7-Day Best of Japan Cherry Blossom: Self-Launched Tokyo to Kyoto
7 days · Japan
UME Travel Co. Ltd charges £2,900
No-markup version: ~£1,290 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched version of UME Travel's 7-day small-group sakura tour from Tokyo to Kyoto — same blossom hotspots, temples and Fuji views, but booked and navigated independently by you. You'll ride the subway and trains instead of a private coach, stay in well-located hostels and budget hotels with private rooms in Shibuya and central Kyoto, and book the tea ceremony, Sagano Romantic Train and any optional extras yourself. Cherry blossom season (late March to mid-April) is peak domestic travel in Japan, so book accommodation and the Sagano train 2-3 months ahead. All costs are approximate per-person estimates for one traveller sharing a twin/private double.
Day-by-day
Arrive Tokyo — settle into Shibuya
Tokyo
Land at Haneda or Narita and make your own way into town. From Haneda, the Keikyu Line to Shibuya costs about ¥500 (~£3); from Narita, the Narita Express or Keisei Skyliner plus a JR transfer runs roughly ¥3,000 (~£16), or the cheap Keisei limited express bus for ~¥1,300. Check into a hostel or budget business hotel near Shibuya or Shinjuku (private twin rooms from ~£65-85/night in sakura season if booked early). Spend the evening doing a free wander: Shibuya Crossing, the Hachiko statue, and dinner at a konbini or a ¥1,000 (~£5) ramen shop. Pick up a Suica/Pasmo IC card at the station for all local transport.
🚌Keikyu Line from Haneda ~£3 or Narita Express/Skyliner ~£16; IC card for city travel
🛏Budget hotel or private twin in hostel near Shibuya/Shinjuku (~£70/night)
- →Shibuya Crossing and Hachiko statue stroll
- →Konbini and ramen dinner in Shibuya
- →Buy Suica/Pasmo IC card
Tokyo sakura day — Ueno, Asakusa and Meiji Jingu
Tokyo
Self-guided blossom crawl across the classic Tokyo spots. Start at Ueno Park for the city's biggest cherry blossom party (free; arrive before 9am on weekends). Walk 20 minutes to Senso-ji Temple and Nakamise shopping street in Asakusa — free entry, and the Kaminarimon Thunder Gate is the photo stop. Afternoon: take the Ginza subway line to Harajuku and wander the free Meiji Jingu shrine grounds (¥500 suggested donation). Optional add-ons you can pay for on the day: Tokyo National Museum in Ueno (~£7, closed Mondays) or the National Museum of Western Art. Total transport on the subway ~£5 with an IC card.
🚌Tokyo Metro/JR lines with Suica card, ~£5 all day
🛏Budget hotel or private twin in hostel near Shibuya/Shinjuku (~£70/night)
- →Ueno Park cherry blossoms (free)
- →Senso-ji Temple and Nakamise Street (free)
- →Meiji Jingu shrine (free, ¥500 donation)
- →Optional: Tokyo National Museum ~£7
Mount Fuji day trip — Arakurayama and Lake Kawaguchi
Fuji Five Lakes / Tokyo
A DIY Fuji day using public transport. Take the JR Chuo Line from Shinjuku to Otsuki, then the Fujikyu Railway to Shimoyoshida (~2h, ~¥2,700 one way, ~£14) — or the direct Fuji Excursion limited express if you reserve ahead. Walk 15 minutes uphill to Arakurayama Sengen Park for the classic five-storey pagoda + Fuji view, then continue by Fujikyu train or bus to Kawaguchiko. Stroll the lake shore, and if it's clear, pay for the Lake Kawaguchi sightseeing boat (~£8) or the ropeway (~£6). Return to Tokyo the same evening; travel on a JR regional pass or buy tickets individually. Pack a bento — lakeside food is pricey.
🚌JR Chuo Line + Fujikyu Railway return ~£28; local buses ~£4
🛏Budget hotel or private twin in hostel near Shibuya/Shinjuku (~£70/night)
- →Arakurayama Sengen Park pagoda viewpoint (free)
- →Arakurayama Sengen Shrine (free)
- →Lake Kawaguchi lakeside walk (free)
- →Optional sightseeing boat ~£8
Shinkansen to Kyoto — Philosopher's Path and Kamo River
Kyoto
Ride the Tokaido Shinkansen from Tokyo Station to Kyoto (~2h15). Reserve a seat on a Hikari or Kodama service: ~¥14,000 (~£73) one way — a Japan Rail Pass is only worth it if you're travelling further afterwards. Check into a guesthouse or budget hotel in central Kyoto (Gion, Kawaramachi or Kyoto Station area; private twin from ~£75/night in April). Afternoon is free and slow: stroll the 2km Philosopher's Path canal lined with sakura, then walk the Kamo River banks at dusk where locals picnic under the blossoms. Dinner in Pontocho Alley — yakitori and a beer for ~£15.
🚌Tokaido Shinkansen Tokyo-Kyoto ~£73 one way; Kyoto city bus/subway ~£4
🛏Guesthouse or budget hotel, central Kyoto (~£75/night)
- →Philosopher's Path walk (free)
- →Kamo River sunset stroll (free)
- →Pontocho Alley dinner
Higashiyama temples, Gion and tea ceremony
Kyoto
Start early at Kiyomizudera Temple (~¥500, ~£2.60) before the crowds, then walk downhill through Ninenzaka and Sannenzaka's preserved lanes — grab the famous pink sakura soft-serve along the way (~£3). Continue to Maruyama Park, Kyoto's top hanami spot, free to enter. In the afternoon, book a short tea ceremony experience yourself via GetYourGuide or Klook (~£25-35 for a 45-minute Machiya tea house session) and finish with a self-guided wander of the Gion geisha district at dusk — remember photography is restricted on some private lanes. Use the city bus day pass (~£4).
🚌Kyoto city bus day pass ~£4
🛏Guesthouse or budget hotel, central Kyoto (~£75/night)
- →Kiyomizudera Temple ~£2.60
- →Ninenzaka and Sannenzaka lanes (free)
- →Maruyama Park hanami (free)
- →Self-booked tea ceremony ~£30
- →Gion district evening walk (free)
Golden Pavilion, Nijo Castle and the Sagano Romantic Train
Kyoto / Arashiyama
Bus to Kinkakuji, the Golden Pavilion (~¥500, ~£2.60) early, then Nijo Castle (~£6.50) with its nightingale floors and Ninomaru Garden. After lunch take the JR Sanin line to Saga-Arashiyama and ride the Sagano Scenic Railway through the Hozugawa Canyon — book online or at the ticket office 1-2 months ahead in sakura season (~£5.50). Walk to Tenryuji Temple and its garden (~£3.50), then Togetsukyo Bridge and the Arashiyama bamboo grove at sunset — all free. Return to central Kyoto byJR train (~£2).
🚌City bus ~£2; JR to Saga-Arashiyama return ~£4; Sagano Romantic Train ~£5.50
🛏Guesthouse or budget hotel, central Kyoto (~£75/night)
- →Kinkakuji Golden Pavilion ~£2.60
- →Nijo Castle ~£6.50
- →Sagano Scenic Railway ~£5.50
- →Tenryuji Temple garden ~£3.50
- →Togetsukyo Bridge and bamboo grove (free)
Depart from Kansai (or Osaka)
Kyoto / Osaka
Final morning for a last blossom walk along the Kamo River or a Nishiki Market breakfast crawl (~£8). Getting to Kansai International Airport (KIX): the Haruka limited express from Kyoto Station takes 75 minutes (~¥3,600, ~£19); a cheaper option is the JR Special Rapid to Osaka plus the Nankai line to KIX (~£12 total). If you're flying out of Tokyo instead, a one-way shinkansen back is ~£73. Budget roughly £20 for the airport transfer and allow 3 hours before your flight.
🚌Haruka express to Kansai Airport ~£19, or JR + Nankai combo ~£12
🛏N/A — departure day
- →Kamo River morning walk
- →Nishiki Market breakfast
Self-launched vs. UME Travel Co. Ltd
| This itinerary (self-launched) | UME Travel Co. Ltd | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£1,290 | £2,900 |
| Duration | 7 days | 7 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £1,610 per person (56%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more UME Travel Co. Ltd-style trips? Check them out here.~£1,290
estimated per person
You never pay Travel Crew for this — you pay hostels, transport, and activity providers directly, the same as if you'd booked it all yourself.
This publishes your dates so other travellers can find and join you — no tour operator needed.
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Frequently asked questions
How much does 7-Day Best of Japan Cherry Blossom: Self-Launched Tokyo to Kyoto cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £1,290 per person for 7 days in Japan. This is an AI-generated estimate based on typical budget-traveller prices — actual costs will vary by season and how you book.
Is this cheaper than booking with UME Travel Co. Ltd?+
Yes — UME Travel Co. Ltd charges around £2,900 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £1,290 — a saving of roughly £1,610 (56%) per person.
How long is the Japan trip?+
This itinerary runs 7 days, covering 7 day-by-day stops through Japan.
How do I join this trip?+
You can join an existing open departure using this itinerary if one is scheduled, or launch your own departure with your own dates and invite other travellers to join you — no tour operator required.
Isn't it easier to just use a tour operator?+
Well, yes, a tour operator will book all the individual parts of your travel for you and provide a guide. That's obvious, but doing this has the potential to save the group thousands, which can in turn improve your itinerary substantially or save you huge amounts of money. Also, when you launch a departure, Travel Crew has tools in place to help you book the individual sections of the trip or make it easier for you to do this as a group. Really, you do not need a middle man. If you are more comfortable paying more and using a middle man, then you should certainly do this.
Is it safer to book through a tour operator?+
Arguably, there isn't much difference. A self-launched trip runs on the same principle as a group travel crew: collective responsibility, everyone looking out for each other, the same way it would if a group of friends organised the trip themselves — because that's exactly what's happening. You should always take out travel insurance before you go, self-launched or not; that doesn't change either way. Every open departure is published publicly with real dates and a real trip organiser, so it's never an anonymous arrangement, and our support team is reachable any time you need help, including in an emergency while you're away. Longer-term, we're building direct relationships with ground DMCs in popular destinations, offered as an optional paid add-on for extra on-the-ground support. Ultimately, though, the group is responsible for its own conduct and safety on a self-launched trip, same as on any trip you plan yourself.
What kind of trip is this?+
This is a culture, city-breaks, budget trip through Japan, self-launched rather than run by a tour operator — you organise it with a group you find or bring yourself.
Would you like to name the operator, name the trip, or have any suggestions about how to improve this itinerary?
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