• Private Tour
• Instantly Confirmed
• Carbon Neutral

Enjoy the freedom of exploring Kyoto on a bike tour with a local. Cover more ground, take scenic routes, and cycle through main spots like the Philosopher's path and Gion Area. Take in the views as you bike through the city in a safe and fun way, and hear fascinating stories at every stop along the way!

Destination

Kyoto, Japan

Category

City Highlight Tours

Duration

2.5 hours

Transport mode

Bike

Available languages

English, Español, 日本語

Included

• Private Guide
• Bike Rental
• 1 Local Drink or Snack
• All Withlocals Tours are Carbon Neutral

Excluded

• Entrance to attractions

What you can expect

Choose your local

Get to know these 2 passionate locals, each bringing unique perspectives and talents. Choose your favorite, check their availability, and book to create an unforgettable adventure tailored to you.

This is the plan

Check out the plan below to see what you'll get up to with your local host. Feel free to personalize this offer with the host of your choice.

1. Meeting point

   Meet at Outside the J-Cycle Biking Rental - Kyoto to start your journey

   View on Maps

2. Itinerary

   This is what our experience could look like, but it’s not set in stone! Once you book, you can chat directly with your host to make small tweaks to suit your preferences.

3. Bike-Friendly

   Your host is a bike expert and knows the dos and don'ts of biking in Kyoto. Listen to your local host's instructions before enjoying your bike tour. Follow the local bike rules for a safe and easy-going biking experience. Your safety is our main concern

4. Cover More Ground

   On a bike tour, there’s more to explore! Check out green spaces, scenic routes, and bike through main spots in Kyoto like the Philosopher's path and Gion Area. Make stops along the way to catch up with your host and hear stories and insights about the city

5. Picturesque Route

   Bike-friendly roads have the best views, and on this bike tour, there’s no exception. Take in the sights, go off the beaten track, and discover scenic views reached easily on two wheels

6. Sustainable & Fun

   If you are looking for a way to maintain a healthy lifestyle while helping the planet, then a bike tour is perfect for you! Cut off carbon emissions, forget about local transport, and exercise, all at the same time while you discover a different side of Kyoto. What a fun way to explore!

7. Make it yours

   Want to tweak the itinerary? Book directly & chat afterwards with your host to adjust highlights, skip stops, or make small changes to fit your preferences.

   Book risk-free: Cancel within 24 hours for a full refund.

   Need something special? Personalize your experience for more time, alternative locations or a completely tailored plan.

Flexible cancellation policy

• Feel confident booking

  Cancel within 24 hours for a full refund. Even up to 7 days before your experience, you’ll receive a refund, minus the service fee.

• Change of plans?

  Reschedule your experience to a date and time that works best for you.

• Loved by travelers worldwide

  Simple and flexible – your plans, your way.

Reviews from guests

Marjon🇳🇱 Netherlands

(About local Eiji)

31 January 2025

Eiji took us to places where tourists are rare and was helpfull to answer our questions. We enjoyed the tour very much. Off beaten tracks

Cameron

(About local Eiji)

9 January 2025

Eiji was an excellent guide and provided a great tour of Kyoto. He very knowledgeable and helpful. We did this tour on the first day of our stay in Kyoto which was a great way to see the city & get our bearings. Thank you for looking after my family Eiji.

Joe🇬🇧 United Kingdom

(About local Eiji)

24 December 2024

Eiji was a very nice man but it was our first day in Kyoto and he didn’t take us to the main sites as we wanted - he also didn’t ask us what we wanted out of the trip. Disappointed

Jenny🇦🇺 Australia

(About local Eiji)

15 December 2024

Myself, husband and 2 older teenage boys loved the local bike tour with Eiji. He was very easy going, friendly and provided interesting insight to the local sites. He was very responsive and I would highly recommend him to anyone!Eiji was fantastic!

Rebecca🇺🇸 United States

(About local Eiji)

11 November 2024

We had a great time exploring Kyoto by bike with Eiji. He was very skilled in guiding us through the streets and touring by bike allowed us to cover a lot more ground than we would have been able to do on foot. Additionally, he showed us places off the beaten path that we wouldn’t have known about otherwise. I would highly recommend this tour. Fun way to explore

Christina

(About local Sebastian)

1 November 2024

We booked the bicycle tour in Kyoto with Sebastian and it was great! He showed us a lot of places in Kyoto and tells us some stories about it. We had a great time and Sebastian is such a nice guy and story teller. Definetly recommend to book a tour with him, you will get a great experience! If we come back to Japan, we definetly will book another tour with him again 👍🏻 Great experience!

Jaki🇬🇧 United Kingdom

(About local Eiji)

25 October 2024

Thank you Eiji for an amazing tour today. We had so much fun! You were very good at looking after an inexperienced and nervous cyclist We saw lots of Kyoto and learnt some useful and interesting background from you. You were so kind to take all the photographs as well. We will look back on them as a reminder of a wonderful morning spent with you in your beautiful and historic city. A fabulous tour !

Sarah🇺🇸 United States

(About local Eiji)

18 October 2024

Fiji was a fantastic tour/ride leader!!! He took us to all of the places we wanted to go but hadn't had the time to walk to. On the bikes he always kept us in line and let us know when the street would be particularly narrow. It was such a lovely tour of special places that LOCALS know.Great ride!

Heidi🇸🇬 Singapore

(About local Eiji)

16 October 2024

Eiji took us family of four (2 kids of 10 and 14) on a nice 2 hour bike ride through Kyoto. We had a great time even thought we had some rain along the way. He told us about the sides, without spending too much time on all the details. This kept it also fun for my kids. We stopped at several sides and he gave us some time to look around and take photos. Eiji was a great tour guide, and photographer. Highly recommend booking this tour also with kids. Fun bike ride for the entire family

christiane

(About local Eiji)

8 October 2024

It was very informative and relaxing bicycle tour with Eiji. I went with two teenagers and all of us enjoyed it a lot. Ariagto gosaimas Eiji.Great calm

Elaine🇺🇸 United States

(About local Eiji)

4 October 2024

Eiji was the best. If i had more time in Kyoto I would hire him to show me more great spotsEiji was the best.

Denis

(About local Sebastian)

29 September 2024

Great way to see the sights. East ride. Sebastian was a great guide. Bike tours rule

Marielle🇳🇱 Netherlands

(About local Eiji)

28 September 2024

Eiji is the perfect tour guide. Very enthusiastic, knows a lot. Good humor, kind, calm. We had a great tour in Kyoto.Great biking tour with Eiji

Madeleine🇺🇸 United States

(About local Eiji)

21 September 2024

Our group of three had a wonderful experience with Eiji. Eiji made the entire excursion very fun and comfortable. We saw some beautiful views and got to learn more about the culture and history of Kyoto. We were pleased with the number of local/non-touristy areas we were able to visit. Eiji also incorporated the most delicious snack during the tour; we love supporting local vendors and this treat was one of our favorites! Eiji also made sure to bike at a pace that was enjoyable - with plenty of rests in beautiful spots. As an added bonus - Eiji took 60+ photos (without us having to ask) of us on the tour which are fun memories to look back on. Would recommend!!Bike-tastic! Great guide!

Unknown

(About local Eiji)

21 September 2024

We had a wonderful time on Eiji’s tour. Not only was he very friendly and knowledgeable, he was extremely caring on what was one of the hottest bike rides of our lives. He was always attentive and checking in to make sure we were doing well. Highly recommend a tour with Eiji! A fantastic tour with a fantastic person!

Ian🇬🇧 United Kingdom

(About local Eiji)

14 September 2024

Our host Eiji was just brilliant and took us to all the best sites. What a great way to see Kyoto. Thank you Eiji.What a fantastic tour.

Gerd🇩🇪 Germany

(About local Sebastian)

28 July 2024

Although it was a very hot day, Sebastian was a very sympathic and great guy, who took care of us also taking short breaks, where he organized our drinks. Overall, during the bicycle tour he had a lot of knowledge about the different places we looked at! Great experience 😊Best Guide: Sebastian

Kel🇨🇦 Canada

(About local Eiji)

28 June 2024

Did a bike tour with Eiji. He is an amazing guide!! His patience and positive attitude are infectious. We had such a great time and learned so much about Kyoto and the Japanese culture. Thx Eiji!!!!Eiji is inspiring

A

(About local Eiji)

31 May 2024

We had a really nice tour with Eiji and enjoyed the 2,5 hours beyond the touristy paths - he was very kind and took a lot of photos from us which he provided afterwards. Nevertheless the price level for this tour is beyond expensive and insane (for 2 people € 240!!). Retrospectively I would not recommend it for this price. Eiji was great but price is waaays to high

Sibylle 🇩🇪 Germany

(About local Eiji)

25 May 2024

Eiji hat uns Kyoto auf sehr nette Weise gezeigt. Wir konnten uns einen ersten Eindruck von der tollen Stadt verschaffen, um dann in den kommenden Tagen weitere Sehenswürdigkeiten selbst zu erkunden. Die Tour war kurzweilig; Eiji ein interessanter Gesprächspartner. Wir können die Tour mit ihm nur empfehlen.Die Fahrradtour mit Eiji war toll

Annemette

(About local Eiji)

18 April 2024

We were very happy to get Eiji as our tour guide. He found some great spots for us and we had a cozy time. We had nice conversations and Eiji is very easy to communicate with. We would definitely recommend Eiji as an amazing Kyoto bike tour guide. A wonderful afternoon bike tour with Eiji

Remo🇨🇭 Switzerland

(About local Eiji)

15 April 2024

Eiji Ist a realy nice guy and showed me and my girlfriend the best places in Kyoto. It was so cool cruising around with the bicycles. Thank you very much Eiji. You made our stay in Kyoto 100 times better. Greeting and all the Best Remo and Valeria :) Amazing Kyoto experience with Eiji

Nadine🇩🇪 Germany

(About local Eiji)

2 April 2024

Wer Kyoto abseits der ausgetrampelten Touristenpfade sehen möchte, macht mit Eiji seine Fahrradtour, die durch wunderbare ruhige Gegenden der Stadt führt und Dich Kyoto mit den Augen eines Einheimischen sehen lässt. Wunderschön ! Vielen Dank für das tolle Erlebnis ! Absolut empfehlenswertTolle Fahrradtour durch Kyoto mit Eiji !

Marieke 🇳🇱 Netherlands

(About local Eiji)

31 March 2024

Wij hebben een hele geslaagde tour gefietst met Eiji. Erg leuke gids met veel leuke verhalen. Super ontspannen allerlei plekken bezocht. Eiji heeft ook erg leuk foto’s voor ons gemaakt! Ik zou zo nog een keer met Eiji door Kyoto willen fietsen! Geweldige tour

Petra🇩🇪 Germany

(About local Eiji)

19 March 2024

We had yesterday a cycling tour with Eiji. He is a thoughtful, nice guide . We cycled 2 and a half hours, it was pretty cold , but the tour was excellent. We cycled as a family and everyone was perfectly satisfied. Thanks to Eiji Very good highly recommend

Nicole🇺🇸 United States

(About local Eiji)

17 March 2024

Eiji was a fantastic tour guide. We were able to cover a lot of territory biking instead of walking, allowing us to see a lot in just 3 hrs. Eiji tailored the tour to our family based upon what we had already seen and even took us to a shop to buy matcha cups as it was our last day in Kyoto and we specifically wanted a matcha cup as a souvenir. The best part of the tour was talking to Eiji and hearing his perspective on the history of Japan and Japanese culture as well as seeing picturesque neighborhoods that we would have otherwise missed.Great way to see Kyoto

Jemma

(About local Eiji)

21 January 2024

Eiji our guide used our time with him perfectly. Riding on the bikes with him we got to see some amazing tourist sites. He gave us historical information and then we were on our way to another site. We were also guided to some places where the locals came to enjoy their cities beauty unknown to many tourists. Pre and post tour Eiji assisted us to make the experience great. The value for money was perfect.Tour like a local

Dianne🇦🇺 Australia

(About local Eiji)

21 January 2024

We absolutely loved the Kyoto bike tour with Eiji. He was so knowledgeable and took us to areas we would never have discovered. Definitely a highlight of our visit to Kyoto & highly recommend. Thanks Eiji! Fabulous! Don’t miss it!

Leeora🇦🇺 Australia

(About local Eiji)

20 January 2024

Eiji was friendly and easy going, his recommendations were spot on. It was clear to us that he loves sharing with visitors his favourite spots. Eiji genuinely wished for us to have an enjoyable visit. The tour was a pleasurable ride along the canals and some local hang outs. Relaxed ride through Kyoto

John🇺🇸 United States

(About local Eiji)

7 December 2023

Eiji is fantastic. A bike tour might not be for everyone, but if you want the opportunity to see most of Kyoto with an incredible and friendly guide (while giving those walking legs a rest after days in Tokyo or equivalent), our 2.5 hours with Eiji was the highlight of our trip to Japan so far. This is more about a Kyoto flyover (fly through?) than it is a hike to the top of shrine mountain, but given our limited time here we absolutely loved this way of seeing so much of the city. Eiji was a knowledgeable guide, took tons of pictures for us, and even gave us meal recommendations! If this is what you’re looking for, we can’t recommend it enough! Thanks Eiji! Effifient/fun way to see most of Kyoto!

Jada🇭🇰 Hong Kong

(About local Eiji)

1 December 2023

We met Eiji-san at the Imperial Palace to start our bike trip. He was polite and he planned our itinerary very well. Because of a unannounced closure of the palace, Eiji was able to plan another route to take us to see the beautiful red leafs. He is very kind to give us space when biking to enjoy the scenery and experience by ourselves and he is also there to explain everything about the sites and customs of Kyoto culture. We had a very enjoyable time with Eiji.Perfect Morning on Wheels with Eiji

Pieter Harry

(About local Ollie)

9 November 2023

With Ollie we had a great tour mainly through the green parts of the city. It was great to discover the tempels and the diversity of the city. Ollie is knowledgeable and can tell you a lot about the city.Great tour

Nonne🇩🇰 Denmark

(About local Eiji)

21 October 2023

Eiji is such a kind and good tour guide. We really enjoyed our bike tour around Kyoto, which led us to places that we had never found on our own. It was the perfect introduction to Kyoto on our first day there. Biking was fun, safe and easy on the flat, narrow streets. A fun way to get to know the city

Unknown

(About local Eiji)

1 October 2023

Host was amazing with our family of 5. Shouted us to a mochi during the tour. Very knowledgeable and ensured the safety of our 7yo, 11yo and 13yo. Difficult riding conditions but our kids are experienced riders. Great way to explore. Highly recommended!Great family experience!

Jane🇬🇧 United Kingdom

(About local Eiji)

1 October 2023

We both had an amazing time, well worth the money. The bikes were great, really easy to ride and a comfortable seat! Eiji took us to some lovely places around Kyoto and explained to us the culture and history of Kyoto. We were even treated to a sweet treat along the way. Lots of fabulous photos were taken of the day .. we really enjoyed the experience Amazing time cycling around Kyoto

Sal🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

(About local Eiji)

1 July 2023

Eiji is an incredibly knowledgeable and passionate tour guide who clearly loves Kyoto. He took the time to answer all of our questions in detail, and he even shared some personal stories and anecdotes that helped us to better understand the city's culture and history. He is also a very friendly and engaging person who made sure that everyone in our group felt welcome and included. We stopped at some amazing places on our tour, and Eiji always had interesting facts and stories to share about each one. Overall, I had a fantastic time on my tour with Eiji, and I highly recommend him to anyone who is planning a trip to Kyoto.A Tour Guide Who Will Make LOVE Kyoto

Lilli🇺🇸 United States

(About local Mako)

21 June 2023

She was so professional, nice and patient with our family group! We thoroughly enjoyed her tour! Highly recommend her! She knows this city well! Great bike tour with Mako!!

Michael🇺🇸 United States

(About local Eiji)

5 June 2023

Our bike tour of Kyoto with Eiji was a great experience. He was friendly, knowledgeable and made sure we felt comfortable on our bikes and were not lost. He took us to an off the beaten path market to buy some treats and then we had a rest stop by the river. We were able to get to many attractions and enjoyed some of the quieter places and streets. Eiji was taking photographs all along so we did not have to worry about it and could just absorb the impressions of the journey. Bike tour of Kyoto with Eiji

Collin🇺🇸 United States

(About local Eiji)

29 May 2023

First, Eiji was very responsive to messages when I had questions. The day of the tour it was easy to get to the bike rental meetup location and Eiji was already there with everything ready to go and with a name tag on. During the tour Eiji took us to some great local spots and at each spot gave us some insight about the location, Kyoto in general, Japan in general, and some information about himself. The snack he got for us was amazing and I only wish I had booked this tour my first day in Kyoto so I could have gone back to this snack place everyday! I really enjoyed talking with Eiji and if I come back to Kyoto I would absolutely book another tour with Eiji!Insightful, fun, great energy!

Sandra🇫🇷 France

(About local Eiji)

28 April 2023

Nous ne regrettons pas d'avoir réservé cette visite de Kyoto avec Eiji. Nous pensions être arrivés après la période des cerisiers en fleur mais Eiji nous a emmené voir les derniers cerisiers dans le parc du palais impérial. Quel bonheur ! Le tour a été super et Eiji un guide vraiment parfait. Merci à lui ! La seule chose : notre fils (il va avoir 8 ans) était peut-être un peu petit pour ce tour à vélo, nous avons eu une ou deux frayeurs) Un super tour avec Eiji !

Daniel🇺🇸 United States

(About local Eiji)

27 April 2023

We really enjoyed our bike ride with Eiji, and he made it interesting and funNice way to see Kyoto with family members

Sophia🇸🇬 Singapore

(About local Eiji)

19 April 2023

Thanks to Eiji San for the flexibility to commence our bike tour earlier than the official planned schedule. We rode through the gardens and the defunct Palace. It was indeed good exercise! Eiji- San took lots of photos for our group and these formed great momentos for us. Thank you for the lovely bike tour !Morning Ride with Eiji San

Lisa🇺🇸 United States

(About local Eiji)

31 March 2023

We had a wonderful experience biking around Kyoto with Eiji. He happily adapted our route to accommodate sites we had seen previously which we very much appreciated. After collecting our bikes from the rental shop off we went zipping through this sublime city. No question but we saw neighborhoods and sites on this ride that we never would have experienced without Eiji’s local expertise. All along the way he took many pictures of us which was something of a bonus to have afterwards. We walked through beautiful gardens having many nice conversations with Eiji (whose English is perfect, by the way, although he will disagree;-). We were super lucky to have Sakura in full bloom and from a bike was a beautiful way to see such gorgeousness! Hard to imagine a more spectacular day! Thank you, Eiji! LxBeautiful Bikeride!

Goldie 🇨🇦 Canada

(About local Eiji)

16 March 2023

Our family had an amazing sunny day Kyoto bike tour with Eiji. He was an attentive guide and an amazing photographer who really documented the whole tour for us which was wonderful. From photos with the first blooming cherry blossoms and a visit to a local market to a introduction to a local shrine and eating fresh mochi on the river bank, it was a morning to remember. Thank you Eiji!!A wonderful bike tour

S🇺🇸 United States

(About local Eiji)

23 November 2022

Amy 🇰🇷 Korea, Republic of

(About local Eiji)

9 September 2022

My parents really enjoy riding bikes, so when they came to visit Japan, I booked this bike tour so we could all see Kyoto while having a pleasant bike ride. Eiji-san is a lovely person. He took us along the river, through a market, to one of the famous temples, got us mochi from a great bakery, and showed us places we never would have noticed otherwise. He is a Kyoto native and very knowledgeable about all the places we passed. The actual ride was not strenuous and could easily be done by someone who doesn't normally ride bikes much. The only potential issue is that sometimes the streets are a little crowded, so you have to be careful not to bump into pedestrians or cars. Overall, I would definitely recommend the tour to other people that visit Kyoto. Very enjoyable!

Unknown

(About local Eiji)

27 August 2022

Eiji was a magnificent guide during our bike ride around Kyoto. We managed to visit quite a number of beautiful and relaxing places that I didn't know about (despite having already visited Kyoto before), and we even got some 饅頭 along the way! I felt safe and in capable hands while following Eiji around, and he was always very friendly and truthful. I would highly recommend this bike tour to everyone that visits Kyoto and wants to see the sights without the crowds! Thank you so much Eiji! お疲れ様でした！Really enjoyable and engaging!

Unknown

(About local Eiji)

23 August 2022

Annelieke🇳🇱 Netherlands

(About local Jonathan)

30 March 2020

We booked the bike tour to see Kyoto from a different perspective and it was totally worth it! Jonathan is a great guide, he informed us beforehand and made sure we came prepared. During the tour he told us a lot about Kyoto and some historical backgrounds as well. Besides, he gave us some practical tips and recommendations to spend our time in Kyoto. He didn’t hurry and took all the time we needed to stop at certain places to give more information or to take some photos. Would definitely recommend him to guide you through Kyoto if you have the chance! Very nice Kyoto tour!

Francois 🇫🇷 France

(About local Samuel)

3 March 2020

Merci Samuel pour cette belle balade à vélo qui nous a fait découvrir Kyoto et dont nous garderons un super souvenir grâce à toi et ta bonne humeur. Merci pour les infos culturelles également et ton partage d’expeRience de vie locale. Bonne continuation! BarbaraBelle découverte de Kyoto