We are responsible for the sustainability of local economy and natural environment in our region.
We live here, we know every detail of this place and we have a lot of local partners. So, we can continuously provide carefully planned unique cycling tours in this region and through it, we can empower local people, boost local economy and sustain beautiful rural life, culture and nature in this region.
Reviews from Our Guests
Derek Brown
[ 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.
Michael Chin
[ 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.
Milind Bagde
[ 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.
Evizel Seymour
[ 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
John and Mary Griffioen
Rating: 5 stars out of 5
We have not done many reviews but did feel that one was indicated in this instance, so bear with us. My wife and I participated in this tour during September of 2023. We had found this tour by simply using “google” and studying the various bike tours available in Japan. Our experience up until now has been unsupported multi day bike trips in North America and Europe ( ie LeJog 2022). Criteria included daily distance to be biked, elevation changes as well as the area of Japan that would be explored. My only experience with Japan had been 30 years earlier when I had briefly visited a number of the larger cities…ie Tokyo, Nagasaki, Hiroshima and Kyoto. That had been a positive experience and it brought me back…..but this tour was both vastly different as well as superior.
Firstly, the cycling experience was great. Our rented bikes were “Cannondale Synapse”; great shape and tuned up daily. The day would start with a review of what to expect…..including distances, elevation changes, planned stops. On average we did around 100km each day, and the elevation gain was about 1000m/day. If these values are more then you are comfortable with then there is the ebike option, or to take a ride in the support van that is always close at hand. Scenery is varied from rural agriculture (plenty or rice fields), small towns, tropical forests, mountain passes, and ocean views. I did miss having a better paved shoulder on the road, but traffic is very light, motorists are friendly and keep a safe distance. I was only honked at once; but this was well deserved. Bathrooms are frequent and clean. The one road negative was that on occasion there is a water drain that is uncovered and just beside the road; none of us went into it….but I did keep a wary distance from it. The guides were very capable, friendly, conscientious and very safety conscious.
Secondly what we did not appreciate coming into the tour, which was just as meaningful as the cycling was the cultural experience. Stops along the way included “Shrines”, “Temples”, a Saki brewery, bake shops, orchards, hot springs, museums…….. Accommodations were always at first rate traditional inns/onsens or modern hotels/onsens. Meals were a feast to the eyes and stomach. There is no way that I could have seen or discovered this aspect of Japan on my own; especially with the language barrier. This was completely different from my earlier more urban visit to Japan; vastly more meaningful.
So yes, we can highly recommend this tour. We can truly say that there was not a single negative memory. The tour company “Ride Experience” provided for an excellent tour and holiday, with only positive surprises. Our guides Tetsuya, Yoshi, Keijj were incredibly knowledgeable, capable and well prepared. By the end of the tour, you can’t help but feel that you have becomes friends. The people of Japan that we met were incredibly friendly, kind, polite, and went out of their way to be helpful and welcoming. I believe this is the signature tour for this company; they do have shorter ones also available. For us this tour was certainly epic, and of the bikes trips/tours we have done probably about the best.
Anne Condon
Our guided Trans-Tohoku tour with Tetsuya and Yoshi was truly epic! Each day was filled with opportunities to learn about the history, culture, and food in ways that would not have been possible by ourselves. The quiet roads were beautiful. Every detail was carefully planned – accommodation in rural mountain villages or with a sunset view over the Sea of Japan were highlights, along with locally sourced food in special places. We could not have been better cared for – our guides were attentive and flexible. The photos we received at the end, taken at every interesting spot along the way, leave us with wonderful memories.
Evy Pham
[ Foodie’s Bike Tour NASU – NIKKO]
Knowledgeable guide took us to hidden local gems, including beautiful ryokans and charming restaurants. High-quality bikes, well-designed routes, and breathtaking scenery. Excellent attention to detail and top-notch customer service. Highly recommend for an authentic and memorable experience.
Daphne Wayland
[ KUMANO KODO Pilgrimage Bike & Hike]
Such a thrill to be part of the first Ride Experience Kumano Kodo trip with Tetsuya and his team. It was a fantastic experience. The scenery was sublime and the cultural experiences were amazing. We didn’t regret taking the ebike option. The routes were well planned and the organisation was seamless – with the support van following along, we were never far from a change of gear if we needed it. The hotels were the perfect choice – all with a river or ocean view and sensational traditional food. Would recommend this trip to anyone interested in seeing a full experience of Japan outside of the big cities. Thanks again Tetsuya, Yoko, Taka and Yoshi for your care – we had an awesome time!!
Roger Jenkins
[ KUMANO KODO Pilgrimage Bike & Hike]
Your team worked with us to make all problems disappear with an efficient and very positive attitude to all of our small problems. The food I experienced over the trip was wonderful. The presentation and range of flavours gave me a most enjoyable view of Japanese cuisine. The Onsen experience was new for me and it was most enjoyable to see this aspect of Japanese lifestyle. The Onsen in the caves, with a wild ocean breaking onto the walls of the Onsen was breathtaking, the contrast between the warmth of the Onsen and the wild ocean will be an experience that I will cherish. Finally, the range of rides was amazing. I particularly note the return ride along the river to Shingu. This was a wonderful ride along a most picturesque small quiet road, and experience that will be one of my most enduring memories of the trip.
Paul Taylor
[ NIKKO NATIONAL PARK Bike & Hike Tour ]
Ride Experience organise hiking, cycling and cultural experiences into the depths of Japan. Of course, you visit all the iconic places in Japan. But not only that, you get to see all those hidden away places only the Japanese would know about it.
I was lucky enough to join Mr Tetsuya Yamamoto on one of his Ride Experience tours into the depths of the Japanese countryside, taking in one of the most famous national parks in Japan together with some iconic cultural experiences along the way.
Each day was meticulously thought out, planned and put together – and the combination of cycling, hiking and cultural visits worked perfectly. Add to that a wonderful bunch of people and you have a magical and unforgettable tour!
(Check here for the whole report of the tour by Paul.)
Ben Watson
[ NIKKO NATIONAL PARK Bike & Hike Tour ]
We’d lived in Japan for over 5 years and, between us, cycled tens of thousands of kilometres across the country. Still, this trip had been something special. Tetsuya-san had shown us deep Japan. The sites, inns, nature and cycling routes you’d never find alone. We’d been treated to the finest Japanese cuisine and the most welcoming Japanese hospitality.
For me, the trip had begun as the kick I needed to get cycling again. But it was so much more than a bike ride. It was a gastronomical cultural journey through nature.
What a ride. What an experience!
(Check here for the whole report of the tour by Ben.)
Barbara Kuhn
[ NIKKO NATIONAL PARK Bike & Hike Tour ]
A glimpse into traditional Japan while riding and hiking over backstreets through the rice fields and hills of Japan’s countryside. With stunning accommodation and food selections throughout the whole week, a perfect combination of cycling, hiking and cultural visits under the fall colors of October!
Every day was like no other, allowing us to experience Japan and it’s culture by exploring the outdoors; cycling, hiking and stopping for cultural highlights. The route was thoroughly planned and put together by Yamamoto-san and worked out perfectly even with some adjustments made due to two days of rain.
I can heartily recommend this tour to every bike enthusiast.
(Check here for the whole report of the tour by Barbara.)
Bradley Bennett
[ NIKKO NATIONAL PARK Bike & Hike Tour ]
This tour was an amazing combination of local culture, scenic cycling and seasonal hiking. It can be a challenge to organize a group experience that suits individual expectations. Personally, I don’t like to stop often when cycling although when Yamamotosan directed us to a hillside Zen temple with a 1,000 year history or we were following a local Miso merchant through his personal storehouse or visiting local pottery studios with tours from the Sensei and master I was reminded how good it feels to take the pace a bit slower.
(Click here (PDF file) for the whole report of the tour by Brad.)
Deirdre C. Lee
Zonika Ramsey
Matthew Wolstencroft
Ben Watson
I had the incredibly good fortune of joining Tetsuya Yamamoto and his team at ‘Ride Experience’ on the Trans-Tohouku bike tour of Japan, a 900km ride from Tokyo up to Aomori, the northern tip of the Honshu Island of Japan.
The route included the most amazing mountain climbs, descents through bear-tracked forests, rides along farm tracks criss-crossing rice field valleys and endless, glorious, switch-backs. We rode past historic shrines, through ancient woods, visited famous shrines, ate in gourmet restaurants, bathed in natural hot springs and experienced the cultural heritage of Japan that no ordinary traveller would.
Even as an experienced rider who’d lived in Japan for 5 years, it was, without exaggeration, a truly epic experience.
It was a sole-discovering, life-changing journey on two wheels.
I’d arrived back in Tokyo feeling alive and healthier than ever.
