PASETTI VIAGENS

Cherry blossom season in Japan

Fifteen days during the blossom season, with a Portuguese-speaking guide throughout and a small group of Brazilian travellers. One departure: 23 March 2027.

About this journey

One of the Japan journeys we most enjoy recommending: Tokyo, Nikko, Hakone, Kanazawa, Takayama, Kyoto, Nara and Osaka, in the week when the cherry blossoms usually open. A group of twenty to thirty people, a Brazilian guide throughout, Green Class high-speed trains and large suitcases travelling by road so you can travel light.

The Hakone cable car with views of Mount Fuji, Kenroku-en Garden, Shirakawago village, Gion in the late afternoon and ten lunches already arranged. Superior-category hotels, including one night in Hakone with an outdoor bath. A free day in Osaka gives you the option of visiting Hiroshima.

The blossoms follow the weather, not the calendar: the date is our best estimate based on past seasons. Price in US dollars, per person sharing a double room, excluding international flights, which we can quote alongside the trip. Reservations until 16 October 2026.

The itinerary

1st day (23/03/2027): Tokyo
Arrival at Narita or Haneda airport, private reception and transfer to the hotel. Accommodation for 3 nights, with breakfast.
2nd day (24/03/2027): Tokyo
Breakfast at the hotel. Departure for a private tour of the group with a Portuguese guide to Meiji Shrine, one of the most important and popular in the country.
Then by car through the shopping street of Omotesando, a wide treed avenue where are the fashion shops from all over the world. Visit to the Roppongi Hills Observatory, at the top of the Mori Tower, with 54 floors at 238 meters. From there you can have panoramic views of Tokyo, including Tokyo Tower, Tokyo Bay and Mount Fuji.
After lunch break in local restaurant (does not include drinks), stop in Asakusa, Tokyo's historic neighborhood, for a visit to Senso-ji-o. Also known as Asakusa Kannon, it is the oldest Buddhist temple in the city. In front is the shopping street known as Nakamise, which for centuries has concentrated stores of gifts and local food. After the tour, I return to the hotel.
3rd day (25/03/2027): Tokyo – Nikko – Tokyo
After breakfast, exit for full day stroll in Nikko, a city that has been the center of the Shinto and Buddhist cult for many centuries. Today, its mountainous area is a protected national park.
Start of the tour with a visit to the Toshugu Shrine complex. Built as a mausoleum for Tokugawa Ieyasu, founder of the Tokugawa shogunate that ruled Japan for more than 250 years, this richly decorated shrine complex consists of more than a dozen Shinto and Buddhist buildings in a beautiful forest setting and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
After lunch break in local restaurant (not including drinks), past Lake Chuzenji, a picturesque crater lake that provides beautiful landscapes of the region. Finally, visit Kegon Falls. At 97 m high, they are one of the three largest waterfalls in Japan.
After the tour, I return to the hotel in Tokyo.
4th day (26/03/2027): Tokyo – Hakone
Breakfast and check-out of the hotel, followed by transfer to Hakone (approximately 80km). Arrival and exit for private tour to the group of half day. Start with tour on a replica of a pirate ship on Lake Ashi - a huge volcanic crater created by an eruption more than 3000 years ago.
After lunch break in local restaurant (does not include drinks), continue with a visit to Hakone Shrine, a Shinto shrine that was very popular among samurai during the 12th century. Finally, climb the cable car to the top of Mount Fuji.
After tour, presentation at the hotel in Hakone for accommodation for 1 night, with half board.
Note: the bags must be left at the reception so that they are dispatched directly to Kanazawa. We suggest we prepare a suitcase for the night in Hakone.
5th day (27/03/2027): Hakone – Tokyo – Kanazawa
Breakfast and hotel check-out. Transfer to the Odawara train station for boarding on high-speed train to Tokyo. Arrival and presentation for boarding to Kanazawa.
Arrival in Kanazawa and transfer to the hotel. Accommodation for two nights, with breakfast.
6th day (28/03/2027): Kanazawa
After breakfast, departure for a private tour of the group with a visit to Higashi Chaya District, the largest and most interesting district of Kanazawa Geishas, full of interesting cafes and shops.
Then visit the Omicho Market, which has been in central Kanazawa for almost 300 years. The market houses more than 200 tents that sell various typical products of the region, as well as seafood and fish among others.
Lunch stop in a local restaurant (does not include drinks).
Visit to the Kenroku-en Garden, classified as one of Japan's three most beautiful gardens, and due to the care of flowering times, the garden remains interesting throughout the year. Kenroku-en literally means "The garden of the six magnitudes". According to the ancient landscape theory of East Asia, the garden has the six essential features that make it a perfect garden.
Finally, visit Nagamachi Samurai District to discover the House of Samurais Nomura, a traditional Japanese house with tea ceremony room, an internal garden and artifacts from the Edo period. After the tour, I return to the hotel.
Day 7 (29/03/2027): Kanazawa – Shirakawago – Takayama
Breakfast and check-out at the hotel, followed by transfer to Takayama. During the journey, stop for a walk in Shirakawago, in the Shogawa River Valley. The city is famous for its traditional farmhouses, known as gassho-zukuri, some over 250 years old.
After visiting one of these traditional houses, stopped in Ogimachi, one of the best points to observe the city's landscape.
Lunch stop at a local restaurant (does not include drinks) and continue the journey to Takayama. Presentation at the hotel for accommodation for 2 nights, with breakfast.
Note: Bags must be left at reception to be dispatched directly to Kyoto. We suggest we prepare a suitcase for the evenings in Takayama.
8th day (30/03/2027): Takayama
Breakfast at the hotel and exit for a private tour of the group. Visit to Miyagawa Morning Market, one of Japan's largest markets, with sales of handicrafts and local products.
Then continue on foot to Takayama Jinya, also known as the House of the Historical Government, which served as a local government office for almost two centuries.
After stopping for lunch in local restaurant (does not include drinks), visit to Takayama Festival Museum, which displays the ornamental festival floats of the famous festival. Return to the hotel.
9th day (31/03/2027): Takayama – Nagoya – Kyoto
Breakfast and check-out at the hotel. Then transfer to the train station for boarding on express train to Nagoya. Arrival and presentation for high-speed train boarding to Kyoto. Arrival and departure for a private half day tour to the group.
Visit to Kiyomizu Temple. Kiyomizu, meaning \"temple of pure water\", receives its name from the waters flowing from the mountains to the east and flowing to the site. Water falls are divided into three streams, each of which is said to have a different benefit. The 13-metre-high balcony of the Temple Main Hall was built without the use of a single nail and offers a view of Kyoto.
Continuing the walk to the district of Gion, full of shops, restaurants and tea houses, where the geikos (local name for the geishas of Kyoto) and their maikos (learners) present themselves.
After the tour, presentation at the hotel for accommodation for 3 nights, with breakfast.
10th day (01/04/2027): Kyoto
After breakfast, visit Arashiyama district. The first stop of the tour is the Tenryuji Temple, ranked among the five great Zen temples of Kyoto and a cultural property of the country, with gardens for a walk. Then pass through the quiet bamboo forests of Arashiyama.
Continuation with departure from Arashiyama and visit to the Kinkakuji Temple, also known as Golden Pavilion, originally built as a home for the Shogum (former commander of the Japanese army). After Shogum Yoshimitsu's death, he became a Buddhist temple at his request. It is one of the most famous temples in the city, with the top two floors completely covered with gold leaves.
After lunch break in a local restaurant (does not include drinks), visit Nijo Castle, surrounded by stunning gardens. It was built by an Edo-era gentleman as a Shogun residence in Kyoto. Return to the hotel.
11th day (04/02/2027): Kyoto
After breakfast, leave for a private tour of the group in Kyoto. Visit to Ginkakuji, a Zen temple modeled based on Kinkakuji.
Then walk by the Philosopher's Way, a pleasant stone path that crosses the northern part of Higashiyama district. Then stop for lunch in local restaurant (does not include drinks).
Finally, visit the Nishiki Market, a place with many interesting food stores. Return to the hotel.
12th day (03/04/2027): Kyoto – Nara – Osaka
Breakfast and check-out at the hotel, followed by tour in Nara. Visit to Todaiji Temple, known for harboring the Great Buddha of Nara, a colossal bronze statue of Vairocan Buddha, about 15 meters high. Then visit the Kasuga Shrine, with its more than 3,000 lanterns.
Stop for lunch in a local restaurant (does not include drinks) and visit to Nara Park, or Parque dos Cervos, home to hundreds of deer living loose in the region.
At the end of the tour, transfer to Osaka (about 32km). Accommodation for 3 nights, with breakfast.
13th day (04/04/2027): Osaka – Hiroshima – Osaka
Free day for independent activities.
Optional, not included:
Full-day tour in Hiroshima, including high-speed train tickets between Osaka / Hiroshima / Osaka in Green Class, entrance tickets to Itsukushima Shrine and Peace Museum and drink-free lunch in local restaurant, with a guide in Portuguese (minimum 10 participants for confirmation of the tour):
Breakfast at the hotel and out for a walk in Hiroshima. Start by transfer to Shin Osaka station for high-speed train boarding to Hiroshima (approximately 90 minutes). Arrival and transfer to Miyajimaguchi, followed by boarding the ferry to visit Miyajima Island, a small island considered sacred to the Shintoites. On site is one of Japan's most famous landscapes - the floating gate of Itsukushima Shrine. After a short walk on the island, board the ferry to return to the city and stop for lunch in local restaurant (does not include drinks). Continuation with a visit to the Hiroshima Peace Memorial. The park's location is the zero mark of the atomic bomb of August 6, 1945. After the bombing, the memorial was created and dedicated to everyone who lost their lives in the attack. Finally, visit the Hiroshima Peace Museum. Return to station for high-speed train boarding to Osaka and transfer to the hotel.
14th day (05/04/2027): Osaka
Breakfast at the hotel and exit for a stroll through the city. Visit to Osaka Castle, one of Japan's most famous and played an important role in the unification of Japan during the 16th century. The contrast between the old Osaka Castle park, with its large stone walls, and the surrounding skyscrapers provides an excellent example of the balance between modern Japan and its rich cultural heritage.
After lunch in a local restaurant (does not include drinks), continue with a visit to the Umeda Sky Building, to observe the city from a 360-degree panoramic view of Osaka Bay and even the surrounding cities from the outdoor observatory. Finally, visit Dotonbori Street, mandatory visit for those passing through Osaka. The street is full of neon signs, nightclubs, bars and restaurants.
After the tour, I return to the hotel.
15th day (06/04/2027): Osaka
Breakfast and check-out at the hotel, followed by private airport transfers.
Important: Group travel during the estimation of cherry blossoms in Japan, based on historical and local forecasts. The exact dates of the flowering can vary from year to year due to climatic factors that are not predictable.

What's included

Accommodation for 3 nights in Tokyo with breakfast
Accommodation for 1 night in Hakone , with half board (breakfast and dinner)
Accommodation for 2 nights in Kanazawa, with breakfast
Accommodation for 2 nights in Takayama, with breakfast
Accommodation for 3 nights in Kyoto with breakfast
Accommodation for 3 nights in Osaka with breakfast
Private transfers to the group between Airport/Hotel/Train station and land transfers between cities, as mentioned in the itinerary
Private tours to the group as mentioned in the itinerary, including 01 bottle of water per day, per person
Accompanied guide in Portuguese throughout the itinerary
Entrances to Roppongi Hills Observatory (Tokyo); Toshogu Shrine (Nikko); Ashi Lake and cable car cruiser (Hakone); Kenroku-en Garden and Samurai Nomura House (Kanazawa); Takayama Jinya and Yatai Kaikan (Takayama); Nijo Castle, Tenryuji Temple, Kinkakuji, Ginkakuji and Kiyomizu Temple (Kyoto); Todaiji Temple and Kasuga Shrine (Nara); Osaka Castle and Umeda Sky Building (Osaka)
10 drinks-free lunches in local restaurants during the tours
High-speed train tickets in the stretches between Odawara / Tokyo and Nagoya / Kyoto in Green Class
Train tickets expressed in the stretches between Tokyo / Kanazawa and Takayama / Nagoya in Green Class
Overland baggage transport (two suitcases dispatched per person) between Tokyo and Kanazaya hotels and between Kanazawa and Kyoto hotels
Audioguide equipment during the tours
GTA Full Insurance - Up to 64 years old: FULL PLAN + Cancellation Plus Reason (covered up to USD 10,000) - Validity 17 days

What's not included

International flights between Brazil and Japan
Departure taxes
Suggested and/or optional tours and excursions
Admission to sites on suggested and/or optional tours and excursions
Supplement for transfers outside business hours
Travel documents
Passport and visa fees
Excess baggage
Early check-in
Late check-out
Meals not listed as included
Drinks
Tips for porters, guides and drivers
Personal extras such as laundry, phone calls, alcoholic drinks, extra meals, tips, minibar consumption and anything not listed as included in the itinerary

Onde você vai ficar

Grand Prince Hotel Takanawa · Tokyo · Superior Twin, 3 nights
Hakone Kowakien Tenyu · Hakone · room with outdoor bath, half board
Kanazawa Tokyu Hotel · Kanazawa · 2 nights
Hida Hotel Plaza · Takayama · Japanese or Western room, 2 nights
Hilton Kyoto · Kyoto · 3 nights
Hotel Nikko Osaka · Osaka · 3 nights

Good to know

Group of 20 to 30 travellers; the exit happens with a minimum of 20.
The cherry blossom follows the climate: the date is the best bet based on the history, without warranty.
In the season of the cherry trees the tourist spots fill; the itinerary can change order or skip a place by transit.
Rooms in Japan are usually twin (separate beds); double bed under availability.
In the ball trains only bag of up to 160 cm (sum of measurements); the largest ones go by luggage transport included.
Food restrictions: warn 2 months in advance. Mobility restrictions: at the time of booking.
Optional tour to Hiroshima and Miyajima: US$ 718 per person, minimum of 10 participants.
Value can change if there is large variation of yen against the dollar in confirmation.