Japan Explorer Osaka, Kyoto, Hiroshima, Mount Fuji region and Tokyo in cherry blossom season
Tour code AKSR0803. Special Family Tour. 9 days, 11 cities.
Osaka (3 nights), Hiroshima (1 night), Shizuoka (1 night), Tokyo (3 nights), Tokyo
Starts in Osaka (Kansai International Airport). Ends at Tokyo (Narita or Haneda Airport). Tour in English.
From $3,199 per person, twin sharing. Next departure 7 April 2027.
About This Tour
This Japan tour package takes you from Osaka to Tokyo in nine spring days, departing April 7 2027 in the season of cherry blossoms. It is a group tour with a tour leader from Japan, English-speaking guides and Indian lunches and dinners, so it suits families who want to see Japan with familiar food each day.
You begin in Osaka with the Umeda Sky Building, Osaka Castle and the lights of Dotonbori. Day trips take you to Kobe and Himeji Castle, and to Nara and Kyoto for Todaiji Temple, the Golden Pavilion and the Arashiyama Bamboo Forest. Then the bullet train carries you to Hiroshima for the Peace Memorial Museum and the floating shrine of Miyajima.
A second bullet train ride brings you to Nagoya Castle and the SCMAGLEV and Railway Park, before you head into the Mount Fuji region. In Hakone you cruise Lake Ashi and ride the ropeway to Owakudani. Tokyo ends the journey with Skytree, Ueno Park, Shibuya Crossing, teamLab Planets, a Sumida River cruise, Asakusa and Ginza.
As a Japan tour from the USA, this is a land package from Osaka to Tokyo, so you book your own flights. Hotels are twin sharing with daily breakfast, and baggage is carried between cities. For Indian families looking for a Japan group tour with Indian meals, it is a complete first visit.
Highlights
- Himeji Castle, Himeji
- Kyoto's Golden Pavilion, Kyoto
- Bullet train journeys, Osaka
- Hiroshima and Miyajima, Hiroshima
- Lake Hakone and Owakudani, Hakone
- Tokyo Skytree and teamLab, Tokyo
Day by day
Day 1: Arrival in Osaka, Dotonbori and Osaka Castle
Osaka
Sights: Umeda Sky Building, Kuchu Teien Observatory, Osaka Castle, Dotonbori, Shinsaibashi
Your Japan journey begins at Kansai International Airport, where an English-speaking assistant meets you and the coach takes you into Osaka, Japan's lively kitchen city on the edge of Osaka Bay.
Your first stop is the Umeda Sky Building, where the Kuchu Teien Observatory, a floating garden high between two towers, gives you a wide view over the city. Then you stop for photos at Osaka Castle, its white walls and green roofs rising above the stone ramparts and moat, often framed by cherry trees in early April. In the evening you explore Dotonbori and Shinsaibashi, a world of neon signs, giant moving shop fronts, street food stalls and busy shopping arcades along the canal.
Lunch and dinner today are at Indian restaurants. After dinner you check in at your hotel in Osaka for the first of three nights.
Hotel: Righa Royal Osaka or similar
Meals: Lunch and dinner
Day 2: Kobe and Himeji Castle
Osaka, Kobe, Himeji, Osaka
Sights: Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake Memorial Museum, Himeji Castle
After breakfast the coach takes you west along Osaka Bay to Kobe, a port city between green mountains and the sea. Here you visit the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake Memorial Museum, which tells the moving story of the 1995 earthquake and how the city rebuilt itself.
You continue to Himeji for lunch at an Indian restaurant, then visit Himeji Castle, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the finest original castle in Japan. Its bright white walls and layered roofs have earned it the name White Heron Castle. You walk through its gates and up its steep wooden stairs, with views over the town from the upper floors.
In the late afternoon you return to Osaka for an Indian dinner and a second night at your hotel.
Hotel: Righa Royal Osaka or similar
Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Day 3: Nara, Kyoto and the Arashiyama bamboo
Osaka, Nara, Kyoto, Osaka
Sights: Todaiji Temple, Nara Park, Kinkakuji Golden Pavilion, Arashiyama Bamboo Forest
After breakfast you travel to Nara, Japan's first permanent capital. In Nara Park, friendly deer wander freely among the lawns and temples. You visit Todaiji Temple, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the largest wooden buildings in the world, home to a giant bronze Buddha.
Then you continue to Kyoto, the old imperial capital, for lunch at an Indian restaurant. In the afternoon you visit Kinkakuji, the Golden Pavilion, its top floors covered in gold leaf and reflected in a calm pond. Your last stop is Arashiyama, where you walk along the paths of the Bamboo Forest, the tall green stalks rising high on both sides and swaying gently in the breeze.
In the evening you return to Osaka for an Indian dinner and your last night in the city.
Hotel: Righa Royal Osaka or similar
Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Day 4: Bullet train to Hiroshima and Miyajima
Osaka, Hiroshima, Miyajima, Hiroshima
Sights: Shinkansen to Hiroshima, Atomic Bomb Dome, Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, Miyajima ferry, Itsukushima Shrine
After breakfast you check out and transfer to Shin-Osaka Station to board the Shinkansen, the famous bullet train, for the smooth, fast ride west to Hiroshima.
In Hiroshima you visit the Atomic Bomb Dome, the ruined building left standing as a memorial, and the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, which tells the story of August 6 1945 with great care and a message of peace. It is a quiet, moving visit. After an Indian lunch you take the ferry across to Miyajima island to see Itsukushima Shrine, a UNESCO World Heritage Site built over the water, with its great red torii gate that seems to float at high tide.
You return by ferry, enjoy an Indian dinner and check in at your hotel in Hiroshima.
Hotel: Grand Prince Hiroshima or similar
Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Day 5: Nagoya Castle, SCMAGLEV and the Fuji region
Hiroshima, Nagoya, Shizuoka
Sights: Shinkansen to Nagoya, Nagoya Castle, SCMAGLEV and Railway Park
After breakfast you board the bullet train east from Hiroshima to Nagoya, watching the Japanese countryside of towns, rice fields and hills pass by at high speed.
In Nagoya you visit Nagoya Castle, with the golden dolphin figures on its roof. Then you explore the SCMAGLEV and Railway Park, a museum of Japanese trains, from early steam engines to record breaking bullet trains and the superconducting maglev. It is a favorite with children and adults alike. Lunch is at an Indian restaurant.
In the afternoon the coach takes you along the road toward the Mount Fuji region and Shizuoka. You check in at your hotel after an Indian dinner, ready for a day in the mountains tomorrow.
Hotel: Associa Shizuoka or similar
Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Day 6: Hakone cruise, ropeway and Owakudani
Shizuoka, Hakone, Tokyo
Sights: Lake Ashi sightseeing cruise, Hakone Ropeway, Owakudani
After breakfast you drive into the Hakone hills, a national park of lakes, forests and hot springs close to Mount Fuji.
At Hakonemachi port you board a sightseeing cruise across Lake Ashi to Togendai port, gliding past wooded shores and the red torii gate of Hakone Shrine at the water's edge. Then you ride the Hakone Ropeway up over the mountains to Owakudani, a volcanic valley where steam and the smell of sulfur rise from the rocky ground. On a clear day, Mount Fuji can be seen from the ropeway. After an Indian lunch you continue by coach to Tokyo.
In the evening you sit down to an Indian dinner and check in at your hotel in Tokyo, Japan's vast and exciting capital, for three nights.
Hotel: Toshi Center Hotel or similar
Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Day 7: Tokyo Skytree, Ueno Park and Shibuya
Tokyo
Sights: Tokyo Skytree Observatory, Ueno Park, Shibuya Scramble Crossing
After breakfast you begin exploring Tokyo at Tokyo Skytree, the tallest tower in Japan. From the observatory at 350 meters the city spreads out in every direction, and on a clear day you may see Mount Fuji in the distance.
Next you stroll through Ueno Park, one of Tokyo's best loved parks, with its ponds, temples and paths lined with cherry trees, especially busy in spring. After an Indian lunch you head to Shibuya to experience the famous Scramble Crossing, where crowds cross from every direction at once beneath giant video screens, one of the most recognizable sights of modern Tokyo.
In the evening you enjoy an Indian dinner and return to your hotel.
Hotel: Toshi Center Hotel or similar
Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Day 8: teamLab, Sumida River cruise, Asakusa and Ginza
Tokyo
Sights: teamLab Planets, Odaiba Statue of Liberty, Sumida River cruise, Kaminarimon Gate, Nakamise-dori, Sensoji Temple, Ginza
After breakfast you visit teamLab Planets, a digital art museum where you walk barefoot through water, light and flowers in rooms that change around you. Then you see the Odaiba Statue of Liberty, with the Rainbow Bridge and Tokyo Bay behind it.
After an Indian lunch you board a cruise on the Sumida River from Odaiba Seaside Park to Asakusa, passing under a series of bridges with the city skyline on both sides. In Asakusa you pass through the Kaminarimon Gate, with its giant red lantern, and walk Nakamise-dori, a lane of small shops selling snacks and souvenirs, to Sensoji, Tokyo's oldest temple. The day ends with time for shopping in Ginza, Tokyo's elegant shopping district.
You enjoy a farewell Indian dinner and return to your hotel for your last night in Japan.
Hotel: Toshi Center Hotel or similar
Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Day 9: Sayonara, Japan
Tokyo
Sights: Narita or Haneda Airport
Your last morning in Japan begins with breakfast at the hotel.
After check out, the coach takes you with an assistant to Narita or Haneda Airport for your flight home.
You leave with Japan in your memory: the white walls of Himeji, the floating gate of Miyajima, the bullet trains, the calm of Lake Hakone and the bright lights of Tokyo. Safe travels home.
Meals: Breakfast
Where you will stay
Osaka (3 nights)
- Righa Royal Osaka or similar, 4 star (Standard). In Nakanoshima, the heart of Osaka, directly connected to Nakanoshima Station on the Keihan line, with a free shuttle bus from JR Osaka Station. It is a handy base for sightseeing in both Osaka and Kyoto.
Hiroshima (1 night)
- Grand Prince Hiroshima or similar, 4 star (Standard). A hotel by Hiroshima port, in Setonaikai National Park, about 15 minutes by car from central Hiroshima. A high-speed boat from the pier in front of the hotel reaches Miyajima in about 26 minutes.
Shizuoka (1 night)
- Associa Shizuoka or similar, 4 star (Standard). A city hotel a 1-minute walk from the north exit of JR Shizuoka Station. It has Italian, Chinese and Japanese restaurants, a breakfast buffet and a top-floor bar with city views.
Tokyo (3 nights)
- Toshi Center Hotel or similar, 4 star (Standard). A hotel in central Tokyo, about 3 minutes on foot from Nagatacho Station. It has 327 rooms and 3 restaurants.
What is included
Hotels and stays
- 8 nights in hotels in Osaka, Hiroshima, Shizuoka and Tokyo, twin sharing
Meals
- Daily breakfast at the hotel, Western or Japanese style
- Indian lunches and dinners at Indian restaurants as listed in the day plan
- Packaged drinking water, 2 bottles of 500 ml per person daily
Coach and ground transport
- Air-conditioned coach for all sightseeing and airport transfers
- Bullet train from Shin-Osaka to Hiroshima and from Hiroshima to Nagoya, ordinary class
- Miyajima ferry and Sumida River cruise
- Baggage carried between cities, 1 checked bag up to 23 kg per person
Tour manager and guides
- Tour leader from Japan throughout the tour
- English-speaking guide from day 2 to day 8 and an assistant at the airports on days 1 and 9
Sightseeing and entry fees
- Entry fees for the sights listed in the day plan, including Himeji Castle, Kinkakuji, the Peace Memorial Museum, Tokyo Skytree and teamLab Planets
- Hakone sightseeing cruise and Hakone Ropeway
What is not included
Hotels and stays
- Guaranteed early check-in and hotel or room upgrades
Meals
- Meals not listed in the day plan
Flights and visa
- International flights to Osaka and from Tokyo
- Visa fees
Travel insurance
- Travel insurance
Tips and gratuities
- Tips for the driver, guide and tour leader
Personal expenses
- Laundry, telephone and room service
- Anything not listed under Inclusions
Optional tours
- Sightseeing not in the day plan
Departures
- 7 April 2027 from Land package - $3,199 per person
Frequently asked questions
Are Indian meals included on this Japan tour?
Yes. Lunches and dinners are served at Indian restaurants, as listed in the day plan, with breakfast at the hotel each morning.
When does the 2027 Japan cherry blossom tour depart?
The tour departs on April 7 2027, arriving in Osaka and ending in Tokyo on day 9. Cherry blossom timing depends on the weather each year.
Does the Japan tour include bullet train rides?
Yes. You ride the Shinkansen from Shin-Osaka to Hiroshima and from Hiroshima to Nagoya, in ordinary class.
Is there a tour leader on this Japan tour?
Yes. A tour leader from Japan travels with the group throughout, with English-speaking guides from day 2 to day 8.
How much luggage can I bring on the Japan tour?
Baggage is carried between cities for one checked bag per person, up to 23 kg. Packing light makes the train days easier.
Is this Japan tour good for Indian and South Asian travelers from the USA?
Yes. Akshar Travels has planned trips for South Asian travelers since 1997 and is based in New Jersey. Indian lunches and dinners at Indian restaurants are part of the tour, and travelers with vegetarian or Jain needs can tell us when they inquire. You travel with a tour leader, English-speaking guides, coach transfers and bullet trains.
Need to know
- Meals on arrival and departure days depend on flight times. If your flight lands early in the morning or leaves late in the evening, Akshar Travels will arrange the meals for that day
- If a sight is closed on the day it is scheduled, we will replace it with a comparable sight on the same tour
- Hotel check-in is usually 3:00 pm and check-out is usually 12:00 noon. Early check-in and late check-out are subject to availability and may carry a charge
- Baggage on domestic and internal flights follows the airline's own policy and weight limits, which are often lower than on your international flight. Please pack to the lowest allowance on your tour. Excess baggage fees are charged by the airline and paid by the guest
- The tour runs with a minimum of 30 travelers. A change in group size can change the price
- Baggage is carried between cities for one checked bag per person, up to 23 kg. Please pack light
- Cherry blossom timing depends on the weather each year and cannot be guaranteed
- Bullet train travel is in ordinary class
- Hotels may ask for a credit card at check-in for incidentals. It is refunded at check-out if unused
- Early check-in cannot be guaranteed and is at the hotel's discretion
- Wheelchair assistance needs to be arranged by the traveler
- Unused services such as meals, transfers or sightseeing cannot be refunded
Terms & Conditions
The essentials of booking with Akshar. The full terms apply at checkout
- Prices are per person in US dollars on a twin-sharing basis and can change until your booking is paid in full
- A deposit confirms your seat. The balance is due by the date shown at checkout, before departure
- Your passport must be valid for at least six months after the tour ends. Visas, where needed, are your responsibility. We will guide you
- International airfare is not included unless the package says so
- The itinerary can change because of weather, local conditions or operational reasons. We offer a comparable alternative wherever possible
- Hotels listed are indicative. A property of the same category may be used
- Group departures run with a minimum number of guests. If Akshar cancels a departure you receive a full refund or a free date change
- Travel insurance is strongly recommended. Guests are responsible for their own health, belongings and conduct on tour
Cancellation policy
- 50 days or more before departure: 30%
- 21 to 49 days before departure: 50%
- 20 days or less before departure: 100%
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