Days 1 – 3
Higashiyama · Dawn and Dusk
A century-old machiya inn in the eastern hills. The first incense before Kiyomizu opens, Ninenzaka empty in the early light, evening walks along the Kamo — Kyoto’s time begins at its edges.
Kyoto, In Seasons
Kyoto, In Seasons
8 days · 8 – 10 travellers · Two departures each, blossom & maple seasons
The Essence
Two hours ahead of the crowds, or two hours behind — in those hours Kyoto is itself.
About this Journey
This is not a checklist route. In eight days you will meet five artisans, two abbots and one tea master — friends gathered over ten years of returning, not suppliers.
The Rhythm
One theme a day; one meal worth remembering a day. With each change of base, one afternoon is left unscheduled.
The Journey
Chapters of the Journey
Days 4 – 5
Rakusai · Bamboo and Gardens
The Arashiyama grove in the blue hour; then a sub-temple closed to the public — the abbot on gardens, the tea master on tea. The afternoon drifts by on a boat down the Hozu river.
Days 6 – 7
Uji · The Way of Tea
In a three-hundred-year-old tea garden you grind matcha at a stone mill; lunch is tea kaiseki. On the way back, a detour to Fushimi to taste this year’s sake in the brewery.
Day 8
Farewell
The last morning is left blank. Some return to a garden for one more look; some simply sit on the inn’s veranda. Both are right.
Moments
Moments Worth the Wait
Private opening of a non-public sub-temple
Five artisan workshops, visited in depth
The whole machiya inn to ourselves, eight nights unpacked once
Blossom-season departures are few — reserve half a year ahead