Bike Tour Exploring North Kyoto Plus Lunch

We had an awesome experience with Cycle Kyoto on the North tour. Our guide, Jay, was personable and went out of his way to create a customized tour for our group. We enjoyed riding through residential neighborhoods that would not have been on our typical tourist itinerary. Kyoto is mostly flat, so riding was easy. The temples were amazing and Jay's narration and commentary were relevant and helpful. Jay could tell our group enjoyed food, so he took us by a donut shop that served creme brulee donuts. Delicious. Lunch was at a traditional udon restaurant -- also delicious. I can't imagine a better way to spend time in Kyoto. We are here for a full week and were glad to have taken the bike ride on our first day because it gave us a sense of the city's layout. At the end of our day, Jay offered guidance on restaurants and sites in Kyoto. All in all, a truly wonderful day!

A great day .. Shaun was awesome, accomodating and knowledgeable not just about Kyoto history but pretty well anything we asked about! Also a fellow Aussie who has made Japan his home and genuine love. Very safe cycling through so many quiet back lanes to magically pop out at temples and sights.

Loved riding around the narrow streets exploring the neighbourhoods of beautiful Kyoto. Shaun our guide was terrific and his enthusiasm and passion for this area and country was so positive. We saw lovely shrines, learnt a lot about the history and had a fab lunch. Thumbs up 👍

We had the best day with Shaun today. He was so knowledgeable and took us through quaint backstreets to really experience the real Kyoto. Lunch was really good and he encouraged us to try a few things we had not tried before A really great way to experience Kyoto

A fantastic introduction to Kyoto. Juan took us on a gentle 25km circuit, that took in many sites. He took care to ensure we were safe, and generously shared his extensive knowledge of Kyoto. Highly recommended.

Had an awesome morning exploring Kyoto. Our Guide Quin was outstanding he made the experience a very memorable one. Highly recommend it. Anthony

Momo was a great guide, having lived in England and Japan he had interesting insights to share. We really enjoyed cycling through quiet streets and observing daily life, as well as visiting busy attractions. We saw a lot of Kyoto. The lunch stop at a conveyor belt restaurant was brilliant!

I would highly recommend this cycling tour of Kyoto. Our guide, Jay, was relaxed and friendly, but also really knowledgeable about the places we visited and was able to share lots of insights into Japanese customs. You visit a lot of the main sights, but cycling through places gives a different perspective, and you definitely cover more ground than you would by walking. That said, the cycling is easy going as the route is mostly flat or very gradual hills. The bikes are good quality, comfortable and have plenty of gears! There was plenty of time to look around the areas that we stopped at and take photos. The lunch stop was well selected. I would definitely book another tour with Cycle Kyoto if I'm ever back.

Karl was knowledgeable friendly and great

We had a wonderful day touring Kyoto on bicycles! It was easy to navigate the community even on busy streets - we were mostly on quiet streets. The bikes were comfortable and well maintained. The best part was our guide MoMo - he did a fantastic job navigating us to different sites and explaining them to us. Lunch was at a conveyor belt Sushi restaurant - a fun experience and it was so yummy - even though we don’t eat raw fish!

What a great day. Our guide Indira was so friendly and knowledgeable. The cycling pace was just right. Great tips on places for dinner, coffee and some other sites to see. Thanks Indira for a really memorable day in Kyoto.

Some days manage to surprise us and take us far beyond our original plans, and yesterday (October 2, 2026) was exactly one of those days. We set out in the morning for a nearly six-hour bicycle tour of Kyoto and, by chance, ended up with a private tour—just the two of us with Mayco. She was a charming, pleasant, and funny guide who turned the city ride into so much more than just moving from one site to another. We rode primarily through the northern part of Kyoto, navigating small streets, neighborhoods, temples, and countless hidden spots we certainly wouldn't have found on our own. Mayco’s guiding was outstanding! We loved her pleasant demeanor and the way she shared local quirks—like the Pokémon at the Golden Pavilion (Kinkaku-ji)—and recommended a delicious, unique green tea ice cream. She truly infused the entire tour with humor and charm. We highly recommend this tour. Mayco, thanks to you, it turned into a wonderful and special day! Thank you from the bottom of our hearts, Gal & Ofer

Had a nice welcome from our tourguide Quint. He was preparing the bikes when we came in. A gave us a clear (safety) instruction about the tour and what we were going to visit. Supported with a map of the city he explained how the city was designed. Quint is very knowledgeable about Japan and the locations that are on the tour. For lunch he took us to a good restaurant that is owned by 1 Family for about 300 years. So, you get good value for money.

Fun way to see more sites in Kyoto vs riding in subway and missing sites, sounds and everyday life happening as you go from place to place. Super wonderful way to get to temples and ride thru neighborhoods and see how locals live. Lunch was a special treat as well. Highly recommend!

We went on the North all day tour. Our guide, Julian, was super; safe, knowledgeable, fun, simply; easy to to be with. Great place to eat. Very good equipment. Highly recommend this business.

We only had 2 days in Kyoto and booked a tour on the advice of a friend who highly recommended it. We had a terrific time and it turned out to be one of the best memories of our vacation. Kyoto sites are spread out and we wanted to see some of the less touristy areas so chose the North tour with Julian. Not only were we able to see so many sites, we had our introduction to 7-11 combini which the kids (and we adults) loved, saw backstreets, dipped into the Kamogawa, and learned a little about life and history of Kytoto all while enjoying the breeze of being on an e-bike (which was critical for miid August heat and humidity). So much fun for everyone- no complaints from the 15 and 12 year olds even though it was almost 7 hours long. It flew by!

We booked the North tour with Cycle Kyoto, and our guide Quin was fantastic - he told us many great stories about the history and culture of Kyoto. We also agreed to deviate from the original tour to include the holy purification in the river at one of the Shrines. Fantastic experience, great day!

We had a great ride, it was so nice to see some highlights of the city! The bikes were great and our guide was really good at explaining the history of all the stops. It was a full day which we liked!

Thanks so much for a fantastic day, cycling through Kyoto despite being a very hot day. We visited great places, sampled delicious food (the creme brulee donut will be remembered!) and learned a lot about Kyoto and Japanese culture.

A long, rewarding tour. Mayco was an excellent, helpful guide.

Such a good way to see the city and sights. And the best guide - incredibly informative and engaging. Plenty of stops for cooling down and taking it all in at a pace that suits all ages. Bikes were top notch too.

What an excellent way to spend a 1st day in Kyoto, if you can do a 14 mile (22 km) bike ride. We covered lots of ground, lots of sites, and got a good guided tour of Kinkaku-ji and the Gion area. And we saw a Geisha (if from a distance)! It ticked a lot of things off our to-do list, gave us a better feel for Kyoto, and made figuring out the next few days activities in the area much easier. Our tour guide, Jules, was friendly, articulate, and full of historical and cultural facts. Our bikes were in good shape and comfortable for the ride. The sushi at lunch was good. What's not to like?

Great activity to do the family. Tour guide (Julian)was very accommodating to our needs as we were traveling with a 7 year old. Found a great lunch spot and the bike ride was great! Would definitely recommend when visiting Kyoto

It was great experience riding around the lane way away from traffic. Our day was raining and we didnt mind. Our tour guide was lovely and told us great stories. We saw things that was not on our group tour.Highly recommended

We did the Secret Kyoto tour via eBikes, which gave us a great tour of so much of the northern part of the city. Our guide really knew his way around and was able to bring us to wonderful places completely devoid of other tourists. We also stopped by the 1000+ year old sweets shop for some tea and refreshment. Terrific experience, definitely recommended!

Paul was a really great tour guide, very friendly and knowledgable. Made all the history really fun and interesting. Navigated us really well though the busier parts of Kyoto. Make sure you have cash to tip your guide!

I very relaxed, informal and informative tour. I did the same your ten years ago in Kyoto and was excited to bed ok it again on my return. It's simply the best way to experience the narrow streets and unique charm of Kyoto. Paul was a welcoming and knowledgeable guide, and excellent company for the day.

A brilliant half day activity for our family. We saw so much (much more than we would have done by foot) and our guide was really knowledgeable and fun. I would definitely recommend doing this bike tour!

We had a great experience. This is the best way to see Tokyo. Sean was amazing - thoughtful, knowledgeable and fun. He was great with our kids and they loved the experience.

This was a fantastic way to see the city and gave us an understanding what we were seeing as well. Our guide was so knowledgeable and made sure we saw the best of Kyoto!

Quinn was a terrific guide and extremely knowledgeable about the Japanese culture. Even though the tour lasted more than 8 hours, it was the best way to explore the different corners of Kyoto as long as tourist highlight. I would highly recommend Quinn for any tours in Kyoto or any place in Japan :). Quinn is a very top tier tour guide in my experience traveling the world.

It was the most beautiful day of our 14-day trip to Japan with Momo. He guided us through eastern and northern Kyoto in a personal and individualized way. Highly recommended for covering the long distances in Kyoto between the very impressive sights. Thanks a lot.

We had an absolutely incredible time with Cycle Kyoto! It was a warm, sunny day, and I can’t think of a better way to experience the city. Cycling allowed us to see so much more in a single day than we ever could have on foot or by bus. The route was well-planned, the pace was perfect, and the lunch provided was delicious. A huge thank you to our guide, Quin, who was fantastic—knowledgeable, friendly, and happy to share some extra tips for other places to visit by ourselves.

Great day biking throughout North Kyoto! Jay was an awesome guide and provided unique insights into all stops in the tour! Highly recommend!

A bicycle tour is a great way to see Kyoto and learn about its history. We were blessed with beautiful weather and peak cherry blossoms. Our guide, Jay, is friendly, knowledgeable, and simply fun to sirens a day with. I highly recommend it.

What a great way to experience the city! I thought 7 hours might be too much but it flew by on the ebike. We were hopping on and off at sites. Jay was fabulous! He knew so many hidden gems and ways to skip the lines! So flexible and accommodating too. I appreciated the information he shared as an American living in Japan for 15 years! Don’t hesitate to book!

Shaun was a great guide and brought us around so many sights around Kyoto. We really enjoyed the cycling and the sightseeing.

Great ride! Just the two of us and a great guide cycling through Kyoto together. Saw both landmarks and hidden gems, all with a very chill atmosphere! Thanks Jay!

A full day on the bike with Quinn and Momo. A very relaxed but quite long day in the saddle. Our guides were fonts of knowledge and really brought Kyoto to life for us. Lots of detail about Buddhism Shintoism and the Geisha scene. The bikes were really well maintained and super comfortable and the roads mostly flat and even. Lunch was a special affair at an old noodle house. Highly recommend the whole day.

A must-do experience to see Kyoto by bike! Our family — two parents and two teens (17 and 13) — thoroughly enjoyed it. We visited so many temples and special spots that we never would have found on our own. Our guide shared history, meaningful insights, and fun facts about this beautiful city, which made the experience even more memorable. At the end, our 13-year-old said, “This was so cool,” which says it all! Thank you, Bike Kyoto, for giving us memories we’ll never forget.

Great immersive fun, cycling through the streets of Kyoto like a local! Felt at ease knowing following our guide through all the twists and turns and little side streets. Very knowledge and informative tour from teaching cycling etiquette to historical aspect of various locations and answeing all our cultural questions as well. Great way to combine activity with sight seeing!

Jay was excellent. We appreciated that his knowledge as well as flexibility to make small adjustments to the tour based on the group. Bikes are good quality and in good working condition.

We had an incredible day biking and learning with Mayco! She was knowledgable and engaged, and we saw parts of the city that we otherwise wouldn't have seen. Definitely beats riding a crowded bus, and we learned many things about the temples and shrines that we otherwise never would have known. Lunch was delicious, and the bikes worked great!

This was a great experience! The guide Julian was absolutely wonderful! Very accommodating and wanted to make sure you had a great experience. Julian the guide does and especially good job sharing interesting facts and stories that bring history to life and helps you understand the significance of each place. Highly recommend the bike tour north Kyoto. The the sushi lunch was fabulous and a great experience.. we highly recommend this trip a great way to see Kyoto.

Jay was our guide. He was absolutely fabulous. Knowledgeable, friendly, enthusiastic, and a great sense of humor. Seeing Kyoto on a bike was great as we were able to see things that would have been missed on a tour or by using public transportation. We covered a lot of ground and enjoyed every minute of it. Highly recommended.

The highlight of our trip! We chose our very first day in Kyoto to participate in Cycle Kyoto’s bike tour and what a great way to start our Kyoto journey. Our tour guide, Julian, was nothing but knowledgeable, kind, and mega respectful to everyone in the group and everyone we rode by. He gave us so much information and made us feel very safe and taken care of at all times. He took lots of good photos of the group so we didn’t have to worry too much about documenting, which was a plus! Our food stop was ramen and to be honest, the best ramen we had in Japan (and we ate a lot of it in two weeks). We also had an opportunity to get dessert at the Golden Pavilion stop! My Strava clocked about 15.2 miles, with 2 hours 44 active cycling time and almost 6 hours touring (temple and shrine stops, food stop, safety briefing and scenic/informational pit stops). We kept a nice moderate pace that allowed for us riders to ride safely but also enjoy our surroundings. I strongly recommend this tour - just make sure you’re at least a semi active biker (nothing too serious, but it IS 15 miles.)

Nice trip around Kyoto. Our Guide Julien showed most of the major temples and told some nice interesting facts. Also gave glimpse of his life in Kyoto.

This is a must do while in Kyoto ! The whole experience was amazing - Julian our tour guide was awesome - cycling through the back streets - Geisha area - temples and just learning about history/customs etc was an eye opener ! Highly recommend ✅✅✅✅✅

My wife and I had the pleasure of a bike tour with Indra and we could not have been happier with the experience. Cheerful and informative guide providing insights from a range of historical periods of Japan, picturesque and safe route with plenty of photo opportunities and a peaceful and delicious lunch along the way. Highly recommend this tour. Please note - if coming from Kyoto station, give yourself extra time to get there as it's easy to get lost in the station!