Review

[KUMANO KODO Pilgrimage Bike & Hike]
I was 1 of 5 ladies from Australia all in our 60’s and we absolutely loved our tour of the Kumano Kodo bike & hike tour. The food was amazing and the e-bikes we hired were very easy to ride and of top quality. Our guides Takashi and Yoko went out if there way to make sure we where safe and happy. Highly recommended.

[ Hidden NIKKO E-Bike Tour]
The Hidden Nikko e-bike tour was a highlight of our trip to Japan. We loved seeing the mountain scenery, staying in the ryokans with the gorgeous outdoor onsen and learning about the Nikko area from our excellent guide, Takashi. The riding was challenging, even with the e-bikes, but we were able to do it and it felt good to end each day with the relaxing onsen hot springs. I don’t eat meat and that restriction was accommodated thoughtfully and never an issue.

[ Satoyama & Craft Bike Tour NASU – MASHIKO]
A really great bike tour company to travel with.

[ TRANS-TOHOKU Bike Tour]
A wonderful experience. I felt immersed in rural Japan, far away from the mainstream tourist hotspots. The route was mostly quiet rural roads with great scenery and interesting visits to points of interest along the way. Some amazing historic hotels and onsens and a variety of good Japanese food. The riding is described as “challenging”, and it was, but it was handled professionally, I always felt safe, and it was well paced. I never felt under pressure to go faster. My wife hired one of the carbon road bikes, which was in excellent condition, and used her own saddle. I took my own bike, which is more difficult logistically and it required a lot of planning. Everyone in the group of 9 finished the tour. For context, we are fit 70 year olds.

[ TRANS-TOHOKU Bike Tour]
This is the best bike ride I have ever had. The route is exquisitely planned to avoid urban traffic and to make our ride closer to culture and nature – rivers, lakes and mountains. The length of the ride as well as the climb for each day is exactly what I am looking for – everyday is indeed hard work, but I am not totally exhausted in the end and still have the energy for fun in the evening. The hotels are well chosen, a mixture of western style with traditional Japanese hospitality. (I recognize that our stay in traditional Japanese style hotel Ryokan might be a bit hard, especially after whole day of riding.) The food could not be better! I would especially like to mention my appreciation for the hard work performed by your team – Keiji, Kohei and Hiro. Keiji is extremely knowledgeable about Japan – very organized, considerate, knowing everything, and willingly sharing many of his insights with team members, and he is a fun person to be with. Hiro is also very nice, helpful and professional. Kohei is the best lead rider I have ever had – he prepared everyday in detail very early in day, his ride has been the best fit for the whole team – as I usually rode at the end of the team, Kohei constantly made sure that nobody would be out of his view and everyone would be safe. Kohei also performed so many duties that typically could be done by a bigger team, such as moving bikes, placing bikes on hangers, consolidating luggages (those huge luggages), cleaning our bikes after a rainy day, etc. Kohei (and the team) took very good care of every single member of the team. Kudos to Kohei for his hard work, diligence, hospitality, extreme professionalism and his big smile. Nowhere in the world could we have a better lead rider/companion than Kohei – he is truly a treasure for this company. My big thanks for all three of your team members!

[ TRANS-TOHOKU Bike Tour]
We truly enjoyed the tour!! Where to begin… Although I was a bit hesistant to go organised, this turned out super well. So much fun with the group and guides Kohei, Keiji and Hiro. Beautiful routes. Great organisation. Sincere. We really felt well taken care of. Paparazzi was always there. Bikes perfect every day. The car always near.
Cool lunch places, perfect Katsu and soba. Nice accomodations, good mix of style!
Also well selected cultural stops.
Good memories…

[ TRANS-TOHOKU Bike Tour]
Well organized tour. Attentive staff. Engaging cycle routes. A cultural journey.

[ TRANS-TOHOKU Bike Tour]
Great experience. Safe, fun, challenging with amazing support. I highly recommend.

[ TRANS-TOHOKU Bike Tour]
I thoroughly enjoyed the bike trip. It was the best way to learn about the culture and enjoy the beauty.

[ TRANS-TOHOKU Bike Tour]
As a cyclist in Victoria Australia .I had an amazing experience with your tour and guides. Beautiful side roads most of the time the meals and breakfast were. Wow so delicious and more than enough . Some great climbing we hired bikes and they were fantastic. Very well maintained. l Would go on another tour with you guys. No problem at all cheers.

[ Nasu Slow Life E-Bike Tour]
We have just completed the Nasu Slow Life tour, Nagako was our guide, and although the first day was a ‘wash out’ with rain, we made the most of it by driving around the cycle route to see the scenery, having a lovely noodle lunch and then relaxing at the onsen in the afternoon, the next two days cycling was perfect weather.. bikes very good, lovely scenery, especially the last day, Nagako was very good at explaining the sights, and her safety on the road was excellent. The Onsen was very authentic, and the western hotel resort on golf course was a good way to finish, lovely views across course and mountains, and great Italian food for a change from Japanese, as we had had 3 weeks in Japan and were ready for some different food.

[ 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.