Arashiyama Bamboo Forest E-biking Tour

What a wonderfully different way to experience Kyoto predominantly away from the crowds. Michael was an energetic and knowledgeable guide with an obvious passion for the Japanese culture. Highly recommend this tour. We are both over 50 and the bikes were super easy to use and navigate. Loved every minute.

We cannot recommend this tour more highly! 100/100. Michael was an amazing tour guide. We had the most relaxed time! Michael explained clearly how to use the ebikes and at each location he was able to provide us with interesting information and facts. The website by Noru provides clear information, the locations they include in their tour are fantastic. Would recommend doing this tour on Day 1 of your Kyoto visit. We had a group size of 5 people. We think it was good value for money.

A fun and safe way to explore Kyoto. Michael was an excellent tour leader that picked safe, low traffic routes to get around and was very knowledgeable about the temples and shrines we saw.

We absolutely loved Our experience. It was exhilarating and fun. Our guide, Sean, was knowledge and informative. He was helpful and kind and his sense of humour along with his energy made this an excellent adventure! The bikes were amazing and easy to use. We are still talking about what a great time it was!

Our guide Uta was awesome. We had Sean on the Hidden Gems tour and he was awesome as well. Great Great guides full of information and super thoughtful. Both great tours with little tourists. 100% recommend

A one of a kind experience. Henry was a skilled and vibrant tour guide. He was very patient with those who were less experienced riders, took us on a wonderful tour with shrines, beautiful streets, a lovely pit stop with matcha and we even chanced upon a Maiko walking past on the oldest (shortest?) Geiko street. It was a great pace and included a couple of challenging hills - glad of the e-bike 😉. Recommend going well fed, as there is no food stop. Henry showed us an amazing cemetery, a beautiful, lesser known bamboo forest, as well as the most visited one, where he skilfully took a photo of us that made it look as though we were the only ones there 😁 Highly recommend 10/10

Very nice to see how it withstands the winds and has lasted soo long. Went to the Togetsu-Kyoto Bridge

Amazing tour, Michael was a great guide. The best thing I've done in Kyoto.

Loved it. We did both tours they offered since we loved the first one so much. There was some overlap but it was awesome to get out of the crowds and go to such cool places with a great guide. And their bikes are awesome!! Henry and Yuta were both great!

Yuta was an amazing guide for more that four hours, where we got to see and experience some truly incredible sites and activities. We experienced genuine places and Yuta educated us in Japanese culture and history along the journey. We can fully recommend!

What an amazing tour! Our guide Henry was very knowledgeable had wonderful stories to tell about the history and culture of Kyoto. As we were the only ones booked for the tour we had a private tour and he was able to show us more than we expected. He expertly guided us through some amazing off the beaten paths through our tour to Arashiyama and back. He even helped me get Guoshin from the temples we visited. Such an amazing tour and we cannot recommend it enough.

We loved exploring the streets of Kyoto, it was so hot we never would have been able to explore on foot. We thought the highlight would be the bamboo forest but there were so many other highlights. Seeing the rice fields, ice cream with two lovely locals, the different areas. Would highly recommend.

The tour is informative. Henry is an amazing guide. Both knowledgeable and positive. He helped make our experience memorable and enjoyable!

Outstanding bike ride throughout the countryside, absolutely gorgeous. Our guide was great at navigating traffic while being mindful of each bike rider. He was super knowledgeable about Kyoto history, super nice and highly recommend!

My husband and I went on a bike tour led by Henry, and it was fantastic!!! Henry is extremely knowledgeable about Kyoto and Japan generally. The tour was a fantastic way to see Kyoto. While the bamboo forest was striking and beautiful, the rest of the stops were the highlights!! I would highly recommend this tour to people who love to learn and love to move.

Awesome way to explore Kyoto on a bike. henry was very knowledgable with the tidbits of Japanese history

I was disappointed in my experience with this company and would not recommend. During my time in Japan, our family has experienced nothing but kindness and excellent customer service. This was the opposite of our experience with Noru. Our family had booked the Bamboo Forest biking tour. We thought we booked the private tour, but it was actually a public tour and there was one other couple in our group (we were 6 in a group of 8). At the last minute, we had a change to our schedules and needed the tour 30 minutes early. The other couple that was on the tour with us was very friendly and happy to make an adjustment to the tour to help our family out (thank you!). The guide and the manager of Noru refused to make any changes despite all 8 of us being willing. It was the team at Noru who kept saying "no" to any suggestion rather than having a solutions-oriented mindset. We had our Japanese guide with us, and he was horrified by the lack of customer service and accommodation. The staff we engaged with were not Japanese. We ended up having to forgo going on the tour so we could make our commitment. No partial refund was offered or considered. If your trip goes perfectly, they may be fine. But if you need any flexibility (like ending a tour 30 min early and everybody is okay with that), you will get none, and do not expect the level of courtesy offered to you by everybody else in Japan.

This bike tour was fantastic from start to finish. If you want to experience the area's rich history while escaping the main crowds, this is the way to do it. Cycling the backroads through the peaceful local farmlands and charming towns gave us a completely different, authentic perspective of Kyoto. The bikes themselves were excellent quality and incredibly easy to use. The group size was perfect, keeping the experience feeling intimate and personal. Our guide, Michael, was wonderfully down-to-earth, highly knowledgeable, and added so much context to everything we saw. Plus, the thoughtful touches like providing water and a stop for ice cream were such a treat! We loved that all the entry fees were taken care of in advance, which made the day completely seamless and hassle-free. If I had one minor wish, it would be for just a tiny bit more time—even for just a few extra short stops along the way to soak it all in—because we were having such a great time. Whether you are a history buff or just want a scenic, active day out, I cannot recommend this tour enough. It was truly the highlight of our time in Kyoto!

This tour with Michael was the best part of our time in Kyoto. It was amazing to visit quite areas of the city that would have otherwise been missed. Great bikes, great guide. Wonderful time.

Henry was a fantastic guide, and his passion for the history of Japan was evident. I enjoyed the little stories and bits of information Henry offered at each stop. The bike ride itself was very easy thanks to the assistance of electric bikes which seemed well maintained and comfortable to ride. The only thing I would recommend is the use of headsets for each rider so everyone can hear commentary from the guide. We enjoyed this experience very much and would do it again. Unfortunately, we didn’t get too many photos as we were too busy enjoying the journey.

Fantastic day - this is a must see tour from feeding the deer, experiencing the bamboo forest dressed in traditional kimono and sampling lots of street food at the red gates ! Our tour guide Sofia was the icing on the cake she was fun, extremely knowledgeable, clear communication and did I say fun! Please don’t miss the tour when you visit Kyoto!

We had a fantastic time on the bike tour- Henry was very knowledgeable about local history and the tour was one of the best things we did during our time in Japan!

My family (2 adults and 2 teenagers) were recommended this e-bike company by friends who lived in Kobe who had done it before, and we were not disappointed. We did the Arashiyama tour which was a full afternoon (around 4hrs maybe a bit longer) and it was fabulous. All of us said it was the best day ever! Even though Otagi Nenbutsu-ji was closed the day we went, Henry took us to see some other fantastic options. We thoroughly enjoyed it, especially the matcha tasting which was unexpected. Henry has a great sense of humour and made it very fun, he is extremely knowledgeable about Kyoto, and very open with questions and gave some good recommendations. Highly recommend and worth every yen. The small group size was perfect (8 people) so everyone had enough time for questions and lots of room to zoom volcano mode style without it being to crowded.

Such a lovely way get a different view of the city while visiting some lesser known/ out of the way sites.

Yuta was a fantastic guide! Make sure to wear layers as it gets cold on the ride. We had such a lovely time!

Micheal was an amazing guide and made this trip so much fun for our 4 teenagers. His knowledge and love for this beautiful city made all of our kids eager to learn the history of Kyoto. Oh yeah! He’s a gifted photographer.

Wear comfortable clothes, and come in a good mood. Everything else is arranged for yoy that’s all it takes. Hidden places, a great guide. Best experience in Kyoto.

A must-do in Kyoto! Yuta was a fantastic guide, integrating history and cultural insights with humor. Our group of 4 Americans thoroughly enjoyed the experience, especially our traditional tea ceremony and optional meditation practice. It was perfect to maximize time exploring Kyoto as a day trip from Osaka. Overall, a trip highlight!! (Yuta is also a great photographer!)

I can highly recommend this trip. This is a great way to see, and learn, some of the history of Kyoto while biking through the backroads, hills and farms just outside of the city, its beautiful out there. I saw a lot and I learned a lot over the four hours I was on the bike. Michael was our guide, he was fantastic. He's like an encyclopedia of knowledge of the history of this magical place; he's a true gem!!

We took the Arashiyama e-bike tour on the 14th of February with Noru bike tours. We had very nice weather of sunny/overcast around 14 deg Celsius. When we arrived our tour guide Yuta was very attentive and welcoming, telling us the plan and asking for preference on the tour since we were only going to be 3 people. The bikes were in good conditions and we got very clear instructions on site on how to use them. The chosen roads for cycling around were mostly with very little traffic and it was awesome to ride on the e-bikes! Very smooth and little physical effort required! When we arrived at different destinations Yuta explained in an easy to understand way, with some good jokes thrown in - the perfect tour guide in my eyes! We got so much insight into Japanese tradition and culture thanks to Yuta, a highlight of our trip to be sure! What could be improved: - One of the main attractions, the Otagi Nenbutsuji Temple was closed on the day of our tour, and apparently it is closed all saturdays so the organizer should know this and not book the tour promising this temple on a Saturday. - what to wear and level of physical exertion could be better communicated, like jeans are fine for example. Summary: All in all I would highly recommend the tour, it was amazing to zip around Kyoto on the bikes and get so much insight into Japanese life and traditions!

Fantastic e-bike tour with Yuta (our guide) who took care of everything and provided a fascinating look into local customs, history and culture. The bamboo forest was beautiful, Yuta also provided a wonderful tour of other shrines and temples, neighborhoods, and a matcha tea ceremony, all the while explaining the importance and meaning of everything we were seeing. Thank you again for such a memorable experience!

Great tour, great guide - very professional. Spent the right amount of time at each place. Guide gave right amount of information about each place. A fabulous way to see the area!

Our bike tour was great and we're so glad we did it! Riding through the local neighborhoods and farms was beautiful and a very nice break in getting away from the the usual Kyoto crowds. The e-bike made the ride very easy and it was such a nice way to take in the local scenery, visit the sites and hear about the history from the bike tour guide in a small group setting. Our guide, Sean was friendly, knowledgeable and somehow managed to get the perfect photo of our group of 4 at the crowded Bamboo Forest so that it looks like we were the only people there. Towards the end of the ride, we stopped at a small ice cream shop that 2 very sweet Japanese senior citizens run. We got caught in a little rain at the end which didn't bother any of us because we had rain jackets and the rain added to the adventure of it all - and the sweet ladies at the ice cream shop even came out with towels to dry off the bike seats. :) I highly recommend this tour - it's a good one and well worth the cost.

We had a great afternoon! Thanks to the E -bikes cycling was smooth and it was a pleasant ride out of town. Our guide Henry was good fun and very knowledgeable about Japan, culture and society. Visiting temples, a Zen garden and bamboo forest were on the list but the real adventure was enjoying the ride.

Our guide Henry is passionate about Kyoto and Japan. We pedalled to interesting Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples, learning more about the Shinto and Buddhist religions. Cycling was a good way to see the Arashiyama area with rice fields and bamboo. We were fortunate see geisha in the geisha area, With Henry, we also had a good perspective on modern day Japan.

We had a fun and informative bike tour with Sean, seeing places we would have likely never made it to by ourselves. Highlight of our trip!

We had a great experience on our e-bike tour to the bamboo forest. It was so nice to do on bikes. Michael was a wonderful guide. We would highly recommend this tour.

Fully enjoyed the tour: it felt very local, we were driving through very quiet areas. Good bikes &guide Michael to recommend!

Really enjoyed this bike tour in the Arashiyama area of Kyoto…visited a couple of quiet temples and a bamboo grove. My favorite part was riding on quiet backroads through family farms, topped off with an ice cream stop! Michael was a great guide, very informative and fun to chat with. Recommend!

Incredible scenes and lots of interesting info. I loved zooming through the neighborhood backstreets on the way to the outskirts of town. Henry is an amazing guide! Would do again!

Fabulous ride through the countryside. Tour operator was very well informed. Really enjoyed learning about the history of these parts of Japan. He was very knowledgeable about the culture and explained things very well.

FANTASTIC!. Yuta was a pleasure to meet and have guide us through both of the tours. Passionate, informative and generous with his answers. Highly recommended! It was such a joy to have the opportunity to see some of the Hidden locations and the Bamboo Forest. Again Yuta was brilliant. 5 STARS ++ Trev & Jodie

The Arashiyama Bamboo Forest E-Biking Tour was unforgettable! Our guide Yuta made the experience exceptional with his knowledge, warmth, and humor. The highlight was a serene Zen session at a temple that he personally led—such a unique and meaningful touch. Beautiful scenery, effortless riding, and an amazing guide. Absolutely the best way to experience Kyoto! The Arashiyama Bamboo Forest E-Biking Tour was unforgettable! Our guide Yuta made the experience exceptional with his knowledge, warmth, and humor. The highlight was a serene Zen session at a temple that he personally led—such a unique and meaningful touch. Beautiful scenery, effortless riding, and an amazing guide. Absolutely the best way to experience Kyoto! The Arashiyama Bamboo Forest E-Biking Tour was unforgettable! Our guide Yuta made the experience exceptional with his knowledge, warmth, and humor. The highlight was a serene Zen session at a temple that he personally led—such a unique and meaningful touch. Beautiful scenery, effortless riding, and an amazing guide. Absolutely the best way to experience Kyoto countryside.

This tour was a fantastic way to explore some of Kyoto. Michael was very informative about all of the places we went to, giving us a deeper insight into the history of the temples and the bamboo forest.

This was one of our favorite experiences in our whole Japan trip! Yuta was an absolutely exceptional guide. He went above and beyond in several ways. He made sure we were all comfortable with the bikes, he provided in depth knowledge on the historical and cultural context of each site, and he event took us to a couple of extra sites not included in the itinerary. If you book this tour, definitely ask for yuta! Overall this was an extremely enjoyable tour. Highly recommend!

This tour was a fantastic way to explore some of Kyoto. Michael was very informative when we went to each place, giving us a richer insight into the temples and the bamboo forest. We highly recommend this tour, especially if you need a break from walking!

Highly recommend this small and very informative bicycle tour which covered temples and rural settings. Yoki was a super guide with great knowledge of both the area and history. He also introduced us to sweet potato ice cream which was a treat ! .

Michael was a total gem. Very entertaining and knowledgeable about not just the tour route but around Kyoto as well. He went above and beyond our expectations by taking us to a stunning ice cream shop and tanuki shop. He also rode us through a precious farmland path that gave a truly unique perspective on Kyoto. Thank you Michael!

Our teens (age 13 and 15) were thoroughly engaged with the e-bike thrill while touring the countryside. The tour was the perfect balance between historic sights while zipping along on e-bikes. We even stopped for the traditional shaved ice restaurant serving for over 50 years! Henry from England led the way with his spot-on wit throughout. Def sign up for the “off the beaten path” tour that makes history FUN…..esp for teens.