Walking the Philosopher's Path under Kyoto's cherry blossom

The Philosopher's Path is a stone walkway along a small canal in eastern Kyoto. When the cherry trees on both banks bloom they form a tunnel over the path, and fallen petals turn the water pink.

When: full bloom in Kyoto is typically between late March and mid-April. It falls in the same window as Tokyo or a few days later; further north the window shifts to roughly late April into early May. These are typical ranges. The exact dates move every year and are announced a few weeks before the season. Full bloom lasts about a week, so keep your dates wide.

Where to stay: the path runs between Ginkaku-ji and Nanzen-ji. Staying in eastern Kyoto lets you walk it in the first hour of the morning, which is the only quiet hour. Staying central and taking the bus also works. The hotels below are the ones we have published in and around Kyoto.