Nara to Tokyo Bike Tour 2027

Overview

Welcome to Japan! Your trip begins in Nara, where you’ll meet your guides at 10:30 AM at Noborioji Hotel Nara. After a delicious lunch, you’ll get set up on your Trek bike with a personalised bike fit, safety overview, and a preview of the week ahead. We will roll out on a scenic first ride — just remember to ride on the left! Nara will be your home for the next three nights, and you may even spot deer roaming through Nara Park. This evening, gather for social hour followed by an unforgettable dinner at the hotel restaurant, Le Bois.

Overview

Wake in Nara, a vibrant city that once served as Japan’s first permanent capital and remains a cultural center with UNESCO World Heritage sites, including historic temples and the former imperial palace grounds. After a freshly prepared breakfast, head out for a steady climb and quiet descent on rural backroads framed by rolling farmland. A small countryside temple offers a calm mid-ride stop before returning to the hotel. Lunch is back at the hotel, where a master sushi chef will guide a hands-on sushi-making experience. You’ll learn the techniques, try your hand at rolling, and enjoy additional dishes alongside the sushi you create. After a relaxed afternoon, this evening we'll gather for dinner at a relaxed local restaurant.

Overview

You'll leave the Nara plain behind on a climb that carries you through cedar forests and past centuries-old temples before reaching a broad plateau. At the top, flooded rice paddies stretch across the landscape, reflecting new seedlings in the water as frogs croak along the edges. Stop for a traditional lunch, including seasonal ingredients and noodles, rice-based donburi, or Japanese katsu curry. Back on the bike, a few small hills follow before a long descent back toward the Nara plain. Pass through Tenri, known for its distinctive modern Buddhist temples and the community that lives, studies, and worships there, then finish on quiet back streets lined with small gardens and traditional homes. This afternoon you're free to explore Nara’s historic center, including Tōdai-ji Temple—an impressive 8th-century landmark housing the world’s largest bronze statue of Buddha Vairocana. This evening enjoy a drink at the hotel's beautiful bar before heading out for dinner on your own at one of Nara’s many outstanding restaurants.

Overview

This morning you’ll roll out of Nara toward the edges of Kyoto, following quiet country lanes and gentle river paths. As rice paddies and forested stretches give way to the city’s outskirts, the route offers a natural transition from rural riding to Japan’s cultural heart. Once you reach Kyoto, you’ll board the Shinkansen bullet train for a smooth, high-speed ride through the countryside toward Hakone. After arrival, stop for a lakeside lunch with views of the surrounding mountains. In the afternoon, choose to take the Hakone Ropeway—an aerial gondola that glides above the landscape—for wide-ranging panoramas and a closer look at the steaming volcanic terrain of Ōwakudani. Return to your luxurious ryokan in Hakone with some free time before gathering for dinner, ending the day with warm hospitality in a serene mountain setting.

Overview

Today delivers one of the most memorable rides of the trip. After breakfast, set out for the famed Izu Skyline, a high ridgeline route that traces the spine of the peninsula. Riding west to east, you’ll climb into long sightlines over rolling green hills and the Pacific coastline, with chances to spot hidden coves and fishing villages tucked along the water below. When conditions allow, Mount Fuji appears on the horizon—its near-perfect symmetry an unforgettable backdrop. A mix of steady climbs and flowing descents keeps the ride engaging and rewarding, with smooth pavement and sea-breeze stretches adding to the rhythm of the day. After the ride, slow things down with a relaxing afternoon at the hotel and enjoy the quiet atmosphere of Hakone.

Overview

Start the morning with a ride from iconic Lake Ashi, to cape Manazuru where the land meets the sea. It’s an easygoing spin that captures the quiet beauty of this region before the day shifts gears. Midday brings a seafood lunch featuring local flavors, then time to freshen up and pack for the final transition of the trip. In the afternoon, leave Hakone’s stillness behind and board the Shinkansen to Tokyo, arriving at Tokyo Station as calm landscapes give way to the city’s scale and energy. This evening, gather for a celebratory drink and farewell dinner to trade stories from the week before stepping out into Tokyo's neon nightlife.

Overview

On our final morning together, we’ll enjoy one last ride—a quick loop around the Tokyo Imperial Palace, a favorite route for local cyclists. The former castle’s grounds, with its impressive walls and moat, offer a calm juxtaposition to the metropolis before the city fully wakes. Our ride concludes at the iconic Tokyo Tower, a symbol of modern Japan and a fitting finale to our adventure. After returning to the hotel, you’ll say your goodbyes to the guides and to an unforgettable week of cycling, culture, and connection. Departure is at your leisure before check-out at 12:00 PM.