Japan Hanami Tour 2025 – The Sakura Season

Departure by flight from Milan to Tokyo via Rome. Meals and overnight stay on board.

Upon arrival in Japan's great metropolis, transfer to the hotel accompanied by an assistant who speaks Italian, provides assistance until check-in and hands each couple a Wi-Fi router: allowing them to stay connected throughout their stay in Japan. Buffet lunch in the hotel restaurant and rest of the day at leisure. One only has to take a few steps to immediately feel that one is really in another world, a culture profoundly different from our own. Just take the subway to be amazed at the neat queues at the exact spot where the cars will stop, or take a cab with a white-gloved driver and automatic door opening, careful not to close it manually, or again, order from the electronic display at the entrance of the restaurant before even entering. Welcome to Japan.

After breakfast at the hotel, the day begins with a glimpse of Tokyo from the top of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Office Building Observatory-a spectacular 360-degree view of Japan's great metropolis. Soon after, we reach the Meiji Jingu Shrine, the Shinto shrine dedicated to the souls of Emperor Mutsuhito and his wife. Cultural mediation by an experienced, Italian-speaking guide makes everything more fascinating and easier. Stop for lunch. We visit the Asakusa Kannon, the largest Buddhist temple in the city, then the Nakamise Shopping Arcade, one of the oldest shopping streets in all of Japan. The day ends with a stroll through the Ginza district among department stores, boutiques and trendy restaurants.

After breakfast, you will reach Kawaguchi Lake, one of the most popular destinations for Tokyo residents to spend a day away from the hustle and bustle of the city. It lies right at the foot of Mount Fuji and offers stunning views, especially in spring: the flowering trees along the shores are tinged with a thousand shades of white and pink, framing the reflected image of the country's imperious iconic mountain. From here board the Kawaguchiko Ropeway scenic cable car to enjoy the view of the lake from above. Stop for lunch. Back down the valley, you reach the pier for a short and fascinating cruise. When the cruise is over, there is time to visit Arakurayama Sergen Park and the famous pagoda that offers a final striking view of Mt. Fuji-it is one of Japan's most iconic and celebrated images. Return to the hotel in Tokyo.

After breakfast at the hotel, we depart from Tokyo Station to reach Takayama via Nagoya. These cities represent the two opposite souls of the Land of the Rising Sun: that of modernity and progress and that of history and tradition. We visit the ancient Kami-Sannomachi road, a pleasant walk with an old-fashioned flavor, immersed in the history of Japan of yesteryear. Houses, inns and stores built of wood are arranged side by side and accompany the street, restoring a vivid image of what a Japanese town looked like a few centuries ago. Then the Takayama Jinya, the former government palace of Gifu prefecture built in 1615. At the end of sightseeing both arrive at the hotel: the Takayama Ouan from the outside looks like a typical Western hotel, inside, however, it reserves the charm of Japanese hospitality. The rooms are traditional in style, you sleep on tatami mats and futons. The onsen hot spring pool is available to guests. Dinner included.
Luggage is shipped from the Tokyo hotel directly to the Kyoto hotel (maximum one piece of luggage per person). For any second luggage payment on site (approximately 3,500 yen). For nights in Takayama and Kanazawa, it is sufficient to bring one carry-on luggage.

After breakfast, the day begins with a walk through Takayama's quaint and interesting morning market. Then visit the Kusakabe Folk Craft Museum, which was the home of an important merchant family until 1879, when it was severely damaged by fire. Thanks to the patient work of Jisuke Kawajiri, a skilled craftsman, the building has returned to its original splendor. Today it is possible to visit its interior, a perfect example of Edo-era Japanese architecture. Immediately afterwards, we leave by bus for Shirakawa-go, the rural village with characteristic thatched-roof houses. Immersive experience that allows you to fully appreciate traditional Japanese culture by observing up close dwellings built 250 years ago and still excellently preserved. In the huge dormitories slept the peasants, exhausted from a very hard life. One by one, over the past three centuries, they abandoned their fields and homes. A closer look at the Kanda family home and Gassho-Zukuri Minka-en, two particularly well-preserved buildings that you can enter. Transfer to hotel in Kanazawa. Dinner included.

Kanazawa, in the heart of Ishikawa Prefecture, is famous for its Edo-era districts, art museums and regional handicrafts. The tour begins by After breakfast, reaching Kenroku-en, one of the country's most beautiful gardens that is home to more than 8,000 different species of plants. Continue on foot strolling through Higashi Chaya, the geisha district, and Ohmi-cho Market, a perfect place to enjoy delicious Japanese street food. We continue to the Nomura Family House-Museum, which belonged to a samurai family for eleven generations. It was purchased by a businessman when in the 19th century Japan abandoned the feudal system it had used for hundreds of years. To cross the threshold of the house is to take a plunge into the past, moving among the tea room and wonderful antiques what generally catches the eye is an authentic samurai armor still well preserved. Fascinating. Arrive at the station and depart for Kyoto, which you reach in the evening.

One wakes up to a sweet, gentle, delicate city, a veritable jewel of history, art and temples. Breakfast at hotel. The first one you visit is Kinkaku-ji or the Golden Pavilion, a symbol of the city made famous by Yukio Mishima's novel of the same name. Stop for lunch. Continue on to Ryoan-ji Temple, with its Zen garden of rock and sand, and Tenryu-ji Temple shrouded in the colors of spring just a stone's throw from the Arashiyama bamboo forest. Time has also changed the Togetsu wooden bridge, now partially made of concrete, but in the bamboo forest the atmosphere is the same as it was centuries ago. The day ends in the Gion district, the geisha district: small traditional houses where the elegant maiko, geisha apprentices, live. In the late afternoon they leave their residences for the premises where they will participate in tea ceremonies: you can wait patiently for that moment to see them dressed in the beautiful traditional clothes. An indelible memory.

After breakfast, day dedicated to visiting Nara, about an hour's bus ride from Kyoto, an enchanting reflection of Japan's deep spirituality. On the way we stop at the Fushimi Inari Taisha to see the fox statues. Then walk among the flowering trees and under the large red torii that follow one after another in a glittering, endless tunnel. Unforgettable. Stop for lunch. On arrival in Nara visit Todai-ji Temple and Kasuga Shrine, both buildings located in Nara Park where numerous deer, an animal that has become a symbol of the city, live. They move in semi-freedom among the park's many flowering cherry trees. They are accustomed to human presence, which makes it possible to observe them closely and take a few photos. Return to the hotel in Kyoto.

After breakfast, depart Kyoto Station for Okayama, a city famous for its castle dating from the Azuchi-Momoyama era and faithfully restored after damage during World War II. We visit the Koraku-en garden, an explosion of colors during the hanami period, where it is not uncommon to come across the fascinating Manchurian crane: in Japanese tradition it is considered a symbol of peace and elegance. The journey continues to Kurashiki, a charming historic town crisscrossed by bikans, the navigable canals on which weeping willows and cherry trees are reflected. Then visit the Ohashi family's old house: it is a typical machiya - dwelling within the town - from the late 18th century. Return by train to Okayama. Dinner included.
Luggage is shipped from the hotel in Kyoto directly to the hotel in Osaka (maximum one piece of luggage per person). For any second luggage payment on site (approximately 3,500 yen). For overnight stay in Okayama, it is sufficient to carry one carry-on luggage.

After breakfast we leave by train to discover another of Japan's symbols, the grandiose Himeji Castle: dating from the Sengoku period, it towers over the city amid cherry blossoms. Unesco has listed it as a World Heritage Site. It is also called "the White Heron" because of its bright white color. After the visit is over, stop for lunch and then drive to the beautiful Koko-en garden before continuing on to Osaka, a fascinating modern metropolis.

Accompanied by guide, transfer to Osaka airport and flight to Tokyo. Late morning continuation by flight with stopover in Rome to Milan. Goodbye Japan!