Review

[ Foodie’s Bike Tour NASU – NIKKO]
Bike tours are one of the best ways to truly experience a country. They take you beyond the big cities and into the heart of small villages and the countryside. This particular tour stood out for its exceptional food and accommodations. The traditional Ryokan hotels were a highlight. They were comfortable, authentic, and served incredible meals.
One unforgettable cultural experience was our visit to a Japanese farmhouse, where our host prepared a delicious meal for the group. Scenic pit stops at shrines, temples, cozy coffee shops, and even cheesecake and chocolate shops provided the perfect breaks along the way.
The natural beauty was breathtaking, with stunning waterfalls, dramatic gorges, and peaceful river views at every turn. And of course, what truly made the trip unforgettable was the company of like minded travelers to share the journey.

[ Satoyama & Craft Bike Tour NASU – MASHIKO]
I can’t speak highly enough of the craft and cycle tour that Tetsuya and his amazing guides organized. We were a small group and got to know each other very well. The cycling through lanes, paddy fields, villages and mountains was perfect for me. I was glad to have the e-bike which was most necessary up those mountains. We travelled through areas that were not on the tourist trail, which was a treat. The accommodation ranged from high end onsen to more family oriented, and meals were a photo op every time. The ride came to an end all too soon, many thanks Team!

[ Satoyama & Craft Bike Tour NASU – MASHIKO]
This is a wonderful tour, suitable for easier riding with a good variety of themed craft stops and a variety of interesting accommodations. The nature — rice paddies, wildflowers, mountain vistas seen from the valley, rivers, singing birds and soaring water fowl — is spectacular. Riding through a hilly cedar forest brought all the senses to life. The distinctive cedar aroma remains in my memory. The food was amazing — even accommodating for dietary restrictions of certain guests. Its variety, generally healthful characteristics and precision and artistry of presentation stand out. The tour is well organized, and the staff is professional, friendly, and safety-conscious. I would certainly recommend it.

[ Nasu Slow Life E-Bike Tour]
Everything was seamless – communication from enquiry to booking and then pick-up. The tour was fantastic, beautiful scenery with excellent food. Our guide was great and we really enjoyed getting to know them and the country more while riding around enjoying the area.

[ Foodie’s Bike Tour NASU – NIKKO]
Japan is constant poetry, and touring with this group satisfies the deep desire to see and experience it in all its forms. The accommodations, tour routes, sites, and food events were excellently balanced and well-paced. The bikes were also top-notch. The experience felt genuinely local, not touristy. Above all, the hosts were informative and helpful without being overly fussy or managerial. An all-around fantastic experience.

[ Foodie’s Bike Tour NASU – NIKKO]
This tour was a perfect introduction to Japan for our first visit. Not far from Tokyo, but a very different world. The wonderful staff, the high quality of the bikes, the hotels, onsens and food – it was all amazing. The routes selected were also very good, inevitably some connecting sections were less interesting but the great majority of the riding was on beautiful, low-traffic roads.

[ Foodie’s Bike Tour NASU – NIKKO]
We, ten people from Iceland, had a wonderful experience in the Foodie ́s Bike Tour. Biking through stunning nature, sleeping in the ryokans with the beautiful onsen baths and the variety of food we got to taste was worth every penny.

[ Tohoku SAKURA Bike Tour]
The Tohoku Sakura tour was excellent in every way. The e bikes and road bikes are high quality. The accommodations range from historical ryokans to top class onsen resorts – even the food at the lunch stops was excellent. The sakura trees were awe inspiring and the scenery was spectacular – ranging from snow-capped mountains and paddy to coastal dykes. Our guides were unstinting in the level of service and our group had great camaraderie. Great thought went into creating the route so that breaks were well-timed and we had a wide range of experiences and sights. It was the very best way to experience rural Japan.

[ Tohoku SAKURA Bike Tour]
This tour exceeded my expectations. It was so great to have a professional guide to have the route and accommodations planned, add insights about what we were seeing, and help translate. I would recommend to anyone.

[ Nasu Slow Life E-Bike Tour]
Go with Ride Experience! Great people, very organised and the ride was beautiful!

[ KUMANO KODO Pilgrimage Bike & Hike]
The Kumano Kodo tour exceeded our expectations. It was a wonderful mix of hiking and biking, traditional and moderns hotels, natural beauty and cultural attractions, delicious food and onsens. The two tour guides, Taka-san and Yoko-san, were helpful, hardworking, and kind. The pre-tour organization was responsive and thorough. Our biking equipment worked well for the terrain. Overall we highly recommend this trip for a biking adventure in Japan.

[ KUMANO KODO Pilgrimage Bike & Hike]
This is a great holiday. As fit people in our late 60s we found it to be a great workout as well as a wonderful way to see the Kumano Koda. Excellent in every way and good value.

[ KUMANO KODO Pilgrimage Bike & Hike]
My husband and I went on the Kumano Kodo Pilgrimage Bike and Hike with Ride Experience (Bicycle Tours Japan) in November of 2024. We had a terrific time. It was very well organized and felt like an authentic Japanese experience staying at Japanese Inns and supported and led by Japanese locals. The tour leader, Takeshita and tour support, Yoko were warm, friendly, and knowledgeable individuals. The tour group was small – 7 people. There was some off-road and some highway riding but the drivers were very courteous and we never felt unsafe on the main roads. The scenery was beautiful, the food was well prepared, and accommodations were lovely. I would recommend to others looking for an active authentic Japanese experience.

[ Foodie’s Bike Tour NASU – NIKKO]
We did the Foodies Tour from Nasu to Nikko. Without doubt it’s one of the best organised tours that we’ve been on. Tetsuya, Nagako and the team made it an incredibly enjoyable and memorable experience.
The bikes were in very good condition and thoroughly maintained for the whole trip.
The riding , food and accommodation were exceptiona.
Would highly recommended this trip to anyone thinking about it.

[ Foodie’s Bike Tour NASU – NIKKO]
The tour was one of the best travel experiences I have had. The food was excellent, the tour was fun and beautiful, and everyone was so hospitable. Would definitely recommend and do again!

[ TRANS-TOHOKU Bike Tour]
We have just completed a private trans tohoku tour with Keiji and have just had the best time. The route was unbelievable and took us across the mountain range every day from one side of the coast to the other. The scenery was maginificent, the bikes were great and well maintained, accommodation beautiful, food amazing and the onsens at the end of the day were most welcome. Can’t wait to do another tour with ride experience again.

[ Foodie’s Bike Tour NASU – NIKKO]
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!
Our host, Nagako, was super helpful and did everything to make sure we had the best possible time throughout the trip. She was great.
I highly recommend Ride Experience if you want to have some fun cycling in Japan.

[ TRANS-TOHOKU Bike Tour]
We undertook the Trans-Tohoku in June 2024 and it was a great experience with Tetsuya-san and Hiro-san. We have previously ridden every year in Italy or Spain and decided to try something different this year. We were not disappointed. Everything about the trip was perfectly organised and a delight. We added a rest day in the middle which we all benefited from. I highly recommend Ride Experience.

[ Foodie’s Bike Tour NASU – NIKKO]
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.
I need not say that everything is super organised, even a rain storm on one of the days had a ‘Plan B’ and didn’t miss cycling on that day. So am glad to have chosen this tour just as anyone would choose an authentic restaurant run by locals.

[ Nasu Slow Life E-Bike Tour]
Really wonderful experience! Terrific planning and execution by the Ride Experience team. Special bonuses we didn’t see any other gaijin for four days !

[ Foodie’s Bike Tour NASU – NIKKO]
We’ve just wrapped up six days of incredibly exciting experiences, surrounded by breathtaking scenery, indulging in delicate and delicious Japanese countryside cuisine, and interacting with the warm-hearted locals. Throughout our journey, we’ve come to admire Japan’s impeccable road and rail infrastructure. Exploring the countryside, particularly in the Nasu and Nikko areas nestled amidst picturesque mountain ranges, has been a revelation. Each location shares a common background, yet boasts its unique identity and charm. Despite cycling 50-60 km every day, this trip remains the most extraordinary adventure we’ve ever had.

[ Tohoku SAKURA Bike Tour]
My wife Anne and I were lucky enough to join Tetsuya-san and his driver and assistant Haru-san on the 2024 Sakura Tour. We joined a group of 6 others from Western Australia and Malaysia who were already friends. The timing of our tour corresponded beautifully with the peak of the cherry blossom season, and the beautiful colours in some of the photos are scarcely believable. The logistics of the trip were deftly handled and although we realized there was a lot of work going on behind the scenes, it all looked effortless. Even when Day 3 was rained out, a second van materialized to ferry us around, and Tetsuya-san produced a Plan B with interesting activities to make the best of the day. The accommodation was a mixture of very comfortable 4 and 5 star hotels, with a couple of nights spent in charming village ryokans. All were equipped with onsen, and the food, which was included, was first class throughout.
We could not recommend Bike Experience JP and Tetsuya-san highly enough.

[ Gravel & Craft Bike Tour NASU – MASHIKO]
Wow – a super professional company with great friendly English speaking staff. If you’re looking for a cycling adventure, then look no further. They will adapt the tour to what you would like to do. A great mix of cycling, cultural events with extremely comfortable accommodation. oh, don’t worry about going hungry, the food is exceptional.
Just go ahead and book – NOW

The cycle routes and site visits were well chosen. The hotels were excellent and all had onsen baths, which provided welcome respite at the end of each day of cycling.
The visits to the various craft centers were fascinating and enjoyable. It was a unique experience to guided by the master craftspeople themselves. We learned about weaving with bamboo grass, indigo dyeing, and made our own postcards with traditional Japanese paper (washi). In Mashiko, the grandson of the famous ceramic artist Hamada Shoji showed us around his workshop and fascinating museum, and demonstrated making pots with a kick-wheel. We were shown around a brewery that makes organic sake by the owner. In Mashiko, the charismatic owner of another sake brewery gave a tour, then hosted an impressive and delightful tasting of excellent sakes. That provided a wonderful celebratory end to our four days of cycling in Tochigi Prefecture.
All Ride Experience staffs did a fantastic job. In particular I appreciated their help in getting my bike into the sag wagon when I ran out of energy and did not want to hold up the group. Cycling with a gravel bike on gravel roads was a new and interesting experience for me. The routes went through beautiful, early autumn countryside. In particular I enjoyed riding alongside the rivers.