See the cherry blossom in Kyoto
A place: Japan
The blossom lasts about a week, and the whole country follows a forecast for it, like weather. In Kyoto, people spread blue plastic sheets under the trees in the morning to save a spot for a picnic after work. The petals come down in the wind like slow snow and collect in the canals along the Philosopher's Path. Get up at six and walk it before the crowds; by ten it is shoulder to shoulder. At night some temples light the trees from below, and the pink turns almost white.
Practical
- Cost
- Free to see; hotels double in price
- Best time
- Late March to early April, depending on the year
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Time it takes
- A few days in Kyoto
- What people get wrong
- Booking fixed dates a year ahead. The bloom moves by up to two weeks; keep a few days flexible.
- With
- One other person