Bike Tour Exploring North Kyoto plus Lunch

Some days manage to surprise us and take us far beyond our original plans, and yesterday (October 2, 2026) was exactly one of those days. We set out in the morning for a nearly six-hour bicycle tour of Kyoto and, by chance, ended up with a private tour—just the two of us with Mayco. She was a charming, pleasant, and funny guide who turned the city ride into so much more than just moving from one site to another. We rode primarily through the northern part of Kyoto, navigating small streets, neighborhoods, temples, and countless hidden spots we certainly wouldn't have found on our own. Mayco’s guiding was outstanding! We loved her pleasant demeanor and the way she shared local quirks—like the Pokémon at the Golden Pavilion (Kinkaku-ji)—and recommended a delicious, unique green tea ice cream. She truly infused the entire tour with humor and charm. We highly recommend this tour. Mayco, thanks to you, it turned into a wonderful and special day! Thank you from the bottom of our hearts, Gal & Ofer

Had a nice welcome from our tourguide Quint. He was preparing the bikes when we came in. A gave us a clear (safety) instruction about the tour and what we were going to visit. Supported with a map of the city he explained how the city was designed. Quint is very knowledgeable about Japan and the locations that are on the tour. For lunch he took us to a good restaurant that is owned by 1 Family for about 300 years. So, you get good value for money.

Fun way to see more sites in Kyoto vs riding in subway and missing sites, sounds and everyday life happening as you go from place to place. Super wonderful way to get to temples and ride thru neighborhoods and see how locals live. Lunch was a special treat as well. Highly recommend!

We went on the North all day tour. Our guide, Julian, was super; safe, knowledgeable, fun, simply; easy to to be with. Great place to eat. Very good equipment. Highly recommend this business.

We only had 2 days in Kyoto and booked a tour on the advice of a friend who highly recommended it. We had a terrific time and it turned out to be one of the best memories of our vacation. Kyoto sites are spread out and we wanted to see some of the less touristy areas so chose the North tour with Julian. Not only were we able to see so many sites, we had our introduction to 7-11 combini which the kids (and we adults) loved, saw backstreets, dipped into the Kamogawa, and learned a little about life and history of Kytoto all while enjoying the breeze of being on an e-bike (which was critical for miid August heat and humidity). So much fun for everyone- no complaints from the 15 and 12 year olds even though it was almost 7 hours long. It flew by!

We booked the North tour with Cycle Kyoto, and our guide Quin was fantastic - he told us many great stories about the history and culture of Kyoto. We also agreed to deviate from the original tour to include the holy purification in the river at one of the Shrines. Fantastic experience, great day!

We had a great ride, it was so nice to see some highlights of the city! The bikes were great and our guide was really good at explaining the history of all the stops. It was a full day which we liked!

Thanks so much for a fantastic day, cycling through Kyoto despite being a very hot day. We visited great places, sampled delicious food (the creme brulee donut will be remembered!) and learned a lot about Kyoto and Japanese culture.

A long, rewarding tour. Mayco was an excellent, helpful guide.

We had a very nice day. The guide Quint knew a lot to tell, and was very attentive to keep it pleasant in the sweltering heat. So in addition to the highlights, we had pleasant stops in authentic coffee shops, and some shady, less touristy spots. This tour and guide are highly recommended.