Beyond Tokyo: Baby Blue Eyes, Wisteria & Fuji Shibazakura Festival

Day 1

Tokyo Narita Airport or Haneda Airport

Welcome to Tokyo! You will be met at the arrival gate by an AJT representative holding an "All Japan Tours" sign.

Hotel Metropolitan Tokyo Ikebukuro or similar class

NOTE 1: The meet and greet and airport transfer to the first hotel is ONLY available on the first day of the tour after 11 AM. If you plan to stay extra nights before the start of the tour, we will provide full instructions in advance for you to transfer to your hotel on your own.

NOTE 2: If you wish to stay extra nights before the tour starts, please contact us to book hotel accommodations.

Day 2

Hitachinaka (Hitachi Seaside Park - Baby Blue Eyes Flowers), Mito (Kairakuen Garden)

After breakfast, we will drive to Hitachinaka, to the Hitachi Seaside Park, for the annual blossoming of the Nemophila, or "baby blue eyes". As far as the eye can see, millions of baby blue eyes cover the grassy hills in an event known as "Nemophila Fantasy". We travel from there to Mito for a visit to Kairakuen - one of the Three Great Gardens of Japan. This garden contains a traditional Japanese building called "Kobuntei", a grove of bamboo, another of cedar, and a forest of over three thousand plum trees. After, we'll take you to your hotel for an evening of relaxation.

Breakfast / Dinner

Mito Plaza Hotel or similar class

Day 3

Ashikaga (Ashikaga Flower Park), Karuizawa (Uchimura Kanzo Memorial Stone Church / Karuizawa Shiraito Falls)

Today, we drive from Mito to Tochigi for a visit to the Ashikaga Flower Park, Japan's wisteria capital, with a great number of wisteria vines hanging down from tasteful trellises and surrounding you in a world of purple, white, yellow, or red flowers. While there, find the Great Wisteria, which has been growing for over 150 years, with vines hanging down in a thick curtain of purple flowers. From there we travel to Karuizawa to visit a magnificent piece of modern architecture - the Uchimura Kanzo Memorial Stone Church. Built by American architect Kendrick Kellog, the stone wraps around in a large cylindrical arch, letting the sun in at different points through the day for an inspiring scene. Then we take you to Karuizawa Shiraito Falls, located near Mount Asama deep within a forest. The water of Shiraito Falls flows right out of a wall of earth, coming from underground to fall over the rock face in an enchanting drape of silvery white threads.

Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner

Hotel Shoho Matsumoto or similar class

Day 4

Matsumoto (Matsumoto Castle), Mt Fuji (Shibazakura Festival)

After breakfast, our morning begins with a drive to Matsumoto to see the city's most imposing landmark - Matsumoto Castle. As one of Japan's 12 remaining original castles, Matsumoto Castle, known as "Black Crow Castle" for its pitch-black exterior walls, is one of Japan's historical treasures. Then we take you to the region around Mount Fuji, arriving at Lake Motosu in time to experience the Shibazakura Festival. Shibazakura, or phlox moss, covers the landscape near the lake in a bright and colorful quilt of pink, magenta, white, and purple- colored flowers. After, we will return to your hotel in Tokyo for one last night of relaxation in Japan.

Breakfast / Lunch

Hotel Metropolitan Tokyo Ikebukuro or similar class

Day 5

Tour Ends

After breakfast, our tour officially ends.
Checkout time is 11 am.
Transfer to Narita Airport or Haneda Airport by Airport Limousine Bus.  

Breakfast

NOTE 3: The departure airport transfer is ONLY available on the last day of the tour. If you plan to stay extra nights after the tour, we will provide full instructions in advance for you to transfer to the airport on your own.

NOTE 4: If you would like to stay longer in Japan, please contact us to book hotel accommodations.