The essentials for this trip.
Everything you need to gauge fit before you read the day-by-day. This tour is built around a narrow 10-14 day sakura window — book ahead is non-negotiable, not a marketing line.
12 days, fully scoped.
Hotel category and meal plan listed for each day. "B" = breakfast, "L" = lunch, "D" = dinner. Itinerary may shift specific viewing-spot days based on the live JMA bloom forecast — Cooee tracks it from late January.
Welcome to Japan. Group transfer from Narita (NRT) or Haneda (HND) to your Shinjuku hotel. Welcome izakaya dinner — small plates, sake introduction, meet your tour leader and fellow travellers.
Senso-ji temple in Asakusa, Meiji Shrine through the cedar grove, Harajuku and the Shibuya scramble crossing. Free evening — your guide briefs the best ramen and izakaya streets within walking distance.
Hanami picnic in Ueno or Shinjuku Gyoen depending on bloom timing. Tsukiji outer market lunch — the legendary tuna stalls, tamago, fresh oysters. Evening sushi-making workshop with a Tsukiji-trained chef and sake pairing.
Romance-car train to Hakone (the lakeside hot-spring resort beneath Mt Fuji). Lake Ashi cruise on a replica pirate ship with Mt Fuji views (weather-permitting). Ryokan check-in — kaiseki dinner served in your tatami room.
Hakone Open-Air Museum (Picasso pavilion + sculpture garden) and Mt Komagatake ropeway for high-altitude Mt Fuji views. Evening onsen baths and a second kaiseki dinner.
Bullet train (Shinkansen) to Nagoya, then the Hida limited express into the mountains to Takayama — the merchant town that time forgot. Evening sake tasting in the historic old quarter with a fourth-generation brewer.
Morning Takayama market and historic merchant houses. Bus to Shirakawa-go en route — the UNESCO-listed gassho-zukuri farmhouses with their steep thatched roofs (a snow-country architectural marvel). Continue to Kanazawa for the night.
Kenroku-en (one of Japan's three great gardens — exquisite during cherry blossom). Higashi Chaya geisha district with traditional tea house. Gold-leaf workshop — Kanazawa produces 99% of Japan's gold leaf.
Bullet train to Kyoto, the cultural capital. Afternoon at Kinkaku-ji (the Golden Pavilion) and Ryoan-ji rock garden — the most-photographed Zen garden in the world.
Pre-dawn at Fushimi Inari — the thousand torii gates almost to yourselves before tour buses arrive. Philosopher's Path cherry blossom walk (peak season). Tea ceremony with an English-translating master in a traditional teahouse. Dusk in the Gion geisha district.
Day trip to Nara — the Todai-ji great Buddha (the largest bronze Buddha in Japan) and the free-roaming sika deer in Nara Park. Afternoon transfer to Osaka. Dotonbori street-food evening — takoyaki, okonomiyaki, kushikatsu.
Osaka Castle morning walk-through. Group transfer to Kansai (KIX) airport for international departure home — or extend independently with Hiroshima or Hokkaido add-ons.
The moments that make this trip.
The experiences our travellers remember years later — the things you book this tour for.
Sakura at peak bloom
Tour timed against historic peak-bloom data for Tokyo and Kyoto. Maruyama Park hanami picnic, Philosopher's Path walk, and night-illuminated castle gardens.
Bullet-train experience
Three Shinkansen segments — Tokyo to Hakone, Kanazawa to Kyoto, Kyoto to Osaka. Reserved seats included.
Traditional ryokan stay
Two nights in a working ryokan — tatami rooms, kaiseki multi-course dinner, onsen baths, futon beds laid out by your hostess.
Sushi-making evening
Tsukiji-trained chef in a private workshop — fish selection, knife technique, nigiri, makimono, and dinner with sake pairing.
Tea ceremony with a master
Formal chanoyu in a Kyoto teahouse with an English-translating tea master — history, posture, the bowl turn.
Fushimi Inari at dawn
Pre-sunrise walk through the thousand torii gates before tour groups arrive. The most photographed shrine in Japan, almost to yourselves.
No hidden surprises.
A clear breakdown of what's covered in the tour price and what isn't. Japan-specific note: the country is mostly cashless-friendly with credit cards — but smaller towns and shrines often require ¥coins. We brief you fully.
✓ Included in the tour price
- 11 nights — 4-star Tokyo/Osaka, traditional ryokan in Hakone (2 nights), central Kyoto machiya-style hotel
- All inter-city Shinkansen and limited express trains (reserved seats)
- Daily breakfast plus 5 lunches/dinners as itemised
- Sushi-making workshop with sake pairing
- Tea ceremony with English-translating master
- Hanami picnic during sakura window
- All entrance fees: temples, gardens, Hakone ropeway, Open-Air Museum, gold-leaf workshop
- Expert local guides in Tokyo, Hakone, Takayama, Kanazawa, Kyoto, Nara, Osaka
- Group airport transfers (Tokyo arrival, Osaka departure)
- Pocket Wi-Fi device throughout
- 24/7 emergency support
– Not included (typical extras)
- International flights from Brisbane (typical $1,300 economy / $5,500 business via Singapore, Hong Kong or direct Qantas)
- Travel insurance (mandatory)
- Lunches and dinners not itemised — Japan is forgiving on food cost (AU$15-25 lunch, AU$30-50 dinner)
- Tipping (no tipping culture in Japan — Cooee group-leader tip optional ~AU$10/day)
- Personal shopping, drinks beyond included pairings, coin-locker fees
- Optional Hiroshima or Hokkaido extension add-ons
2026 sold out · 2027 limited availability.
Twin-share starting prices in AUD. Single supplement: from $1,895. Luxury upgrade (5-star ryokan, business-class internal flights, premium guides): from $3,499 additional pp. Waitlist places fill from cancellations — typically 1-3 per departure.
| Departure | Status | From (AUD pp) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 2026 · 25 Mar | Sold out | $6,299 | Join waitlist → |
| Apr 2026 · 1 Apr | Sold out | $6,299 | Join waitlist → |
| Apr 2026 · 8 Apr | Sold out | $6,299 | Join waitlist → |
| Mar 2027 · 24 Mar | Waitlist | $6,499 | Join waitlist → |
| Mar 2027 · 31 Mar | Waitlist | $6,499 | Join waitlist → |
| Apr 2027 · 7 Apr | 1 spot left | $6,499 | Enquire urgently → |
| Mar 2028 · 22 Mar | Open | $6,699 | Enquire → |
| Mar 2028 · 29 Mar | Open | $6,699 | Enquire → |
Reviews from this exact tour.
Cooee timed the sakura front almost perfectly — we had two full cities in peak bloom. Bullet trains, ryokan stays, tea ceremony — everything handled. The Tokyo food guide alone was worth the price.
I booked this tour three years in advance and it was every bit worth the wait. The Fushimi Inari pre-dawn walk was a once-in-a-lifetime moment — empty torii gates at sunrise. Already on the 2028 list.
Get on the 2027 waitlist or book 2028.
Sakura departures fill 6-12 months ahead. The 2027 waitlist moves regularly as travellers' plans change — typically 1-3 spots free per departure. Securing 2028 now means choice of room category and ryokan tier. Speak directly to a Brisbane-based Japan specialist.
Specific to this tour.
Waitlist / enquire about Japan Cherry Blossom
Tell us your preferred year (2027 waitlist or 2028 booking) and any flexibility on dates. We'll come back within 1 business day with current waitlist position, full itinerary PDF, and a tailored quote — including international flight options from Brisbane.