Colorful curated landscapes, serene ponds, pathways, bridges and perfectly pruned trees and shrubs – Japanese gardens are renowned worldwide for their meticulous design, attention to detail, and harmonious blend of nature and man-made elements. Here you can get lost for hours, contemplating or focusing on the details. We’ve highlighted some of the most sensational gardens in Japan that you must ear mark for a visit.

For travel inspiration: Japan destination guide

What makes Japanese gardens so famous?

Designed to evoke a sense of tranquility, balance and contemplation, the gardens reflect Japanese aesthetics and philosophies such as wabi-sabi (the acceptance of imperfection and impermanence) and Zen Buddhism.

Travel to Japan with Luxury Gold: Majestic Japan

Where are the 3 Great gardens of Japan?

The three Great Gardens of Japan are located in different cities across the country – Kenrokuen is in Kanazawa, Korakuen is in Okayama and Kairakuen is in Mito. Their reputation as the “three great gardens” stems from their beauty, cultural significance, and the unique experiences they offer to visitors.

Collectively renowned for their historical significance, these famous gardens have been meticulously designed and maintained over centuries and embody the principles of traditional Japanese garden landscaping and aesthetics. They are celebrated for their harmonious blend of natural elements like water, rocks, plants, and architecture, creating tranquil and visually stunning environments for visitors to explore and appreciate.

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Kenrokuen Garden, Kanazawa

Kenrokuen means “Six Attributes Garden,” reflecting this exquisite garden’s design principles of spaciousness, seclusion, artificiality, antiquity, waterways and panoramic views. The spacious grounds used to be the outer garden of Kanazawa Castle and were constructed over a period of two centuries.

Meticulously landscaped, Kenrokuen garden features a variety of ponds, streams, bridges, tea houses and carefully pruned trees. The garden’s beauty is further enhanced by a different look for all seasons, with cherry blossoms in spring and vibrant foliage in the fall.

Korakuen Garden, Okayama

Image credit: @okayamakorakuen on Instagram

Korakuen is one of the oldest and most beautiful gardens in Japan, featuring expansive lawns, ponds filled with colorful koi fish and historic tea houses. Created around 300 years ago by the Ikeda family who once ruled Okayama, as a place to relax. The vast grounds, designed around carp-filled ponds offer a stunning step back in time to the Edo Period, with all the classic features of a strolling garden, including waterfalls, bridges and cherry trees.

A great read for garden lovers: Blooming Romance: Where to Find England’s Finest Rose Gardens

Kairakuen Garden, Mito

Image credit: Tonatsu, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Famous for its three thousand plum trees that blossom in late winter, Kairakuen Garden in full bloom is a breathtaking sight, rightfully ranked amongst  three finest landscape gardens in Japan.

Located in Mito, this famous garden was built relatively recently in 1841 by the local lord Tokugawa Nariaki and was always open to the public. In fact, Kairakuen means “park to be enjoyed together”.

Adachi Museum of Art Garden, Yasugi

Image credit: Bernard Gagnon, CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

The Adachi Museum of Art (Adachi Bijutsukan) was established in 1970 by Adachi Zenko, a native entrepreneur, who sought to merge his love for Japanese art and garden landscaping. His vision was to cultivate a deeper appreciation for Japanese art through the meticulously maintained gardens and exquisite artwork on display. It has been named the best garden in Japan multiple times and is considered a masterpiece of modern Japanese garden design, attracting art and garden enthusiasts from around the world.

The several gardens around the museum can be enjoyed at any time of year but can only be viewed from the Museum building. The main garden is the Dry Landscape Garden, along with the Moss Garden, the Tea Garden, the Pond Garden, which is the oldest garden on the grounds, and the White Gravel and Pine Garden, a tribute to works of Yokoyama Taikan.

Bookmark for later: The Ultimate Japan Packing List: What to Take On Your First Trip

Ryoan-ji Temple, Kyoto

Image credit: Cquest, CC BY-SA 2.5 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5>, via Wikimedia Commons

The Ryoan-ji Temple boasts one of the most renowned rock gardens in Japan, shrouded in mystery regarding its designer and precise interpretation. Simple and elegant, this Zen Garden is designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site and consists of carefully raked white gravel surrounding 15 meticulously placed rocks on a bed of moss. The rocks are arranged in such a way that, no matter where you stand, only 14 rocks are visible at a time, a design that encourages deep contemplation and meditation. The garden’s symbolism has sparked a wide array of interpretations, ranging from depictions of islands to a tiger ferrying her cubs across water, and even representing the abstract notion of infinity.

Katsura Imperial Villa Garden, Kyoto

Image credit: Odd Roar Aalborg, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

The Katsura Imperial Villa Garden in Kyoto is considered a masterpiece of Japanese garden design. This historic residence and garden complex was constructed in the early 17th century and is considered a prime example of traditional Japanese architecture and landscaping. The garden features winding gravel paths, tranquil ponds, meticulously groomed trees, and strategically placed tea houses, bridges, and lanterns. Every view within the garden is carefully framed to create a sense of balance and harmony, inviting visitors to contemplate the beauty of nature and the essence of Japanese aesthetics.

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Shinjuku Gyoen, Tokyo

Image credit: Basile Morin, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Shinjuku Gyoen in Tokyo is a sprawling and diverse garden that blends traditional Japanese, English, and French garden styles, offering visitors a peaceful oasis in the heart of the bustling city. Often called Tokyo’s answer to Central Park, this spacious park was once part of an Edo era (1603-1867) feudal lord’s home and was opened to the public in 1949. The park features meticulously landscaped lawns, serene ponds, colorful flower beds and a wide variety of trees from around the world. Visitors can enjoy the beauty of cherry blossoms in spring, vibrant foliage in autumn, and peaceful strolls throughout the year.

Imperial Palace East Gardens, Tokyo

Image credit: John w, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

For a glimpse into Japan’s imperial past, head to the Imperial Palace East Gardens in Tokyo. Once part of the Edo Castle grounds, they feature a blend of traditional Japanese landscaping and Western influences, including Edo Period stone walls, teahouses, bridges and carefully curated greenery. Visitors can enjoy serene strolls through groves of cherry and plum trees, maple trees which are spectacular in the fall, expansive lawns, and peaceful ponds, all set against the backdrop of the modern Tokyo skyline.

Kyoto Botanical Gardens

Image credit: Daderot, CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

The Kyoto Botanical Gardens was the first-ever public botanical gardens in Japan, which opened in 1924. The garden has 12,000 plant species, allowing visitors to enjoy different seasonal settings from cherry blossoms to chrysanthemums to the autumn shades of vermillion and gold.

To experience the best of Japan in luxury style, take a look at our Majestic Japan small group journey.

The best luxury resorts in the world are of course glorious places to stay, but there is so much more to them than their guest rooms – they’re gateways to destinations, and they’re entire destinations in themselves. Whether they happen to be located in the middle of national parks, private white sand beaches, wine country, ski slopes, cities or small towns, they tell a unique story about their place. Here are 10 of our favorites right now.

For billabong swims and hammock time: Silky Oaks Lodge, Queensland

Forty ‘treehouses’ sit snugly in the world’s oldest living rainforest, surrounded by fronds and vines, ferns and mosses. It’s hard not to think of Eden as you lie in your hammock following a dazzling blue Ulysses butterfly or a chattering of palm cockatoos with your eyes. Guests have the chance to learn about the Indigenous culture of the local Kuku Yalanji people who have lived in the Daintree Rainforest continuously, and have a deep connection with it.

 

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For tranquility and connecting with nature: Hoshino Resorts Oirase Keiryu Hotel

In the mountains of north Japan, this tranquil ryokan is the only resort built on the shore of the Orase Gorge, part of the Towada-Hachimantai National Park, a protected area teeming with lushness: beech, katsura and Japanese horse chestnut trees, plus over 300 species of moss. Rooms overlook the stream and waterfalls; it’s an unparallelled vantage point for witnessing the changing seasons. Lots of significance is placed on the onsen experience in the hot springs from Mount Hakkoda – the concept behind the resort is “Keiru slow living”. Stay here on our Majestic Japan journey. 

For sumptuous living in the city: The Leela Palace, Chennai

One of the best luxury resorts on our Essence of India journey, this is almost five acres of sheer opulence and romance where the Bay of Bengal meets the Adyar river. There are brunches fit for royalty, sea-view sundowners, marble corridors, chandeliers and silk ruching wherever you look, even a cake shop, whose counters are filled with handcrafted macarons, chocolates and cheesecakes. Rooms and suites are haven-like, golden and glorious but it’s worth tearing yourself out of them to lounge by the enormous pool. 

 

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For icon status in the great Canadian outdoors: Fairmont Banff Springs

Known as Canada’s “Castle in the Rockies” this world-famous resort with its steep copper roofs, dormers and gables, is located in the majestic Banff National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Besides absurd levels of beauty and various walking trails, the park itself offers opportunities for horseback riding, rock climbing, biking, glacier walking and skiing. On the resort itself, there’s a 27-hole championship golf course and an award-winning spa, not to mention wildflower cocktails in the timeless Rundle Bar. 

Stay here on our Majesty of the Rockies journey.

 

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For serenity (and celebrity) by the beach: Copacabana Palace, Rio

As far as world class locations go, Copacabana Beach is hard to beat. This imposing white Carrara marble icon has been in situ since 1923, when French architect Joseph Gire took influence from the Negresco in Nice and the Carlton in Cannes. Since then, celebrities passing through have included Walt Disney, Brigitte Bardot, Princess Diana and Madonna. Away from the high energy of the beach and the city streets, the interiors offer soothing white linens, mahogany furnishings and arguably the best balconies in the world. 

This hotel is on our Classic South America journey.

 

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For Tuscan frescoes and flowers: Four Seasons Firenze

This is an urban retreat of Florentine proportions, housed across the 15th-century Palazzo della Gherardesca and the 16th-century convent, La Villa. The creamy interiors feature frescoes, paintings and sculptures, plus elaborate floral displays and golden light seemingly sent from the heavens. The Renaissance theme continues through the Michelin star restaurant, wine cellar and into the relaxation center, with its ancient Italian spa treatments and garden-based yoga. All a 15-minute walk from the Duomo.  

For English charm and Swiss hospitality: Hotel d’Angleterre, Geneva

On the shore of the glittering Lake Geneva, the Angleterre is a grand old dame to behold, but – as one of the best luxury resorts in the world – it’s also more intimate than you might expect. No two rooms are the same – there’s masterful quilting and upholstery, with playfulness coming through in the occasional leopard print cushion, striped drape, silk-covered wall or original Miró sketch. There’s afternoon tea, of course, plus decanters of port, cognac and whisky. It’s a masterclass in refined luxury, and it’s best enjoyed as part of Majestic Switzerland. 

For easy living in The Big Easy: The Ritz-Carlton, New Orleans

At the edge of the French quarter, the swish Maison Blanche building which occupies a whole city block is a retreat from the hubbub, but a very assuredly New Orleanian one. After a dinner of farm-to-table Louisiana cuisine (blue crab beignets, seafood gumbo, shrimp and grits), guests can listen to jazz musician Jeremy Davenport playing the lounge named after him, while sipping Davenportinis. It’s always a joyful stop on our Southern Grace journey. The spaces are ritzy and glamorous – lots of black leather and velvet.

 

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For untouchable private island solitude: Song Saa, Cambodia

This is the kind of unfathomable paradise we couldn’t not put on a list of the best luxury resorts. On Cambodia’s Koh Rong Archipelago, 45 minutes by speedboat from Sihanoukville, Song Saa is arranged across two small islands. It’s got everything you’d expect – palm-thatched villas with four-poster beds and sea-view plunge pools and an open-air spa made up of various pavilions, and plenty you’d never dreamed of too (it’s surprisingly family-friendly!). The owners are committed to the environment – they’ve set up a marine reserve and employ conservation staff.

For stylish safaris with heart: Londolozi, South Africa

In the Sabi Sand Game Reserve within the Greater Kruger National Park, Londolozi is all for healing the land. The Varty family behind it believe it “should inspire a desire to live in deeper connection with each other and the natural world”. Each of the exquisite camps tells a story – the Founders camp honors the past, Tree Camp is lantern-lit, and sanctuary-like, and Varty Camp is the heart and soul – it’s been hosting family-friendly campfires for over 100 years. The rooms and suites are richly layered under thatched roofs, each with expansive decks on which to do yoga, bathe or sip champagne.

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From King Tut’s tomb in Egypt to Roman relics in England, you’ll find endless hidden treasures when you explore ancient civilization sites around the world with Luxury Gold. We’ve selected some of the highlights to inspire your next luxury journey.

King Tut’s Tomb, Luxor, Egypt

As one of the oldest ancient civilizations on the planet, the Ancient Egyptian timeline stretches from before 3100 BCE until the end of the Roman Period around 400 CE. Even the Ancient Egyptians studied the Ancient Egyptians, unearthing hidden treasures and studying them with a reverent curiosity. King Tut’s Tomb, however, is a modern-day discovery that is rivaled only by the pyramids and the Sphinx. 

A century ago, archaeologists stumbled upon a staircase in the Valley of the Kings: one leading to the tomb of King Tutankhamen, a young pharaoh of Egypt with a short and debatably uneventful reign. The discovery of his tomb, however, was one of the most important in the study of Ancient Egypt.

Hidden in the sand, it was overlooked by centuries of tomb raiders. While the treasures in the surrounding king’s tombs were near-empty by the time modern archaeologists studied them, Tut’s tomb and its contents were relatively undisturbed, leading to both new revelations of Ancient Egypt and the cultural boom of Egyptomania that still captivates the world today.

Take a seven-night luxury Nile cruise, see King Tut’s Tomb, the Great Pyramids of Giza and more on our Luxury Nile river cruise.

You may be interested to read: Riches of the Nile: Why Egypt’s icon is the grandest river in the world

Pachacamac Idol, Lima, Peru

Between the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu, it’s easy to forget that ancient civilizations like the Inca were found throughout what’s now known as Peru. Which is why it’s so inspiring and exciting when hidden treasures are still unearthed in modern cities like Lima.

The Pachacamac Idol is a statue more than 2 meters high (over 7-feet tall) and was first introduced in modern-day history via Spanish colonial accounts. A conquistador attempted to destroy it in the 1530s; an attempt that was thought successful until the 1930s when it was uncovered near Lima at the Painted Temple archaeological site.

The Painted Temple was a holy pilgrimage site where this idol, believed to house an oracle, was unearthed. Although its existence alone is a priceless discovery, scientists have recently carbon-dated the statue and believe that the Pachacamac Idol was carved between 760 and 876 AD — predating the Incan empire’s arrival. 

Bookmark for later: Embrace the spirituality of the Incas in Peru’s Sacred Valley

Roman God Sculpted Heads, Carlisle, England

Italy may be the epicenter of Ancient Rome, but this iconic ancient civilization left hidden treasures scattered throughout Europe. Even in Great Britain, archaeologists are still uncovering remnants of Roman occupation. One of their most recent discoveries are sculptures of Roman gods found at a cricket club (how quintessentially British).

The area around the Carlisle Cricket Club is a trove of hidden treasures: over 1,000 artifacts including coins, pottery, weapons, and more have been found over the last two years. Once the site of a Roman bathhouse, these sculpture heads are dated around 200 AD and their large size is an especially uncommon feature found in Roman Britain. 

You may also like to read: Blooming Romance: Where to Find England’s Finest Rose Gardens

Stone Turtle Statue, Angkor Wat, Cambodia

Excavations of the Angkor Wat temple complex are ongoing, and have been since its discovery in 1840. Today, however, might yield some of the most exciting rediscoveries of the last 200 years. A large stone turtle statue was found in the Srah Srang reservoir during excavations of a small temple. The turtle is an avatar of the Hindu god Vishnu, so it’s far from a common find. What’s significant, however, is similar statues and artifacts are being found in other nearby temples within the reservoir. 

Archaeologists are discovering new undocumented medieval cities buried around Angkor Wat, and with these submerged temples yielding significant artifacts, there’s hope that other vast temple complexes may be unearthed around Siem Reap.