Northern Petals Sakura off the Golden Route

📍 Distances and journey time: Narita International Airport (NRT) to Central Tokyo (70 Km): 1.5 h Haneda International Airport (HND) to Central Tokyo (20 km): 50 min

Upon arrival to Tokyo’s airport, our representative will be waiting to assist with transportation into the city (either boarding the right train or finding the appropriate shuttle bus). The remainder of the day is free at leisure.

Overnight in Tokyo                                                                                

Inclusions:

Meet the guide and the rest of the group at 8:45 in front of the Starbucks at Wadakura Fountain Park.

The tour will begin with a walk through the Imperial grounds, including a view of the famed Nijubashi Bridge. Although the inner grounds of the palace are only open to the public on rare occasions, stroll the East Gardens and see the remains of the once-mighty Edo Castle.

After a short train ride, arrive at Nezu Shinto Shrine. With its lovely wooden hall and long tunnel of vermillion tori gates, the shrine is a delightful oasis in the city.

Proceed to Yanaka Ginza, the center of one of Tokyo’s most charming neighborhoods. Yanaka revels in old-school charisma, with small shops and food stands becoming customers off the narrow streets. This is the classic shitamachi (old downtown) of yesteryear that is fast disappearing in the modern sprawl. 

Finish with a bus ride to the Sensoji Temple area. This tourist hotspot is a bustling buzz that perfectly captures Tokyo’s vibe. Above the traditional temple rises the Tokyo Skytree, the world’s tallest tower, a perfect destination for afternoon sightseeing.

Finish the tour here and part ways with the guide and group. Return to the hotel or continue to explore the city independently.

Note:
- This tour operates on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday and is limited to peak seasons.
- This is a shared group tour (maximum of 8 pax per group).
- Guests are suggested to arrive 10 to 15 minutes early to prevent delays. Guests should contact the provided emergency customer care number immediately if they will be late.
- In the case of guests who have not arrived, the guide will wait up to 15 minutes before beginning the tour at 9:00.
- There may not be a chance to join the group once the tour has departed.
- This shared tour will only operate if 2 or more guests are signed up. If less than 2 guests are signed up one month before the tour date, it will be cancelled and fully refunded.
- This walking tour is not suggested for guests with mobility issues.
- This tour is available only to guests 13 year of age and older.
- This tour may be cancelled in heavy rain or extreme weather.
- Total time is approximately 4 hours, but the guide may adjust the itinerary based on group pace.

Time:
Start: 8:45 
Duration: Approx. 4 h
*including pick-up/drop-off and transit times
 

Overnight in Tokyo

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast

Today is a self-guided day.

Suggested Self-Guided Itinerary:
Enjoy the rest of the day exploring this amazing city. Make an early start to visit the electronics district of Akihabara or discover Tokyo’s world-class museums and art galleries. 
Alternatively, take an excursion in Kamakura. One of Japan’s former capitals, Kamakura is a delightful seaside town home to many ancient shrines, temples, and other structures like the Daibutsu, a giant bronze Buddha that stands at 13-meter tall.
Distance and journey time (approximation):
JR Tokyo Station to JR Kamakura Station: 50 min

Optional Tour : Cool Tokyo Cycling Tour
Today’s tour starts at 9:00 or 14:00. Meet the guide, who is sometimes ac companied by his adorable dog “Jack-san,” at Sasazuka Station, and head together to the cycling studio for a bicycle and helmet fitting. On the way, listen to some fascinating insights and entertaining anecdotes about the local neighbourhood, and get some useful explanations from the guide about Tokyo’s cycling etiquette and today’s itinerary. 
When everything is ready, depart for today’s cycling tour. Leave Sasazuka with the guide, and cycle to the first location, enjoying the best of Tokyo’s urban design and natural environment on the way. Depending on the season, enjoy the surrounding foliage, which is especially beautiful in the spring when the plum and cherry blossoms bloom, and in the autumn, when the trees are a blaze of colour. There will be several cultural and architectural design stops along the way, where the guide will share interesting information and allow some time for photos. 
Bike through Tokyo’s backstreets, local shotengai (small commercial streets) in hip neighbourhoods such as Shimo-Kitazawa, and some little-known parks, seeing the guide’s favourite areas and shops, and stopping for a break at a charming café. 
Finally, enjoy the ride back to Sasazuka where the bicycles will be returned to the guide. 
Time
Start: 9:00, 14:00
Duration: 3 h to 4 h
Journey: 10 km (mostly cycling, a bit of walking and light sightseeing also involved).

Overnight in Tokyo
 

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast

📍 Distances and journey time: Tokyo station to Sendai station (367 km): 1.5 hrs

Today, travel to Sendai via shinkansen and explore at leisure before the evening tour at 17:30.

Meet up with a friendly guide for a night of eating and drinking like a Sendai local. 
 
Undiscovered by most visitors to the city, weave through the back-alleys of Bunka-yokocho and Iroha-yokocho and get lost in the Showa Era Japan atmosphere. For this tour, three different Japanese inns (Izakaya) and bars will be visited, with opportunities to pair local delicacies with delicious drinks at each venue.

Some local dishes that may be on the menu are favorites like fried aburaage tofu, grilled kamaboko fish cakes, and sashimi fresh from the nearby coast.

Most traditional izakaya only sit around 8-10 customers at a time, and this intimate atmosphere often intimidates foreign travelers. But with the company of a local guide, it's easy and fun to get an insider look at the local Sendai nightlife!

Note:
- This tour is unable on New Year’s Holiday (29th Dec to 4th Jan)
- Due to Japan's National Minimum Drinking Age, participants of this tour must be at least 18 years of age.  
- To manage overcrowding, tours on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, and Public Holidays will visit 2 Izakayas instead of 3. You'll still enjoy 3 drinks and the same volume and quality of food.

Time:
Start (guided tour): 17:30
Duration: 3 h
*including pick-up/drop-off and transit times 

Overnight in Sendai
 

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast, 🍗 Dinner

📍 Distances and journey time: Sendai Station to Higashi Shiogama Station (17 km): 30 min Shiogama to Matsushima: 50 min (boat) Matsushima Kaigan Station to Sendai Station (22 km): 30 min

Meet the guide in the hotel at 7:40 today for a full day tour of Shiogama & Matsushima. 

Begin the day with a deep dive into the food lover's paradise of Shiogama City, where seafood tasting at Shiogama's wholesale fish market awaits. This is the perfect tour for seafood lovers, as the area is known for the most sushi restaurants in Japan per capita. After visiting the fish market, head back into the town to continue the food adventure. Savour delicious sweets like plump dorayaki pancakes and seasalt cookies, and finish with a casual sake tasting before moving onward.

After visiting a small local Shinto Shrine, travel to nearby Matsushima on a sightseeing cruise. The ship passes through clear, shallow waters and winds through the pine tree covered islands of the Matsushima Bay, said to be one of the three most scenic views in Japan. 

Disembark the ship and enjoy a seafood bowl for lunch before visiting several location landmarks. Zuiganji Temple, known for a picturesque approach lined by cedar trees, is sure to impress with its calm Zen atmosphere. Godaido is a lovely cliffside hall decorated with elaborate wooden carvings, luckily having escaped damage during the 2011 tsunami thanks to its elevated location. At Entsuin Temple, see the 17th century mausoleum of a local samurai lord and see how his interest in western culture was cleverly reflected in the decorations on his tomb.

Finish with a visit to a historic seaside teahouse, where a warm bowl of matcha tea can be enjoyed while looking at the scenery. 

Reach Matsushima Kaigan Station and return to Sendai by local train where the tour will end.

Note:
- This tour is unable on Wednesday, Sunday and New Year’s Holiday (29th Dec to 4th Jan)
- Children under 6 are free but must pay for food on the spot

Time:
Start (guided tour): 07:40
Duration: 8.5 h
*including pick-up/drop-off and transit times 

Overnight in Sendai
 

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast, 🥘 Lunch

📍 Distances and journey time: Sendai Station to Kakunodate Station (242 km) : 1.5 h

Today is a self-guided day.
Arrive in Akita Prefecture via bullet train and step into the charming town of Kakunodate, a historical jewel of the northern Tohoku area.
The remainder of the day is free at leisure to explore independently. 

Suggested Self-Guided Itinerary: 

Visit the Nishinomiya House, a former merchant residential compound that has been revitalized into a multipurpose facility. In the historic buildings visitors will find a café, museum, and several quaint shops selling local goods.

Work off the calories with a short climb up the hillside to the former site of Kakunodate Castle. Nothing remains of the structure, but the view of the town and its winding river is worth the trek.

Overnight in Kakunodate 

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast, 🍗 Dinner

📍 Distance and journey time (approximation): Kakunodate to Sake brewery: 20 min (Taxi)

Meet a local private guide in the hotel lobby at 9:00, and get ready for a full day exploring Kakunodate, a former castle town known for its 17th century aesthetic and beautiful old samurai residences. 

Enter the old samurai district, once home to 80 noble families, and discover some of the best samurai architecture one can find in Japan. With the guide, enjoy a walking tour of the historic area, with notable spots such as the Ando Jozo soy sauce and miso factory and the Aoyagike Samurai Museum. 

Make a brief stop at a local residence where several friendly Akita Inu dogs can be seen relaxing and playing in the garden. This famous breed is well-love in the region, and dog lovers can take some time to play with the pooches before continuing the tour.

After lunch, visit to a quaint shop filled with products created with kabazaiku woodworking techniques. This traditional art uses richly coloured bark of yamazakura cherry trees to produce elegant tea utensils, writing boxes, tea cabinets, and brooches. Get a hands-on appreciation for this craft by taking part in a kabazaiku demonstration and making a keepsake to take home.

The finale of the day, take a private car to a local sake brewery which is registered tangible cultural property of Japan. Enjoy a tasting experience and discover how the brewers continue to carefully preserve the sake creation process using local rice and water. Snacks prepared by the family will be paired with the sake.

Part ways with the guide and return to the hotel, or continue exploring Kakunodate independently.

Optional Tour : Countryside Cycling in Akita
Meet a local guide and embark on a serene journey on the Akita Nairiku Line, a scenic railway stretching through Akita's mountainous heartland. 
Disembark at a rural unmanned station and pedal through lush rice fields to a local farmer’s house. Here, guests will make yubeshi, a traditional sweet associated with ceremonies. Discover its rich history and create a unique version using glutinous rice flour, sugar, and optional nuts or sesame seeds.
Continue riding to a farm restaurant to savor local delicacies for lunch. Next, visit a local home to dye a handkerchief with seasonal plants, creating unique patterns using chopsticks and rubber bands. Experience this authentic rural lifestyle before an easy ride back to Kakunodate station, feeling like a true local.
Time
Start: 09:30
Duration: 7 h 

Note:
-This tour is only available between July and mid October. Departure daily except Sunday. 
-Guests must be at least 10 years old and 140 cm in height.

Note:
- This tour is not available on Monday
- Minimum age: 10 years old (if you would like to have a family member under 10 years old, please speak to your Travel Consultant)

Time
Start: 9:00
Duration: 8 h
*including pick-up/drop-off and transit times 

Overnight in Kakunodate

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast, 🥘 Lunch, 🍗 Dinner

📍 Distances and journey time: Kakunodate Station to Hirosaki Station: 3 h

Today travel to Hirosaki and explore at leisure before the late afternoon tour at 16:00.

After check out, you will head to the northern prefecture in Tohoku area, Aomori. Get on the bullet  train to Akita and then change trains to reach Hirosaki.

After checking in at the hotel and dropping off luggage, meet a local ninja guide – yes, a ninja! – at Hirosaki Castle for the special arranged private cherry blossom viewing Japanese style party. Surrounded by sakura trees, the castle is one of the most stunning cherry blossom spots in Japan that remains relatively unknown to foreign travellers.

Time
Start: 16:00
Duration: 1.5 h
*including pick-up/drop-off and transit times 

Overnight in Hirosaki

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast

📍 Distances and journey time: Hirosaki Station to Hakodate Station: 2 h Shin-Hakodate Hokuto Station to Hakodate Station: 30 min

Today, after enjoying the morning sakura view, head to Hakodate in Hokkaido.

Welcome to Hokkaido, Japan’s northern island! Upon arrival at Shin Hakodate Hokuto Station, our representative will be waiting to provide an escort to the hotel. 
After checking in, Meet the local guide at the hotel and set out for an enjoyable tour of some of Hakodate’s best drinking spots.
Dive into Hakodate's vibrant nightlife, where the local essence comes alive in each sip and bite. Tonight’s guide knows many hidden gems in the entertainment district, including vintage mokkiriya standing bars.
Visit three handpicked bars, with a drink and food pairing included at each stop. The main items on the drink menu in Hakodate are sake and shochu – staples of a lively Japanese night out – but other options like craft beer and wine are available as well. Mingle with locals and enjoy conversation with the guide in a relaxed atmosphere.
As the night draws to a close, part ways with the guide and continue exploring the city’s nightlife independently or return to the hotel.
Time:
Start (bar hopping tour): 17:00
Duration: 3 h
*including pick-up/drop-off, and transit times

Overnight in Hakodate
 

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast, 🍗 Dinner

Meet the guide for a full day of touring Hakodate.

Begin with a wander through the historic red brick warehouses, a symbol of Hakodate's heritage as an early trading port in the north. These grand structures offer a glimpse into the city's evolution.

Next, stroll the preserved Motomachi district, a stunning enclave of western-style houses. These opulent manors were constructed to accommodate traders when Hakodate became one of the first foreign ports to open to the outside world in the 1850s.

For lunch, visit to the vibrant morning market (or similar market area based on availability), where local culinary culture thrives. Explore stalls filled with fresh produce and seafood, fully immersed in the bustling atmosphere.

Nearby, ascended the iconic Mt. Hakodate, which can be accessed via ropeway. Marvel at the spellbinding views of the Hakodate peninsula from what is considered one of Japan’s best observation points.

Move on to the imposing Goryokaku fortress. This star-shaped military base was constructed in the 1860s to hold back western aggression, but ended up being the site of a famous battle in the civil war that toppled the shogunate and ushered in the modern era. Walk the inviting grounds and see the fort from above in a nearby observation tower.

After a full day of touring, part ways with the guide. Continue exploring the city independently or return to the hotel.

Time:
Start (guided tour): 09:00
Duration: 6 h
*including pick-up/drop-off, and transit times

Overnight in Hakodate
 

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast

📍 Distances and journey time: Hakodate to Lake Toya: 4 h (drive)

As an option, skip the hotel breakfast and take an early start to visit the Asa-ichi, or morning market, enjoying a breakfast of fresh sushi and marvelling at the variety of seafood on offer. 

After breakfast, an English-speaking driver will provide a pickup from the hotel, followed by transport to Onuma Quasi National Park, about 20 kilometres north of Hakodate. This park is known for its beautiful lakes dotted with small islands and Mt. Komagatake, an impressive dormant volcano.

After a morning walk at the first park, head to Shikotsu-Toya National Park. This region is named for the two famous lakes within its borders, Lake Toya and Lake Shikotsu, both caldera lakes formed by years of volcanic activity. 

Proceed to explore the area around Mt. Usu, an active volcano which has erupted four times in the past hundred years. Visit the Usu Volcano Science Museum and its exhibitions about the eruptions in 1977 and 2000. Then travel to the top of Mt. Usu by ropeway, enjoying breath-taking views of the ocean, Lake Toya and Mt. Usu’s large crater.

*English speaking driver is not a guide, but an English communicable driver 

The driver will drop guests in Noboribetsu, an area famous for its volcanic activity and onsen (hot spring baths).
Check into the hot spring ryokan in time for a traditional Japanese dinner and enjoy the evening at leisure.

Noboribetsu, with its rugged, steamy landscape and natural volcanic vents, is a unique location to see cherry blossoms. It’s considered one of the more famous sakura spots in Hokkaido.

Notes:
•English-speaking driver is not a guide, but an English communicable driver.

Time:
Start (car tour): 09:00
Duration: 8 h
*including pick-up/drop-off, and transit times

Overnight in Shikotsu-Toya National Park (Noboribetsu)
 

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast

📍 Distances and journey time: Noboribetsu Station to Sapporo Station: 2 h

After check-out, enjoy a morning at leisure strolling the town until the appointed departure time.

Take a taxi from the hotel to Noboribetsu station to catch a train. Be sure to pick up some snacks near the station for the upcoming journey, as there will not be a chance to buy food on the train. Board the express train bound for Sapporo, the capital of Hokkaido and Japan's fifth largest city.

Upon arrival to Sapporo Station, proceed to the hotel near the station to drop luggage and check in.

Meet the guide at the hotel and depart for a three hour tour of Sapporo’s food scene. 

The locations of tonight’s tour are tailored to the preference of the guest, with the guide providing recommendations for various type of local food. This includes iconic delights like Genghis Khan lamb barbeque or the city’s famous butter ramen. Seafood is on the menu as well for those who want to try regional specialties fresh from the coast.

Make stops in two of Sapporo’s most interesting neighbourhoods: the busy Tanukikoji shopping arcade, and the lively Susukino entertainment district.

Don’t forget dessert! Finish the tour with a Shime Parfait, a tantalizingly creamy ice cream dish made with Hokkaido cream.

After stops at two or three restaurants tailored to the guests’ tastes, bid farewell to the guide and continue exploring the city independently or head back to the hotel.

Overnight in Sapporo
 

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast, 🍗 Dinner

Today is a self-guided day.

Explore Sapporo or enjoy a pleasant day trip to Otaru, half an hour northwest of Sapporo by train.
Optional Tour: Yoichi - Wine, Whiskey, and Fine Dining
Set out for a day exploring Yoichi, one and half hour away from Sapporo by train. The coastal climate and fertile soil have turned this seaside town into one of Japan’s most popular wine producing areas.
Arrive at Yoichi Station where a local guide awaits.  Move by car to a local winery to begin exploring the liquid landscape of the region. Meet the owner of the establishment and taste local vintages together, discovering what makes Hokkaido wine so special. 
Return to town and drop by the local supermarket to explore Yoichi’s seafood to fully grasp the culinary scene here. The guide will then drop guests at a fashionable hotel restaurant built to showcase Yoichi wine and cuisine using local produce. 
Among the hotel’s chic interior, savour a lavish lunch that pairs western-inspired courses of local meat and seafood with regional wine. The rarest Yoichi wine is highly sought-after, and today will be a chance to try some of these special vintages. This is an once-in-a-lifetime meal for wine lovers, carefully overseen by a highly regarded chef and sommelier duo who know the relationship between their cellar and the local dishes.
After a lunch, visit the pride of Yoichi, the venerable Nikka Whisky Distillery, established in 1934 by Taketsuru Masataka, the father of Japanese Whisky. He found that the conditions in Yoichi are suprisingly close to those in Scotland where he learned his craft. We suggest skipping the guided tour (offered in Japanese only) and instead visiting the musuem and shop on the premises, where guests can sample rare whisky for a small fee.

Note:
This tour is available on only on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays

Transportation time (approximation):
Sapporo Station to Yoichi Station: 1 h 30 min
Yoichi Station to Otaru Station: 30 min
Otaru Station to Sapporo Station: 40 min

Overnight in Sapporo
 

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast

Today is a self-guided day.

Today is at leisure until the reserved express train transfer to Sapporo’s New Chitose Airport to catch a flight to your next destination.

Distance and journey time (approximation):
Sapporo Station - New Chitose Airport (CTS): 1 hour
 

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast