Japan's cherry-blossom season is a moving festival of pink light, and Kyoto is where it peaks. This six-day tour time-locks your visit to peak hanami bloom, with mornings spent under weeping sakura in the Philosopher's Path and evenings in lantern-lit Gion where geisha culture still hums quietly.

Beyond the blossom, this trip opens Kyoto properly: a tea ceremony in a 400-year-old machiya, bamboo groves in Arashiyama before the crowds, and the gold-leaf stillness of Kinkaku-ji. Northwind keeps groups intimate and our guides local, so the itinerary bends to bloom timing rather than brochures.

Journey highlights

• Daily hanami walks timed to peak blossom
• Traditional tea ceremony in a historic machiya
• Arashiyama bamboo grove before opening hours
• Evening Gion lantern walk & kaiseki dinner

Day-by-day itinerary

1. D1

   Welcome to Kyoto

   Airport pickup, check-in, evening welcome dinner of kaiseki-style small plates.

2. D2

   The Philosopher’s Path

   Blossom-lined canal walk, Eikan-dō temple, chashitsu tea ceremony at midday.

3. D3

   Arashiyama bamboo

   Early bamboo-grove walk, Tenryū-ji gardens, leisurely riverside lunch.

4. D4

   Golden temples & Gion

   Kinkaku-ji in morning light, Gion district lantern walk, optional geisha performance.

5. D5

   Hanami festival day

   Maruyama Park blossom picnic with bento boxes, evening illumination walk.

6. D6

   Departure

   Final tea house visit, souvenir run, private transfer to Osaka airport.

What's included

• Airport transfers
• 5 nights ryokan & boutique hotel
• Daily breakfast + 4 group dinners
• Tea ceremony & geisha performance
• Licensed local guides
• Japan Rail local passes

Good to know

• International flights
• Travel insurance (required)
• Travel insurance is required for every departure.