Hi Rebecca. It does depend on the year, the last couple have been warmer, but typically if it is the cherry blossoms you are after the mass bloom effect and that is over the second week in April. There are some late blooming trees, we've even found some autumn blooming trees in a Tokyo park but that intense display is very short and I usually plan around last week in March and first week in April. However after the blossom in April and May come the azaleas and wisteria which are also really stunning but more specific where you want to go to see them. We are headed over for the month of May, with the exception of that first week which is Golden Week the attractions are a lot quieter than cherry blossom especially in Kyoto.

With 12 days and first visit I would find a base from Tokyo and Osaka enough but our preference is slower and deeper travel knowing we can't get to everything anyway but your travel style and preferences will guide you. Also the JR Pass is no longer a cost effective option even with the Miyajima and Hiroshima addition so you'll want to weigh up if that extra cost is worth while to you. We do really enjoy those locations and with 12 days you could definitely do a night or two in Hiroshima, I'd suggest staying near the station so it is easy to get an early train out to Miyajima in case the full tide is early in the day and it makes dropping luggage at the hotel and collecting it before moving on nice and easy. It is easy to get the tram into town and to the Peace Park etc from there (it's only around 3 km).

With July often being hot and humid I would look a bit inland but it will depend on what you most like to see and do. The wider Nikko area might be a good option, you have the heritage temples and shrines that are often done as a day trip from Tokyo but if you use the 3 day pass to go out to surrounding area you have impressive waterfalls, lakes and national park, staying out by the lake perhaps, that covers the bus out there and I think the scenic ferry trip across the lake was part of it too. You can then headed on by train to Kinugawa Onsen, also in the Nikko area where there are many onsen, nature walks and a boat trip on the river through the gorge etc.

Hakone and the Fuji 5 lakes area is also nice and could easily be combined into a 3 night trip but again while you can get to Hakone and back from Kawaguchiko by train, the trip between the 2 areas is by bus.

Keeping travel by train only without basing out of Tokyo is a bit more limited, maybe Hakone then down to Kamakura/Enoshima and back to Tokyo. There is plenty to do in each of these areas and if you are travelling with lighter luggage through this section I would take the hanging monorail from Enoshima to Ofuna or the other way. It is only about 15 minutes so you could also just do the return trip and walk up to the giant Kannon statue on the hill that you see as you arrive into the station. Kamakura has a good food scene, there are beaches with ocean breeze that can provide some relief from summer breeze but they probably won't be your focus. There are a lot of temples and shrines here but it is also a bit different, you can follow a mostly off road hike from northern Kamakura station down to the Great Buddha near the coast through parks and small temples, shrines and a lovely little hillside garden cafe.

I hope that might be some help, enjoy.

We are planning on spending a week in Tokyo in July and have allowed an extra 3 nights outside Tokyo (travel by train ).

We have previously visited Kyoto and Osaka on a previous trip.

Could you suggest which 2 or 3 of these destinations would be practical to combine as a mini itinerary (going from one to the other ) from Tokyo and back please ?

Thank you Tom

Enjoy, there is so much beautiful nature, parks and gardens in easy reach of Tokyo, what season are you travelling or are you there now?

I wish I could help, teenage boys are away outside my area of expertise! If they're over the culture and the city life I could really only suggest getting some time outdoors. Mt Takao isn't it's best in winter but the chairlift is fun and some light hiking, views are better in winter because the cool air is clearer. A bit more off the usual path is Mt Nokogiri, we took the ropeway up and down but there is still plenty of climbing up and down the mountain to the giant Buddha's carved in the mountain, again great views on a clear day. Enoshima possibly combined with Yokohama is another option, get off at Ofuna and take the hanging monorail the rest of the way. Walk across the causeway to the island and climb to the top or take the escalators, there is still a surprising amount of walking, you can see Mt Fuji if it's clear and there are caves on the seaward side. If you wanted to stay in the city the Robot restaurant is popular with teenagers, Odaiba is something a bit different and can be combined with the futuristic boat up the Sumida river from here to Asakusa. Sorry I can't be more help, do they have any particular interests like baseball or anime?

This is a great site, thanks for the information. We are travelling as a group of 11 (2 extended families ranging from 15 - 70 years old) in late January 2020. Most of us have been once or twice before and typically we spend a week in Tokyo and a week skiing in Hakuba. This time round we are staying three weeks as we are adding a week in Osaka/Kyoto at the beginning of the trip. We have a free day in Tokyo and would like to do a day trip. Needs to take into account it will be winter. We would have seen lots of snow in Hakuba the week before so doesnt need to be in the snow as such. Plus we would have already been to Kyoto, Hiroshima, Nara, Osaka and Tokyo so would have had plenty of exposure to historic sites and big cities. Six of the group are teenage boys. Any ideas what would be a perfect day trip for this time of year and for our group? Somewhere with interesting natural wonders mixed with quirky things to keep the kids interested maybe?

Hi Kylie, it will depend which ones you plan to do but most have the option to do them on JR lines and therefore use the pass. Even those that we would normally suggest using a private railway such as Nikko using Tobu you can do mostly with JR trains if you have a JR pass, it's just the other option may be a little cheaper for those not using the pass.

Because Tokyo is such a sprawling city it is often not practical to stay adjacent to a hub station such as Tokyo station and also might not be your first choice for convenience in other aspects. If for example I was coming through to the city from the airport and leaving by bullet train the next day I'd stay there, otherwise the subway stations or JR loop are so efficient you'll just have an extra connection but without your luggage that's not too much of a concern.