meet in the bar for a quick cocktail own expense) before we depart for our fabulous evening with a Maiko.

One of the many unique aspects of Japanese culture is its Geisha. When hearing the word “Japan,” one’s mind immediately conjures up images of these elegant and mysterious ladies, with their elaborate hairstyles, white-painted faces and bright red lips, wrapped in an elegant kimono. Kyoto is considered the home of the Geiko (Geiko is the word that refers to geisha in the Kyoto dialect), & this evening, we have a unique opportunity to have dinner with a “Maiko”, an apprentice geisha. She is a younger woman who is training in the arts of the geiko. Our dinner will be kaiseki ryori (traditional multi-course dinner) and during the dinner, there is ample opportunity to interact with the hostess and ask questions about her craft and the world of Maiko. The Maiko will perform traditional dances and even invite guests to play Japanese drinking games.

After this unforgettable experience, it is time to return to the hotel and wind down from the day’s events.

Overnight The Good Nature Hotel: (B / L / D – Maiko Experience )

Day 9 – Kyoto

Today we take a full day walking tour.

We will wander Shinbashi-Dori, Kyoto’s most famous antiques street, which runs straight to the Tatsumi Bridge – a hotspot for Kyoto visitors dressed in beautiful kimonos to stand amidst a backdrop of the Shirakawa Canal and its striking scenery. We will wander amongst the beautifully preserved streets, awash with traditional wooden machiya houses, tea houses, sweet shops, kaiseki restaurants, and unique boutiques.

We’ll make a stop at Kagizen Wagashi Shop, one of Kyoto’s oldest and most esteemed tea and sweet shops. It has a serene tea room out back where we can enjoy traditional sweets with cups of thick matcha tea.

The best place to see geiko in Kyoto is Hanami-koji, in Gionmachi ward, so we will take a wander here. This area is interspersed with restaurants and a number of ochaya (teahouses). This is the area of exclusive and expensive dining establishments, where guests are entertained by maiko and geiko.  *If we do see a geiko or maiko, please act respectfully.

We stop to see the Kennin-ji zen Temple.

We will have lunch at the one of the best Tempura restaurants in the Gion district.

We continue on our loop to Yasaka Shrine and end our day at Maruyama Park, to see the weeping cherry blossom tree.

We return to our hotel. Evening is free.
*Depending on energy levels, we may take a stroll through the atmospheric, lantern-lit alleyway of Pontocho. Ponto-chō district is composed of a single narrow street extending along the Kamogawa River across the bridge from Gion. This unassuming area comes to life at night as the small restaurants, teahouses, and bars that comprise the district light up and open their doors, making it the perfect place to end your night soaking in the atmosphere and enjoying a few drinks.

Else your evening is free.

Overnight The Good Nature Hotel: (B / L)

Day 10 – Kyoto

This morning we visit Ryōan-ji Zen temple, with a Rock Garden that is one of Kyoto’s most famous gardens. The name Ryōan-ji has become synonymous with Japanese rock gardens worldwide, and with its traditional architecture and gardens, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

A stones throw away is a traditional Kyoto style wooden house – Camelia Gardens, a traditional house which sits amongst stunning gardens and is over 100 years old – where we will partake in a Tea Ceremony with an expert instructor. Located just minutes from the main gate of Ryoan-ji, the striking surroundings make it one of the most beautiful locations to experience tea ceremony in Kyoto. We are provided with insight into the Tea Master and will take part in a tea ceremony, a quintessential part of Japanese culture. This allows you to learn about every aspect of Japanese tea culture, from making the tea to the movements involved in serving it.

After this divine ceremony, we visit Kinkakuji, the Golden Pavilion – perhaps Kyoto’s most iconic site. Originally built as a retirement villa for the Shogun, after his death it became a Buddhist Temple at his request and is now one of Kyoto’s most famous temples.

We have a noodle lunch near to Kinkakuji, then we head further north and visit Ryoanji and its famous Zen rock garden.

After lunch, we head back to our hotel via the Nishiki-koji food market, known to the locals as Kyoto daidokoro or Kyoto’s kitchen. There is an eye-popping assortment of fresh seafood, meats, pickles, tofu, miso, Kyoto’s famous vegetable varieties (Kyo-yasai) and many other local delicacies – and of course, there will be plenty of foods to sample. We will also explore the local vicinity, including incredible design and gallery stores, handmade paper shops, a famous Kyoto tea store, antique and textile specialists, and the wonderful depachika (underground food hall) of one of Kyoto’s best Department stores. We’ll visit many shops specialising in items for the cooking and dining enthusiast; think finely crafted chopsticks, placemats, dishes, storage containers, knives and other distinctly Japanese kitchen utensils. This is a perfect opportunity to grab some bites for a light meal.

We could even drop by for a cocktail at L’Escamoteur. Meaning ‘magician’ in old French, L’Escamoteur is owned by an actual magician from France. With an interior based on an early 20th-century herbal pharmacy, the bar’s old-timey atmosphere is certainly not out of place in historical Kyoto.

We return to our hotel and the rest of our evening is free.
Tonight is a fabulous opportunity to splash out on one of Kyoto’s amazing restaurants; Hyotei – with 3 Michelin Stars, Lurra – with 1 Michelin Star, Ifuku – with 2 Michelin Stars, Kiyama – with 1 Michelin Star, Sushi Saeki, and Ogata – with 2 Michelin Stars. *NOTE: If we are to dine at one of the mentioned restaurants, pre-Booking is necessary.

Overnight The Good Nature Hotel: (B / L) 

Day 11 – Kyoto

This morning we wander the Gion Higashi District. We stroll through the atmospheric Kiyomizu street which is filled with quaint shops selling souvenirs including Kiyomizu-yaki pottery, sweets, and pickles. *A quick detour through the streets of Hanami-koji, the most popular street in Gion where lavish teahouses are lined up.

We visit Kiyomizu-dera Temple. Kiyomizu-dera Temple, literally “Pure Water Temple”, is one of the most celebrated temples of Japan. The temple’s veranda juts out of the side of a mountain supported by 13-meter-high wooden columns. The main hall with its distinctive hip-shaped roof of cypress bark rests to the rear of the veranda and houses within it a priceless statue of Kannon Bodhisattva, the goddess of mercy. From the veranda, you get a great view facing west over the city of Kyoto. Several other buildings designated as “national treasures” dot the grounds, as do waterfalls which have entered popular lore. Thus people come to the temple to drink water from the falls by collecting it in tin cups; the water is said to have therapeutic properties, and drinking from the three different streams is said to confer health, longevity, and success in studies. Depending on opening, we will also visit the divine Jojuin “Moon Garden’; best viewed in the evening when the moonlight is shining upon it. The whole point of the layout here is to focus on the reflection in the pond.

From here, your afternoon is free.

Later this afternoon we meet in the lobby and transfer to Nanzenji, one of the most important Zen temples in all of Japan.

We then begin our walk on the Philosopher’s Path for Cherry Blossom viewing. The Philosopher’s Walk is a pedestrian path that follows a cherry-tree-lined canal in Kyoto, between Ginkaku-ji and Nanzen-ji. The route is so-named because the influential 20th-century Japanese philosopher Nishida Kitaro is thought to have used it for daily meditation. (It takes about 30 minutes to complete the walk, ambling, but we will to the start so it will be a longer walk)

We stop for an early sitting at *Monk for dinner. Monk restaurant sits near picturesque Ginkakuji Temple (a whole ass temple dripping in gold), which is off the beaten path about eighteen minutes from central Kyoto. It is located by the river on a very small one way street also known as the Philosopher’s path.

After dinner, we continue towards Ginkakuji Temple, the Silver Pavilion, in the Higashiyama District. The second most famous temple in Kyōto and little brother of Kinkaku-ji, it was planned to be covered completely in leaf silver, but the silver coating was never actually applied, and it is now a wooden temple. En-route, we make a small detour to see the striking entrance to Hōnen-in, an understated but atmospheric moss covered gate that invites you inside to be purified.

We return to the hotel for a good nights sleep.

Overnight The Good Nature Hotel. (B / D)

Day 12 – Kyoto / Osaka via Uji & Nara

This morning after breakfast we transfer to Osaka via Uji – famous for its green tea, known as “Uji-cha” – and Nara.

Uji is most famous for the Byodo-in Temple, which was registered as a World Heritage site in 1994, and the world renowned Uji-cha brand of tea. When the capital of Japan was moved to modern-day Kyoto in 794, nearby Uji City developed as a resort get-away for aristocrats. On the grounds of Byodo-in Temple, one of the few examples of Heian temple architecture left in Japan. It was originally built in 998 AD. and boasts the most beautiful of Japan’s few remaining Pure Land Gardens. It has a small museum which has won four architecture awards.

We visit Todaiji Temple in Nara and see Japan’s largest statue of Buddha in the world’s largest wooden structure. We walk through Nara Park with the deer, and admire the 3,000 stone and bronze lanterns at Kasuga Taisha Shrine, the most celebrated shrine in Nara.

From here, we transfer to Osaka, check into our hotel, and relax..

Overnight Cross Hotel. (B / L)

Day 13 – Osaka

Osaka is one of the busiest cities in Japan and is perhaps most well-known for the not only its’ street food, but the towering Castle – and this afternoon we will discover this incredible building.

Osaka Castle was founded in 16th century by Hideyoshi Toyotomi, a remarkable shogun in the Sengoku period, and is known as the symbol of his power. The castle tower is surrounded by secondary citadels, gates, turrets, impressive stone walls and moats. The Nishinomaru Garden, encompassing the former “western citadel”, is a lawn garden with 600 cherry trees, a tea house, the former Osaka Guest House and nice views of the castle tower from below. It is a popular cherry blossom-viewing spot during spring, and we hope to catch the afternoon blooms.

We take a wander Doguyasuji shopping arcade, a unique market where you can find anything related to the food industry – including the plastic food models you find outside Japanese restaurants, pottery and gorgeous lacquer ware. Perfect time to pick up any last minute ceramics..

Shinsaibashi-suji, one of Osaka’s famous shotengai (covered shopping arcades), will take us through to Ebisu-bashi Bridge, which takes us over the famous Dotombori Canal. Lined with garish neon-covered buildings, the Dotombori Canal is the most iconic sight in all of Osaka. We walk a short distance south and find ourselves in the famous Dotombori arcade. This street is line with restaurants, many of which have incredibly flashy signs and symbols outside to attract customers. Time to pose in front of Kani Doraku, the huge crab with moving legs, or stand on Ebisubashi with the of the running Glico man as our backdrop. Cheesy, but necessary.

In need of a coffee, we stop at Marufuku Coffee in Sennichimae, an Osakan institution and a kissaten, an old-fashioned coffee house where the brews err on the side of dark, black, and strong. Kissaten are a dying breed, but in Osaka, they are still very much part of the shopping street landscape. In operation since 1934, the background music is a questionable and you will still find elderly men and women here, dapper in their berets and suits.

We will also eat along the way (of course!). Osaka is the city of kuidaore, or ‘to eat until you fall over or go broke’ after all. We will find somewhere like Teuchi Soba Akari, (Akari Soba), a fabulous soba noodle house run by an elderly couple and where jazz sets the tone.

We continue to the incredibly atmospheric Hozenji Yokocho, an area with narrow alleys filled with traditional restaurants and izakaya (traditional Japanese pubs). This stone-paved alley, lined with traditional and restored shops and restaurants, is one of the most beautiful streets in all of Osaka and it looks like it was magically transported from somewhere in Kyoto. Hozenji Yokocho is located right behind the Hozenji temple, hence the name “Hozenji Yokocho” which literally means the alley next to the Hozenji temple. We will stop for a final whiskey or beer before we call it a day.

This evening we can visit somewhere akin to the The Bible Club for a cocktail. Bible Club Osaka is a speak-easy that transports its guests back to pre-Prohibition times, with detailed vintage decor, right down to an ancient till and antique crystal glassware.

Overnight The Cross Hotel. (B / L / Farewell Cocktail)

Day 15 – Osaka

This morning our tour ends. (B)

Transfer to the Osaka airport for your flights home.
Departure transfer is not included, as guests will arrive at different times.
However, we can quote you for a Private Transfer, offer advice on Taxis, and if any guests arrive simultaneously, can organise for you to share the Transfer.

Included:

• x3 nights in Tokyo
• x3 nights in Kanazawa
• x5 nights in Kyoto
• x2 nights in Osaka
• All breakfasts on tour
• x11 Lunches (including Bento Boxes)
• Dinner with a Maiko in Kyoto
• Welcome Cocktail in Tokyo
• Farewell Cocktail in Osaka
• ‘Farewell Kyoto’ dinner, in Kyoto
• Tea Ceremony in Kyoto
• Tsukiji Fish Outer Market
• Shibuya Tower / Observation Deck
• Sightseeing in Tokyo, Kanazawa, Kyoto, Osaka,
• UNESCO Gardens
• Day trip to Bamboo Forest
• Temple visits + entrances as per itinerary
• Museum visits as per itinerary
• Market visits as per itinerary
• Visit to Osaka Castle
• Sakura viewing everywhere we can!
• Luggage forwarding – Tokyo to Kanazawa
• Shinkansen Tokyo – Kanazawa (Gran Class)
• Luggage forwarding: Kanazawa to Kyoto
• Shinkansen Kanazawa – Kyoto (First Class)
• Hosted throughout by Jemma Wilson, Founder Mai Journeys
• National English-Speaking Guide(s)
• Private air-conditioned vehicles for transfers
• All private transfers as per itinerary
• Sakura viewing everywhere we can!
• and more!

Not Included:

• Airfares – PLEASE ASK US FOR A QUOTE
• Travel insurance – PLEASE ASK US FOR A QUOTE
• Arrival + Departure Transfers (we can help organise these)
• Items of a personal nature
• Phone calls
• Passport and visas
• Laundry unless stated
• Excess baggage
• Meals not mentioned in the itinerary
• Beverages unless specifically described.
• Optional excursions or activities that may be offered