Kyoto Bike Tour - The Bamboo Forest & Arashiyama — Local services in Kyoto

I recently used Kyoto Bike Tour for a group of 13 on Saturday, June 28, 2025. Because our size, we had to split our group into two (a group of 8 and a group of 5 which had another couple join them). I booked back in September of 2024 for our June of 2025 trip. Peter was great at communicating via email.

We had two separate guides for our two groups, Cass and Rob. Out of 13 folks, 8 chose e-bikes which helped those who requested them. My 10-year old son could not use one due to his height so he was the youngest person ever on Rob's trips to complete the 43km/26+ mile on his own power. My son rocks!

I can only speak for my group of 8 with Rob as our guide, but most of us enjoyed the itinerary. It was a hot, humid and sunny day so it made for a very LONG day. Towards the end we were all ready to get back to the train station. Kyoto Bike Tour supplies water which I recommend drinking as much as possible if you're going in the summer. Rob even treated us to some ice cream at one of our stops. The last 4-5 miles were a slough as we were all tired, hot, sweaty and thirsty.

Japanese streets can be narrow and congested so if you're not comfortable riding on city streets this is not the trip for you. We did take a lot of paths when we could but there were times the riding on the streets could be a little nerve racking for those who aren't used to it.

I did not give 5-stars as I feel this trip should have had 2 guides. One in front and one in the back. We did a bike tour in Buenos Aires, Argentina a few years back and we had 2 guides to make sure the slowest of riders don't get left back but also helped when it came to crossing a busy street or intersection. At times, our group became a little spread out so I would need to yell at Rob to stop and wait. As the bike leader/guide (this goes along with what my group of 5 said about their leader Cass as well) they need to be cognizant of their group and keep them together. This wasn't always done. One person in the 2nd group got separated because they got caught at a light and it wasn't noticed for awhile.

The lunch spot was excellent and it was a nice respite from the Kyoto heat and sun. The food was delicious and a great recommendation from Rob of the cold broth udon.

If you are biking in the summer (even late spring, early fall), bring sunblock, an umbrella for shade (for the walking around parts), a hat (this was listed under their FAQs) to wear and possibly wear under your helmet if it will fit. Also bring money to buy cold drinks from the vending machines throughout your ride.

I checked back at my emails and didn't see anything like a simple "things you might want to bring" list. Kyoto Bike Tour should recommend the items I listed above (aside from the hat listed in FAQs). Each bike comes with a handlebar bag so you could fill it with sunblock, hat, umbrella, etc in it.

Overall, I would recommend Kyoto Bike Tours but still think they need to have 2 guides per bigger group. I'm not sure I would recommend the all day tour as it is a LONG day (8+ hours) of biking and a lot of the stops you power through not necessarily having time to enjoy them. I would suggest a...

Booked this bike tour after reading seeing it mentioned on Reddit. Family of 4 - mom, dad, 12 yo, 10 yo. We did the Afternoon Bamboo Forest & Monkey Tour in early April.

When people ask me what my favorite part of my trip to Japan was, I instantly say this bike tour. I've never done an organized bike tour before, so I wasn't sure what to expect. What we ended up with was a well rehearsed tour hitting several points of interest, lovely groupmates, and best of all, a tour guide (Ray) who is 100% all in on giving you the best bang for your buck.

We met up at a local train station, where Ray was waiting for us with our bikes, helmets, and a bottle of water. After a general introduction, full safety debrief, and a few minutes to get our bearings on the bikes, we were off. Highlights of the tour included a stop at a temple with beautiful grounds and plenty of cherry blossoms in full bloom, the Bamboo Forest (not nearly as big as you're probably expecting it to be!), and Iwatayama Mountain and Monkey Park (if you are out of shape like I am, take your time with the climb!). We also made a stop at the Kimono Forest on the way back (an art installation near a local train station - lovely gift shop there!). While all of those stops were great, my favorite part of the tour was riding along the local countryside between stops. This felt like I was seeing the real Kyoto, so simple and so incredibly lovely.

At each stop, Ray stopped to tell us interesting tidbits about the area and its history. As an American who has lived in Japan for decades, he has a great perspective about straddling two very different cultures. Beyond all of the information, he is simply just a fun guy to talk to. He took the time to take plenty of pictures for us so we could concentrate on our surroundings. He also took plenty of posed family pictures in every location so we didn't have to bother with selfies. The tour did not feel rushed at all, and traveling by bike really made me feel immersed in the local area. Best of all, within a day, I had an email with a link with over 100 pictures that Ray had taken for us.

I've recommended this bike tour to several friends and coworkers who are planning trips to Japan. My kids are already asking about a return trip. When we make it back to Kyoto, I plan to book a private tour so we can check out all the spots we missed on our first visit.

PS I finally got around to writing this review because my 10 year old keeps asking me if I've written one yet. He's very adamant that everyone on the internet know what a fun...

This bike tour was one of our favorite experiences during our visit to Kyoto—and Japan as a whole.

First, the Arashiyama Bamboo Forest was absolutely beautiful and felt truly special. It was perfect that this was the first stop on the tour—early in the morning when it was still quiet. I loved looking up at the towering trees and feeling completely immersed in the natural beauty.

Our guide, Peter, was fantastic—an excellent storyteller who shared just the right amount of information to make it memorable without being overwhelming. Two weeks later, I can still clearly recall his stories about Shintoism and its practices, Buddhism, the Japanese monarchy, the symbolism of the 5 yen coin, and more.

The 4-hour tour includes several stops, but my favorite was the peaceful Daikakuji Temple, where we took off our shoes, learned about the temple’s history, and heard about how the emperor still visits today. We even received our fortunes there! I also really enjoyed seeing some of the surrounding farmland and learning about rice cultivation.

In the second half of the tour, we visited Tenryu-ji Temple, rode through town, and ended by crossing the Togetsukyo Bridge, which offered beautiful views and a great way to wrap up the experience.

I highly recommend this tour and would absolutely do it again if I return to Kyoto. Peter was also nice enough to take and share photos of everyone from all of the stops and sent them to us later that same day.

One final note: my partner and I are in our 50s and definitely not regular cyclists—he hadn’t been on a bike in five years! But we managed just fine. The bikes were comfortable and easy to ride. We even chose to skip the ride’s one hill to conserve energy and avoid slowing down the group, which worked out well.

The only heads-up I’d give is that toward the end of the tour, as the town gets busier, you do need to be a little more alert navigating through cars and pedestrians. But overall, this was a smooth and...