Cycle Japan

About this trip

Exactly what you do each day, where you sleep, and how it flows — written by us, from the real itinerary.

1. 1
   Day 1 · KyotoKyoto

   

   Welcome to Kyoto, Japan's spiritual centre and former capital until 1868. The city escaped WWII destruction, preserving thousands of temples and shrines. Meet your leader and fellow cyclists at 6 pm; if you arrive early, explore the World Heritage-listed Nijo Castle.

2. 2
   Day 2 · KyotoKyoto

   After a safety briefing and bike familiarisation, cycle west from your ryokan to the Katsura River, then north on a dedicated path past traditional houses to Arashiyama's Imperial Villa and bamboo forests. Visit Tenryuji and Ryoanji temples, pause at Ryoanji's Zen garden, then ride the Philosopher's Path through Higashiyama before returning for an orientation walk.

3. 3
   Day 3 · KyotoNara & Kyoto

   

   Cycle south on a dedicated riverside path from Kyoto to Nara, the even older capital. See the 15-metre bronze Buddha at Todaiji Temple and spot free-roaming deer. Stop at Nagarebashi, a 356-metre wooden bridge famous in samurai films, then return to Kyoto by train.

4. 4
   Day 4 · OtsuLake Biwa & Hikone

   Travel to Otsu on Lake Biwa's shores and cycle the flat shoreline of Japan's largest freshwater lake. Lunch in Omi Hachiman, an ancient trading town, then finish in lakeside Hikone. Visit the nationally treasured Hikone Castle on the included tour, then explore freely.

5. 5
   Day 5Gero Onsen

   Train north to Gero Onsen in Gifu Prefecture. Visit Gassho Village, an open-air museum of centuries-old mountain farmhouses with steep roofs and traditional folk art. Explore this recreation of historical village life, then share an included dinner with fellow cyclists.

6. 6
   Day 6 · TakayamaTakayama

   Cycle north along the Hida River through rolling green hills to Takayama. Explore this small city's beautifully preserved Edo-period old town, featuring traditional sake breweries, handicraft shops and local food stores offering insight into Japanese culture.

7. 7
   Day 7 · TakayamaGujo Hachiman

   Start at Takayama's morning market, one of Japan's largest, browsing fruit, spices and handicrafts. Then tackle the longest ride of the trip—mostly downhill through mountainous winter ski country—to reach Gujo Hachiman. Explore this small town's quiet streets and the 16th-century Hachiman Castle.

8. 8
   Day 8 · GifuGifu

   Cycle mostly downhill from Gujo Hachiman to riverside Gifu, significant to Japanese history since the 15th century. Rest after three long rides or visit the Battle of Sekigahara museum and explore nearby shops, restaurants and izakayas.

9. 9
   Day 9 · TokyoTokyo

   

   Trade your bike for Japan's legendary train system and watch the landscape pass as you travel to Tokyo. Arrive and take an evening orientation walk, exploring both the contemporary centre and older streets.

10. 10
    Day 10 · TokyoTokyo

    Cycle two routes today using local paths Tokyoites rely on. Spot architectural surprises while visiting Ueno Park with its museums, Akihabara gadget town, Nihonbashi district and upmarket Ginza with high-end shops and galleries. Lunch at the famous Tsukiji Outer Market.

11. 11
    Day 11 · TokyoTokyo

    No activities planned. Depart Tokyo and end your Japanese adventure, or speak with your booking agent beforehand to arrange additional accommodation.

What's included

• Guide: All Intrepid cycling group trips are accompanied by one of our cycling leaders. The aim of the group leader is to take the hassle out of your travels and to help you have the best trip possible. Intrepid endeavours to provide the services of an experienced leader however, due to the seasonality of travel, rare situations may arise where your leader is new to a particular region or training other group leaders. Our cycling leaders are all passionate cyclists, as you’d expect, but they also go through some pretty rigorous cycle-trip specific training. Each one has undergone on-road training and supervision and knows how to do safety checks, basic repairs and emergency first-aid. And at the end of the day they’re still regular Intrepid leaders, which means they will provide information on the places you are travelling through, offer suggestions for things to do and see, recommend great local eating venues and introduce you to our local friends. While not being guides in the traditional sense you can expect them to have a broad general knowledge of the places visited on the trip, including historical, cultural, religious and social aspects. At Intrepid we aim to support local guides who have specialised knowledge of the regions we visit. If you were interested in delving deeper into the local culture at a specific site or location then your leader can recommend a local guide service in most of the main destinations of your trip., On this trip we have a single leader that rides with the group, and another that drives the support vehicle (acting as a back marker where needed) There may be times when a client is asked to be the back marker, ensuring no one else rides behind them, if the vehicle cannot travel directly behind the group. Your leader will discuss this at the initial group meeting.
• Meals: 10 breakfasts, 6 lunches, 4 dinners
• Activities: 9 days guided & vehicle-supported cycling 9 Days Included Bicycle Hire Kyoto - Gion District walk Kyoto - Arashiyama Bamboo Forest Nara - Todaiji Temple Omi Hachiman historic village visit Kyoto - Hikone Castle Gassho Village open air museum Takayama morning market visit Tokyo - Sensoji Temple Tokyo - Tsukiji Fish Market
• Transport: While there are occasions when we use local public transport such as trains, buses or taxis to cover long distances or attend non-cycling activities, we predominantly use the bicycle as our main form of transport. On most of our trips we also have a support vehicle as secondary transport for travelling longer distances, avoiding hazardous areas to cycle, as a backup should we have any incidents and of course as an option for those that would prefer not to cycle for an hour or a day. In most regions, the support vehicle will be a minivan, but may range in size up to a full-sized coach or overland vehicle. Your main piece of luggage is transported in the support vehicle. Our bikes do not have panniers or bags on them, so we recommend a small backpack or a cycling jersey with rear pockets to carry any essentials you’ll need with you., BRINGING YOUR OWN BIKE: Please note that due to operational restrictions clients are unable to bring their own bikes on this trip., Bike bag/box restrictions on Trains From May 2020 there will be size restrictions for luggage on Shinkansen trains. Luggage over 160-250cm may require an additional 1000 JPY : oversize luggage fee per train journey. Luggage over 251cm will NOT be permitted on the Shinkansen trains at all. , Please note a Japan Rail Pass is not incuded as part of this trip. All train sections indicated as included on the itinerary are prebooked and prepaid as a group and cannot be used individually., INCLUDED BIKES: We use Giant Escape RX3 bikes on our Cycle Japan trip - it is an aluminium frame hybrid style bikes with 27 gears, rigid fork, rim brakes and flat bars and 28mm tyres. For full specs and geometry please see http://www.giant.co.jp/giant16/bike_datail.php?p_id=00000051#specifications, E-BIKE OPTION: An e-bike option (at additional cost) may be available on this trip. We have limited numbers of these bikes available and they are an 'on request' basis only. A request does not guarantee an e-bike, only a confirmed booking. Please ask your agent for more details at the time of booking., INCLUDED OR HIRE BIKES: CONDITIONS OF USE: You must not mistreat the bicycle and must return it in the same condition as when you received it (excepting ordinary wear and tear). You should immediately inform the supplier in the case of breakdown or loss. The provider is entitled to charge for any damage caused to the bicycle during the period of hire. You must also make sure that the bicycle is secured when not in use. If the equipment is lost or stolen you may be liable for the replacement value of the bicycle. The bicycle remains the property of the supplier and you may not sell, rent out or part possession with the bicycle. You must not use the bicycle while under the influence of alcohol or drugs. , SUPPORT VEHICLE: While we always aim to ride to our next accommodation, outside of the main cities a support vehicle will also be with you at all times. Please note that the maximum number of cyclists we can fit in the support vehicle is 4. The support vehicle is not with us in Kyoto and Tokyo. Bicycle (e-bike option available, subject to availability), Support vehicle, Train
• Accommodation: All accommodation at traditional Japanese Ryoken has shared bathroom facilities., RYOKANS : & MINSHUKUS: Japanese-style accommodation - ryokans or minshukus (traditional inn/guesthouse) involve sleeping on futons or matresses on tatami mat floors, with bedding often packed away during the day. Attached bathrooms/toilets will usually be very small and many will only have shared bathing facilities with certain hours, or times available for booking at reception. Your leader will explain etiquette involved in using the shared facilities. As this style of accommodation will often not have furniture (ie. chairs or beds) in the rooms, please consider choosing a different trip style in Japan if you have difficulty getting up from the floor or have knee, hip or back issues. Some establishments may have a curfew when travellers need to be back in the accommodation - this is usually around midnight. Please also be aware that you would normally be required to change to slippers when entering into your room in such properties. Extra fees will be charged if dirty marks are left on their beddings or towels that require professional cleaning. Some of such properties will only give 1 key for each room so you can leave the key at the reception so that you and your roommate won't have to conform to the same schedule when you are out exploring. , OCCASIONAL ALTERNATIVE ACCOMMODATION: The style of accommodation indicated in the Itinerary is a guideline. On rare occasions, alternative arrangements may need to be made due to the lack of availability of rooms in our usual accommodation. A similar standard of accommodation will be used in these instances. TWIN SHARE: Accommodation on this trip is on a twin share basis, unless otherwise stated in the Itinerary. There may be times when facilities are shared, rather than ensuite, which will also be mentioned in the Itinerary if applicable. CHECK-IN TIME: Throughout the trip we request that hotels prepare rooms in time for our arrival, especially if we're arriving prior to normal check-in time. However, this isn't always possible. Instead, we can store our luggage and explore our new destination before checking in. PRE/POST TRIP ACCOMMODATION: If you've purchased pre-trip or post-trip accommodation (subject to availability), you may be required to change rooms from your trip accommodation for these extra nights., Accommodation in Japan can be difficult to secure at short notice. If you are travelling in Japan before or after your trip, we recommend booking accommodation at least 1 month in advance of travel, especially in high season (March to May, September to November). Hotel (8 nights), Ryokan (2 nights)

How travellers rate it

Your free day in Kyoto

Landing early, staying on, or filling free time? The best-rated day experiences in Kyoto — you book on Viator (we may earn a commission).

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Common questions