Small Group of Brazilians - Cherry Trees in Japan 2

DAY 1 (24/03/2026): OSAKA
Arrival at Kansai airport. Reception and private transfer for the group to the hotel. Accommodation for 2 nights, with breakfast.


DAY 2 (25/03/2026): OSAKA
Breakfast at the hotel and free day for independent activities.

Optional activity suggestion (not included):

• Breakfast at the hotel and departure for a tour of Hiroshima. Start with a transfer to Shin Osaka Station to board a high-speed train bound for Hiroshima. Arrival and visit to Miyajima Island, a small island considered sacred to Shinto. On the site is one of the most famous landscapes in Japan - the floating gate of the Itsukushima Shrine. After touring the island, board a ferry and visit the Hiroshima Peace Memorial. The park's location is ground zero of the atomic bomb of August 6, 1945. After the bombing, the memorial was created and dedicated to all who lost their lives in the attack. Return to the station to board a high-speed train bound for Osaka and transfer to the hotel.
  
  
  

DAY 3 (26/03/2026): OSAKA - KYOTO
Breakfast and check-out at the hotel. Departure for private half-day group tour with a visit to Osaka Castle, one of the most famous in Japan and played an important role in the unification of Japan during the 16th century. The contrast between the old Osaka Castle park, with its large stone walls, and the surrounding skyscrapers provides an excellent example of the balance between modern Japan and its rich cultural heritage.

Next, visit the Umeda Sky building, to observe the city from a 360-degree panoramic view of Osaka Bay and even surrounding cities from the open-air observatory.

After the tour, transfer to the hotel for accommodation for 3 nights, with breakfast.


DAY 4 (27/03/2026): KYOTO
After breakfast, transfer to Arashiyama, a neighboring city, and visit the Tenryuji Temple, ranked among the five great Zen temples in Kyoto and a cultural property in the country, with gardens for a walk.

Passage through the Arashiyama bamboo forests and visit Nonomiya Shrine, a Shinto shrine where unmarried imperial princesses stayed for a year or more to purify themselves. The shrine is mentioned in several literary works, especially in the world's first novel, “The Tale of Genji”.

Continuation with a visit to Kinkakuji Temple, also known as the Golden Pavilion, originally built as a retirement home for Shogum (former commander of the Japanese army). After the death of Shogum Yoshimitsu, it became a Buddhist temple at his request. It is one of the most famous temples in the city, with the two upper floors completely covered with gold leaf.

Then, visit Nijo Castle, surrounded by stunning gardens. It was built by an Edo-era lord as the Shogun's residence in Kyoto.

Return to the hotel.


DAY 5 (28/03/2026): KYOTO
Breakfast and departure for a private group tour of Kyoto city. Visit Ginkakuji, a Zen temple modeled after Kinkakuji.

Then walk along part of the Philosopher's Way, a pleasant stone path that crosses the northern part of the Higashiyama district.

Finally, visit Nishiki Market, a place with many interesting food stores. Return to the hotel.


Day 6 (29/03/2026): KYOTO - TSURUGA - KANAZAWA
Breakfast and check-out at the hotel. Next, tour the Higashiyama district, where the Otowa-san Kiyomizu-dera Temple is located. Kiyomizu, which means “temple of pure water”, gets its name from the waters that spring from the mountains to the east and flow to the site. The waterfalls are divided into three streams, each said to have a different benefit. The 13-meter-high porch of the Temple's Main Hall was built without the use of a single nail and offers views of Kyoto.

Continue the walking tour to the Gion district, filled with shops, restaurants, and tea houses, where the geikos, the local name for the Kyoto geisha, and their maikos, or apprentices, perform.

After the tour, transfer to the station to board an express train bound for Tsuruga. Arrival and boarding a high-speed train bound for Kanazawa. Arrival and transfer to the hotel. Accommodation for 2 nights, with breakfast.

Note: Bags (up to 2 per person) must be left at reception to be dispatched directly to Hakone. Prepare a small hand bag for the next four nights in Kanazawa and Takayama.


Day 7 (30/03/2026): KANAZAWA
After breakfast, departure for a private group tour with a visit to the Kenroku-en Garden. Ranked as one of the three most beautiful gardens in Japan, the garden remains interesting year-round. Kenroku-en literally means “Garden of the Six Greatnesses”. According to ancient East Asian landscape theory, the garden has the six essential features that make it a perfect garden.

Then, visit the Higashi Chaya District, the largest and most interesting Geisha district in Kanazawa, filled with interesting cafés and shops. Continue to Omicho Market, which has been in downtown Kanazawa for nearly 300 years. The market houses more than 200 stalls selling various typical products of the region, as well as seafood and fish, among others.

Finally, visit the Nagamachi Samurai District to visit the Nomura Samurai House, a traditional Japanese house with a tea ceremony room, an indoor garden, and artifacts from the Edo period. After the tour, return to the hotel.


DAY 8 (31/03/2026): KANAZAWA - SHIRAKAWAGO -
TAKAYAMA Breakfast and check-out at the hotel. Travel to Takayama, with a stop in Shirakawago, in the Shogawa River Valley.

Shirakawago is famous for its traditional farmhouses, known as gassho-zukuri, some of which are over 250 years old, and which have been declared World Heritage Sites by UNESCO. Stop at Ogimachi, one of the best spots to observe the city's landscape.

After visiting, transfer to the hotel for accommodation for 2 nights, with breakfast.

Takayama is an ancient castle town located in a valley surrounded by the Japanese Alps. It retains much of the atmosphere of ancient Japan. The entire city feels like a museum, equipped with numerous attractions, including a variety of small museums dedicated to traditional crafts, which incorporate the city's long tradition of excellence in craftsmanship.


DAY 9 (01/04/2026): TAKAYAMA
Breakfast at the hotel. Visit the Miyagawa Morning Market, one of the largest markets in Japan, selling handicrafts and local products.

Next, tour to Takayama Jinya, also known as the Historic Government House, which served as the local government office for nearly two centuries. The place is now a museum where it is possible to find centuries-old artifacts.

In the afternoon, visit the Takayama Festival Museum, which displays the ornamental floats used in the famous local festival.

After the tour, return to the hotel.


DAY 10 (02/04/2026): TAKAYAMA - NAGOYA - ODAWARA - HAKONE
After breakfast and check-out at the hotel, walk to Takayama Station (approximately 650m) to board an express train bound for Nagoya. From Nagoya, board a high-speed train bound for Odawara. Arrival and private transfer of the group to the hotel in Hakone. With favorable weather conditions, it will be possible to see one of Japan's most famous postcards: Mount Fuji.

Accommodation for 1 night, with half board.

In the evening, have dinner at the hotel.


DAY 11 (03/04/2026): HAKONE - TOKYO
Breakfast at the hotel and check-out, followed by a tour of Hakone. Start with boarding a mini-cruise across Lake Ashi. Then, visit Hakone Shrine, a Shinto shrine that was very popular among samurai during the 12th

century. The tour ends in Togendai, from where the cable car ride to Owakudani, a site formed after the last eruption of Mount Hakone 3,000 years ago, departs.

After the tour, private transfer the group to the hotel in Tokyo. Accommodation for 3 nights, with breakfast.


DAY 12 (04/04/2026): TOKYO
Breakfast at the hotel. Departure for a private half-day group tour of the Meiji Shrine, one of the most important and popular in the country, built in 1920 to honor Emperor Meiji and Empress Shoken.

Then walk along the Omotesando shopping street, a wide tree-lined avenue where fashion stores from around the world are located. Visit the Roppongi Hills Observatory, at the top of the Mori Tower, with 54 floors 238 meters away. From there, you can enjoy panoramic views of Tokyo, including the Tokyo Tower, Tokyo Bay, and even Mount Fuji.

After the tour, return to the hotel.


DAY 13 (05/04/2026): TOKYO
Breakfast at the hotel and free day for activities of personal interest Optional activity

suggestion (not included):

• After breakfast, departure for a full-day tour of Nikko, a city that has been the center of Shinto and Buddhist worship for many centuries. Today, its mountainous area is a protected national park. Start of the tour with a visit to the Toshugu Shrine complex. Built as a mausoleum for Tokugawa Ieyasu, founder of the Tokugawa Shogunate that ruled Japan for over 250 years, this richly decorated shrine complex consists of more than a dozen Shinto and Buddhist buildings in a beautiful forest setting and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Then, pass by Lake Chuzenji, a picturesque crater lake that provides beautiful landscapes of the region. Finally, visit Kegon Falls. At 97 m high, they are one of the three largest waterfalls in Japan. After the tour, return to the hotel in Tokyo.

DAY 14 (06/04/2026): TOKYO
Breakfast and check-out at the hotel. Private transfer for the group to the airport.

Important: group trip during the estimated cherry blossom in Japan, based on local history and forecasts. Exact bloom dates may vary from year to year due to weather factors that are not predictable.