Spring is finally here and the cherry blossom trees are starting to bloom in Tokyo. There are ample gardens, parks, shrines and streets with spectacular sights of these beautiful pink blossoms around the city, including some popular spots like Yoyogi Park, Meguro River and Shinjuku Gyoen. While it’s fun to take a stroll around the area and picnic under the trees, there are other ways you can enjoy these spring blooms.
No need to worry about mapping out your hanami route – you can book a tour or cruise that’ll take you around some of the most beautiful cherry blossom destinations in Tokyo. From now until mid-April, you can book a bus tour around Chidorigafuchi Boathouse, cruise along Sumida River on a boat, and even snack on afternoon tea on a double decker bus around popular tourist destinations.
Here are some of the best springtime sakura tours and cruises in Tokyo right now.
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¥2,100 per person (children ¥1,000)
For a whirlwind tour of the capital’s best sakura spots, you can now hop aboard the double-decker Sky Bus for an open-air cherry blossom adventure. Departing from Tokyo Station, the bus follows a special spring route that takes you around the Chidorigafuchi-National Diet Building, Tokyo Midtown and Tokyo Tower before heading back towards the station.
¥2,900 per person (children ¥1,400)
If you’d prefer to leave the streets and sail Tokyo’s waterways, you can also take a cherry blossom cruise on the open-air Sky Duck water bus, which takes you past Kinshi Park and Sarue Park for riverside sakura views. If you’re in the Yokohama area, the Sky Duck is also operating sakura tours around the Minato Mirai area.
Sakura are gorgeous during the day, but these light-ups at parks and shrines prove they’re even better at night
Cherry blossom season is undoubtedly the highlight of spring in Tokyo, or Japan for that matter. Whether you hit the blooming dates on-the-mark, or happen to be here just before or after the full bloom, there are still lots of sakura-inspired events, cherry blossom sweets and hanami (cherry blossom viewing) happenings around the city. So really, if you're in Tokyo in March or early April, you can still revel in all the pink festivities.
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For an enjoyable sakura season minus the crowds, check out these parks and green spaces
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