Hanami on the go — Take a whirlwind bus tour of the best cherry blossom spots in Tokyo

See the best sakura that Tokyo has to offer all in one trip!

Spring has arrived, which means only one thing in Japan — sakura, or cherry blossoms, have started to bloom. And not only are the sakura beautiful to look at, but parks with cherry blossom trees are traditionally a popular spot for hanami (cherry blossom viewing) parties, with groups often putting down blankets and tarp hours in advance to ‘reserve’ the perfect spot. But if you fancy switching up your hanami party for 2021, you’ll need to make a different kind of reservation.

▼ A bus reservation!

Bus company Sky Bus Tokyo are offering a Tokyo in the Spring Course bus route, in which you can take an open-top double-decker bus around all of Tokyo’s most famous cherry blossom viewing spots. The bus departs from Tokyo Station, visiting downtown Tokyo and famous spots like the Imperial Palace, Tokyo Tower and Zojoji Temple, before making its way back to Tokyo Station.

While the bus doesn’t make any stops along the way, the bus is an open top with an unobstructed view, so you can enjoy cherry blossom viewing from a whole new angle.

▼ The perfect angle for a couple of snaps!

The buses leave Tokyo Station between 10:45 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. The course takes roughly an hour to complete, but if you time it nicely you can get some night time hanami party action too. We recommend catching the 5:45 bus for the perfect nighttime shots.

If you want to change things up even further, the Sky Duck, Sky Bus Tokyo’s amphibious boat bus, is also doing a cherry blossom viewing course. The Sky Duck is changing its usual route to go past famous sakura spots like Kinshi Park and Sarue Park, so you can enjoy the beautiful rows of cherry blossoms along the riverside.

▼ The Sky Duck

Tickets for the Sky Bus are 2,100 yen (US$19) for adults and 1,000 yen for children, and the Sky Duck 2,900 yen for adults and 1,400 yen for children. You can get the tickets on the Sky Bus Tokyo website, but be sure to get them quickly, as the cherry blossom viewing period is notoriously short and fleeting, and so the bus tour is only available until April 4. After that, you’ll have to think of other ways to spend the cherry blossom viewing season.

Sources: PR Times、スカイバス東京
Images: PR Times
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