Arashiyama Bamboo Forest E-Biking Tour

What an amazing tour! Our guide Henry was very knowledgeable had wonderful stories to tell about the history and culture of Kyoto. As we were the only ones booked for the tour we had a private tour and he was able to show us more than we expected. He expertly guided us through some amazing off the beaten paths through our tour to Arashiyama and back. He even helped me get Guoshin from the temples we visited. Such an amazing tour and we cannot recommend it enough.

We loved exploring the streets of Kyoto, it was so hot we never would have been able to explore on foot. We thought the highlight would be the bamboo forest but there were so many other highlights. Seeing the rice fields, ice cream with two lovely locals, the different areas. Would highly recommend.

The tour is informative. Henry is an amazing guide. Both knowledgeable and positive. He helped make our experience memorable and enjoyable!

Outstanding bike ride throughout the countryside, absolutely gorgeous. Our guide was great at navigating traffic while being mindful of each bike rider. He was super knowledgeable about Kyoto history, super nice and highly recommend!

My husband and I went on a bike tour led by Henry, and it was fantastic!!! Henry is extremely knowledgeable about Kyoto and Japan generally. The tour was a fantastic way to see Kyoto. While the bamboo forest was striking and beautiful, the rest of the stops were the highlights!! I would highly recommend this tour to people who love to learn and love to move.

Awesome way to explore Kyoto on a bike. henry was very knowledgable with the tidbits of Japanese history

I was disappointed in my experience with this company and would not recommend. During my time in Japan, our family has experienced nothing but kindness and excellent customer service. This was the opposite of our experience with Noru. Our family had booked the Bamboo Forest biking tour. We thought we booked the private tour, but it was actually a public tour and there was one other couple in our group (we were 6 in a group of 8). At the last minute, we had a change to our schedules and needed the tour 30 minutes early. The other couple that was on the tour with us was very friendly and happy to make an adjustment to the tour to help our family out (thank you!). The guide and the manager of Noru refused to make any changes despite all 8 of us being willing. It was the team at Noru who kept saying "no" to any suggestion rather than having a solutions-oriented mindset. We had our Japanese guide with us, and he was horrified by the lack of customer service and accommodation. The staff we engaged with were not Japanese. We ended up having to forgo going on the tour so we could make our commitment. No partial refund was offered or considered. If your trip goes perfectly, they may be fine. But if you need any flexibility (like ending a tour 30 min early and everybody is okay with that), you will get none, and do not expect the level of courtesy offered to you by everybody else in Japan.

This bike tour was fantastic from start to finish. If you want to experience the area's rich history while escaping the main crowds, this is the way to do it. Cycling the backroads through the peaceful local farmlands and charming towns gave us a completely different, authentic perspective of Kyoto. The bikes themselves were excellent quality and incredibly easy to use. The group size was perfect, keeping the experience feeling intimate and personal. Our guide, Michael, was wonderfully down-to-earth, highly knowledgeable, and added so much context to everything we saw. Plus, the thoughtful touches like providing water and a stop for ice cream were such a treat! We loved that all the entry fees were taken care of in advance, which made the day completely seamless and hassle-free. If I had one minor wish, it would be for just a tiny bit more time—even for just a few extra short stops along the way to soak it all in—because we were having such a great time. Whether you are a history buff or just want a scenic, active day out, I cannot recommend this tour enough. It was truly the highlight of our time in Kyoto!

This tour with Michael was the best part of our time in Kyoto. It was amazing to visit quite areas of the city that would have otherwise been missed. Great bikes, great guide. Wonderful time.

Henry was a fantastic guide, and his passion for the history of Japan was evident. I enjoyed the little stories and bits of information Henry offered at each stop. The bike ride itself was very easy thanks to the assistance of electric bikes which seemed well maintained and comfortable to ride. The only thing I would recommend is the use of headsets for each rider so everyone can hear commentary from the guide. We enjoyed this experience very much and would do it again. Unfortunately, we didn’t get too many photos as we were too busy enjoying the journey.