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Japan's Rural Life & Nature: Private Half Day Cycling Near Kyoto

Location Shiga Prefecture, Kansai, Japan
$169.31
This is an experience gift voucher. The recipient will book the experience after they redeem the gift voucher.

Overview

Just a 20 minute shinkansen ride from Kyoto to our starting point, we offer an easy way to explore small town rural life in Japan on this leisurely beginner-friendly ride, with a local resident guide, fluent in English, to help you enjoy our area’s unique geographical and historical points of interest.

This 13km course features a broad range of sights such as rice and agriculture fields, historic trade routes, local villages combining old and new ways of life, a temple and shrine, a brief hike, and the shores of Lake Biwa, all in about 3 hours.

In our tours, we hope to both share and preserve our local culture and traditions. Toward this goal, we also work closely with municipalities and residents to ensure that we always respect the wishes and needs of the local communities that we visit.

Our convenient location and short tour time make it easy to explore more before or after your tour too, such as visiting Hikone Castle, or Lake Biwa!
Japan's Rural Life & Nature: Private Half Day Cycling Near Kyoto
Tour guide
Language: English
Human tour guide

Availability depends on seasonality and number of participants. Bookings can not be made for the same day. Please read our TnC’s.

When giving as a gift, your recipient can choose a date at their convenience during a booking process. Otherwise, you can choose one after checkout and voucher redemption.
Check available dates by emailing us at [email protected]
  • Coffee and/or Tea
  • Professional Guide
  • Use of bicycle
  • Lunch

Meeting point
To get to JR Maibara Station from JR Kyoto Station, please take the bullet train eastbound. Please note that some Hikari and all Nozomi do not stop at Maibara. We will inform you of the train schedule once confirmed.
Return details
To get to JR Maibara Station from JR Kyoto Station, please take the bullet train eastbound. Please note that some Hikari and all Nozomi do not stop at Maibara. We will inform you of the train schedule once confirmed.

  • Maibara
    Our tour starts and ends at Maibara Station, and the 13km course follows the farming areas and villages surrounding Maibara, which in the past few decades have been merged into Maibara itself for governing purposes. Throughout the tour, our guide will slowly introduce you to this rural community which is both exemplary of traditional small town life, but also has many uniquely defining points of local culture.
  • This Chinese-influenced Zen temple is also the name used to describe the surrounding small village community. We'll stop briefly to get a look at both, as this is a great example of a typical traditional rural village.
  • Iwaya Zenkodo Temple
    We stop at this small 120-meter-high mountain for a short hike and refreshments. The temple was built into the side of the mountain! There's also an Inari Shrine here, as well as an old manmade cave with a unique history. The top of the mountain offers a beautiful view of Maibara and Lake Biwa. After this stop, we make our way through local rice and wheat fields to the shore of Lake Biwa with occasional stops, before circling back toward Maibara Station.
  • We'll stop at this natural spring well shared by the local community since long ago, as part of the underground waterway between Mt. Ibuki and Lake Biwa. This water is untreated and not for drinking, but many locals use it for washing vegetables and for gardening. This section of the course is great for getting an up-close look at a variety of local agriculture, and just after this stop, we'll also stop at the shore of Lake Biwa.
  • In pre-war Japan, this farm area was actually a smaller inland lake near Lake Biwa, but was drained and converted to farm land to provide much needed rice for the recovering post-war nation. Enjoy the agricultural scenery of this historical area as we make our way back to Maibara Station. (pass by)

  • 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
  • Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
  • For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
  • This experience requires good weather.
    If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund.
  • How it works?
    01 You choose from 10,000+ experience gifts
    02 We deliver the eVoucher or the Physical box to the recipient
    03 Recipient books the experience and creates unforgettable memories!

    Japan's Rural Life & Nature: Private Half Day Cycling Near Kyoto

    Location Shiga Prefecture, Kansai, Japan
    $169.31
    This is an experience gift voucher. The recipient will book the experience after they redeem the gift voucher.
    How it works?
    01 You choose from 10,000+ experience gifts
    02 We deliver the eVoucher or the Physical box to the recipient
    03 Recipient books the experience and creates unforgettable memories!
    Delivery options
    eVoucher
    • Free
    • Instant delivery
    • Environmentally friendly
    Physical Gift Box
    • $10.00 fee
    • 2-5 business days
    • Shipping Worldwide

    No expiration date
    Easy refund
    Free exchange
    Easy booking
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