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Overview
Grasshopper's premier self-guided cycle tour of Japan! Kyoto is the historic home of Japanese culture and one of our favorite cities in which to tour by bicycle. Explore the ancient capital by bike, then ride through another Japanese heritage city - Nara, a beautiful hilltop village Yoshino and the spiritual Mount Koya, before descending to the coast at Wakayama.
Enjoy the freedom of setting your own pace, one of the joys of self-guided cycle touring, but with the seamless logistical support that Grasshopper is famous for. Luggage transfers, hotels booked in advance, navigational aids, audio commentary and lots of information on food to help you make the most of Japanese cuisine on your ride. Great bikes, maintained to a Japanese level of precision are the icing on the self-guided Japan tour cake.
260 km / 159 mi riding. This self-guided bike tour is ridden on smooth sealed roads. You mostly ride rural lanes, backroads and dedicated cycleways. Once or twice for short distances you will cycle A-roads, but traffic is light. There are some hill climbs to challenge you along the way, but these are all achievable if you take your time. We recommend some pre-tour preparation to make sure you’re comfortable with the distances and climbs. There are multiple options to cut rides short or cut out hill climbs with some interesting public transport solutions to adapt your ride.
Pedal-assist E-bikes are an available option on this tour from $200.
Find out more about our e-bike fleet in Japan.
Upgrade your bike to a Cannondale Synapse Carbon Ultegra SE for just $220
Single room option: +$1,150 USD
Solo rider option: +$2,150 USD
Due to festivities surrounding the Golden Week, which runs from April 29 to May 5, bookings can't be made for departures in late April and early May. The high volume of traffic, along with major changes to traffic organization, make it impossible to organize a tour in this period. We also feel your experience would be lessened due to crowds.
Highlights
- Explore the many UNESCO World Heritage sites of Kyoto as you cycle this cultural capital.
- Along the journey, stay in traditional Ryokan accommodations for a flavor of Japanese culture.
- Pedal through the ancient city of Nara before riding to Yoshino in the forested Kii Mountains.
- Climb the sacred Mount Koya, the home of Shingon Buddhism, and stay in a traditional monks accommodation.
Inclusions
- 6 nights in premium hotel accommodation.
- 6 x breakfasts
- Introduction briefing designed to run through the practicalities
- Quality well-maintained bike and helmets
- Luggage transfers throughout the tour
- A Jersey and a water bottle as mementos
WHAT MAKES US STAND OUT
GRASSHOPPER STYLE
The beauty of a self-guided tour is that, though the exploration is on your own, we’ve taken care of all the details for you. This means that the route is planned out and programmed into a GPS system and app and your luggage will be waiting for you at one of our chosen accommodations. This bike exploration of Japan combines all the fun of an independent adventure with our expertise and knowledge of the area, the must-see sights and best places to eat in order to make your experience more directed and enjoyable.