Japan Cherry Blossom Tours 2027

Cherry blossom season and spring is a beautiful time of year to travel to Japan.  With the changing of the seasons people across the country enjoy the vibrant early plum blossom before the more popular and delicate colours of the cherry come into bloom. 

We have designed our blossom tours to capture some of the best displays the Japan has to offer.  However, our tours include much more than simply the opportunity to enjoy some of the cherry blossom festivals that are held in different parts of the country.  Japan is a country that allows you to enjoy terrific scenery, fascinating castles, temples, shrines, culture, a rich history as well as delicious food as you travel around.

In previous years our cherry tours have seen many early bookings, well in advance.  On occasion we have closed these tours to additional bookings as early as January meaning we were unable to accommodate inquiries and bookings that arrived during February and March.  Therefore, we recommend that you contact us early to secure your place.  You can either use our simple contact us form or email us directly at admin@japancustomtours.co.nz  We intend to offer two main blossom tours for 2027.

April 2027 Japan Cherry Blossom Tours

Japan cherry blossom tours are very popular some of our cherry blossom tours sold-out several months in advance.  For 2027 we are running our "Classic" blossom tour chasing the cherry blossom across Japan and a later blossom two covering two weeks in the second half of April.   We also have scope to offer a plum blossom tour in February as that is also a nice time of year for travel and we are updating our tour schedule with additional trips for March and April.

Note: As at July 2026 our Classic Blossom Tour is currently fully booked.  We have space in our schedule for alternative blossom tours including in early March, and a late blossom tour as we have done several of those over the years taking in areas north of Tokyo as well as spots such as Kyoto.  Please contact us if interested.  

Our main tour is based around the core blossom season covering late March and April.  Building on previous years we have made some changes to our schedules based on guest feedback and improvements to the order and travel times in some places.  This has resulted in a reduction in travel times between locations, but also things like an additional scenic journey between Takayama and Matsumoto, and incorporating a visit to the city of Sendai and one of the "three views of Japan", Matsushima Bay.

With most arrivals occurring one or two days prior to the commencement of the tours this allows us to meet most of our guests at the airport, transfer you to your hotel in Tokyo and provide an initial introduction to Japan and Tokyo, one of the largest and vibrant cities in the world.  This also gives you some free time to adjust to the time-zone, and explore a few areas of the city that interest you before we head off on our journey around the country.  We understand many guests wish to arriving before the formal start of a tour due to flights and flight pricing, this allows people flexibility to easily join a tour. 

We design our cherry blossom tour schedules taking into account the likely dates for the cherry blossom season and viewing in each location. These dates are based on the average flowering times from the last ten years and are a guide only. (The actual dates are out of our control.) However, there are a couple of things that make chasing the cherry blossom a little easier.  Firstly, the early part of the season is when plum trees are flowering, providing an alternative offering of spectacular colours.  Secondly, the "official" cherry blossom forecasts refer to a specific five petal variety (somei yoshino), and there are many different types of cherry trees - some that flower earlier and some later, extending the season.  Certainly for our previous tour seasons we had cherry blossom viewing across a two month period.  We also take pride in finding tranquil and uncrowded spots for our guests to enjoy the blossom on our trips.

The following provides a brief description of the tours we are planning for spring 2027 and a more detailed schedules are available on request.  A tour brochure with additional information is available for download using the following link.  Comments from previous guests can be found on our TripAdvisor listing on on our previous tours page. 

 

Spring Cherry Blossom Tour (Saturday 20th March to  Sunday 4th April 2027)

The peak period for cherry blossom viewing starts in Tokyo at the end of March, including some of the famous and popular viewing locations around the city before heading into the Japanese Alps including a stay at a Japanese inn/ryokan in Matsumoto. 

From Matsumoto the scenic journey through the Alps continues to Takayama fro two nights before completing the trip across to the west coast and the city of Kanazawa for the famous Kenrokuen Gardens.  Heading south to Hiroshima for the beautiful Miyajima island and its famous floating torii.  Moving across to Takamatsu on the island of Shikoku we have a day scheduled on the art island of Naoshima followed by a stay in Okayama and a visit to the picturesque Kurashiki canal district and historical quarter.

Our journey next takes us next to Kyoto, the previous capital of Japan for more than 1,000 years. With hundreds of possible sites to explore across the city we cover a mix of famous/popular location and some of the less crowded sites. A day trip to Nara is included.  From Kyoto we take the shinkansen ride back to Tokyo completing the tour.

Early Cherry Blossom Tour (Sunday 14th March to Saturday 27th March 2027)

This trip follows a smilar route to our Best of Japan Tour (reverse course) with additional emphasis on the season and additional time to take in a variety of cherry blossom viewing spots.

Starting in Tokyo, we head directly to our southern most destination of Hiroshima to incorporate the Peace Park and Museum as well as a full day on Miyajima Island.  From there, three nights in the historic capital of Kyoto for several historic locations and a day-trip across to Nara.  Departing Kyoto, we head to the west coast city of to Kanazawa and its famous Kenrokuen Gardens and castle buildings.  We then head to the Japanese alps and Takayama before visiting Nagano prefecture for a stay at a traditional Japanese inn and onsen.

From Nagano, we incorporate a visit to the city of Sendai and a day trip to the scenic Matsushima Bay before our return to Tokyo.

Classic Cherry Blossom Tour (Saturday 27th March to Sunday 11th April 2027) - currently fully booked.

For this tour we are offering a pre-tour Fuji/Hakone excursion on the Friday 26th March as an option for early arrivals (priced at JPY19,500 per person).

The peak period for cherry blossom viewing usually starts in Tokyo at the end of March and into the beginning of April.  Therefore, we include some of the famous and popular viewing locations around the city including the Shinjuku National Gardens and Ueno Park.  For the early 2023 season we also included the Hamarikyu gardens that included green blossom as a contrast to the usual white and pink.

From Tokyo, the shinkansen (bullet train) carries us south to the historic capital of Kyoto for some of the famous sites around the city, including a day trip to the first capital of Japan at Nara.  From Kyoto, we travel to Hiroshima and time on the beautiful island of Miyajima with its floating torii gate.

Leaving Hiroshima we head to the west coast city of to Kanazawa and its famous Kenrokuen Gardens and castle buildings.  We then head to the Japanese alps and Takayama before visiting Nagano prefecture for a stay at a traditional Japanese inn and onsen.

Rounding out the tour and chasing the cherry blossom north we visit the festival in the area around Sendai city.  During out time in the city we also include a visit to the scenic Matsushima and a cruise around Matsushima Bay (considered one of the "three views of Japan".) The end of the tour sees us return to Tokyo on the Sunday.

Heritage Cherry Tour (6th April to 16th April)

With a slightly different focus to our "Classic" blossom tour, this tour has a schedule that takes in some of the famous and iconic attractions of Japan including several of Japan's UNESCO World Heritage Sites. 

Depending on the timing of the season, a late arrival (as little as half a week) would put you firmly in an ideal location peak period for cherry blossom in Tokyo, especially in the western parts of the city.  Head to Kyoto and a selection of its famous sights (Nijo Castle, Kinkakuji, Fushimi Inari), a day trip to the first capital of Japan at Nara, before going south to Hiroshima and the island Miyajima with its floating torii gate. 

Returning to areas in the north, there is a trip across the main island of Honshu to reach the coastal city of Kanazawa and their famous Kenrokuen gardens and castle grounds.  Travelling through scenic river valleys and mountain landscapes, a two night stay in Takayama before returning to Tokyo.

Late Cherry Blossom Tour (Wednesday 14th April to Tuesday 27th April 2027)

Our late cherry tour includes a trip to the north of Tokyo including side trips from Sendai (for Matsushima), and also Aomori for the Hirosaki Castle Park, a site with 2,600 cherry trees - this is slightly before their beautiful cherry blossom festival.

Returning to the centre of the country, we stay in the mountains at an onsen near Nagano and a visit to the snow monkeys before two days in the mountain town of Takayama and then across to the western city of Kanazawa.  From Kanazawa we head to the historic city of Kyoto for three nights before returning to Tokyo.

Northern Blossom Tour (Tuesday 20th to Friday 30th April 2027)

This tour focuses on locations north of Tokyo to view blossom in places including Sendai, Kakunodate, Aomori and Hakodate.  Timed to catch the festival at Hirosaki Castle Park, and the blossom displays available at the Goryokaku Fort in southern Hokkaido.  As a slightly shorter trip, additional days can be added in Tokyo and potentially an extension to include Kyoto.

Price inclusions/exclusions

We price in Japanese yen, but can quote in your local currency on request. 

Spring Cherry Blossom Tour: The price for sixteen days (accommodation for fifteen nights) is from 995,000 yen per person share twin/double.  For solo travellers, 1,095,000 yen single occupancy.

Early Cherry Blossom Tour: The price for fourteen days (accommodation for thirteen nights) is from JPY895,000 per person share twin/double.  For solo travellers, 995,000 yen single occupancy.

Classic Cherry Blossom Tour: The price for sixteen days (accommodation for fifteen nights) is from JPY995,000 per person share twin/double.  For solo travellers, 1,095,000 yen single occupancy. 

Heritage Cherry Blossom Tour: The price for ten days (accommodation for ten nights) is from 795,000 yen per person share twin/double.  For solo travellers, 895,000 yen single occupancy.

Late Cherry Blossom Tour: The price for fourteen days (accommodation for thirteen nights) is from JPY895,000 per person share twin/double.  For solo travellers, 995,000 yen single occupancy.

Northern Blossom Tour: The price for ten days (accommodation for ten nights) is from JPY795,000 per person share twin/double.  For solo travellers, 895,000 yen single occupancy.

The price includes:

• Our tour service, including a dedicated guide for the duration of your tour. That includes a meet&greet at the airport and transfers to the hotel in Tokyo.
• Accommodation, averaging 4* - 5* properties.   We aim to book superior rooms to give additional space and comfort during your trip.
• Transport, all train travel, subways, and transfers. Taxis are also covered during the day for our sightseeing as well as the occasional bus connection. (Not flights to/from Japan.)
• Entrance fees for temples, shrines, castles, parks, gardens, and museums.  These are listed in your agreed tour schedule.
• Evening meals at ryokan (Japanese inn) accommodation are normally included. In general, we do not include lunch and dinner meals because Japan has a huge range of foods and we prefer not to restrict options, especially when food is a significant part Japan.

Exclusions are generally items such as theatre performances, sporting or other special events, theme parks, lunch and evening meals, snacks/drinks and other incidental costs such as hotel room service/laundry. 

Bookings and Inquiries

If you are interested in joining one of these tours, please contact us or email us directly at admin@japancustomtours.co.nz.

---