Kyoto Spring Garden Tour & Getaway to Kurashiki, Wake Wisteria Park and Korakuen garden

The 2027 Spring Garden Tour (including Kurashiki, Wake Wisteria Park and Korakuen garden) will take place during one of the loveliest times of year in Kyoto … in late April ‘cherry blossom frenzy’ has subsided, and the city shifts gears to welcome ‘shinryoku’, the fresh green energy of new maple foliage sweeping through the forested mountains that encircle the city. Azaleas, dogwood, iris, late cherries and wisteria are all in bloom, a beautifully floriferous time to be in Kyoto.

During the tour, we will explore gardens of various styles, experiencing some of the finest examples of landscape and garden design in Japan. You will have a taste of a variety of urban and rural neighbourhoods, each with their own ambiance and treasures to discover, as you become familiar with navigating the city of Kyoto. 

Our adventures take us to the Miho Art Museum in Shiga prefecture, and we take two additional days to step outside Kyoto and travel by bullet train to the scenic town of Kurashiki, stopping at the Wake Wisteria Park along the way, and on our return we visit Korakuen stroll garden in Okayama - truly a world-class mixture of art, horticulture and gardens !

On every Kyoto Garden Tour, we take time to enjoy the aesthetic sensibilities and culinary offerings of the Japanese culture. Our goal is to really feel the ambiance, the flavour and the elegance of the unique settings we are in. We move at a pace that lets the atmosphere sink in.

IMPORTANT: This is a walking tour. Participants must be able to walk with easy confidence, without the need for mobility aids or assistance, for several hours a day. Terrain may include steppingstone paths, uphill grades, stairways and uneven streets. We will also be passing through train stations where it will be imperative to stick with the group, no slow-pokes ! Masking may be required on public transportation.

Tour Dates: April 17 - 27, 2027 … this tour is now full

Pricing: ¥1,083,000 per person in a shared double room (pricing is in Japanese yen)

(approx. US$6,620 or CAN$9,300 at current exchange rates - please check as rates do change)

Single supplement:  ¥78,700  (approx. US$480 or CAN$675)

Group size: 10 people

Included:

• 10 nights accommodation, 7 fully-guided days, 2 free days

• Breakfast and lunch on all guided days, & all meals while traveling outside Kyoto

• Welcome and Sayonara dinners featuring Kyoto’s unique ‘kaiseki’ cuisine

• Limo-bus to/from KIX and ITM airports to Kyoto, and transportation on all guided days

• All garden and museum admissions on guided days (note: independent while in Kurashiki)

A few highlights:

• Experience over 10 select gardens in and around Kyoto of varying styles - our numerous garden experiences are the core foundation of the tour, and we don’t rush, we take our time to feel what is there, and to let our discoveries percolate in

• Our accommodations are in a sub-temple within the historic Myoshinji Zen temple complex - our guests love staying in this quiet ultra-atmospheric setting, providing us with a peaceful ‘home base’ to return to each evening (with western beds & ensuites)

• 7 fully guided days – accompanied by our top-notch guide, Judith Clancy, author of numerous guidebooks on Japanese culture & the charms of Kyoto

• On our first morning, we focus ourselves with an introduction to Zen meditation and a hands-on workshop in the traditional art of calligraphy

• Fall under the tranquil spell of karesansui rock gardens while quietly viewing them from the wooden verandas of Kyoto’s traditional Zen temples

• Explore Ohara, a rural village north of Kyoto, with cultivated farming fields and forested gardens … and many local specialty pickle shops

• On a free day, dive in to the colourful Toji market, one of Kyoto’s largest outdoor markets, with booths spread across the temple grounds, always bustling & fun

• Enjoy a day-trip to the Miho Art Museum, an architectural tour-de-force designed by IM Pei, with an oustanding international collection, followed by a shopping excursion to a Shigaraki pottery village

• Attend a private evening shakuhachi and koto musical performance, a special soothing treat

• Shop at local specialty stores throughout the city (let us point you to our favourite ones)

• Explore the historic Bikan district of Kurashiki, along picturesque streets and a scenic canal, dropping into an array of shops and cultural museums, all at your own pace (my favourite is the Toy Museum)

• Take in the Wake Fuji Wisteria Park and its collection of over 100 varieties of wisteria from the entirety of Japan - our visit is timed with the Wisteria Festival peak bloom, so let’s cross our fingers (!)

• Spend an afternoon in Okayama wandering at your leisure through Korakuen, one of Japan’s finest large-scale stroll gardens, a masterpiece of landscape design on a grand scale

• Savour subtly delicious and always beautifully presented fresh regional cuisine in small local venues

• Discover the charm of Kyoto, an exceedingly clean and safe city full of artistic treasures, cultural and culinary delights, as the springtime verdure and serene gardens work their magic