The 15 Best Cycling Tours in Japan

1.Bike Tour Exploring North Kyoto plus Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 1,087 reviews · from $106Our pick

Spend five to six hours cycling Kyoto with guides such as Mayko, Julian, Indra, Quinn, Karl, Jay, or Jamie. You’ll visit Nishi Honganji, Kitano Tenmangu, Kinkakuji, the former imperial grounds, and Gion, with temple admission, water, a Cannondale bike, guidance, and lunch included. Expect about 13 miles of mostly manageable riding.

“our guide Quinn was awesome. A native American, whose English was extremely good and also a Shinto priest with in depth knowledge of all the temples and shrines we would be seeing. He also added many other interesting stops along the way. yeah, obviously enjoyed his jobs and telling us the history in the region. He added another hour to the length of the tour.”

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2.Tokyo Great Cycling Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 811 reviews · from $99

Ride through Tokyo with a guide such as Toshi, Nick, or Naoko on a six-hour small-group route limited to 12 people. You’ll visit Tsukiji Jogai Market, Zojo-ji Temple, Meiji Jingu Shrine, and the Imperial Palace, with cycling access to streets buses miss. A moderate fitness level is needed.

“I saw so much of Tokyo in a day. Biking was definitely the way to go. My guide took very good care of me the whole time. Given the very hot weather that day, tge picnic was changed to a lunch at a izakaya. We visited shrines, stopped by arenas, and saw the imperial palace - all while learning a little about the neighborhoods we traversed.”

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3.Tokyo Top Highlights 3h Guided E-bike Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 714 reviews · from $63

Ride an easy-to-use e-bike from Tsukiji on a 3 to 4-hour small-group tour. Choose the City, Tokyo Bay sunset and night, or Tokyo Tower route. Guides such as Hiro, FK, Shinobu, and Miky lead stops at temples, gardens, shrines, modern landmarks, and local neighborhoods, with a Japanese snack included.

“Javi, the guide was beyond words cam express; outstanding!! Revealing tour of the unknown beautiful part of Tokyo”

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4.3h Tokyo E-Bike Tour: Hidden Gems, and Local Life with guide

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 670 reviews · from $63

Ride a rental e-bike through Tokyo with an English-speaking guide in a group of up to six. Morning routes focus on Tokyo Station, the Imperial Palace, Ginza, Tsukiji, and local backstreets. Afternoon rides head toward Akihabara, Kappabashi, Asakusa, Ryogoku, and Nihonbashi. Bikes, helmets, insurance, luggage storage, and simple weather gear are included.

“My husband and I, plus another couple, our friends who took this cycling tour with us, all highly recommend this fun tour. Our tour guide Jenny was very experienced, amiable, and knowledgeable about Tokyo and it's history. This tour on bicycle was the first thing we did on our visit, to get to know Tokyo a little, and Jenny definitely helped us learn about Tokyo. She also kept the group together. The ebike are easy to operate. We give Jenny and Cycling Holiday Tokyo top mark.”

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5.Arashiyama Bamboo Forest & Hidden Gems Bike Tour (Early Bird)

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 613 reviews · from $106

Start at 8:00 am near Saga-Arashiyama Station for a private 3 to 4-hour ride with guides such as Rob, Yuki, Ray, Milo, or Cass. You’ll use standard Cannondale city bikes, walk through the bamboo grove and Tenryu-ji’s garden, then pedal quiet lanes, rice fields, temples, shrines, and Togetsukyo Bridge. The route is family-friendly for ages 10 and up.

“Ideal way to see Kyoto … cover a lot of locations in between fun bike rides. Highlight of our time in Kyoto.”

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6.5 Top Highlights of Kyoto Full Day Bike Tour (E-bike option)

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 511 reviews · from $172

Start at Saga-Arashiyama Station for a 7 to 8 hour ride covering up to 27 miles. Your English-speaking guide leads you to the bamboo forest, Fushimi Inari, Gion, Kiyomizu-dera, and Kinkakuji, with local streets, river paths, lunch, snacks, and photo stops along the way. Standard bikes are included, while e-bikes cost extra.

“The historic sights were wonderful! Tour guides so knowledgable and fun! Seeing the city from a bicycle is truly the best way to explore a new place. The tour went everywhere in Kyoto!!! A perfect day for my husband, my 21 year-old, my 18 year-old and me!”

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7.3-Hour Bike or E-Bike City Highlights Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 435 reviews · 3 hours · from $45Best value

Ride roughly 15 to 20 kilometers through central Tokyo with guides such as Naoki, Kosei, Atsu, or KJ. You’ll visit temples, parks, palace grounds, Tokyo Station, Aoyama, and Shibuya. Choose a Bianchi or Fuji cross bike, or an e-bike if hills and distance concern you. Small-group and private options are available.

“My son (23M) and I booked this tour as a good way to see the city as it is so vast and we weren't sure what to see. Our itinerary was somewhat modified but we saw the palace, a temple, gardens, etc. Our guide was informative and kept us safe. We lucked out on beautiful weather and really enjoyed the day. Be sure you are comfortable riding a bike as you will go from sidewalk to road with traffic.”

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8.Hiroshima 2hr Peace Cycling Tour with Local Guide

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 321 reviews · from $59

Ride an easy electric bike route through Hiroshima with guides such as Shin and Kana, both praised for warm, personal storytelling. You’ll visit the A-Bomb Dome, Cenotaph, Children’s Peace Monument, Peace Bell, and lesser-known city sites, then return to the Peace Park Rest House. The 10-person tour takes about two hours.

“Amazing experience! We had the best tour guide ever (Kana-San)! The electric bikes made it easy, and the tour was extremely easy to follow. Thank you, Kana-San! - Hayleigh and Jeremy”

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9.5-Hour Osaka Bike Tour to the Neighborhood of Osaka Castle

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 319 reviews · from $87

Join a guide such as Mike, Masumi, Ken, or Yuzu for a five-hour ride from Tenmabashikyōmachi through Osaka’s shrines, Edo-era streets, Osaka Castle, and its park. Your bike, lunch, green tea, snack, and tour photos are included. The pace is designed for sightseeing, with a maximum of six people.

“Masumi, our guide, was generous and helpful on this bike ride. He made it interesting and the pace was great. Our okonomiyaki and mochi were so delicious ! Very nice group attended from Canada and Australia !”

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10.E-Bike Tours of the highlights of Kyoto!!!

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 291 reviews · from $109

Ride Kyoto’s quieter lanes on an included e-bike with a guide such as Philippe, Kevin, or Niall. Choose an east-side route with Heian Shrine, Ginkakuji, and the Philosopher’s Walk, or a west-side route covering Kinkakuji, Arashiyama, and Ryoan-ji. Expect temple visits, local stories, photo stops, and about five and a half hours on the road.

“This was one of the least biking heavy bike tours I've ever done, but in a good way. It involves small/medium segments going between locations followed by decent amounts of time spent at those spots waling around and talking. Traditional Read more”

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11.Peace Cycling Tour with Local Guide

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 286 reviews · 2 - 3 hours · from $52

Ride an easy electric bicycle through central Hiroshima with a local English-speaking guide. In two or three hours, you will visit Peace Memorial Park, the Atomic Bomb Dome, Aioi Bridge, surviving trees, A-bomb heritage sites, and areas beyond the usual sightseeing route. Guides such as Shin, Kana, Moe, and Bella bring local family stories and a message of hope.

“The tour was fabulous thanks to the most amazing guide "Shin", he was so engaging, fun and energetic whilst being very informative and educational, teaching us about hiroshimas history and also adding personal stories of the effects of the bombing. I am a solo traveller and really enjoyed it! was a small group of 5 and the other 4 people were a family with two young kids - would be a great tour as a family activity with shin as your guide as he is so fun.”

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12.Afternoon Kyoto Bike Tour: Bamboo Forest, Monkeys & Hidden Spots

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 283 reviews · from $106

Meet your English-speaking guide at Saga-Arashiyama Station for a four-hour ride through Arashiyama. You’ll cycle standard Cannondale city bikes to Iwatayama Monkey Park, the Bamboo Forest, Tenryu-ji’s Sogenchi Garden, and Togetsukyo Bridge. Guides such as Yuki, Rob, Peter, and Ray add local history, culture, photos, and practical help along the way.

“This tour is unique and fun yet gives insight into Japanese culture and their way of life. Highly recommend doing this tour.”

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13.3-hour Guided E-Bike Tour of the City’s Hidden Gems

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 251 reviews · from $65

Ride an easy-assist e-bike through Tokyo with an English-speaking guide such as Hiro, Yota, Miki, or Shinobu. Choose a city, Tokyo Bay, or Tokyo Tower route. Expect famous sights, quieter streets, gardens, temples, bridges, photo stops, and a traditional Japanese snack. You need basic cycling confidence and must be at least 13 years old.

“Excellent tour with great commentary from guide Shinobu. Great fun.”

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14.South Kyoto in a Nutshell: Gentle Backstreet Bike Tour!

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 225 reviews · from $79

Start at Cycle Kyoto at 9:00 am for a three to four hour ride through southern Kyoto. Your guide leads a small group of up to eight on Cannondale bikes through backstreets, past Nishi Honganji, Gion, Tofukuji Temple, Takase Canal, and Fushimi Inari. Helmets and water are included, and guides such as Jay, Indra, Juan, and Sam add local stories along the way.

“We had a brilliant tour around Kyoto seeing the sites. Our guide took us to a lot of places off the beaten track so we avoided the tourist traps. He really looked after us and made the tour enjoyable. I would highly recommend doing this tour.”

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15.Eat, Drink & Cycle: Osaka Foodie Bike Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 224 reviews · from $99

Ride through South Osaka in a small group of up to seven, stopping for oden, tofu, doteyaki, market snacks, wagyu, sushi, and kushikatsu. Your English-speaking guide may include Erik, Mako, Peter, Matt, or another local host. Expect about three and a half hours of easy city cycling, food tastings, and neighborhood history, with bikes, helmets, water, and lunch snacks included.

“Great tour of local eats and not the tourist traps! Guide is very knowledgeable and had great recommendations to share!”

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