Japan in Cherry Blossom Season

Japan in cherry blossom season is one of the most beautiful things I have encountered in a lifetime of travel. The sakura bloom for just two weeks — the timing shifts slightly each year — and during those two weeks the country transforms. Parks, temple gardens, castle courtyards: everything is pink and white and fleeting.

This itinerary pairs three of Japan's most extraordinary hotels with private cultural guides in each city. In Tokyo, Aman sits in the clouds above Otemachi — a minimalist sanctuary in one of the world's great cities. In Hakone, the ryokan Gora Kadan offers kaiseki dinners and private onsen with views of Fuji. In Kyoto, Aman opens onto a private forest garden with its own moss-covered tea house.

Private guides make all the difference in Japan. The temple that opens at 6am before the crowds, the Nishiki Market stall where a third-generation tofu maker will talk you through his craft, the cherry blossom spot known only to locals — these are the details that transform a good trip into a great one.