4.5-Hour Kyoto Bike Tour with Lunch and UNESCO Zen Temples
Description
Join a tour by MagicalTrip, proud winner of the Tripadvisor Best of the Best Award. Each experience is led by a MagicalTrip Certified Guide, professionally trained and carefully selected to ensure quality and authenticity. Begin this historical cycling tour by exploring Gion and learning about geisha culture and Zen Buddhism at Kennin-ji, a UNESCO World Heritage Zen temple. Experience the calm atmosphere of a traditional Zen temple and admire its karesansui rock garden. Afterward, cycle to Nanzen-ji Temple, where your guide will share stories about Zen philosophy and Kyoto’s past. Ride through charming local streets and enjoy a delicious lunch at a Japanese tea house. Conclude the tour with a relaxing cycle along the Kamogawa River, a beloved Kyoto oasis. This small-group experience is hosted by Magical Trip, a TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence local tour operator offering authentic tours across Japan.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Soak up the relaxing atmosphere of the Kamogawa River as you glide by on your bike.
Start the Kyoto Historical Bike Tour from Gion district
This is the oldest Zen temple in Kyoto. You can feel the beauty of Kyoto by looking at the simple and beautiful karesansui (dry landscape) garden.
This is the most prestigious Zen temple in Japan, with a history of 700 years. You can enjoy the powerful temple gate and the beauty of nature in each season.
Enjoy a delicious local Kyoto lunch or desert and stroll around the beautiful Japanese garden. We kick off in Gion, navigating our way to Kennin-ji, a UNESCO World Heritage site, to immerse ourselves in Wabi-sabi and its Zen Rock garden. Experience the serene Zen atmosphere. Next, we'll cycle to Nanzen-ji, Japan's premier Zen temple, known for its picturesque spots. A brief ride brings us to Heian Jingu shrine, where you'll gain insights into local customs.
Pass by Heian Shrine
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Cycling under the influence of alcohol, and using a smartphone while cycling are strictly prohibited by law in Japan. Penalties will be imposed on violators, as well as on bicycle providers and fellow passengers. (Smartphone use is allowed when the bicycle is stopped.)
- Please follow the traffic rules, which your guide will explain to you.
- Anyone over 150cm (4′11″) tall can join this tour.
- Please wear comfortable clothing and shoes suitable for cycling.
- Out of respect for other guests and to ensure the best tour for everyone, we must start the tour on time. You will not be able to join the tour, get a refund or reschedule if you are late for the tour and miss the group."
- Please inform us at least one day before the tour if you have any dietary requests or allergies to mention.※ Requests made on the tour day cannot be accommodated. Please kindly understand that we are unable to guarantee allergy-free meals, accommodation of dietary restrictions or the substitutions, as the food is prepared in kitchens that do not belong to us.
- Japan's climate has become more extreme, with summer highs reaching 40°C (104°F) and winter lows dropping to -5°C (23°F). Please prepare accordingly for the tour. The tour may be canceled in the event of unsuitable weather for safety reasons.
Reviews(137)
Great experience, very interesting spots throughout Kyoto and great lunch. Would definitely recommend when in Kyoto.
Our tour with Yuka was an absolute delight. We love the way that she made us all feel at ease and was so passionate about everything she shared with us. She also allowed us to ask as many questions as we liked, and we have many. The bike tour was the best tour we’ve taken so far during our two week vacation in Japan and we can’t recommend Yuka enough. If you want a truly magical experience with a bike tour and even finding a hidden gem for lunch, you should book this tour!
Very lovely views. Well guided areas and well made traveling. They support well for safety on the roads and help taking pictures. Very amazing experience
Great morning tour on bike with a most helpfull, kind and experienced guide! Yuka had a lot of knowledge and humor! Great to do this on bike so we could see several remote locations and end with a tranquille lunch!
Thank you very much for your kind review! We’re delighted to hear you enjoyed the bike tour with Yuka and appreciated her knowledge and humor. It’s great to know you enjoyed exploring the quieter areas and the relaxing lunch as well. We hope to welcome you again on another tour!
Wonderful and chill fay with super cool guide Ayaka. We went biking near the river, visited the shrines and Nanzenji temple, really nice area. We also passed through Gion in the morning and picked up a coffee at the convenience store. Super cool bike tour in Kyoto, highly recommend Ayaka!
Thank you so much for your wonderful review! We’re delighted to hear that you had such a relaxing and enjoyable day in Kyoto with Ayaka. It’s great that you experienced biking along the river, visiting shrines and Nanzen-ji Temple, and exploring areas like Gion. We’re also happy you enjoyed the little local moments along the way, like the convenience store coffee. Thank you very much for your recommendation, and we hope to welcome you again on another MagicalTrip experience in the future!
This was a brilliant tour! Yuki was an amazing guide and explained everything in detail to us about this wonderful city. The route took us to some temples and also along the canal and streets. I would really recommend this tour!
Thank you very much for your wonderful review! We’re so happy to hear that you had a brilliant experience on the tour with Yuki. It’s great to know you enjoyed her detailed explanations and exploring the city. We truly appreciate your recommendation and hope to welcome you again in the future!
Wonderful experience with GREAT tour guide! He LOVED sharing his culture w/us! Bikes were PERFECT as I am very tall and did just fine! Akira was WONDERFUL guide! Would Highly recommend!
This bicycle tour in Kyoto was really fantastic! Our guide Yuka was such a nice person. The tour was well organized and enjoyable from start to finish. Yuka is friendly with a very good sense of humour and shared a lot of interesting insights without overwhelming us. We had a good mix of popular sights and less crowded spots, which made the experience feel more authentic. Everything ran smoothly, and we always felt well taken care of. The route we took with the bikes was so beautiful and the restaurant at the end was also delicious. Overall, a great way to explore Kyoto—definitely recommended.
Our guide Akira was intrepid showing us the sites around Gion, temples & shrines. Worth spending the time to get to see the sites in a unique way
Thank you for your kind review! I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed exploring Gion with Akira. He truly loves sharing the temples, shrines, and hidden corners of the area, and it’s great to know you found the experience unique and worthwhile. We really appreciate your recommendation, and we hope to welcome you again for another adventure in the future! 😊
This was such a fun way to take a break from walking yet see so much of the city. Emi was our biking tour guide and she did a great job sharing information on the history of Kyoto -and answering our many questions! Emi also took us to a lovely traditional restaurant for an excellent lunch and to a local candy/mochi shop.
