It is quite true that a bike tour can only be as good as the guide but when we sought out to create the best cycling tours of Kyoto, we knew that our Kyoto cycling routes had to incorporate all the right things.
So what makes a Kyoto bike route special? When cycling in the countryside it is said that following a river will always be the quieter and safest alternative, away from the busy traffic. When cycling in Kyoto city, we are blessed with use of the Kamo River – a main artery of this ancient capital that allows you to take in all the city sites and sounds, while comfortably making your way north or south. Kyoto locals are quite partial to this river. Indeed, it is this city feature that on any given day shows you locals enjoying yoga, exercise, picnicking, dating, you name it, and it’s not uncommon to run into friends along the way.
Many of the Kyoto cycling routes make use of the city’s grid system, a design paralleled on an ancient Chinese capital. This makes biking through the city quite easy, zigzagging your way east to west. Our Secret Kyoto E-Biking tour however, takes place further north, away from the tourist tracks. Here the grid city planning system gives way to quieter lanes and backstreets, an amazing Geisha district, and two distinctly different Zen Buddhist Temple complexes. With so many visitors becoming increasingly overwhelmed with the hustle and bustle of the downtown core, it’s not uncommon for our guests to feel a huge sense of relief when joining our bike tours, rewarded with a Kyoto cycling route that is crafted with the perfect blend of urban and serene Japanese settings.
While we are obviously quite reluctant to share the specifics of our bike routes, it should be said that you can never fail by simply basing yourself in one the unique areas of Kyoto; whether it be Arashiyama, Gion, Fushimi Inari, and so on. Allow yourself time to soak in the surroundings by quietly meandering these quintessentially Kyoto environments. Just be sure to take that river home!