Japanese Temple, Mountain Forest and Food Tour

Bike Tour Adventures in Japan

APRIL 2025

Our 2025 cycling tour to Japan offers a dynamic road trip cycling from one town to another in fully escorted, small group led by English speaking guide. Our tour is 7 days and 6 night plus travel to and from Japan. It is designed to allow a short break from Australia and takes the Easter and ANZAC Day public holidays.

The tour has been carefully planned and has been based on the idea of experiencing interesting aspects of Japanese culture while we ride. This tour has a particular focus on high quality meals but also incorporates temples, culture, nature, onsens, life in rural Japan and exercise. We will be biking through less travelled areas in the rural mountain region north of Tokyo. Our route takes us through wonderful scenery and enables us to experience traditional Japanese culture and food along the way. We will be visiting historic towns and will be staying at long established hotels and ryokans (traditional Japanese inns) with relaxing onsens. We are hoping that you will discover the heart of Japan on this epic ride.

Take in the spectacular scenery of mountains, high country and rural farmland and villages (some still using thatch on their roofs) as you ride through Japan’s beautiful central alps. Our food will focus on eating high quality Japanese foods, staying in hand picked Japanese ryokans (traditional inns) and relaxing after the days’ ride in hot natural spring onsens. Some of the food that we will be trying will include keiseki dinners which feature dozens of dishes incorporating local produce, seasonal ingredients and regional specialties. Some of the unique dishes will include shabu-shabu and sukiyaki using the finest Nasu wagyu beef. In the Nasu mountains we will eat fresh river fish which will be grilled, sautéed or prepared as sashimi. We will also be tasting locally produced cheeses, ice creams and home made soba noodles and tempura. We will be riding through many areas where these food are grown or made. North of Tokyo is called the Kanto region and is known as the rice bowl of Tokyo. Rice = sake = many famous brands to taste. We will also be serendipitously cycling past a craft brewery, and finally, we will have the opportunity to taste the surprising local wine.

Bill will be travelling and riding with you but it will also include an English speaking Japanese guide on the cycling days. Our riding will be fully supported with luggage transfers, mechanical support and backup vans. We do not recommend brining your own bike as they can be difficult to carry on Japan’s busy public transport system. The tour includes the cost of bike hire (road bikes or e-hybrid bikes).

Facts

Where: Nikko to Nasu

When: Departing April 2025

Duration: 7 days and 6 nights

Best for: Gravel bikes but the route can be modified for road bikes and e bikes

Riding level: Moderate. Cycling 40-75 km/day

Start: Tokyo, then travel to Nikko by train

In this foodie’s bike tour, you will experience some of the wide variety of great food that Japan has to offer. You will visit historic towns and stay at long-established hotels and ryokans (traditional inns), most of which have been welcoming guests for generations.

Tokyo is an astounding city. It is big, clean, safe, energetic, electric, quirky and fascinating. Although much of Tokyo was destroyed towards the end of the second world war, there is still many examples of a rich history dating back many centuries that we can explore.

Tokyo has many world class museums that cover just about every topic you can think of (even a cup noodle museum) in a creative, quirky or traditional format. Tokyo and Japan has a world class public transport system and who doesn’t want to ride on the Shinkansen (Bullet Train)?

Nikko is a small city in Japan’s Tochigi Prefecture, in the mountains north of Tokyo. It’s the site of Toshogu, the famed Shinto shrine established in 1617 as a lavish memorial for Tokugawa Ieyasu, founding ruler of the Tokugawa shogunate, or Edo Period. The shrine comprises the gilded Yomeimon Gate, the main sanctuary set in a cedar grove and the tomb itself.

The World Heritage shrines and temples in Nikko are possibly the most stunning in Japan and the mountain forest setting make a trip to Nikko very memorable. The Toshogu shrine is the spiritual resting place of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the founder and first shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate (1603-1867).

Shirakawa is a picturesque small city north of Tokyo in the foothills of the mountains. Historically the hills around Shirakawa were considered a barrier that decided the unconquered wild north from the Shogun-led south.

For centuries Shirakawa has been romanticised as the official gateway to the great north (Tohoku). The famous Japanese poet Basho featured this gateway in his travelogue the Narrow Road to the Deep North. Even with modern transport, Shirakawa is remote enough to be considered off-the-beaten-track.

TOUR ITINERARY

Itinerary – April 2024 Update

View & Download the Tour Itinerary

To receive further information on this tour when available, please contact us.

Support van to carry gear and provide mechanical support
5 nights accommodation on a twin share basis
5 breakfasts and 5 dinners (lunch is not included except on Day 3)
Fresh vegetable lunch at farmer’s house on Day 3
Tour guide
Bike mounted GPS navigation system with pre-installed tour routes
Snacks, fruit and water during ride
Insurance for the ride
Souvenir Camelbak water bottle

Air fares to Tokyo, Japan.
Bikes. However, bikes are available to rent, including e-bikes. Renting a bike is highly recommended as travelling with your own bike on Japan’s transport network to and from the ride is difficult, however, couriers can be arranged at an additional cost.
Personal riding gear (clothes, helmet, shoes, gloves, water bottle) and if you have favourite pedals bring them too.
Lunch except on day 5.
Alcohol.
Accommodation beyond our Day 5 accommodation unless you have signed up for one of our extended sightseeing tours after the ride.
Bike courier transfers to and from the ride start/finish to the airport (help can be provided to book these services).
Accommodation in Tokyo unless you have signed up for one of our extended sightseeing tours before the ride. A hotel can be booked for you but this will be at an additional cost.

We can organise a range of short non riding trips to add on to your bike trip to Japan. Add-on escorted short trips can range from an additional 3 days to 6 days. Take advantage of your trip to Japan and experience some of Japans modern and ancient highlights. Some ideas follow but let us know your interests and timeframes and we can design an add-on tour for you:

Kyoto and Nara: 4 days sight seeing in Japan’s ancient capitals

Nakasendo trail: 4 days hiking in the foothills of the Japanese Alps along the ancient route between Kyoto and Tokyo.

Tokyo: (4 days 3 nights) and Mt Fuji (an additional 2 days and 1 night): Experience the vibe of this thriving metropolis, shop, eat or even see a baseball game – an experience not to be missed.

Kumano Kodo: Hiking Tour (4 days and 5 nights) For over 1000 years, Japanese have made the spiritual pilgrimage to Kumano. These pilgrims traveled to the sacred sites using a variety of routes now called the Kumano Kodo. The three sacred sites of Kumano and the Kumano Kodo are now a UNESCO World Heritage listed site. World-wide there are only two major UNESCO World Heritage pilgrimage networks, the Kumano Kodo and the Camino de Santiago (the Way of St James) in Spain.

There are no set departure dates for the following tours. For cost and additional information please contact us using the contact page.

Trans Tohoku Road Bike 12 day and 11 nights or a shorter 10 day and 9 nights

The Tohoku region is located in the northernmost part of Japan’s main island of Honshu and is known for its gorgeous scenery, natural environment, rich local history, and delicious food. Experience a more traditional side of Japan. Go onsen hopping in the remote villages in the Tohoku region. After riding in the day soak in the natural hot springs (or onsen) in the evening. This ride is particularly gorgeous in autumn when the mountains are awash with the colour of turning leaves.

Kumano Kodo: Gravel Bike and Hike Tour (7 days and 6 nights)

For over 1000 years, Japanese have made the spiritual pilgrimage to Kumano. These pilgrims traveled to the sacred sites using a variety of routes now called the Kumano Kodo. The three sacred sites of Kumano and the Kumano Kodo are now a UNESCO World Heritage listed site. World-wide there are only two major UNESCO World Heritage pilgrimage networks, the Kumano Kodo and the Camino de Santiago (the Way of St James) in Spain.

In this tour, you will be biking and hiking. You will travel on the ancient Kumano Kodo, visit the Three Grand Shrines of Kumano, and will find yourself completely immersed in the beautiful nature of spectacular mountain ranges, massive and strange rocks, clear streams of water, and magnificent waterfalls.

Onsen Hopping Autumn Tour: (10 days 9 nights)

A shorter version of our “TRANS-TOHOKU Bike Tour“. Cycle shorter distances and stay at more “onsen” (hot spring) villages in the Tohoku region. Every night you can soak in natural hot springs (onsen). Experience a more traditional side of Japan and cycle through gorgeous scenery including mountain forests heavy with Autumn colour.

Snow Bike riding and skiing (January to mid March).

Spend 3 days and 2 nights snow biking and skiing or snow boarding in Nasau, or spend a whole week and add on a few days of skiing or snow boarding at Zao Onsen in nearby Yamagata. The top class ski fields of Zao Onsen are set in a mountainous wilderness and the winter Ice (or Snow) Monsters; trees that get completely covered in ice and snow and take on a surreal appearance.