Kyoto's Secret Spring: Plum Blossom Gardens

Catch a Fragile Moment Between Winter and Spring: A Walk Through Kyoto in the Plum Blossom Season

It is a leisurely walk through Kyoto during the plum blossoming season - a time of thin fragrant gardens, soft light and a premonition of spring. We will see how this season unfolds in different ways in temples, parks and historical sites of the city.

Zenangu. One of the most exquisite gardens in Kyoto, especially beautiful during the plum bloom period. Only in this temple can you see a rare combination of weeping plum branches and camellia flowers on a moss carpet - a fragile and short-lived moment that is especially prized in Japanese aesthetics.

Toji is a temple that houses Japan’s tallest wooden pagoda. Here we will talk about the monk Kukai, the founding of the Shingon school and the role that Buddhism played in shaping the appearance of the ancient capital.

Nijo Castle - the residence of the Tokugawa Shoguns - is the place where the fate of the country was decided. You will hear the history of the Nightingale Sexes and learn how the era of the shogunate ended here.

Kitano Tenmangu is not only the famous temple of the learning deity Tenjin, but also the most famous plum blossoming place in Kyoto. Thousands of trees, old varieties and a special atmosphere of expectations make this place truly unique. We will talk about why students from all over Japan come here before their exams.

Kinkakuji or Golden Pavilion, reflected in the waters of the “mirror lake”, is one of the most recognizable symbols of Kyoto. You will learn the tragic history of the arson and revival of the temple, get acquainted with the symbols of the Japanese garden and walk along the paths along which the shoguns of the Muromachi era walked.

The tour is pedestrian, using public transport to move between locations. If you wish, we can take a taxi in some areas.
Public transport/taxi is paid additionally (including for a guide).
The tour is designed for physically active people, as we will walk a lot. Suitable for children from 12 years old.
In the middle of the tour, lunch is expected in a cafe or restaurant along the way, paid additionally on the menu, 1 hour is laid for lunch.
Entrance tickets to the temples are paid additionally - $30-35 per person. (Including guides), there are benefits for children.
The cost of entrance tickets in Japanese yen:

• Zenang 1000
• Toji 1500
• Nijo Castle 1300
• Kitano Tenmangu 1200
• Kinkakuji 500