Cycling from Kyoto to Miyama and Back (self-guided)

 Discover the hidden gems of Kyoto on a one- or two-day cycling and sightseeing tour.

• Experience traditional Japanese culture from thatched roof houses to hot springs and Japanese cuisine.
• Cycle through the remote countryside north of Kyoto (on touring bikes or e-bikes).
• Cruise through Kyoto's traditional western district of Arashiyama.

Cycling from Kyoto to Miyama and back to Kyoto. Discover the rustic rural scenery, old Japan, and local flavors away from the crowds and off the beaten paths.  

Miyama, 60 km north of Kyoto, is a famous hamlet where traditional farmhouses with thatched roofs still exist. The idyllic, rustic scenery and the thatched roofs in combination convey an atmosphere of the old conventional Japan where people lived as one with the surrounding nature. A Japanese Ryokan (traditional inn) stay will round off this immersion into the traditional culture. You can soak in a hot spring bath and enjoy Kaiseki Ryori (traditional Japanese course dinner). Over two days, cruise through the countryside on small roads with little traffic to Miyama and back and end up in Kyoto's traditional western district of Arashiyama. 

* There is a briefing the day before the tour at Sakura Sari at 18:00. You will bag your personal belongings with your bike. 

Start from the cycling station in Kyoto and head north where Hanase pass awaits us right outside the city limits. The climb to the top of the key at 750 m is quite demanding and presents our biggest challenge. The country road to Miyama leads through small villages and is mostly free of traffic. Follow a river and climb the Sassari pass (700 m) before arriving in Miyama. In Miyama, stroll through the hamlet with its reed thatched houses nestled between vegetable and flower gardens and visit the local history museum. There is also an opportunity for a lunch break. After the hamlet, it is only a short ride to our Japanese ryokan accommodation, where you can relax in a hot spring bath. In the evening, you can enjoy Kaiseki cuisine, a refined cooking style consisting of many small dishes. It is a real treat not only for your taste buds but for your eyes as well.

Accommodation: Kajikaso or similar 
Meals: Kaiseki dinner 

After a traditional Japanese breakfast, continue the tour along small country roads. Climb halfway to sacred Mt. Atago and then drop down into wild and romantic Hozukyo Gorge. From there, a short, steep climb takes us to Kyoto's western district of Arashiyama. In Arashiyama, visit Otagi Nenbutsu Temple with more than 1000 stone Buddhist statues all around the temple ground and cruise through the traditional townscape lined with temples, shrines, and old houses and passing through the famous bamboo forest. From Arashiyama, head back to our starting point where the tour ends.  

Meals: Breakfast (Kajikaso or similar) 

This tour can be done as:

• Self-guided 1-day tour
  Price: $99 per person (using rental touring bike)
  Price: $129 per person (using rental e-bike)
• Self-guided 2-day tour
  Price: $349 per person (using rental touring bike)
  Price: $419 per person (using rental e-bike)

•  This program is an intermediate-level tour with moderate distance and elevation gain. However, the climbs have some long steep sections that will require participants on regular bikes (not e-bikes) to have a good level of fitness.
• There will be no support vehicle. You’ll have to carry your belongings in the bike bag.
• This tour is self-guided. We will provide the route for navigation by cycle computer or smartphone and make the accommodation bookings.
• The self-guided tour can be done starting with one person.
• There will be a briefing and bike fitting the day before the tour starts.
• Rooms in the ryokan are Japanese-style with tatami mats. Bath and toilet are shared.