Kyoto, Slow Spring

Six nights, one small group, one city — Kyoto in early spring. We anchor in Higashiyama, the district where wooden lanes turn into stone stairs and every teahouse is older than the building next to it. Days are unhurried: a temple walk before the crowds, a tea master's demonstration, a sake pairing dinner. Evenings are the whole point — one long dinner every night with the eleven other travelers. The pace is slow on purpose. We're not trying to see every temple; we're trying to make sure everyone at the table knows each other by the end of night three. Included: · 6 nights in a machiya-style ryokan · Every dinner curated by our host, cooked family-style · Guided walks: Fushimi Inari at dawn, Arashiyama bamboo, Kifune · One tea ceremony, one sake tasting, one calligraphy afternoon · Small-group JR pass + ryokan transfers Not included: · Flights · Two lunches (we leave a couple of days free to wander) Group: 12 travelers total, gender-balanced (6 women, 6 men). Ages 28–42.