Day 1 of the Cherry Blossom tour starts in the evening when the group meets up and goes to a local restaurant in Shinjuku. This is an ideal opportunity for everyone to get to know each other and begin their excursion into the world of Japanese food.

Afterwards you take a walk around Shinjuku and the neighbouring area of Kabukicho, the renowned entertainment districts dazzling with neon. These areas are both celebrated and notorious for providing the best of contemporary Japanese urban culture along with big servings of hedonism. These are great areas for people watching, exploring, and observing the city at play.

Today we make our way to Asakusa, a part of the city steeped in the atmosphere of Edo Japan and, once upon a time, the location of the first temple in what is now called Tokyo. Asakusa is also known as the old gateway to the Yoshiwara, “the Floating World”, formerly an area of entertainment and carnal indulgences. Take some time here to browse the market stalls and explore the side streets where the real treasures are to be found.

After a bite for lunch, you catch a boat along the Sumida River towards Tokyo Bay, from which the water-level perspective provides a new angle on the city. At this time of the year you have the spectacle of the river banks lined with hanami (cherry blossom viewing) parties — people will be sitting out with friends and elaborate picnics, possibly singing with portable karaoke machines, or simply strolling and absorbing the atmosphere.

You disembark at the Hama-Rikyu landscape gardens. In days of yore, shogun would come here to relax, hunt and entertain guests from Japan’s elite.

On the way back to Shinjuku you have the opportunity to go to Shibuya to finish the day. This is a bustling shopping area whose centrepiece is the much-filmed Hachiko Square scramble junction, which is engulfed whenever the lights change by seeming thousands of people, all apparently intent on a pileup. You can avoid the crush by watching the spectacle from a coffee shop overlooking the junction.

This morning you go to Meiji Shrine at Harajuku the area also famous for Takeshita Street and Yoyogi Park. Here, hidden away in the forest is one of the most prestigious shrines in the city, home to the spirits of Emperor Meiji and consort.  Your guide will explain about the indigenous religion of Japan, Shintoism and the differences to Buddhism which arrived on the shores in the 6^th century.  Meiji Shrine is also popular for weddings and visitors can often see processions in traditional dress. 

For lunch we go to the famous foodie’s must-see of Tsukiji Fish Market. In autumn 2018 the wholesale market moved from Tsukiji to Toyosu on a man-made island in Tokyo Bay after years of dispute and setbacks.  The outer market thankfully remains more or less the same as it always was with crowded stalls selling fish, meat, vegetables, knives and tools. There are many restaurants in the area selling some of the best sashimi - the perfect location for lunch!

In the afternoon hop on the subway to the Imperial East Palace Gardens near Tokyo station.  The site is where Edo Castle once stood - the center of power during the latter part of feudal age (Edo era) finally drawing to an end in 1868.  Now only the foundations and some of the defenses of the castle remain, but it’s also famous for having 43 varieties of cherry tree and wide open spaces for strolling and relaxing.

This morning you take the “Romance Car” train from Shinjuku to Hakone and the national park neighbouring Mt. Fuji. The region of Hakone is home to many first-rate museums featuring works by the world’s most renowned artists. Your tour leader will take you to the Open Air Museum riding the switch-back train up through the mountains, a beautiful backdrop for art featuring pieces by Henry Moore, Pablo Picasso and many Japanese artists.  Alternatively we can give you directions and help you get to one of the many other fantastic museums in the area, explore the town, or soak the day away relaxing in hot springs.

In Hakone we will stay at a traditional ryokan, (Japanese inn) with spacious suites that comprise a bedroom, a tatami (straw mat flooring) room, and a private bath on the balcony. There are also communal onsen (natural hot spring bath), both indoors and outdoors, where you can relax in natural hot spring water. (Male and female baths are separate). The gourmet, dinner which is included, is a traditional Japanese meal designed to highlight the foods of the season. Afterwards take in the entrancing views from the roof terrace.

This day is a lot of fun and begins with a scenic trip on the switchback train up the mountain to Gora. A further ascent on a cable car allows superb views of Mt. Fuji, with its snow-capped peak and a sea of pink blossom at its base. At the top here you can eat the famous black eggs cooked in the volcanic waters, each of which is said to lengthen your life by seven years. They are a popular buy. 

You take another cable car down the other side of the pass offering more scenic views of Mt. Fuji to the volcanic lake of Ashiko. After lunch by the lake you board a pirate ship taking you across the water to the site of the sekisho, the reconstruction of the old Tokaido checkpoint. There were many such highway checkpoints during the feudal times, but this one was the most feared. You learn about its history and its significance before walking along a stretch of the original Tokaido highway called the Cedar Avenue lined by 400-year-old cedar trees. The trees, planted by order of the shogun, protected travellers from the icy winds and the snows of the winter, and the intense sun during the summer months.

Later, tired feet can be rejuvenated in one of the region’s excellent onsen.

You take the Shinkansen (bullet train) riding in the 1st Class cabin to the heart of Japan’s cultural legacy, Kyoto.

We have tickets for the Miyako Odori reserved for this evening. The event dates back to 1872 featuring geiko and maiko of Gion in a colourful and mesmerizing series of dances. After arriving in Kyoto and checking in, you have some time to freshen up before going to explore the Gion district prior to the show.

Today you visit three of the best sightseeing spots in Kyoto, each of which enjoys UNESCO World Heritage status. You start with the classical Zen Garden of Ryoanji, perhaps the most famous of these creations that define the Japanese aesthetic of simple, natural elegance.

Not far from Ryoanji is the equally famous Golden Pavilion of Kinkakuji, casting its reflection on the shimmering lake it sits beside. This is without doubt one of the most beautiful scenes in the country.

After lunch you go to Nijo Castle, which was built as a show of power and prestige by the Tokugawa Shogunate in 1603. This beautiful structure is renowned for its elaborate decorations and “nightingale” flooring which “sings” when you walk on it, making the presence of all, including potential assassins, known.

This is a free day set aside for shopping, relaxing and exploring. There is so much to do in Kyoto and the surrounding area. Your tour leader will offer plenty of suggestions and let you in on a few local secrets to help you make the most of your day.

Perhaps you would like to attend a workshop for one of the following:

• Taiko (traditional drumming)
• Ikebana (flower arranging)
• Wearing a kimono
• Cooking class at a local home
• Sake tasting
• Shodo (Calligraphy)
• Paper craft with Washi paper

If interested, please let us know in advance and we’ll get it arranged for you!

This day is also an opportunity to take a trip to one of the neighbouring cities: Nara or Kobe. Nara is another UNESCO trove and a former capital of Japan that predates even Kyoto. Kobe is a fashionable and affluent city with a cosmopolitan tone, derived from its history as one of the first places to admit foreign residents when Japan opened its Chrysanthemum Curtain in the 19th century.

Visit the area of Higashiyama (Eastern Mountains) this morning, home to one of Japan’s most popular temples, Kiyomizudera. This temple is one of the many UNESCO monuments in Kyoto and you find it perched on a mountainside rich in cherry blossom. The temple has stood on stilts for 1200 years and the feat of its construction is made the more remarkable for not using a single nail in its huge frame. People come here from around the world to wish for anything from finding a partner to passing an exam.

From Kiyomizudera you walk through the old, winding cobbled streets to Kodaiji with its mausoleum of the infamous warrior Toyotomi Hideyoshi.  As one of the most influential and feared samurai from the civil wars of the 1500’s, Hideyoshi’s mark has been left in Kyoto and in almost all aspects of the country, from tax to roads, from the caste system to the tea ceremony of which he was a huge fan.  He brought it to the masses holding huge public tea ceremonies and was also a close colleague to the tea master Sen no Rikyu who he later had killed.  It’s only fitting that it is here that you will enjoy the tea ceremony. We’ve all seen this mysterious and beautiful practice in films and photos and read about it in books. Today is your chance to experience it for yourself.

From one famous local beverage to another - today you’ll finish off by visiting the Kinshi Masamune Sake Distillery Museum. 

Traditionally in this area in central Kyoto there were a lot of sake distilleries, as production increased and more space was required for the modern machines of mass production the distilleries moved, many to Fushimi, just south of the city. Craft beer is now made on the premises.  Here you can see and look around the machiya (traditional town house) facing the street where the business was done while in the back the sake production took place drawing spring water from a well – a key ingredient to the process.  You see the well, buildings, tools of the trade, and a short video on the procedure before sampling some of the produce. 

Today you head by bullet train in 1st class seats to Hiroshima. Visits to the Peace Park, dome, memorials and museum are moving and take us closer to an understanding of a terrible moment in history. The modern city however is attractive and thriving, offering an intriguing variety of restaurants and cafes.

After spending the night in Hiroshima you take a short trip to another of Japan’s signature sites: Miyajima, Itsukushima shrine and its famous “floating” torii (shrine gate). Both the shrine and the torii are built in a small bay so when the tide is in, both appear to be floating on the water. The views of the shrine and the gate on the water are enchanting, as are the performances of noh on the adjacent stage. Itsukushima is considered to be one of the three most beautiful sights in Japan and enjoys World Heritage status.

You return to Tokyo by bullet train to conclude the tour. On the way you pass Himeji Castle, which re-opened to the public in spring 2015 after five years of extensive renovations. Rather than heading straight back to Tokyo, feel free to break away from the group to visit the castle and its extensive grounds.

Later, why not get together for an end of tour sayonara party in the evening.

This is the last day of the tour and there is no itinerary set. Some guests head to the airport for their departing flight, but if you wish to stay a few extra days Dragonfly Tours is happy to help you with the arrangements!