2023 March.
Usually the cherry blossoms in Kyoto should start around the end of March, finish around 10th of April. But this year it was so early, full bloom on 23rd March, finished around the end of March. I think many travelers missed cherry blossoms. So sorry. But many travelers who never expected about the cerry blossoms in Kyoto watched it fortunately.
But it is about the main type of cherry blossoms case. There are about 35 types of cherry blossoms in Kyoto. So we (you) can enjoy cherry blossoms from January to May. If you have a plan of travel in Kyoto next spring, no need to worry.
(Cherry blossoms at night Gion. Soooo beautiful!)
Yeah, this month I did such tours like them.
My tours March 2023
10 times “Food tasting tour at Nishiki market”
5 times “Bike tour”
3 times “Kickstart tour”
2 times “Full day customized tour”
2 times “Higashiyama tour”
1 time “Arashiyama tour”
“Food tasting tour at Nishiki market”
(Tasting Japanese Sake)
This Nishiki food market is an old food market. But in the covid period, some shops and restaurants closed their business here. So some of new comers came to Nishiki market. Such places now are very popular but I usually don’t recommend any food their because they are not the traditional Kyoto style. For my guest, trying new taste and feeling Kyoto style should be important. I recommend some foods at old places because they have a traditional Kyoto style and they are the survivor like me.
This month many guests try new foods. Sometime some guest don’t like some foods, but it’s rare. And such a rare case my guest told me that this food was not for him but trying new one was so important, he tried it was so enjoyable.
(Tiny squid)
(Shrimp Tempura)
(Unique Tempura)
(Hamo, the important fish in Kyoto)
“Bike tour”
(Going through a local market)
I have an original course of this bike tour, but sometime I will change the course because of the season. This month, cherry blossoms start to bloom. I want to take my guests to the awesome points of cherry blossoms. We have many kinds of cherry trees, about 35 kinds. Everywhere I took them to were so nice, my guests enjoyed.
Of course many points no cherry blossoms still nice, they could feel Kyoto local area.
(Jumping over the stepping stones at Kamogawa delta)
(Chotokuji temple, with pink cherry blossoms)
(Cherry blossom hunting at Heian Jingu garden)
“Kickstart tour”
(Illuminated Gion Shinbashi with cherry blossoms)
In this month I did this kickstart tour 3 times, morning, mid day, after sunset. Time differences made the scenery change totally. Especially in the end of this month the cherry blossoms full bloomed, at Gion shinbashi cherry trees were lighted. So beautiful.
(Buying some souvenir at a traditional store)
(Ninen-zara street)
“Full day customized tour”
(Kyoto old Imperial Palace)
2 times full day tour in this month. 1st one was in the beginning of this month, no cherry blossoms yet. This family wanted to visit to Katsura imperial villa because one of the family member was an architect. Katsura imperial villa is famous for its modern architecture in the old era. This visiting was his dream. But visiting there we need to make a reservation. So I made a reservation for them.
2nd ful day tour was almost the end of March. That day was rainy, but it was the best timing for watching cherry blossoms in Kyoto. So I planed for them to visit to some of special cherry blossoms places. Daigoji temple is the one of the best place. Usually in the cherry blossoms season Daigoji temple is so busy, many people gather there. But it was rainy, not so many people. It was so good experience for my guests.
(Katsura Imperial Villa)
(Ryoanji temple/famous rock garden)
(Daigoji temple/Reihoukan)
(Daigoji temple/5 stories pagoda)
“Higashiyama tour”
(Sand garden at Kenninji Temple)
Higashiyama tour is the so popular tour of me. We visited to some great temples and shrines.
(At the gate of Kiyomizu temple with plam)
(Garden of Kenninji temple)
” Arashiyama tour”
(Moss Garden at Kenninji Temple)
In this month just one time Arashiyama tour I did. The tour day it was so beautiful with cherry blossoms. Of course we have many kinds of cherry trees, and all places are not the same weather, so to meet the best timing of the cherry blossoms is difficult. but that Arashiyama tour day it was so good timing for the cherry blossoms.
Arashiyama is the great area, bamboo forest is so cool. If there are no cherry blossoms, visiting to Arashiyama is great. But Arashiyama with cherry blossoms is so special. My guests enjoyed Arashiyama so much. Especially Tenryuji temple garden was amazing!
(In front of the picture of Zen Founder’Daruma’)
(Coffee break at the museum cafe)
(Burning Incense at Kiyomizu temple)
“LUNCH”
This month I took 3 special lunch with my guests.
Yu-tofu lunch at Arashiyama
Tofu is the one of the best food in Kyoto. When we visited to Arashiyama we took the Yu-tofu lunch. There are some of the tofu restaurant in Arashiyama, this restaurant is a kind of casual type of tofu restaurant in Arashiyama. This menu is around 2000 JPY.
(Yu-tofu (boiled tofu)
Conveyor-belt sushi
We went to a Conveyor-belt sushi restaurant for their lunch. Conveyor-belt sushi is so enjoyable. Sushi dishes are going around out table, we can take any sushi from Conveyor-belt. Of course we can order any sushi, no need to ask the staff of the restaurant, we can order with a tablet! Then within 2 minutes sushi dish will come to our table! It’s so exciting lunch!
(Conveyor-belt sushi (Almost automatic sushi restaurant))
Shojin ryouri lunch at Daigoji temple
At the Daigoji temple there was a traditional restaurant, we took a shojin ryouri lunch. Shojin ryouri is the Monk’s vegetarian full course. So healthy and good taste. About 2000 JPY.
(Shojin ryouri (Buddhism Monk’s Vegetarian Food))
