The 15 Best Garden Day Trips in Japan

1.Mt. Fuji Day Trip from Tokyo with English Speaking Driver Guide

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 443 reviews Our pick

You’ll travel by private air-conditioned vehicle from Tokyo to the Fuji Five Lakes area for about 10 hours. Your English-speaking driver-guide may be Prem, Jamil, Mani, Prince, Asif, or another team member. Choose scenic lakes, shrines, caves, villages, and photo stops, but expect to select only some locations.

“It was basically a glorified taxi ride. No information about the area during the ride. So quite we fell asleep. Nice guy, but not what I was hoping for”

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2.Mt. Fuji, Cherry Blossom & Shiba Sakura Pvt. Day Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 326 reviews

Spend about 10 hours touring the Mt. Fuji area by private vehicle from Tokyo. Visit the 5th Station, Chureito Pagoda, Oshino Hakkai, Lake Kawaguchiko, Oishi Park, and a historic shrine. Guides including Rana, Harry, Awais, and Mohsin have provided friendly, flexible service, though guide quality can vary.

“The tour was great! The itinerary hit a lot of great spots with beautiful views of Mt. Fuji. We got very lucky with the weather and got an extremely clear view of Fuji. Our tour guide Awais was friendly, knowledgable about the sites, and flexible with our wishes. We spent an eRead more”

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3.Kanazawa: Samurai, Matcha, Gardens and Geisha Full-Day Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 75 reviews · from $156

Spend a full day walking Kanazawa with an English-speaking guide, from Nagamachi samurai homes and Oyama Shrine to Kenroku-en and Higashi-chaya. You’ll enjoy matcha with wagashi, enter the historic Shima geisha house, and have free time for lunch and shopping. Guides may include Mike, Akari, Gareth, or Daniel.

“Daniel was a fantastic guide, he did a great job building up and layering the facts throughout the day and was very patient with our children and stops. We got to see so much of the city we would never had been able to do on our own, it was a wonderful day. thank you!”

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4.Full-Day Tour from Kanazawa: Samurai, Matcha, Gardens and Geisha

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 68 reviews · from $151

Spend about nine hours walking from Kanazawa Station through samurai homes, Oyama Shrine, Kanazawa Castle, Kenrokuen Garden, and the Higashi Chaya geisha district. Your English-speaking guide may be Mike, Garrett, Lee, Akari, or another team member. Matcha, wagashi, garden and geisha-house admissions are included.

“Very nice tour. Covered all the promised things. Would like some option to take some public transport at longer walks. We were exhausted by 2nd half of tour. We are seniors. The guide was interesting and personable. The things we saw were interesting and enjoyable.”

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5.Mt. Fuji & Hakone Cherry Blossom private One Day Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 35 reviews

Travel by private air-conditioned vehicle from Tokyo to Mt. Fuji and Hakone, with stops at the Subaru Line 5th Station, Oshino Hakkai, Lake Ashi, Moto Hakone Shrine, Owakudani, and Gotemba Premium Outlets. Driver-guide assignments vary, with Rezi and Hiroyuki Sato named in guest communications.

“Our tour guide was more like a driver and didn’t have much knowledge of Japanese history and culture. He was recklessly driving and we feared for our lives with our two kids in the car. He rushed us and would text us immediately after dropping us off to hurry back. You can Read more”

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6.Discover the Wonders of Sakurajima Half Day Tour in Kagoshima

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 34 reviews · from $95Best value

You will cross Kagoshima Bay by ferry, visit Tsukuyomi Shrine and the Sakurajima Visitor Center, soak your feet in a natural hot spring, make volcanic ash art, and reach Yunohira Lookout. English-speaking guides such as Yuki, Naomi, and Kuni lead the tour, which uses public transport and includes ferry and art fees.

“Awesome tour with Kunihiro and Yuki! Special shout out to Yuki because he had some problems with transportation and she was able to arrange to still meet up with us part way through the tour. Very interesting and memorable! Highly recommend!”

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7.Discover the Wonder of Sakurajima Half Day Tour in Kagoshima

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 24 reviews · from $98

Spend 4.5 hours circling volcanic Sakurajima by ferry and Island View Bus. An English-speaking guide such as Yoshi or Kuni leads you to Yunohira Observatory, the Visitor Center, Nagisa Park’s footbath, and an ash-art workshop. The $98 price includes transport and the art fee, but not lunch.

“It was really very good an we can recommend. Only issue: we booked it and the Max people should be 10. They changed it to the 20 without notice or refund.”

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8.Private Car Full Day Tour of Osaka Temples, Gardens and Kofun Tombs

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 24 reviews

Spend eight flexible hours with a private guide such as Kevin, Jamie, Hugo, or Levy, traveling by luxury vehicle from Osaka Castle to Sakai’s kofun tombs. You’ll visit temples, shrines, Shinsekai, gardens, and a revolving-sushi restaurant, with hotel pickup and a custom pace.

“A fun day with a knowledgeable and delightful guide. Kevin packed in a full agenda yet allowed us to set our pace. Much more than what we could have accomplished in one day in Osaka.”

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9.Private Car Day Trip to the Kobe Mountains, Gardens and Hot Springs from Osaka

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 16 reviews

Travel from your Osaka hotel in a private vehicle with an English-speaking driver-guide such as Kevin or Levi. Ride a vintage Mount Rokko cable car, walk through Kobe Municipal Arboretum, enjoy mountain views, and spend two hours in Arima Onsen. Fees and lunch cost extra.

“This was really a wonderful and informative trip. Kevin was great . I really enjoyed the hot springs ! This was one of my favorite tours. I highly recommend this for anyone who was to see Kobe Mts and one of the best hot springs in the area.”

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10.Tokyo City Attractive One Day Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 15 reviews

Spend about nine hours touring Tokyo in a private, air-conditioned vehicle for up to five people. Visit Sensoji, Tokyo Skytree, Tsukiji, Meiji Jingu, Shinjuku Gyoen, Shibuya, Hachiko, and Harajuku, with hotel transfers from Tokyo Station Hotel. Your driver also serves as your guide.

“Luckily for us we arrived at the peak of cherry blossom, rather like a famous comedian once said however this trip had all the right notes but not necessarily in the right order. We saw the highlights of Tokyo and very luckily for us the cherry blosRead more”

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11.Mt. Fuji & Hakone Cherry Blossoms Private Day Tour

★★★★★★★★★★3.5 · 9 reviews · 1 day

Travel by private van from Tokyo to Mt. Fuji and Hakone with an English-speaking guide. See the 5th Station, Chureito Pagoda, Oshino Hakkai, Lake Kawaguchi, Lake Ashi, Owakudani, and Gotemba Outlets. Guides such as Talal and Addan are praised for patient service and flexible itineraries.

“We had such a great time on our Mt Fuji tour! The views were absolutely breathtaking - everything you hope for when seeing Japan's iconic mountain. Our driver Talal was fantastic, a kind, patient man who made the whole day smooth and stress free.”

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12.Guided Half-day Tour(AM) to Noritake Garden & Toyota Commemorative Museum

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 7 reviews · from $110

Meet your guide at Nagoya Station at 9:30 am for a small-group tour of Noritake Garden and the Toyota Commemorative Museum. Expect live demonstrations, company history, factory heritage, and plenty of walking. Guides have included Aki and Hiro, with admission and local transport provided.

“Aki was a great English speaking guide. She was very helpful in maximizing the time we had in the museum. It was interesting to see that history of Toyota and how it evolved from the textile to the automobile industry.”

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13.Ashikaga Flowers Park Pvt. One Day Tour with Pickup

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 6 reviews

Travel privately from Tokyo with a driver-guide to Ashikaga Orihime Shrine, Ashikaga School, the Art Museum, Sano Premium Outlets, and Ashikaga Flower Park. You get an air-conditioned vehicle, child seats, onboard hotspot, and time for the park’s famous wisteria and seasonal illuminations.

“Muito bom o passeio ao Ashikaga Flower Park. O guia Hana Rana Nadir foi super atencioso e cortes, além de ser um ótimo motorista. Recomendo este passeio, pena que as glicínias ainda não estavam floridas”

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14.Mt.FUji private Full Day Trip with English Driver

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 4 reviews · 10 hours

Spend 10 hours exploring Mt. Fuji by private, air-conditioned van with an English-speaking driver-guide. You can adjust the route, travel with up to seven people at the listed price, and include Chureito Pagoda, Oshino Hakkai, Lake Kawaguchi, Oishi Park, and the 5th Station.

“We spend a wonderfull tour with a lot of existing places. A great thank you to our tour guide and driver. He drove us safely to the beautiful places. We can fully recommend this tour. Thank you for this nice day.”

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15.Home Experience: Tea Ceremony & Moss Garden Walk(Day trip)

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 3 reviews · from $130

Meet guide Naomy near JR Kabe Station and travel by bus to a quiet Hiroshima valley. Cook lunch in a 200-year-old farmhouse, explore a private moss garden, walk beside a river or through the forest, and drink matcha in a tatami room or garden.

“I was swayed by the train from Hiroshima station and had no time to imagine what it would be like, so I was relieved to see Naomi welcoming me with a smile from the moment I arrived. The house I visited was 200 years old, quaint, cool in sRead moreAuto-translated”

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