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VALLEYS & VOLCANOES CYCLING TOUR

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2023 Tour Dates
Apr 19-25 ???? 2 rooms left
May 20-26 ???? 1 room left
Nov 13-19 ???? FULL*

2024 Tour Dates
Apr 17-23 ???? 4 rooms left
Nov 10-16 ???? 5 rooms left

*waitlist available

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

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Difficulty
Level 2 out of 5

Daily Distance: 35-60 km
Daily Elevation: 200-700m

See FAQ for Route Levels

Explore Bike Options

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Accommodations
Traditional Ryokan Hotels
Futon Japanese Beds
Public Hot-Spring Onsen Bath

Learn more about the ryokan experience

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Regions
Tochigi Prefecture
Gunma Prefecture
Watarase River Valley
Ashikaga
Kiryu Historic Silk Town
Tone Valley

How to get to Kiryu & Ashikaga

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Price
$4,350 USD

$1,280 USD Single Supplement

$750 USD E-bike Rental

All of the beauty with a fraction of the climbing! Our Tour of Japan’s Valleys & Volcanoes will take you on a deep journey into the small towns carved by the Watarase River Valley.

Uncover breathtaking mountains, tranquil rivers, beautiful valleys, and natural hot springs. Choose your favorite color palate to ride through: vivid fall colors, or light spring blooms.

All the amazing elements of cycling in Japan will be covered in this week-long adventure. Find serene moments in elegant temples rich in Japanese history. Visit hidden treasures in the hillsides of the North Alps. Enjoy crisp air and clear skies, peaceful back roads and fall colors. Savor local meals, skillfully prepared by the region’s best chefs. Taste local sake from the rice grown in the very towns and mountains we visit.

Ready for this journey? Set up a time to connect with us over the phone or book your spot on tour now!

ITINERARY

Your BTJ guides will be ready to meet you at the exit of Ashikaga-Shi Station. After introductions and bike fits, we are off on our scenic ride along the Watarase River. Trace the rushing river while taking in the stack of mountains of the North Alps across the massive Tone Valley. Stop in historic Kiryu for a traditional Japanese lunch and then begin the gradual climb to Lake Umeda. We’ll take a break to soak in the views, deep in the hills of Kiryu. Then, roll into our hidden ryokan in the woods to enjoy the serenity of the Japanese countryside. Choose to settle in with a relaxing bath in the natural hot springs, or continue riding with our guides for a few bonus miles. We recommend a relaxing stroll by the river before sunset. When you’re ready, meet up with our group for a beautiful traditional dinner and our first toast to a great week of adventures ahead!

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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
 
Japanese Alps Tour 2019

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Weather On Tour

Spring

Spring weather averages for this tour.

Fall

Fall weather averages for this tour.

Valleys & Volcanoes 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