This Kansai tour is designed for ease, comfort, and cultural immersion, with all the logistics handled so you can focus on the experience. Enjoy guided cycling through iconic cities and quiet countryside, luggage transfers between accommodations, and thoughtfully chosen stays ranging from ryokan to a Buddhist temple. Daily rides are supported by a local guide, with bikes fitted on arrival and routes planned to balance scenery, culture, and enjoyment. Traditional meals, market visits, and temple experiences are woven throughout, creating a seamless journey through Japan’s cultural heart.
Arrive in Osaka and check in to the hotel, where we will all meet together with our guide for introductions, trip orientation, and bike fitting. After settling in, we head out for a short warm-up ride to get comfortable on the bikes and ease into the journey. In the evening, we enjoy dinner together in the lively Temma district, known for its local food culture.
Distance: 10 km (6 mi)
Meals: Dinner
Accommodation: Western-style hotel or Japanese ryokan
We cycle north toward Kyoto, following rivers and quiet paths out of the city. Along the way, we visit the Panasonic Museum and stop at the Sakura-deai Visitor Center before continuing on to a sake museum. Arriving in Kyoto, we explore gardens and temples before spending the evening near Nishiki Market, wandering its narrow lanes, food stalls, and small museums.
Distance: 53.7 km (33.4 mi)
Elevation: +379 m/−342 m (+1,243 ft/−1,122 ft)
Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Western-style hotel or Japanese ryokan
A shorter day filled with iconic sights, we cycle through temple grounds and discover Ginkaku-ji and its beautifully designed Silver Pavilion gardens. We follow the Philosopher’s Path and continue on to Nanzen-ji, exploring its gardens, aqueducts, and temple complex before riding to the shores of Lake Biwa. We stay at a Buddhist temple on a hillside above Otsu, visit the Otsu-e Art Museum, and enjoy a special vegan temple meal in the evening.
Distance: 39.8 km (24.7 mi)
Elevation: +441 m/−381 m (+1,447 ft/−1,250 ft)
Meals: Breakfast and dinner
Accommodation: Buddhist temple
We ride south toward Nara, passing through the green tea town of Uji and visiting Byodo-in Temple and its famous Phoenix Hall. Wide cycling paths lead us past tea fields and through peaceful countryside before we arrive in Nara, where we spend time with the city’s free-roaming deer. We finish the day at our ryokan, enjoying a traditional evening atmosphere.
Distance: 56.9 km (35.4 mi)
Elevation: +474 m/−489 m (+1,555 ft/−1,604 ft)
Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Japanese hotel or ryokan
We begin by exploring Yamatokoriyama, known for its centuries-old goldfish breeding tradition, before visiting Horyu-ji, one of Japan’s oldest temples and home to the world’s oldest surviving wooden buildings. Continuing on, we stop at Kashihara Jingu and pass beneath its giant torii gates before riding through rolling hills and rural landscapes on our way to Hashimoto.
Distance: 69.1 km (42.9 mi)
Elevation: +599 m/−606 m (+1,965 ft/−1,988 ft)
Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Western-style hotel or Japanese ryokan
After warming up our legs, we visit the Kudoyama Sanada Museum to learn about a famous local samurai family, then stop at Jison-in Temple, dedicated to women’s health. We enjoy a scenic riverside cycle as the route winds toward the coast. In Wakayama, we explore Momijidani Garden and Wakayama Castle before settling into an oceanside ryokan for the night.
Distance: 65.4 km (40.6 mi)
Elevation: +351 m/−404 m (+1,152 ft/−1,325 ft)
Meals: Breakfast and dinner
Accommodation: Japanese ryokan
Our final cycling day follows the ocean, crossing bridges and enjoying expansive coastal views. We stop at Awashima Shrine, admire seaside murals, and relax in a park where we can even try out a large slide. The ride ends in Rinku Town near Kansai International Airport. In the evening, we explore nearby shops and restaurants and take a ride on the waterfront Ferris wheel before our last night together.
Distance: 55.9 km (34.7 mi)
Elevation: +412 m/−425 m (+1,352 ft/−1,394 ft)
Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Western-style hotel or Japanese ryokan
After breakfast, we check out and say our goodbyes. With Kansai International Airport nearby, departures are smooth, and there’s time to reflect on a journey that blended cycling, culture, food, and landscapes across one of Japan’s most fascinating regions.
Meals: Breakfast
Included:
Add-ons (pricing shown at checkout):
Not included:
In order to join this women-only Kansai tour, great fitness is required. You have to be able to bike for longer periods of time, generally 4-6 hours per day. The most you’ll pedal within a day is up to 70 km (45 mi), with up to 600 m (1,965 ft) of elevation gain. Check out the itinerary to learn about day-by-day distances.
Want to see what else is there in the area? Discover more bike tours in Japan here!
Here’s a list of the equipment you need to bring:
Dress comfortably and for the weather in clothes you can move in. We suggest bringing clothing appropriate for the season. Layers are best and don’t wear jeans.
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The standard rental bike is a Cannondale Quick 3 or equivalent. If you’d like an upgrade, e-bikes are available for an additional fee. The e-bikes are Panasonic or Yamaha pedal-assist models with 3 to 4 levels of power and a removable battery that will need to be charged each evening.
A bike lock is included with every bike. Helmets are also provided at no extra charge. These are Japanese helmets and may fit a little differently than what you’re used to, so you’re welcome to bring your own if you prefer. The provided helmets are MIPS helmets.
The bikes come with flat pedals, which are recommended given the frequent sightseeing stops and occasional narrow backroads where quick dismounts may be needed. If you prefer clipless pedals, three options are available at no charge: SPD-SL, SPD MTB, and Look Keo Classic. You’re also welcome to bring your own.
Each bike includes a repair kit with a multi-tool, allen keys, tire levers, a spare tube, and a pump, so there’s no need to pack your own. There are also many bike shops along the route, and we’ll provide you with a list of helpful Japanese terms and phrases in case you need assistance at one.
Bottle cages are fitted on all bikes. A front carrier bag is also provided, with enough room for essentials like your passport, phone, wallet, snacks, and a compact jacket. If you’d like to carry more, consider bringing a small daypack.
Japan, and especially the Kansai region, is remarkably bike-friendly. Cycling is woven into everyday life, used by schoolchildren, working adults, and elderly residents alike for commuting to train stations, work, school, and shopping. It’s practical, not performative. Leisure cycling is less common; the bike is simply a trusted daily tool.
Patience is the core principle when it comes to etiquette. When approaching pedestrians from behind, the expectation is not to announce yourself or ring your bell to ask them to move, as that would feel pushy. Instead, you wait until it’s naturally safe to pass, then do so quietly. Shouting “on the right!” is not part of the culture, and the bell is reserved for genuinely dangerous situations, not as a casual heads-up.
At crosswalks, cyclists follow pedestrian signals, not vehicle signals, so you stop and wait for the pedestrian light just as a walker would. The unspoken priority on the road flows from pedestrians first, then cyclists, then cars. On a narrow street, a cyclist will pull to the side when safe to let a car through, and in the same situation, a car will simply follow patiently behind the bike without honking or pressuring until they can safely pass.
The defining word for the whole experience is patience. Nobody pushes their way through. Reading the situation and moving when it’s naturally safe, rather than forcing it, fits right in with how the road and honestly most of Japanese daily life is shared.
Group sizes and pricing
Kansai tours can be arranged for larger groups. Contact us to make arrangements.
Min. age requirements
The price for this Kansai tour is based on twin-share rooms, but a single occupancy room can be arranged at an additional fee. You can add it to your booking at checkout.
The starting point of your Kansai tour is Osaka, Japan. To get there, most people fly into Kansai International Airport (KIX). From there, you can take a shuttle service or a train to reach downtown Osaka.
You will meet your guide at the first night’s hotel in Osaka on Day 1 of the tour.
We highly recommend that you cover all your bases with insurance. To make your booking and traveling experience as carefree as possible, you’ll be offered to simply insure your trip with Redpoint at checkout.
Redpoint—the official 57hours insurance partner—tailors protection packages for adventure travel, offering a comprehensive travel program, even in remote locations! Trip cancellation, natural disasters, pandemic coverage, medical evacuation, primary medical expenses—regardless of the travel interruption that may happen, Redpoint will have you covered.