JapanSeasons.com Japan Events & Travel Boutique
  • Tours
  • Early spring tour

Early spring tour to Japan “Tour to Japan February 27 - March 5, 2024”

This tour allows you to visit not only main touristic attractions but also some splendid natural locations in their charming seasonal transition. Spend this time surrounded by scents and colors of plum trees and Japanese culinary delights.

GROUP TOUR ON FIXED DATE

  • Group tour

Dates

  • 27 February — 5 March 2024

Duration

  • 8 days / 7 nights

Price

  • On request

Itinerary

  • Tokyo → Kawaguchiko → Kyoto → Nara → Shigaraki → Suzuka → Osaka
Reservation

Daily itinerary

1

Feb 27, 2024 (TUE)

Arrival at the International Airport
Self-transfer to Tokyo
Check-in at the hotel, rest
Hotel accommodation: Tokyo
2

Feb 28, 2024 (WED)

Breakfast at the hotel
Meet your tour guide at the hotel lobby
Tokyo sightseeing: Asakusa district, Sensoji Buddhist Temple, Nakamise shopping street, Japanese garden, Shibuya and Ginza
Back to the hotel
Hotel accommodation: Tokyo [Read more...]

Shibuya Area

Shibuya scramble crossing is one of the busiest crossings in Tokyo. The green light comes on from four directions at once, and several hundred people (during peak hours, the number can reach 1,000) rush simultaneously in all directions, managing to dodge each other with ease built up over the years.

For its picturesque yet orderly crowds, the crossing is beloved by filmmakers, and people worldwide are familiar with it from TV series, movies, and commercial videos. The best spot to watch the hypnotic flow of people is the Starbucks coffee shop on the 2nd floor of the building on the north side of the crossing.

There is also a statue of the faithful dog Hachiko near Shibuya Station, where he used to meet his master, a professor at Tokyo University, every day. After the professor’s sudden death, the dog came to the station every day for nine years, waiting for his master to return. Hachiko became the symbol of loyalty.

Ginza District

Ginza is Tokyo’s most luxurious shopping district, home to prestigious department stores, world-famous designer boutiques, coffee shops, and traditional Japanese restaurants. People come here to learn about the latest high fashion trends and enjoy the creations of the best architects worldwide.

At the same time, Ginza is an art lover’s paradise. There are about 200 art galleries and Kabukiza Theater, which still regularly hosts Kabuki theater performances.

3

Feb 29, 2024 (THU)

Breakfast at the hotel, check-out
Meet your tour guide at the hotel lobby
Move to Hakone
Hakone and Kawaguchiko area Sightseeing: volcanic valley Owakudani, Chureito Pagoda, Lake Kawaguchiko
Transfer to the hotel, check-in
Hotel accommodation: Kawaguchiko
4

Mar 1, 2024 (FRI)

Breakfast at the hotel, check-out
Meet your tour guide at the hotel lobby
Fuji area sightseeing: traditional village (Saiko Iyashi-no Sato), Shiraito waterfall
Transfer to the Shinkansen station
Move to Kyoto by shinkansen bullet train
Check-in at the hotel
Hotel accommodation: Kyoto [Read more...]

Mount Fuji

Fuji is an active stratovolcano on the Japanese island of Honshu, 100 kilometers southwest of Tokyo, on the border of Shizuoka and Yamanashi prefectures. The height of the volcano is 3,776 m. The circumference of the volcano’s base is 125 kilometers, and the diameter is 40-50 kilometers. The crater’s rim is about 500 meters, and the depth is about 250 meters. There are eight peaks around the crater, each with its name. The highest point of Fujisan is Kengamine Peak. The volcano is active; the last eruption was back in 1707-1708.

The mountain and its surroundings are part of the Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park and have been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2013.

There are a Shinto temple, a post office, and a weather station on the top of Mount Fuji.

The mountain has a perfect conical shape and is considered sacred, serving as a religious pilgrimage and a tourism site. For centuries the beautiful outline of Fuji has been a popular theme in Japanese art.

5

Mar 2, 2024 (SAT)

Breakfast at the hotel
Meet your tour guide at the hotel lobby
Kyoto sightseeing: Golden Pavilion, Ryoanji Temple, plum trees at Kitano-tenmangu, Kiyomizu-dera, Ninenzaka, Sannenzaka, Yasaka Pagoda
Back to the hotel
Hotel accommodation: Kyoto [Read more...]

Kinkaku-ji (Golden Pavilion)

Kinkaku-ji Temple, often called the Golden Temple, is one of Japan’s most famous temples and Kyoto’s main attractions. Built at the end of the 14th century, this complex, with its three-story pavilion covered with gold leaf, captivated the minds of its contemporaries. The famous Japanese writer Yukio Mishima captured its fate and glory in the novel “The Golden Temple.” Today Kinkaku-ji Temple is a must-see on any traveler’s itinerary in Japan. In addition to the famous pavilion, the UNESCO World Heritage Site also features a traditional walking garden, small waterfalls, and a tea house, representing the culture of the samurai era.

Ryōan-ji Temple (autumn)

Ryōan-ji Temple, located in northern Kyoto, was founded in the mid-15th century. The famous rock garden was also established at the same time. The garden is now considered one of the best in Japan and is protected as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

For centuries, the Ryōan-ji Temple garden has attracted visitors trying to solve its mystery: why can you see only 14 of the 15 stones? And what does the composition of sand and rocks represent?

Kiyomizu-dera Temple (Pure Water Temple)

The Pure Water Temple, or Kiyomizu-dera, is one of Kyoto’s most famous and most visited temples and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It was founded on a mountainside near a spring. Its clear water is said to bestow health, longevity, and wisdom. The temple’s main attraction is its main hall, with an open veranda built on stilts over a cliff. The structure, assembled without a single nail, towers over Kyoto, offering a beautiful view of the old capital. Cafes and stores lining the road to the temple sell Kyoto sweets, ceramics, and souvenirs for all tastes.

6

Mar 3, 2024 (SUN)

Breakfast at the hotel
Meet your tour guide at the hotel lobby
Kyoto sightseeing: Jonangu garden
Move to Nara
Nara sightseeing: Todaiji Temple, Deer park
Return to the hotel in Kyoto
Hotel accommodation: Kyoto [Read more...]

Jonangu Shrine

Jonangu Shrine was founded in southern Kyoto at the beginning of the Heian period for the spiritual protection of the capital. The shrine is known as the “Temple of Flowers” because seasonal flowers bloom every season in one of the five gardens. The peak of Jonangu’s popularity is when ume, the Japanese plum, is in bloom: one of the shrine’s gardens has about a hundred trees of different varieties planted alongside a picturesque creek.

Todai-ji Temple

Todai-ji is a Buddhist temple complex whose main building is one of the largest wooden structures in the world. Built in the mid-8th century by order of the emperor with donations from all over the country, the temple features the biggest bronze statue of Buddha in Japan. Almost all the bronze produced in Japan at the time was used to cast the colossal sculpture. The complex also has several unique wooden structures, including the giant Nandaimon Gate with the famous Nio guard figures, the Bell Tower, and Nigatsu-do Hall. The entire complex is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Kasuga Shrine

Kasuga Taisha is one of Japan’s most ancient Shinto shrines, founded in the mid-8th century to protect the capital, Nara. A UNESCO World Heritage site, it is famous for its kasuga-zukuri architectural style, the thousands of stone and bronze lanterns decorating its grounds, and the pristine ancient forest where sacred deer, considered messengers of the deities, roam free.

7

Mar 4, 2024 (MON)

Breakfast at the hotel, check-out
Meet your tour guide at the hotel lobby
Move to Shiga prefecture, visit tanuki Village at Shigaraki
Move to Mie, visit Suzuka Forest Garden (plum trees)
Move to the hotel in Osaka
Check-in, rest
Hotel accommodation: Osaka
8

Mar 5, 2024 (TUE)

Breakfast at the hotel, check-out
Self-transfer to Kansai airport (Osaka)
Departure