rindo

Tokyo Escape - A Zen Week Exploring Japanese Forest Roads

Cal 1 Png

2024 Tour Dates
Nov 2-9 ???? 4 rooms left

2025 Tour Dates
Nov 2-9 ???? 10 rooms left

????Spring Blooms
???? Fall Colors

Bike 1 Png

Difficulty
Level 4 out of 5
Daily Distance: 60-150km
Daily Elevation: 1,000-3,000m gain

See FAQ for Route Levels
Explore Bike Options
Bring Your Own Bike

File 000 Png

Accommodations
Standard Traditional Ryokan Hotel
Futon Japanese Bed
Public Hot-Spring Onsen Bath

Single Base Location

Learn more about the ryokan experience

Gate Png

Regions
Mae-Nikko Highlands
Mt Akagi
Mt Haruna
Gunma Prefecture
Tochigi Prefecture
Ikaho Onsen Town

Price Png

Price
$4,500 USD

+ $750 USD Single Supplement

E-Bike Rentals
$680 USD Vado
$980 Creo

THE ZEN EXPERIENCE

This tour is designed to show off the hidden backroads and traditional culture of Japan’s North Alps from one central location. Unpack your bags and set off on a week of adventures covering the amazing hills, mountains, lakes, and shrines of this region… all while building excellent base miles and conquering spectacular climbs!

Find true zen and serenity as you ride on car-free roads, hike to ancient temples in the forest, and enjoy the healing powers of the natural hot-spring onsen each day. You won’t believe that we are only an hour away by train from downtown Tokyo!

TAKE YOUR MENTAL AND PHYSICAL TRAINING TO THE NEXT LEVEL

Your BTJ support team will be here to help you navigate and understand Japan’s traditions, from ryokans to kaiseki meals, from hot spring onsens to sacred temples. We can’t wait to share these unbelievable experiences with you.

Ready for this epic adventure? Please a provide a link to your strava/mapmyride/etc account or describe the most challenging ride you’ve completed in the past 3 months, including distance, elevation gain, and time. We request this information for all of our Level 4-5 tours to confirm that the trip will be a great fit for your current riding ability.

Set up a time to connect with us over the phone or book your spot on tour now!

Let's Connect!

Itinerary

A big welcome as we all meet at Ashikaga-shi station! Get our wheels on the road quickly with a shakedown ride through the foothills of the North Alps in beautiful Satoyama (Japanese countryside). Take in the surrounding area with views of all of the climbs in store for the week to come. Enjoy a tasty lunch stop at Ashikaga’s temple. After, toss some lucky coins in the water, and make a wish for a safe and unforgettable week ahead. Then, we’ll ride back to the Ryokan to settle in for the night. A delicious dinner and a soak in the hot springs will get us ready for the big day tomorrow!

Stats: 32km & 400m gain

Arrival Point: Ashikaga-shi Station (1hr express train from Asakusa Station in Tokyo)

T. Koegel 🇺🇸

Bike Tour Japan was OUTSTANDING. The riding was incredible with beautiful Fall colors, quiet back roads and challenging climbs. The countryside is gorgeous and Rob knows how to end every day at the perfect ryokan with onsen baths and delicious food! Can’t wait to do another tour in 2018!

Tour of the North Alps 2017

D. Gray 🇮🇪

Our group of 4 enjoyed an incredible 3 days of self guided cycling in Japan in October. The information provided by BTJ before and during our trip was top class - very clear and professional. The selection of routes provided by BTJ was excellent and varied. Beautiful and quiet but challenging country roads. Excellent accommodation and the onsen was special! Michelle was extremely knowledgable, helpful and friendly. I would definitely recommend BTJ if you're thinking of cycling in Japan.
 

M. Chin 🇸🇬

The biking-ryokan-onsen combination is fantastic, loved it! Both you guys were great company, and we enjoyed the cultural exchange dinner conversations. Learnt a lot more about Japan in this short trip than from other Japanese holidays. The planning and organisation were professional, your eloquence with the language was impressive, and our bikes were a joy to ride. Hope to come again on another ride with BTJ in future!
 

A. Hipsley 🇦🇺

Rob and Michelle are a terrific team, offering a first class experience, thoroughly researched and planned to suit the riders and the conditions. From the initial enquiry, through the planning and registration to the trip itself, everything was easy and hassle free. I would thoroughly recommend BTJ as an amazing way see incredible sights and enjoy incredible cycling with great leaders and people.
 

Bespoke Tour 2020

J. Porter 🇺🇸

BikeTourJapan brought my dream vacation into reality. Amazing rides matched with unforgettable scenery, endless photo opportunities. I got to experience beautiful countryside, amazing hot spring towns, friendly folks, great food, all one could ask for, and to be on a bike, the icing on the cake…..cant wait for my next trip, on a bike…..in Japan, thanks Robert!!!

Japanese Alps Tour 2016 & Bespoke Tour 2018

A. Morgan 🇬🇧

After watching one of the ride vlogs on YouTube, I decided to drive up from Tokyo with some friends for a day trip. It certainly did not disappoint!

The location meant that we were quickly out of the down, able to ride along a beautiful river and then straight into the mountain roads. There were long stretches which we had to ourselves. And the beautiful thing about Japan is that the road surfaces are all immaculately well maintained, even for those roads that barely see any road traffic. So for those who enjoy zipping downhill at high speed (like me), it was really a treat.

Robert (our guide and company co-founder) knows the area very well. He was able to choose a route that matched our fitness levels and dynamically adjust it when we came across some random roadworks. Highly recommended.

 

Bespoke Tour 2020

S. Ball 🇬🇧

After the organisation of our wedding, we were happy to hand over the reins to BTJ to kick-off our honeymoon. Prior to the trip, Rob and the BTJ team were alert and responsive to our needs. We were met off the train and soon off on our adventure with BTJ’s high-spec bikes and Garmin. We thoroughly enjoyed our rides up and down and through the alps. The ryokans were varied and wonderful, with delicious food and the luxurious onsens were a blessing after a day in the saddle. We would like to thank Rob and the BTJ team for their dedication to providing an outstanding service. We will use them again and highly recommend others to do so too!
 

Bespoke Tour 2019

A. Fossett 🇺🇸

I'm not a cyclist, but I've been living in Japan for a few years and love any opportunity to explore the countryside and spend time away from the cities. I joined a day tour with some friends, and I'm glad I did.

Firstly, everything was taken care of - the team clearly knows everything that goes into well-planned outing, and every detail, from the equipment to communication and even meals was thoughtfully planned and managed. Secondly, our route took us along some beautiful scenes with lots of fresh air along well-maintained roads. Even with pretty good Japanese, there's no way I could have planned as smooth and enjoyable an itinerary, let alone managed the logistics outfitting our group with reliable gear. Thanks to Bike Tours Japan for an experience to remember - I'll be recommending them to friends who visit Japan in the future.

 

Bespoke Tour 2020

E. Rivers 🇺🇸

Bike Tour Japan organized a Self-Guided adventure for me over 5 days and 4 nights. Toyokan was an great ryokan in Ashikaga. The route planning and self-titled, "Eugene's Adventure Map," was amazing! I felt completely secure cycling along with Bike Tour Japan one message away on What's App. They turned my first time in Japan to an unforgettable experience of a lifetime. From the food, riding, and support, Bike Tour Japan is a great company to assist with your cycling needs while in Japan. I vow to return for one of the scheduled Tours!

 

Bespoke Tour 2019

J. Campbell 🇺🇸

Bike Tour Japan made possible an amazing Japan Adventure. Cycling the cities and country side while staying in a local Japanese inn (Ryokan) was the perfect way to see the area and experience its people/culture.
 

Bespoke Tour 2019

S. Gribble 🇺🇸

I've been on many great cycling vacations, but my experience with Bike Tour Japan was easily the best of all of them. Rob and Michael were incredible hosts: hugely knowledgeable about the area, top-notch hospitality, and best of all, really fun to be around. The bike routes were extraordinary; each and every day on the Ashikaga training camp felt as picturesque as a National Geographic documentary, and I rode a wonderful mixture of challenging mountains, valleys, and descents.
 

Ashikaga Training Camp: Tokyo Escape 2019

R. Dutton 🇺🇸

My husband and I have just returned from a most wonderful bike trip with Bike Tour Japan guides, Rob, Michelle and Michael. We were fortunate to be there when the maples and their red, golds and oranges were on fire with color. Just beautiful!! We visited hidden magical shrines tucked away in the forest. After interesting and sometimes challenging rides we soaked in fabulous hot spring-fed baths and tucked ourselves into cozy futon beds on tatami mats in the lovely ryokans. Meals were a real adventure too as we sampled every imaginable and artistically displayed culinary delight the Japanese are famous for. We just so appreciate how professional and fun our guides were. We had a blast, lots of laughs and great camaraderie. We highly recommend this trip
 

K. Shumaker 🇺🇸

The tour and a vacation of a lifetime. Robert and company were the perfect hosts and organizers taking us to places and situations in the Japanese culture we would never been able to access ourselves. Riding the Japanese Alps at peak fall colors dazzled my retinas and burned into my brain an experience I will never forget.
 
 

P. Burgess 🇦🇺

A group of us road the northern Japanese alps with Rob in September. Rob was a great host, rode with our fastest and slowest riders, provided food and drink and navigation. Rob is a great guy who loves riding and hosting tours in Japan. He is flexible with his planning and accommodates all types of riders. He also selects some amazing Ryokan and Onsen locations. I would recommend his tours to anyone looking to ride Japan
 

Blurred 1024x681.jpeg

Weather On Tour

Spring

Spring weather averages for this tour.

Fall

Fall weather averages for this tour.

Tokyo Escape Map

  • Fully-serviced road bike or hybrid bike, with helmet and accessories. Please note there is an additional fee for an e-bike; please inquire in advance to reserve
  • All accommodations and meals during your tour
  • Snack and hydration stops on each day's ride
  • Luggage delivery
  • Support and gear vehicle
  • Expert guides to show you the amazing experiences in the Japanese countryside