Cycling in Japan

From Tokyo to Kyoto, enjoy a­­ road-based bike tour in the Land of the Rising Sun ­­

There is no better way to experience the ever-changing landscapes of Japan than on two wheels, as we pedal along the Fukui coast to the picturesque farmlands and remote mountainous regions of Takayama and Unesco-listed Shirakawa-go. From temples, shrines and markets to hot springs, this trip offers excellent rural cycling without compromising on the cultural elements. No trip to Japan would be complete without a visit to Kyoto, with its Zen gardens and geisha districts, and futuristic Tokyo, sprawling, inimitably busy and extraordinary.

People, Places & Planet

We work hard to create trips that improve life for the people and places we visit and look after the planet we explore. Find out more about our sustainable travel ethos and practice here, and find out about the work of the Exodus Travels Foundation here.

Some sustainable travel highlights of this trip include:

People

How this trip helps improve life for local communities.

• The use of a local guide means our customers are well informed about local traditions and cultural-social sensitivities.
• This trip brings income and opportunity to the destination community through the inclusion of locally owned hotels and restaurants, the emphasis on eating locally produced food, and by supporting other local enterprises.
• Guests can stay at a family-run Japanese guesthouses (ryokans/minshukus) during the trip, where they will eat delicious home-cooked, traditional Japanese meals prepared by local people.
• Although not always guaranteed due to limited availability, we usually spend one night in traditional gassho-zukuri houses, some of which were built more than 200 years ago and are still run by local farmers, allowing clients to get a real feel of a Japanese family environment while supporting these communities.
• There is also the option to see traditional performing arts in Kyoto, including kyogen classical comedy, kyomai dance, gagaku music of the imperial court, bunraku puppet theatre, a tea ceremony, and flower arrangement. This encourages local customs to continue and creates employment opportunities.

Places

How this trip helps protect and conserve local landscapes and nature.

• By travelling in a small group, led by a local guide, we ‘tread lightly’ to minimise our impact on local resources and the environment.
• Our trips adhere to ABTA’s industry-leading animal welfare guidelines to ensure the best possible practices with regard to working animals and wildlife viewing. Our animal welfare policy can be found here.
• We work with our partners on the ground to proactively eliminate or reduce waste. For example, we encourage eliminating all single-use plastic water bottles and instead encourage clients to drink the tap water, which is safe to drink in Japan. We encourage all clients to take a refillable water bottle with them on the tour.
• During the tour, our guides educate guests on how to appropriately separate and dispose of any waste, as well as encouraging clients to use reusable chopsticks and canvas tote bags for shopping.
• By sightseeing and visiting cultural sites (such as Ryoanji Temple and the splendid Kinkakuji in Kyoto and the Unesco-listed gasso-zukuri) our entrance fees go towards upkeep of these important sites.

 Planet

How we seek to keep the carbon footprint of this trip low.

• Read about Exodus Travels’ Planet Promise here, including our rewilding and carbon compensation commitments for every customer who travels.
• This itinerary makes very limited use of private motorised vehicles since most of the cycling routes are point to point. hen transport is required, we mainly use public transport such as trains, metros and public buses.
• Accommodation and restaurants in the itinerary mostly use locally sourced food which has not been transported long distances.
• Vegetarian and vegan options are available at most accommodation and restaurants.
• Most accommodations used on this trip adhere to strict environmental policies to save water and energy and lower their carbon footprint.

 Tips for sustainable travel on this trip

• Leave no trace: We do all we can to ensure we leave no rubbish behind in the wild and beautiful places we visit; we ask that you do the same. If there are no recycling facilities in-country, we’d ask you to consider bringing recyclable materials home with you.
• Plastic waste reduction: Please bring your own reusable water bottle on this trip. Tap water in Japan is safe for drinking, hence we strongly encourage clients to bring their own reusable water bottles for this purpose and minimise our usage of single-use plastic bottles.

Cultural respect:

• Shoes are never worn in someone’s home or on Japanese tatami flooring (mats). There will always be a place to put your shoes. In addition, you will be given slippers to wear. There are often different slippers for the bathroom.
• It is highly inappropriate to stick chopsticks into food, especially into a bowl of rice. This practice of placing chopsticks upright in a bowl of rice is a funerary practice known as tsukitate-bashi.
• When eating soup or rice, it is acceptable to lift the bowl closer to your mouth to avoid spilling food. Generally, miso soup (which accompanies many meals) is drunk directly from the bowl, while larger soups are usually consumed by using a soup spoon.

Is this trip for you?

This trip is classified as Road and Activity Level 4 (Moderate/Challenging). For more on our trip gradings, visit our Activity Level Guidelines page.

• Nine days of cycling
• Average 37mi (60km) per day
• Partial vehicle support (with limited seats)

We cycle more than 310mi (500km) over nine days with an average of 37mi (60km) per day, so a good level of fitness is required. We cycle mostly on surfaced roads with a few sections on country lanes, cycle paths and gravel. The routes are mainly undulating but they get hillier on the inland section to Takayama and Shirakawa-go, where we face some steady climbs. A support vehicle (with limited seats) accompanies us throughout, except for the city bike tours in Kanazawa and Kyoto.

Routes follow mainly quiet backroads with low levels of traffic, but this does increase when approaching towns. We aim to cycle most of the route door-to-door, with only a few transfers and train rides organised to shorten some distances and avoid busier roads. Most rides will include some short sections through lit tunnels.

This trip is great for a first-time visit to Japan as it encompasses the varying aspects of the destination, from the serenity and history of Kyoto to modern Tokyo.

Some nights are spent in Japanese style accommodation and guesthouses with shared facilities.

Please be advised, bike hire is included and there is no option to bring your own bike on this trip.

Following a review of all our trips we have categorised this trip as generally not suitable for persons of reduced mobility. However if you are a regular traveller on such trips, please contact customer services to discuss the trip and your personal condition.

Vaccinations and Health

Japan

There are no required vaccinations. However, recommended vaccinations include hepatitis B, tetanus, Japanese encephalitis, rabies (bat lyssavirus) and tick-borne encephalitis. Please confirm with your doctor or travel clinic.

Visa

Japan

Travellers from the UK, US and EU normally do not need a visa to enter Japan. Please note, visa requirements often change and it is your responsibility to obtain any required visas for this trip. Therefore, we recommend that you check with the nearest embassy or consulate of your chosen destination(s), including any countries you may be transiting or transferring through.

Some local governments provide guidance on what visas their citizens need. To help, we’ve gathered a selection of useful links below.

• Australia: www.smartraveller.gov.au/destinations/asia/japan
• Canada: www.travel.gc.ca/destinations/japan
• United Kingdom: www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/japan/entry-requirements
• USA: www.travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/International-Travel-Country-Information-Pages/Japan.html

Food & Drink

All breakfasts and five dinners are included.

Japanese cuisine is usually one of the main highlights of any trip to Japan. It is based on rice with miso soup and other dishes usually prepared with seasonal ingredients. Seafood is very common, and usually grilled or deep fried. Sushi and sashimi aside, other staple dishes include soba or udon noodles, sukiyaki (meat, fish and vegetables cooked in broth) and yakiniku (grilled meat).

Some of the included dinners are taken at Japanese style hotels or ryokans (traditional guesthouses), which may serve a kaiseki-style dinner, a multi-course meal including a dozen tiny dishes prepared with locally sourced seasonal ingredients. When food is not included, your leader can recommend the best local eateries and arrange some group meals for a full immersion in the varied and excellent cuisine of Japan.

Please note, the availability of certain specialised products for restricted diets, eg gluten-free, vegetarian or vegan, is minimal or non-existent in Japan. The group meals arranged by the tour leader will be in traditional eateries where the choices of vegan dishes may be limited to simple salads or boiled rice; however, there are several vegan restaurants in Kyoto and Tokyo.

You may also find it beneficial to bring cycling snacks with you from home if you have high-energy bars or gels you like to use during a ride. For those who wish to contribute, a kitty is normally arranged and will be used to provide snacks and drinks during the rides.

Weather

Japan has four very distinct seasons, although weather patterns vary across the island. Our aim has been to avoid the extremely cold winters and humid summers and settle for the more pleasant climates of spring and autumn, which are more comfortable for cycling. Temperatures in March, April and November will be around 14C-17C (57F-63F) during the daytime and 7C-10C (45F-50F) at night. May, June and October are usually milder with temperatures ranging from 14C (57F) at night up to 27C (81F) during the day, although the likelihood of rain is higher during these months.

It is important to be prepared by packing warm clothing and layers for cold weather (especially for the March and November departures) in the interior in the region of Shirakawa-go and Takayama.