Cherry Blossoms Photography
- Duration : 12 days
- Locations : Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, Nara, Kawaguchiko, Tokyo
Visit Japan in springtime with a guide-photographer specialised in the country of the rising sun.
A 12-day guided tour to take beautiful pictures of famous or unusual places of cherry blossoms.
A trip to Japan open to all amateur or specialist photographers, in a small, organised group.
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2 week itinerary in Japan (12 days)
- Tokyo (4 days)
- Kyoto (2 days)
- Osaka (2 days)
- Nara (2 days)
- Kawaguchiko (1 day)
- Tokyo (1 day)
This is a 12-day/11-night tour from 24 March 2024 to 4 April 2024.
Please see below for details of the itinerary.
PLEASE NOTE: The departure and end dates shown on this page are for your stay in Japan. You will need to depart from Europe the day before. The return journey is the same day, given the favourable time difference. More details in "Find out more about your trip".
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Why choose this trip to Japan?
- Supervision by a English-speaking guide-photographer, specialist in photography and Japan
- Almost complete package: guide, accommodation, transport and most meals
- Small group of 8 to 10 people maximum
- 4* hotels in Tokyo and Kyoto, 3* in other cities and traditional ryokan accommodation in Kawaguchiko - Mount Fuji
- Visit of the must-sees for a first trip to Japan, with a photogenic angle
- Exceptional season and sites chosen for the quality of the photos in spring
- 40 years of expertise of Japan Experience, the French leader in Japan travel
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For both amateur and experienced photographers. No photographic knowledge or equipment required (i-phone ok).
- You may have to get up early to watch the sunrise in Japan, which at this time of year is around 5.45 am.
- This trip includes a lot of walking sections, so it's best to be in good physical condition and bring walking shoes.
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Your trip in detail
Itinerary
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Day 1 : Sunday - Wake up in Japan
Arrival at Tokyo airport (Narita or Haneda). Welcome to Japan! Yokoso 日本へようこそ!
Welcome at customs in English by our airport assistant.Unaccompanied transfer from the airport to Tokyo (see details).
This transfer is by shared shuttle or bus, with other clients departing for the same hotel or a hotel close to yours. These transfers depart between 1.5 and 3 hours after your flight's scheduled arrival time, and stops may be made before your hotel.
If you would like a private, non-stop transfer directly after the actual arrival of your flight, feel free to choose the "Private taxi from the airport" option.
Check-in at the Metropolitan Ikebukuro or equivalent 4* hotel (rooms available from 3pm).
Welcome by the tour guide at 6pm.
Presentation of the tour by the tour leader during a welcome dinner.Dinner provided by Japan Experience.
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Day 2 : Monday - First steps in the capital
Breakfast at the hotel.
Guided tour of Tokyo with your guide:
- Walk in Kitanomaru Park, a garden filled with magnificent sakura.
- Visit to Asakusa, a traditional district and place of pilgrimage close to the Sumida River.
- Sensô-ji Buddhist temple, one of the oldest in the city - Nakamise Dôri Street, a long, narrow alley lined with shops dating back thousands of years.
Lunch provided by Japan Experience. Dinner on your own. Your tour guide will be able to recommend the best places to eat!
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Day 3 : Tuesday - The Tokyo Tour
Breakfast at the hotel.
Continue your tour of Tokyo with your guide:
- Visit of Ueno, place of resistance of the last samurais, and its park filled with cherry trees.
- Shinjuku, a district that is now home to skyscrapers and department stores, dominated by City Hall.
- Meguro river : lined with almost 800 sakura trees, it offers the ideal setting for a stroll in spring, and is undoubtedly the best place in Tokyo to admire the cherry blossom.
- On the advice of your photographer guide, take a photo of the most famous Shibuya crossing in the world!
Lunch provided by Japan Experience. Dinner on your own.
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Day 4 : Wednesday - Free day
Breakfast at the hotel.
Free day, which you can devote to the many other monuments and interesting sites in the capital and its surroundings: your guide will be able to give you useful advice.
In the capital :
- Shinjuku Gyôen (park) ;
- Akihabara: the electronic and manga district;
- Yanaka and/or Shimokitazawa vintage districts.Around Tokyo, we propose a guided tour of the city of Kamakura (from Kamakura station) and its Great Bronze Buddha (not included in the tour, contact us).
Please note: only breakfast is provided by Japan Experience, at the hotel. Other meals, transport and visits are free and not organised by Japan Experience.
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Day 5 : Thursday - En route to the old capital
Breakfast at the hotel.
Meet at Tokyo station to board one of the world's fastest trains: the Shinkansen to Kyoto!
Check into your hotel in the heart of Japan's historic capital. Sequence Gojo or equivalent 4* hotel.
Visit Fushimi Inari, Kyoto's huge shrine of 10,000 torii.
End your day with an evening stroll through Gion, Kyoto's historic district.
Please note that it is strictly forbidden to take photographs in Hanamikoji Street, famous for its geishas.Lunch provided by Japan Experience. Dinner on your own. Your tour guide will be able to recommend the best places to eat!
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Day 6 : Friday - The thousand-year-old treasures
Departure by minibus from your hotel for Arashiyama, famous for its bamboo grove, then discovery of the Kinkakuji Golden Pavilion, a jewel of the ancient capital.
Lunch provided by Japan Experience.
Dinner at leisureDaily travel by minibus and on foot.
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Day 7 : Saturday - The gastronomic capital
Breakfast at the hotel.
Luggage transfer to Nara organised by Japan Experience (1 piece of luggage per person). Bring a small bag for the night in Osaka.
Journey from Kyoto to Himeji by public transport. (approx. 1 hour).
Visit to Himeji Castle, also known as "White Heron Castle", known as one of the most beautiful in Japan.
Weather permitting, don't hesitate to take advantage of the lovely park, which is particularly magnificent in this season.
Journey from Himeji to Osaka by public transport. (approx. 1 hour 45 minutes).
Visit Osaka's medieval castle, with its park full of cherry trees. The combination of a Japanese castle and cherry trees will provide you with some fantastic photos.
Check-in at your hotel in the heart of Japan's gastronomic capital. Hotel Intergate Osaka or equivalent.
Lunch provided by Japan Experience.
Dinner on your own. Your tour guide will be able to point out the best restaurants! -
Day 8 : Sunday - Between architecture and nature
Breakfast at the hotel.
Journey to Nara by public transport (approx. 1 hour).
Visit to Nara, Japan's first fixed capital in the 8th century :
- The Kasuga Taisha Shinto shrine and its thousands of lanterns,
- The Todaiji, with its large bronze Buddha and the imposing Nan-Daimon gate,
- Kofukuji temple and its ravishing pagoda.
Sunset in Nara.
Lunch provided by Japan Experience. Dinner on your own. Your tour guide will be able to recommend the best places to eat!
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Day 9 : Monday - The first capital away from clichés
Breakfast at the hotel.
Departure by minibus from Nara.
Visit to Tsubokasa-dera: This ancient temple stands at the summit of Mount Tsubosaka, famous for its beauty in springtime.
Minibus journey to Mount Yoshino, reputed to be the best place in Japan to admire the cherry blossom.
Return by minibus to Nara.
Lunch provided by Japan Experience. Dinner at leisure. Your tour guide will be able to recommend the best places to eat!
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Day 10 : Tuesday - Unforgettable spring photos
You'll witness a sunrise filled with poetry, offering a magnificent springtime spectacle in Nara!
Luggage transfer to Tokyo organised by Japan Experience (1 piece of luggage per person). Bring a small bag for the night in Kawaguchiko.
Journey from Nara to Kawaguchiko (approx. 5 hours)
Discover Japan's highest mountain, Mount Fuji, and watch a magnificent sunset (weather permitting).
Settle into a ryokan (traditional Japanese accommodation) by the lake.
Lunch provided by Japan Experience.
Traditional Japanese dinner included in your ryokan.
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Day 11 : Wednesday - Up close to Mount Fuji
Located at the foot of Mount Fuji, Lake Kawaguchi is an ideal place to recharge your batteries and admire the splendid spring sakura. With sunrise scheduled for around 5.45am, you'll need to get up early on this day to see the sun rise.
Pass by the Chureito pagoda, one of the best photo points on Mount Fuji.
Journey from Kawaguchiko to Tokyo (approx. 2 hours)
Take a few more photos of the capital!
Check-in at the Metropolitan Ikebukuro or equivalent 4* hotel (rooms available from 3pm).
Lunch provided by Japan Experience. Closing dinner also organised and provided by Japan Experience.
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Day 12 : Thursday - Sayonara and to your next trip!
Transfer to Haneda or Narita airport (included but not accompanied).
This transfer is by shuttle or shared bus, with other customers departing from the same hotel or a hotel close to yours. These transfers arrive between 3 hours and 1.5 hours before the actual departure of your flight, and stops can be made before you arrive at the airport.
If you prefer a private transfer at a time of your choice, direct to the airport and with no intermediate stops, select the "Private taxi to the airport" option.
Return flight to Europe.
Do not hesitate to extend your trip by one or more days to Tokyo, Nikko, Kamakura... we can advise you.












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Accommodation
- 10 nights in 3* hotels
- 1 night in a ryokan in Kawaguchiko
The basic rate includes a twin room for two people.
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Transports
- Transfers Airport <> Tokyo
- Public transport pre-payment card
- Japan Rail Pass 7 days
- Kansai Thru Pass 3 days
- Luggage transport (see stage details)
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Visits & Meals
- Airport welcome
- Supervision from an English-speaking photographer-guide
- Welcome at the airport by our airport assistant
- Tours and activities mentioned, as well as others off the beaten path
- Almost full package : all meals (except free days and half of the dinners during the stay)
Inclus dans votre circuit accompagné
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Additional benefits
- Wi-Fi access (1 Wi-Fi pocket for the whole group)
- Complete e-travel diary sent before your departure
- 24/7 telephone assistance in English; in addition to the guide's assistance during the day
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Not included in the price of your trip
- Flights Europe <> Japan
- Optional insurance policies
- Personal expenses (including 5 dinners at your leisure and expenses for the two free days)
- Drinks with meals (except water and sometimes tea)
- Anything not included in the "included in your tour" section
- Admissions to tourist sites
When you buy, Japan Experience offers you 2 types of protection:
Japan Experience Flex :
Cancellation insurance before departure under conditions.
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Japan Experience Protect :
Pre-departure cancellation insurance under conditions and on-site assistance under conditions. COVID protection included.
Questions fréquentes
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