Budget Tokyo Trip Itinerary - 4 Days 3 Nights - Sakura season

Tokyo hanami season starts in late March or early April and lasts about a week. The exact dates is different year by year depending on weather. This is the most interesting time to visit Tokyo when the cherry trees (sakura) bloom everyone wants to be outside. Companies, friends and families hold hanami parties under the trees.

There are literally hundreds of sakura viewing spots in Tokyo and during my this short trip to Tokyo, I cover three of the main hanami spots: Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden, Ueno Park and Showa Kinen Koen. My visit to Tokyo this year is a bit late so I miss the full bloom in Ueno Park. However, full bloom can still be viewed in Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden as usually the cherry trees are late bloomer type. Tokyo is among the most expensive place in the world and my plan below which I did it economically and fun.


Sakura in Shinjuku Gyoen.

Tulip garden and sakura at Showa Kinen Koen.

Nanohara and cherry trees.

Day	Morning	Afternoon	Evening	Night
Day 1 (Thur)	1. Arrival 7.00am at Narita International Airport via MH88 2. Taking train to Tokyo city via Keisei Skyliner package 3. Check in at Fukusen Hotel	1. Sushi lunch at Ameyoko, Ueno 2. Ueno Park for hanami viewing/sakura.	1. Ameyoko street market 2. Tea time. Having ramen at Aji No Tokeidai Ramen 3. Harajuku walk 4. Shibuya walk 5. Visit Book Off Shibuya	1. Dinner/supper. Chicken soup ramen at Minami Senju.
Day 2 (Fri)		1. Lunch. Sushi Zanmai lunch set at Akihabara 2. Sakura viewing at Showa Kinen Koen	1. Shopping in Koenji.	1. Dinner. Smart Sushi at Koenji.
Day 3 (Sat)	1. Breakfast. Sanuki Udon Hanamaru at Akihabara.	1. Sakura season at Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden	1. Shimo-Kitazawa	1. Dinner. Curry Tonkatsu at COCO Ichibanya, Shimo-Kitazawa. 2. Shopping in Shibuya.
Day 4 (Sun)	1. Travel to Shanghai via Japan Airlines

Sakura season at Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden @ Tokyo, Japan

Shinjuku Gyoen Garden is the best place in Tokyo to view the cherry blossom during spring season. From the garden, the best landmark sight is the NTT Docomo building which is featured in some of the movies such as Ultraman, Superman and Godzilla. Located just a short walk from Shinjuku Station, the paid park's spacious lawns, meandering walking paths and nice scenery provide a relaxing escape from the busy urban center around it. Shinjuku Gyoen is home to a large number of cherry trees of more than a dozen different varieties. From late March to early April, more than 400 cherry blossom trees around the park turning the lawns into one of Tokyo's most popular and pleasant hanami spots. In addition, the park has numerous early and late blooming cherry trees which provide an extended cherry blossom viewing season. This is good for those who miss the main season.

Shinjuku Gyoen is also nice to visit during autumn when the leaves change. There are a lot of different types of trees that change colors around the park, however the maple trees are particularly beautiful and can be seen in large numbers around the Japanese garden. The colors typically appear from mid November to mid December. Lets have a view of what I have snapped using my camera during my visit back in early April 2014.


Long queue to enter the park and it is the main attraction during spring in Tokyo.

Got my ticket. 200 Yen per entry.

At the entrance greeted by this first cherry blossom.





From near, the flower is really beautiful. No wonder people come from all over the world to view the cherry blossom in Japan.


Wow, the whole tree is all flowers.

Shibazakura is a type of lawn cherry blossom which grow low on the ground. It does not belongs to cherry blossom tree and its usually purple in colour.

Simply beautiful colours.

Couples having their private time.



The Japanese like to have hanami party or having picnic under the sakura trees.

Children especially like the event the most.

The iconic NTT Docomo building.

This pine trees is beautiful during autumn. However, it has no leaf during spring.

Me with the cherry trees.

GPS/Coordinate: 35.689242, 139.706427
Address: 11 Naitomachi, Shinjuku, Tokyo 160-0014, Japan.
Subway: Tokyo Metro Shinjuku-gyoemmae Station Exit 1: 5 mins on foot (M10). You can also stop at Shinjuku station using JR line with 10 minutes walk.

Sakura at Showa Kinen Koen @ Tachikawa, Tokyo, Japan

Showa Kinen Koen is probably Tokyo answer for Keukenhof in Lisse, Holland. The park have abundance of tulips and they have cherry blossoms here but Keukenhof does not have it. Showa Kinen Koen is one of the largest park in Tokyo. The variety of flowers here, tulips, nanohara, cherry trees & lavender, makes this park have a unique view of spring in Japan. If you like cycling, you can also rent a bicycle to go around the park 14 kilometres track.


Wonderful sakura at Showa Kinen Koen.

My ticket for entrance.


Colourful channel.

First sight of sakura in the park.

Tulip garden.

Flowers.

More variety of tulips.



Comparable to Keukenhof. Hooray, Asian can go to Japan to view tulip garden now.

Some lavender.

Family enjoying the park.

More tulips.

Pink tulips.

Beautiful. Combination of tulips, lavender & cherry blossoms.

White & purple tulips.

Yellow tulips full bloom as well.

Tulips with sakura.

Lavender garden.

Nanohara and cherry trees.

Long gingko trees boulevard. Main attraction during autumn.

Me surrounded by nanohara.

Entrance fee: 410 Yen for adult.
GPS/Coordinate: 35.702517, 139.403636
Address: 190-0014 Tokyo, Tachikawa, Midoricho, 3173
Transport: JR Chuo line Nishi-Tachikawa Station. 45 minutes from Shinjuku station.