Arashiyama Bamboo Forest & Hidden Gems Bike Tour (Early Bird)

Lots of fun and educational. Rick was a great guide. He knows his Buddhism, Shintoism, cypress and cedar (not to mention bikes and bamboo). Mostly he’s just a cool cat who always had an eye on the group and any lurking dangers. Thank you Rick

Great morning tour with Guide Rick and Kyoto Bike Tour. Clear guidance prior. Easy meeting up. Nice balance of riding and stopping at interesting spots. Better bikes than I expected. Great guide! Was a little worried about the early start, but turned out to be no problem. Highly recommend.

FANTASTIC. My husband and I had the best time. We went to places and learned things we never would have on our own. I’m not much of a biker so I was a bit nervous but it was the perfect pace. Our tour guide Rob was AWESOME. Definitely book this tour.

This tour was so awesome! Rick was a great guide - so friendly and knowledgeable. It was so cool to hear about the history attached to each site we visited while taking in the views. Highly recommend this experience!

I highly recommend this tour. The best part was our guide Rick, whose enthusiasm, knowledge and bicultural sensibilities helped us better appreciate Kyoto and Japan. The tour introduces all sides of Kyoto — natural and urban, historic and modern — with a perspective only possible by bike. Most of the tour was dedicated bike paths and quiet neighborhood roads, but you need to be aware of cars, kids, and other standard urban issues. I appreciated Rick’s focus on safety. He also knew the best way to navigate otherwise very busy tourist sites, including back entrances and shortcuts. The day went quickly!

Fantastic tour with Don. Very knowledgeable and thoughtful guide. Great to get slightly away from the tourist crowds. Well worth it.

Just finished the bike tour with Rob. My friend and I wanted a unique experience to sight see to learn more about the culture and this tour did just that. Rob was very knowledgeable and we enjoyed our time with him.

We had an amazing tour with Rob! The sights were beautiful, and Rob made the experience exceptional. His thorough explanations of the history, religion, and local customs and culture made the tour both educational and fun. Highly recommended!

Great way to see the bamboo forest and other interesting sights in one half day. Rob was an EXCELLENT tour guide! Super knowledgeable and shared a wealth of information on Japanese culture with us. Highly recommend!

Yuki was a great tour guide. Very knowledgeable. Learned a lot about the history of Japan. The good and the bad. Highly recommend. The tour visited some beautiful temples that were not full of tourist.

The Bike tour with Don was AMAZING. Living in Japan for 30years not only his knowledge was exceptional but also, you can feel his love for the culture including its quirkiness. Most of all he made it fun and interesting!!! The snacks and photos were a plus too!!!

Our day out with Yuki was absolutely one of the highlights of two weeks in Japan. The bamboo forest was beautiful, as were the gardens, the shrines and the paddy fields. But the star of the show was Yuki. He was so interesting and interested, shared a lot about his own life and studies and gave us some great insights into Japanese history, culture and the Buddhist faith. We loved this tour!

We had such a wonderful bike tour in Kyoto! Ray was honestly one of the best guides we’ve ever had. He’s a local historian and shared so many fascinating stories and facts about the city that we would have never learned on our own. What made the experience even better was how thoughtful and flexible he was. He made sure we felt safe throughout the ride, asked what we wanted to see and do, and took us through some beautiful, quieter areas away from the tourist crowds, exactly what we were hoping for! He also treated us to lots of delicious local snacks along the way, which was such a lovely touch. We couldn’t have asked for a better way to explore Kyoto. Highly recommend this tour, and especially Ray!

We had a wonderful time exploring the Arashiyama area of Kyoto. The tour took us to both the famous busy spots and some lovely quiet corners, and along the way we learned about the cultural and religious significance of each place. It's an exceptionally well-planned tour, and our guide, Don, made it all the more enjoyable with his knowledge and warmth. Highly recommended!

This tour has been a highlight of our family holiday to Japan (48, 48, 15F and 12F). The communication by Kyoto Bike Tour before and during the tour was great and made everything easy. The tour itself is a fantastic combination of some of Arashiyama’s best known attractions such as the Bamboo Forest and Tenryu-Ji Temple, and local neighbourhoods and countryside. Our guide Don was friendly, knowledgeable and accommodating. He took great photos of our family and the scenery along the tour and shared these with us, as well as local restaurant recommendations.

Your definitely should do this! Almost now crowds, beautiful cool morning weather. Our guide spoke excellent English and was very knowledgeable.

The bike ride was one of the highlights of my 10 day trip to Japan. Our guide was fabulous. His explanations and personal stories to explain Japanese cultural elements was informative and helped me to appreciate my Japanese trip, which is exactly the reason for my trip. We travelled / walked 20km at a comfortable leisurely pace and never felt hurried. I would recommend this tour. Thanks so much for a great tour.

Our tour guide Rick and this overall tour was amazing! I have three young adult boys and this was one of their favorite things we did in Kyoto. It was a good combination of biking and visiting landmarks. I would highly recommend. Thanks for such a great morning Rick!

We had a great time on the Kyoto Bike Tour with our guide, Don. It was such a relaxed and enjoyable way to explore Arashiyama, taking in the beautiful bamboo forest and the stunning Zen garden at Tenryu-ji Temple. Don was really friendly and knowledgeable, sharing lots of interesting information along the way without making the tour feel rushed. We really enjoyed the whole experience and would definitely recommend Kyoto Bike Tour and Don to anyone visiting Kyoto.

We had an exceptional, informative day out with Yuki. Not even the rain could dampen our enthusiasm. We highly recommend this tour!

Cass was a great guide very informative. Bikes were of a great standard, relaxing fun way to see the sights of the area. Nice to get out if the tourist area & see areas we wouldn’t have seen otherwise.

Rick was a well organised, thoughful and knowedgeable guide. It was magical exploring the Arashiyama Bamboo Forest and more rural tucked away side of Kyoto by bike. One of the best experience I enjoyed in Kyoto. Highly recommend...and will look at going on the full day tour with Kyoto Bike Tours next visit.

Rob, our guide, was outstanding. His knowledge and understanding of Japanese culture and the local area were excellent. If being away from crowds and still seeing the highlights of Aryshiyama Bamboo Forest is your thing, this is the trip for you! Highly recommend Kyoto Bike Tours

Great bike tour with very knowledgeable guide. Biked out to countryside and stopped at uncrowded shrine. Highly recommend this tour. Bikes were not e-bikes but they were great and easy to shift and ride.

Awesome bike tour that included the bamboo forest, nearby shrines and gardens, and rice countryside. Had an amazing time and Yuki was a great tour guide — very knowledgeable and personable. Would recommend for anyone traveling to Kyoto.

Our Arashiyama and Monkey Park bike tour with Yuki was easily one of the highlights of our entire trip to Japan! Biking through the beautiful streets and scenery of Arashiyama was such a special way to experience the area, and Yuki made the day even more memorable. Yuki has an incredible knowledge of Japanese history and culture, but what really made him such a wonderful guide was his ability to connect with our three kids. He kept them completely engaged and somehow turned a bike tour into an experience where they were genuinely curious and asking question after question about Japanese history and culture — with plenty of conversations about video games mixed in! As a parent, it was so much fun to watch our kids learning, laughing, and enjoying themselves at the same time. Yuki was warm, patient, engaging, and so easy to spend time with. Between the beautiful bike ride, the monkeys, and everything we learned along the way, this was an experience our whole family will remember. We cannot recommend Yuki and this tour highly enough. If you’re visiting Kyoto, especially as a family, put this one on your list!

A great day riding with Peter and his group this morning around Kyoto’s Arashiyama area. Loved the variety of the ride through beautiful quite backstreets, to the flowing river and onto The Bamboo Forest, shrine and temple, then down through the ricefields and back into town for a cooling ice cream. Peter had some great stories, informing us of the local area, culture and history. Top hosting Peter- Thanks. Paula and Tim (Melbourne)

We had such a great bike tour with Rob this morning! He was friendly, knowledgeable, and made the whole experience fun and relaxed. A fantastic way to explore the city and discover places we would have otherwise missed. Highly recommended!

Great tour, relaxing, we did not expect it to be so informative. Friendly tour guide, (Rob), knowledgeable and shared personal details about his experience living in Japan; more than simple sightseeing. Thanks for a great morning!

As a family of three, travelling with our 11 year old son, we opted for the Early Bird Bike Tour to avoid crowds and the hottest part of the day. We took the train to the meeting point which we found easily thanks to the very clear instructions sent prior to the day (and Google Maps!) Our guide, Don, met us at the train station, pointed us in the direction of restroom! and provided ice cold water and a hydration tablet before setting off in the heat. The Bamboo Forest was a highlight, a number of tourists around but Don managed to navigate us through and snap some great family pics. We were on a small tour with just two others and we certainly got what felt like a personalised tour. A highlight for us was cycling through the rice paddle fields, seeing the pink lotus flowers and cycling across the bridge. Our 11 year old is an experienced bike ride and loved it - one of the best and most interesting bike tours he has done! I am an average cyclist and felt safe on the roads. The heat did get to me heading up a final hill but Don explained the group would be heading back so I waited half way up. The heat was intense but Don factored in plenty of rest and hydration stops. Don took photos throughout the morning which he shared promptly at the end of the tour. He also gave us some pointers for local eateries and we lived the curry! Highly recommended. Thanks, Don.

Highest recommendation! We had an amazing experience with Rick as our lead recently, based on recommendations from friends who loved a tour with Yuki in 2025. Rick was a friendly and knowledgeable guide. We did this our first morning in Kyoto and it really helped frame our whole visit there. He taught us about shrines and temples (customs, how to approach, etc) and that was super helpful for later visits on our own. Rick made the heat bearable with nice touches like breaks, water and snacks, and salt / electrolyte tabs. Our family tends not to do tours but he made it engaging for all of us (including two skeptical teens). Would definitely do this again.

This was one of our favorite activities we did during our two weeks in Japan. Our guide, Rob, was awesome! He shared so much with us about culture and religion and the region. He was super knowledgeable and really kept everyone engaged. The ride was lovely! Not just the bamboo forest but also the small streets around the neighborhood and my favorite part which was going out through the rice fields and small country roads that border Kyoto at the base of the surrounding hills. Even in the crazy summer heat, this was still a fantastic experience.

We loved our bike tour of Arashiyama and the bamboo forest. Cycling through the paddy fields and visiting a quieter temple after the crowds of central Kyoto were delights. The pace was sensibly relaxed, given the summer heat and we were well supplied with water. However, it was really our guides, Ray and Rick that made the tour. The combination of historical and religious context and anecdotes from their experience of living in Japan really added to our experience. Thanks for a fun trip!

Our family of 4 with two teens did the early bird bike tour with Don and so far has been the highlight of our family’s Japan trip! We loved every minute of it even in the 97 degree weather. Between the bamboo forest, temple visits, and countryside paths it was by far the coolest way to check out hidden gems of Kyoto! Thanks Kyoto Bike tours and Don. What a fabulous memory for our family.

Don was an excellent guide, he told us about Kyoto also some cool places which we also loved. In my 13 & 10 year old's words - it was very good. It was worth the early start. It was the best way to visit temples & shrines with kids, without getting too hot or lost in crowds. We learnt about "old history" & Kyoto without getting bored.

This was a great bike ride to discover a little more of the Arashiyama area. Don was a great guide and gave us a lot of history on the Shinto and Buddhist religions at the shrine and temples we visited. We loved riding through the rice fields, a true highlight. We had two teenagers and three in shape adults but not in cycling shape and this tour was extremely doable for all on the trip. We would definitely request Don as a guide again and will be looking forward to Kyoto bike tours if we return to Japan. Thank you for making our trip so memorable!!

We had the best time exploring Kyoto on this bike tour. Rob is an absolutely amazing guide and was extremely knowledgeable. The weather was hot but we were provided with plenty of water and breaks to stop and soak up the surroundings. My favorite stop was probably Tenryu-ji Temple Sogenchi Teien, but we saw so many cool things on this tour. I highly recommend it!

Thanks to Peter and his team for an amasing morning-biketrip to the Bamboo forest, Arashiyama and the surrounding areas. The guides have created a wonderful roundtrip that in addition to the bamboo forest contained both visits to Temples, Shrines, ricefields and parks. The bicycles were of good quality and everyone in the group was taken good care of. Thanks to the skilled guides it was both a fun and educational trip. We can highly recommend this tour.

We had an amazing time! Our guide, Rob, is incredibly knowledgeable and shares his passion so enthusiastically. We visited some hidden gems and he told us some amazing stories. Definitely worth it. Thanks, Rob!

This was an amazing experience. Just enough of the tourist things you want to see with unique things mixed in. Ray was an awesome guide. The perfect amount of information to be informative but not at all boring or overwhelming. Super knowledge about not only Kyoto but Japan in general. Big help with our plans for the rest of our trip with all his tips. Overall super super awesome and highly recommend this tour!!!

We had an amazing bike tour and would highly recommend it! Our guide, Ray, was incredibly welcoming and made the whole experience relaxed, enjoyable, and fun. His extensive knowledge of the local culture, history, and the area made the tour truly special. By the end of the tour, we felt we had gained a much deeper understanding of the culture and the area. Ray also gave us excellent recommendations for places to visit and took plenty of photos throughout the tour, so we could simply enjoy the experience without worrying about capturing the moments ourselves. We now have wonderful memories of a fantastic day. Thank you, Ray, for such a memorable experience! Cosi & Jonas

My family had such a wonderful time on this bike tour with Don! We got to see some gorgeous spots, including the bamboo forest, temples, shrines, rice fields and a vegetable vending machine! The breezes we felt while biking were such a welcome change from walking in the high heat and humidity in July. We are at the end of our 10 day vacation in Japan and I wish we had done this bike tour at the beginning because we learned so many things about Japanese culture and traditions that I wish I had learned earlier on. I highly recommended this experience!

First off, Rob was brilliant! He was knowledgeable, funny, friendly and made the whole trip worth while. The course itself was really good. Lots of variation in scenery and fun to do. There is some walking through the bamboo forest and temple grounds as well which was nice to break up the ride. Would highly recommend this tour to not only see some beautiful temples and the bamboo forest but also to get a little slice of authentic Japanese living and riding through the streets and rice patty fields. To top it off, Rob bought us a cold drink along the way and within two hours of the tour concluding we had a huge amount of photos shared with us that Robb took along the way which made it even more special. Thanks again, Rob - you are a legend!

Our cycle tour with Rob was simply excellent. As a family with two teenagers, we all enjoyed the experience. It was lovely to cycle through the quiet back streets, visit the bamboo forest, alongside rice fields and lotuses, a visit to a Shinto Temple and inside a Buddhist shrine before the crowds arrived. Rob was incredibly knowledgeable and friendly, and he shared interesting insights into Japanese culture as well as the sights we visited. We learned a lot during the tour, and the early start meant we were able to see the sights in a much quieter setting. We would absolutely recommend this tour - and Rob as your guide - to anyone visiting the area, especially families looking for a relaxed and informative experience.

We had an amazing day with Don our guide. Going early meant we missed the crowds. We also took in the temple, rice paddies and the town itself. Don was knowledgeable, friendly and made sure we were safe at all times. Highly recommended.

Absolutely brilliant. Definitely the best way to see Kyoto

What a beautiful way to explore parts of Kyoto! Don was generous with his time and knowledge all while leading us on a cycling adventure through countryside and to temples and shrines. We had the best time! Great experience for our family with teens.

Great tour. Yuki was my guide. He was friendly, knowledgeable, and fund to hang out with. Highly recommended.

Wonderful, knowledgeable tour guides. They had a great pace and gave plenty of time for exploring and taking pictures. I loved that they took pictures of our group for us so we could focus on the experience.