Dates: 27Mar (Fri) – 10 April (Fri) 2026 15 days
* Fly in to Kansai airport and depart from Tokyo.

A personalised, private tour following the cherry blossoms north, for The Bond Family.

We begin in Osaka, Lyn’s second home, and known as the foodies capital of Japan. With our home-base between Osaka and Kyoto, day trips to surrounding prefectures, Hyogo, Nara and Shiga, are all within easy reach and we have the convenience of a home base. We will visit lots of World Heritage sites from Himeji Castle and we will also be living like locals where there are no tourists. This trip will be based around the specific interests of the Bond Family. The trip ends in Tokyo, the biggest city in the world. Of course we will have a picnic or three while admiring the cherry blossoms at both iconic and peaceful places. I’ll use my 27+ years of living in Japan to efficiently adapt our itinerary. We can be flexible as this is a family trip and we’re mainly based in our two adjoining cottages midway between Kyoto and Osaka. I know you’ll enjoy meeting my neighbours - some of whose ancestors have lived in this village for more than 40 generations.

As the nights will still be a bit cold, you might enjoy a hot bath at home or a long soak in a nearby hot spring. Drinking hot sake around a bubbling pot of shabu shabu with new friends is also a must.

I promise to give you experiences and insights into Japan that will put a smile on your face for many years to come.

** All guests must have travel insurance

Inclusions:

• Fully escorted by Lyn, a bilingual Australian with extensive knowledge of Japan

• 9 nights in Lyn’s traditional Japanese home

• 1 night in a ryokan on Miyajima Island

• 1 night Hiroshima (4 star)

• 1 night Himeji (4 star)

• 2 nights Tokyo (4 star)

• Most meals

• All transport within Japan – cars, trains, bullet trains, cable car, monorail, bicycles, taxis, Lyn’s car

• Most sightseeing, activities and entrance fees

• Assistance with planning should you wish to extend your time in Japan.

Cost: AU$7,980 per person

Itinerary

Sat. 28 Mar 2026 (B,L,D)

We will take a guided walk around our village and pop in to a neighbour’s house to learn about how ancestors are remembered and respected. After lunch, we will explore the many natural and activities within Banpaku Park (site of 1970 World Expo) and, if the weather is good, we’ll take a picnic under the cherry blossoms. Japan’s best museum of Ethnology is in this park so you might be curious to see inside here. Expo City - Japan’s largest shopping mall and ferris wheel adjoin the park so we’ve got lots of options.

Sun. 29 Mar 2026 (B, L, D)

Sometimes fun holiday memories involve interactions with the local people and communicating despite language barriers. You might like to shop at the local stores, play golf, go to karaoke, find some bargains at the second hand shops, get a haircut, learn a few words in Japanese, or try ikebana. We could visit Nakaosan, our local 5th generation sake brewer or there is also a new display home village with over 40 homes showing the latest in Japanese architecture and interior design.
We will make dinner together so you will learn how to prepare Shabu Shabu or Okonomiyaki.

Thu. 02 Apr 2026 (B, D)

After breakfast at the hotel, we will head to visit the Peace Park and Museum. Through recollecting the horrors of war, Hiroshima continues to be a world leader in advocating for peace.

From Hiroshima, we will head to the pretty town of Kurashiki for the afternoon and then on to Himeji for the night.

Fri. 03 Apr 2026 (B, L, D)

As we spent the night in a hotel, we can beat the crowds and visit Japan’s best castle and Lyn’s favourite gardens in Himeji. On the way home, we can stop off in Kobe for some of their famous Kobe beef or explore the green oasis recently opened right next to the bustling Osaka Station.

Sat. 04 Apr 2026 (B, L, D)

After a busy 3 days, there are no fixed plans for today. You might like to get a haircut, soak in the onsen down the road, play golf, ride our e-bikes or do nothing.
Around 3:30 pm, Ogawasan will come and dress us up for a photo shoot in kimono! Our traditional house makes a great backdrop.
After you’ve had your Japanese makeover, Lyn will take your suitcases to the convenience store and they will be sent to our hotel in Tokyo so we can travel lightly for the next few days.

Sun. 05 Apr 2026 (B, D)

Today I’ll take you to one of my favourite places Katsuoji Temple (famous for healing) and Mino waterfall. As these places are only 6 km from home in the mountains, you can choose a long mountain hike or a gentle, 3 km downhill stroll. At the foot of the mountains, we’re back into crowded suburbia with loads of shops, restaurants etc.

Mon. 06 Apr 2026 (B, D)

Today we could head back to Kyoto, go to Universal Studios Japan or maybe there’s something on your personal list to do. In Kyoto, we would walk through the famous bamboo grove of Arashiyama, marvel at one of Japan’s most famous gardens and maybe go visit the monkeys.  After lunch under the cherry blossoms beside the river, we might head to the famous Golden Pavilion. On the way home, we could stop into a local ‘pub’. Universal Studios is like Movie World with lots of stage sets, performances and rides. As it is school holidays, lines for rides could be long.

Tue. 07 April 2026 (B, D)

Wed. 08 April 2026 (B,D)

Today, 08 April, is traditionally the day when children start school, new employees start working and everyone’s photos have cherry blossoms in the background. We will bid a fond farewell to Will & Lyn’s home in Japan and take the bullet train 3 hours north to Tokyo, the biggest city in the world. After dropping our bags at our hotel, we’ll start with an overiew of Tokyo from the Metropolitan Government Buildings. From there, we can join the throngs of people at Shibuya station at the busiest intersection in the world and I’ll show you the statue of Hachiko, possibly the most loyal dog in history. For dinner, I know a great place near our hotel.

Thu. 09 April 2026 (B,L,D)
For our last full day together, I will include a private guide for a full 10-11 hours to drive us to Stage 5 on Mount Fuji so we can play in the snow and then be shown around Kawaguchiko and Hakone.

Fri. 10 April 2026 (B)
If you’re flying back to Cairns tonight, you’ll still have about 8 hours to explore Tokyo. I’m happy to show you around Yasukuni Shrine and the Imperial Palace. (famous for cherry blossoms) If you would like to extend your time in Tokyo, you might like to include Disneyland, Disney Sea, Team Lab, Sky Tree or you might like to check out Tokyo’s art scene.