Arashiyama Bamboo Forest & Hidden Gems Bike Tour (Early Bird)

Great tour, relaxing, we did not expect it to be so informative. Friendly tour guide, (Rob), knowledgeable and shared personal details about his experience living in Japan; more than simple sightseeing. Thanks for a great morning!

As a family of three, travelling with our 11 year old son, we opted for the Early Bird Bike Tour to avoid crowds and the hottest part of the day. We took the train to the meeting point which we found easily thanks to the very clear instructions sent prior to the day (and Google Maps!) Our guide, Don, met us at the train station, pointed us in the direction of restroom! and provided ice cold water and a hydration tablet before setting off in the heat. The Bamboo Forest was a highlight, a number of tourists around but Don managed to navigate us through and snap some great family pics. We were on a small tour with just two others and we certainly got what felt like a personalised tour. A highlight for us was cycling through the rice paddle fields, seeing the pink lotus flowers and cycling across the bridge. Our 11 year old is an experienced bike ride and loved it - one of the best and most interesting bike tours he has done! I am an average cyclist and felt safe on the roads. The heat did get to me heading up a final hill but Don explained the group would be heading back so I waited half way up. The heat was intense but Don factored in plenty of rest and hydration stops. Don took photos throughout the morning which he shared promptly at the end of the tour. He also gave us some pointers for local eateries and we lived the curry! Highly recommended. Thanks, Don.

Highest recommendation! We had an amazing experience with Rick as our lead recently, based on recommendations from friends who loved a tour with Yuki in 2025. Rick was a friendly and knowledgeable guide. We did this our first morning in Kyoto and it really helped frame our whole visit there. He taught us about shrines and temples (customs, how to approach, etc) and that was super helpful for later visits on our own. Rick made the heat bearable with nice touches like breaks, water and snacks, and salt / electrolyte tabs. Our family tends not to do tours but he made it engaging for all of us (including two skeptical teens). Would definitely do this again.

This was one of our favorite activities we did during our two weeks in Japan. Our guide, Rob, was awesome! He shared so much with us about culture and religion and the region. He was super knowledgeable and really kept everyone engaged. The ride was lovely! Not just the bamboo forest but also the small streets around the neighborhood and my favorite part which was going out through the rice fields and small country roads that border Kyoto at the base of the surrounding hills. Even in the crazy summer heat, this was still a fantastic experience.

We loved our bike tour of Arashiyama and the bamboo forest. Cycling through the paddy fields and visiting a quieter temple after the crowds of central Kyoto were delights. The pace was sensibly relaxed, given the summer heat and we were well supplied with water. However, it was really our guides, Ray and Rick that made the tour. The combination of historical and religious context and anecdotes from their experience of living in Japan really added to our experience. Thanks for a fun trip!

Our family of 4 with two teens did the early bird bike tour with Don and so far has been the highlight of our family’s Japan trip! We loved every minute of it even in the 97 degree weather. Between the bamboo forest, temple visits, and countryside paths it was by far the coolest way to check out hidden gems of Kyoto! Thanks Kyoto Bike tours and Don. What a fabulous memory for our family.

Don was an excellent guide, he told us about Kyoto also some cool places which we also loved. In my 13 & 10 year old's words - it was very good. It was worth the early start. It was the best way to visit temples & shrines with kids, without getting too hot or lost in crowds. We learnt about "old history" & Kyoto without getting bored.

This was a great bike ride to discover a little more of the Arashiyama area. Don was a great guide and gave us a lot of history on the Shinto and Buddhist religions at the shrine and temples we visited. We loved riding through the rice fields, a true highlight. We had two teenagers and three in shape adults but not in cycling shape and this tour was extremely doable for all on the trip. We would definitely request Don as a guide again and will be looking forward to Kyoto bike tours if we return to Japan. Thank you for making our trip so memorable!!

We had the best time exploring Kyoto on this bike tour. Rob is an absolutely amazing guide and was extremely knowledgeable. The weather was hot but we were provided with plenty of water and breaks to stop and soak up the surroundings. My favorite stop was probably Tenryu-ji Temple Sogenchi Teien, but we saw so many cool things on this tour. I highly recommend it!

Thanks to Peter and his team for an amasing morning-biketrip to the Bamboo forest, Arashiyama and the surrounding areas. The guides have created a wonderful roundtrip that in addition to the bamboo forest contained both visits to Temples, Shrines, ricefields and parks. The bicycles were of good quality and everyone in the group was taken good care of. Thanks to the skilled guides it was both a fun and educational trip. We can highly recommend this tour.