Famed its Buddhist temples, gardens, imperial palaces, Shinto shrines and traditional wooden houses, the Japanese island city of Kyoto is a magical place to explore by bike.
One the capital of Japan, modern Kyoto’s gentle pace helps make it a true delight for visitors. And for cyclists, its flat roads and hidden alleyways make two wheels the perfect way to explore. For starters, you can cover more ground than on foot, while still taking in everything that makes the city so magical, such as its lantern-lit streets, pocket-sized temples and fragrant teahouses. Here are some of the best bike tours currently available for seeing Kyoto on a saddle.
Full Day Bike Tour
This Kyoto tour packs in the city’s main highlights into a full-day adventure. Over the course of the day, you’ll pedal your way between iconic UNESCO sites like Toji, the Golden Pavilion and Fushimi Inari, while also dipping into the lesser-known corners of the city, including quiet neighbourhoods, hidden gardens and the geisha district of Gion. Guides are fluent English speakers with deep local knowledge, and the bikes (standard or e-bike) are high-quality too. The tour also includes a stop for a traditional Japanese lunch. From $123 per person.
Hidden Gems E-Bike Tour with Local Guide
(Photo: James Abbott via Flickr / CC BY-SA 2.0)
If you’d rather steer clear of the crowds and see a more authentic side of Kyoto, this half-day e-bike tour may well fit the bill. Led by local guide, you’ll cycle between lesser-known cultural landmarks like Nanzen-ji Temple, Heian Jingu Shrine and Ginkaku-ji, pausing along the way for matcha crepes, souvenir stops and riverside views. In short, as the name suggests, the tour emphasises Kyoto’s hidden gems over tourist hotspots, giving you a richer, more personal perspective of this enchanting city. From $62 per person.
Night E-Bike Tour
(Photo: John Gillespie via Flickr / CC BY-SA 2.0)
Koyoto is a sight to behold at all times of day, but perhaps never more so than after dark. This two-hour guided night-time e-bike tour invites you to see a different side of the city, when there are fewer people around and the air is a little cooler. During the tour, you’ll visit neighbourhoods such as Gion, Miyagawacho and Ninenzaka, as well as cycling past other landmarks and places of interest including Yasaka Pagoda, Toyokuni Shrine and Kiyomizu slope – all beautifully lit and arguably more atmospheric once the sun has set. From $67 per person.