For years, clients have been asking me, "When will you be offering a tour of Japanese gardens?" And for years I've been replying, "One of these days."

I'm pleased to report that "One of these days" has finally come to pass. Early in 2010, I learned about a wonderful Japanese tour leader named Toshie Mimura, who had been leading garden tours for an American company that was no longer in existence.

I tracked down the Tokyo-based company that Toshie works for, and over the ensuing weeks we put together a 10-night tour of some of the country's finest gardens, temples, parks, and palaces, at an absolutely gorgeous time of year. Springtime in Japan, scheduled for April 16­27, 2011 and limited to 20 people, begins with five nights in Kyoto and ends with three nights in Tokyo, with two nights in Naruto in between. We'll be staying at highly-rated, four-star city-center hotels throughout.

Within weeks of offering it to our repeat clients, the tour had all but sold out. As of this posting we had two rooms left, which may or may not still be available by the time you read this. If you are interested in learning more about what promises to be one of the most exciting and rewarding trips we've ever operated, let us know, and we'll provide the details. Even if the tour is full, there is always a wait-list; individual cancellations do occasionally occur. We can also notify you the next time we'll be doing a Japan tour—in all likelihood, Spring 2012.

Happy Travels,