Kansai, Japan

Kyoto

Gardens before the gates open

Eight nights in a restored machiya townhouse, with access arranged where access is rarely given — temple gardens at dawn, a tea master's room, a knife-maker's bench.

Duration: 8 nights
Best season: March – May, October – November
Indicative: From £7,800 per person

The Itinerary

Day by day

Day 1
Arrival by rail
Green car from Kansai, met at the platform, and settled into your machiya by dusk.
Day 2
Dawn at the moss garden
Private access to a temple garden an hour before the gates open to the public.
Day 3
Tea, properly
A full tea gathering with a master in a four-and-a-half-mat room in the north of the city.
Day 4
Nishiki and the knife bench
Market at opening, then an afternoon with a fifth-generation blacksmith.
Day 5
Arashiyama at first light
The bamboo grove alone, followed by a boat down the Hozu river.
Day 6
Kaiseki
A counter seat at a nine-seat kaiseki house that does not take reservations.
Day 7
Nara day trip
Private car to Nara for Todai-ji and the old merchant quarter.
Day 8
Departure
A slow morning in the townhouse, then a private transfer to the station.