| Destination | Nasu to Nikko |
|---|---|
| Duration | 6 days / 5nights |
| Dates | 2024 Tours (1) May 25 - May 30, 2024 [Fully Booked] (2) July 6 - July 11, 2024 [Available & Guaranteed Departure] (3) October 28 - November 2, 2024 [Available & Guaranteed Departure] On request in 2024 (Ask for PRIVATE / CUSTOM Tour) |
| Price | ¥451,000- /person (Twin room share basis) |
| Single Supplement | 40,000JPY (Note, may not be available in all locations) |
| Bike Rental | 20,000JPY 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.
- 5 nights’ accommodation on twin share basis
- 5 breakfasts, 4 lunches and 4 dinners (Dinner on the day 4 is not included)
- First one beverage for a toast (“Kanpai”) in the dinners (Further more beverages are not included)
- Cycling Tour guide(s)
- Van support
- Mechanical support
- Luggage transfer by van
- Bike bag transfer to the finish point by courier (for your own bikes)
- Snacks, fruits and water during ride
- Entrance and experience fees
- Accident insurance (limited)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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.
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.
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.
