Epic Tours

Foodie’s Bike Tour NASU – NIKKO

DestinationNasu to Nikko
Duration6 days / 5nights
Dates2024 Tours
(1) May 25 - May 30, 2024 [Fully Booked & Finished]
(2) July 6 - July 11, 2024 [Fully Booked & Finished]
(3) October 28 - November 2, 2024 [Fully Booked]

2025 Tours
(1) May 26 - May 31, 2025 [Available]
(2) July 7 - July 12, 2025 [Available]
(3) October 20 - October 25, 2025 [Available]

On request in 2024/2025 (Ask for PRIVATE / CUSTOM Tour)
Price528,000JPY / person (Twin room share basis)
Single Supplement40,000JPY (Required for all Single travelers)
*Note, may not be available in all locations.
Bike Rental20,000JPY for whole tour (road bikes / e-hybrid bikes)

OVERVIEW

Depart for a 6 day “Gourmet” cycling tour between Nasu and Nikko, riding through the great nature, enjoying food and cultural experiences!!

Nikko has been a sacred land of Shugen-do (mountain asceticism) for ages and is also the place where Ieyasu Tokugawa, the founder and the first “Shogun” of the Edo Shogunate, was laid to rest. As a result of these features, many “Samurai” visited this place for hundreds of years. Nikko offers so many tourist attractions and entertainment such as magnificent temples and shrines including the World Heritage site Nikko Toshogu Shrine that there is even a famous saying “See Nikko before you die.” The destination of your journey is this place. You will firstly cycle from the highland resort of Nasu where you find summerhouses of aristocrats and the Emperor. Then, you will travel through rural rice field areas, deep mountainside with hidden onsen village, and finally ride into the spiritual town of Nikko with long history.

In this foodie’s bike tour, you will visit these historic towns and stay at long-established hotels and ryokans (inns), which have been welcoming VIPs from inside and outside Japan for a long time, and also at accommodations that are committed to serving high quality meals. Take in the scenery of mountains, highlands, and rural areas while you bike through them, and enjoy gastronomic exploration in the rice production center of the Kanto region, the largest dairy region of Japan’s mainland, and towns offering delicious fresh vegetables as well as many onsen spots.

HIGHLIGHTS

  • Go on an eating spree and experience a wide variety of great food that Japan has to offer, everything from ramen, soba, tempura, grilled river fish, wagyu beef, highland vegetables, jidori chicken, a multi-course traditional Japanese dinner (“kaiseki”), ice cream, and cheese cake etc..
  • Enjoy a full-course lunch using local fresh ingredients at a local farmer’s house and have a chat with the family.
  • Bike through spectacular views of lines of 400 years old giant cedars, terraced rice fields, panoramas of mountains, beautiful valleys, and old houses with thatched roofs.
  • Stop many places forcultural, nature and gourmet experiences during cycling.
  • Try out different onsen water types as you visit different towns and relax after a day of biking.
  • We have hand-picked excellent ryokans hotels that have the longest history in each local area with its distinctive characteristics.
  • Our knowledgeable and experienced cycling guides will provide you with an exquisite and personalized escort.
  • The cycling routes are full of discoveries and easy to ride, carefully and meticulously constructed according to the history and story of the region.
  • You can rent a high-quality road bike or an e-hybrid bike.
  • A large support vehicle (van) will accompany the riders on all stages, transporting luggage, supplying water and food, and dealing with any mechanical problems.
  • RIDING LEVEL

    MODERATE Cycling 30 – 70km / day
    A choice of e-hybrid bikes will make the mileage and ascents easier.

    ITINERARY

    Day 1 / Meet day

    Meet at JR Nasushiobara Station (70 minutes from Tokyo station by Tohoku Shinkansen (super express train)).
    Adjust and test rental bikes at Ride Experience tour desk.
    Move to an onsen ryokan (Japanese traditional style inn with hot-spring) in Nasu (Staying 2 nights at the same ryokan).
    Dinner at the ryokan will be a Japanese traditional “Kaiseki” style meal with many dishes full of seasonal vegetables, fishes and local ingredients.
    (Overnight stay・Dinner provided)

    Foodie’s Bike Tour NASU – NIKKO
    Foodie’s Bike Tour NASU – NIKKO

    Day 2 / Ride around Nasu [Cycle 70km]

    The first cycling day is a day of exploring Nasu, the gourmet and biking resort! Nasu has established itself as a royal resort since aristocrats built summerhouses and opened ranches and the Emperor built a summerhouse (called “Goyotei”) about 100 years ago. This has led Nasu to have some of the highest level food producers in Japan.
    Day 2 starts at the ryokan in Nasu. You will cycle around highland and countryside of Nasu with beautiful mountain views through rice fields. Visit an old shrine, castle ruing and hidden beautiful bamboo forest etc. The highlight of the day will be a full-course lunch using fresh local ingredients at a local farmer’s house!! Have sit a low-table in the living room, taste fantastic foods delivered one after another, and enjoy chatting with the host. It must be a great experience for you. Gourmet biking continues after lunch! After climbing back to the forest of highland area, you will stop for tasty cheese cake at a dairy farm café and ice-cream using rice flour will follow it!
    (Overnight stay・Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner provided)

    Foodie’s Bike Tour NASU – NIKKO
    Foodie’s Bike Tour NASU – NIKKO
    Foodie’s Bike Tour NASU – NIKKO

    Day 3 / Nasu to Shiobara [Cycle 50km]

    After leaving the onsen ryokan in Nasu, Day 3 starts from a small challenge to biking across a suspension bridge over a clear rapid stream. You will be cycling up and down on a small path alongside terraced rice paddy fields shining in fresh green. You will then travel through one of the most beautiful villages in Japan and continue on your way south in tranquil mountain side villages. The lunch of the day features fresh soba and tempura of seasonal vegetables at an old wooden restaurant operated by local people. After riding along a beautiful valley along a river, you will have a short hike for visiting a magnificent waterfall. You also stop at popular Japanese confectionery store famous for Onsen Manju and a sacred giant cedar tree in an old shrine. And the end of the day, you will conquer a big hill with many swichbacks and ride into a hidden onsen village in the deep mountainside of Shiobara. Stay at another cozy onsen ryokan with the finest milky sulfurous onsen water which will soothe your body tired from biking. The Kaiseki style dinner features seasonal mountain vegetables and wagyu beef etc.
    (Overnight stay・Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner provided)

    Foodie’s Bike Tour NASU – NIKKO
    Foodie’s Bike Tour NASU – NIKKO
    Foodie’s Bike Tour NASU – NIKKO

    Day 4 / Shiobara to Nikko [Cycle 70km]

    Cycle from Shiobara to Nikko via short walk through Ryu-o-kyo gorge, beautiful countryside roads and some historical places. The highlight is the Nikko Cedar Avenue, an ancient SAMURAI ROAD surrounded by 400 years old giant cedar trees.
    Stay at Nikko Kanaya Hotel, an elegant and classic resort hotel (the oldest resort hotel in Japan) in Nikko.
    Have a dinner in the town of Nikko. You can select your preferable restaurants at your own cost.
    (Overnight stay・Breakfast & Lunch provided)

    Foodie’s Bike Tour NASU – NIKKO
    Foodie’s Bike Tour NASU – NIKKO
    Foodie’s Bike Tour NASU – NIKKO

    Day 5 / Nikko to Lake Chuzenji [Cycle 30km]

    [AM] Walk around Nikko Toshogu and surrounding World Heritage area. You will be walking on the ancient pilgrimage path with moss-covered stone steps surrounded by giant Japanese cedars and visit a special sacred place related to the origin of Nikko.
    [PM] Cycle from Nikko Kanaya Hotel to Chuzenji Kanaya Hotel via Iroha-zaka slope with many switchbacks, Lake Chuzenji and a beautiful waterfall looks like “Dragon’s Head”.
    Stay at a lakeside resort hotel with onsen.
    (Overnight stay・Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner provided)

    Foodie’s Bike Tour NASU – NIKKO
    Foodie’s Bike Tour NASU – NIKKO
    Foodie’s Bike Tour NASU – NIKKO

    Day 6 / Break up the tour

    After having breakfast and checking out of the hotel, the tour breaks up. You can move from the lakeside hotel to Tobu Nikko station by the hotel’s private shuttle bus.
    (Breakfast provided)

    ACCOMMODATION

    In Nasu and Nikko, you will be staying at a long-established hotel or Japanese traditional style ryokan that boasts the longest history and dignified presence in each town. All accommodations offer top-level hospitality and finely tuned Japanese style service. Every ryokan and hotel (except the day 4) has its own excellent onsen for you to relax in after a day of riding.

    Foodie’s Bike Tour NASU – NIKKO
    Foodie’s Bike Tour NASU – NIKKO
    Foodie’s Bike Tour NASU – NIKKO
    Foodie’s Bike Tour NASU – NIKKO

    FOOD

    For your culinary delight the tour offers kaiseki dinner featuring dozens of dishes served at a long-established ryokan, local specialties in each town you visit, and a great variety of Japanese food made with a range of seasonal ingredients.

    Some of the unique dishes include shabu-shabu and sukiyaki of the finest wagyu beef (“Nasu wagyu beef”) in Nasu, super fresh river fish (grilled or sashimi in Shiobara, sautéed Nikko rainbow trout, highland vegetables, cheese and ice cream available at ranches-owned shops in Nasu, jidori chikin, and tasty soba with tempura etc. While biking, you will have chances to have a closer look of places where these local ingredients are produced.

    If you love to drink, many brands of sake proudly presented by Tochigi, the rice production center of the Kanto region, craft beer in Nasu Highland, and Tochigi wine will be another great highlight of this tour.

    Foodie’s Bike Tour NASU – NIKKO
    Foodie’s Bike Tour NASU – NIKKO
    Foodie’s Bike Tour NASU – NIKKO
    Foodie’s Bike Tour NASU – NIKKO
    Foodie’s Bike Tour NASU – NIKKO
    Foodie’s Bike Tour NASU – NIKKO
    Foodie’s Bike Tour NASU – NIKKO
    Foodie’s Bike Tour NASU – NIKKO
    Foodie’s Bike Tour NASU – NIKKO
    Foodie’s Bike Tour NASU – NIKKO

    EQUIPMENT

    A support vehicle will be available throughout the entire tour. No need to carry your bags on your bike during the ride – they will travel in a support vehicle between hotels.

    High-performance full carbon road bikes (CANNONDALE Synapse Carbon Disc) and High quality e-hybrid bikes (TREK or MIYATA) are available for rental at a rate of 20,000JPY for whole tour.

    WHAT’S INCLUDED

    • 5 nights’ accommodation on twin share basis
    • 5 breakfasts, 4 lunches and 4 dinners (Dinner on the day 4 is not included)
    • Cycling Tour guide(s)
    • Van support
    • Mechanical support
    • Luggage transfer by van
    • Snacks and water during ride
    • Entrance and experience fees
    • Accident insurance (limited)

    MAP

    INQUIRY

    If you have any questions about this tour, please contact us via the Contact form.

    BOOKING

    Tour:Foodie’s Bike Tour NASU – NIKKO
    Price:528,000JPY / person (Twin room share basis)

      Select Tour Date (Required)

      First Name (Required)

      Last Name (Required)

      Email (Required)

      Confirm Email (Required)

      Address

      City

      State / Province / Region

      Postal code

      Country (Required)

      Phone Number

      Gender (Required)
      MaleFemale

      Age (Required)

      Total number of guests (Required)
      (Please include yourself.)

      Bicycle

      Accommodation

      Comments

    Review of this tour

    Derek Brown

    We had a fanstastic self-guided tour around Nasu and Nikko. Everything about the tour worked out great with the team from Ride Experience - planning a route that worked for us, meeting us off the train and setting up the bikes, to all of the rides, support along the way, accomodation, food and sights to see. Great countryside and quiet roads with waterfalls, shrines, forests and great places to eat were all included in the itinerary - things that we would never have seen if we were just planning the trip on our own. The trip included great accomodation - most nights we were in local ryokan hotels with onsen and local gourmet 'foodie' food. A great travel experience!

    Michael Chin

    Like a multi course ‘Kaiseki’ meal, this tour is not just about only the cycling and the food. This is an immersive sensory experience in many elements: waking up in a ryokan at dawn to go sit in an outdoor onsen and listen to the chirping of the birds in the trees above, attending a local fire festival with accompanying drumming performance one evening where we were the only overseas visitors, discerning the multi dimensional textures of the meals and walking through a golden bamboo forest in the drizzling rain dispersing the soft light to a golden aura that cannot be captured by camera. Tetsuya-san is like a master chef bringing all these together with his team in an all too short tour...

    Evy Pham

    Knowledgeable guide took us to hidden local gems, including beautiful ryokans and charming restaurants. High-quality bikes, well-designed routes, and breathtaking scenery.

    Other Recommended Tours

    KUMANO KODO Pilgrimage Bike & Hike

    [7 days 6 nights]
    In this tour, you will be biking and hiking on Japan's oldest ancient pilgrimage roads called "Kumano Kodo", in the south of Wakayama. Visit the Three Grand Shrines of Kumano, and will find yourself completely immersed in the beautiful nature of spectacular mountain ranges, massive and strange rocks, clear streams of water, and magnificent waterfalls.

    TRANS-TOHOKU Bike Tour

    [12 days 11 nights]
    Our Signature tour with many praises from our guests and recommendation from Japanese Ministry of the Environment.
    The Tohoku region, the northernmost part of Japan’s main island, is known for its gorgeous natural environment, rich local history, and delicious agricultural produce. Experience a more traditional side of Japan and follow in the footsteps of famous Japanese "Haiku" poet Matsuo Basho and his journey along “The Narrow Road to the Deep North”.