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View all Kyoto toursFull-Day City Highlights Bike Tour with Light Lunch in Kyoto



Full-day tour in Kyoto, taking in Arashiyama Bamboo Forest, Fushimi Inari Taisha Shrine Senbontorii and Kiyomizu-dera. Run by Kyoto Bike Tours, booked direct rather than through a reseller.
Highlights
- Arashiyama Bamboo Forest
- Fushimi Inari Taisha Shrine Senbontorii
- Kiyomizu-dera
- Gion
- Runs 8 hours
- Bilingual guide
Full-Day City Highlights Bike Tour with Light Lunch in Kyoto: Key Facts
| Price | From $233.5 per person |
|---|---|
| Duration | 8 hours |
| Languages | English |
| Tour type | Guided Tour |
| Booking | Direct with the local operator — no OTA markup |
Full description
This is a 8-hour experience from Kyoto, built around Arashiyama Bamboo Forest, Fushimi Inari Taisha Shrine Senbontorii and Kiyomizu-dera. It is run by Kyoto Bike Tours, an operator we book with directly rather than through a reseller, which is why we can hold your place with them before we treat your booking as final.
Kyoto was Japan's capital for over a thousand years until 1868 and has 17 UNESCO-listed sites among some 2,000 temples and shrines. The big three are Kinkaku-ji, the Golden Pavilion, covered in gold leaf and best in morning light; Kiyomizu-dera, the wooden stage on the eastern hills with the Higashiyama lanes of Sannenzaka and Ninenzaka below it; and Fushimi Inari's gates. Nijo Castle has the nightingale floors that squeak against intruders, and Ryoan-ji the rock garden. Temples open around 8:00 or 9:00 and close at 17:00, and the city bus is slow; a day with a driver or a guide who orders the stops against the crowds is the difference between four sights and seven.
The price covers Bilingual guide, Bicycle, Helmet, Bottled water and Entry fees. It does not cover Hotel pickup and drop-off and Tips, so budget for those separately. Everything included is listed in full on this page; if something is not on that list, assume it is not in the price.
Saga-Arashiyama Station. We need at least one day's notice, and we confirm the date with Kyoto Bike Tours before treating your booking as final. If they cannot take your date we tell you and refund you rather than leave you waiting.
Tour Itinerary
The schedule below is a suggested plan and can be adjusted to suit your preferences.
Starting location
Saga-Arashiyama Station
Arashiyama Bamboo Forest
Guided tour, Sightseeing, Bike tour (30 minutes)
Fushimi Inari Taisha Shrine Senbontorii
Guided tour, Sightseeing, Bike tour (30 minutes)
Kiyomizu-dera
Guided tour, Sightseeing, Bike tour (30 minutes)
Gion
Guided tour, Sightseeing, Bike tour (30 minutes)
Kinkaku-ji
Guided tour, Sightseeing, Bike tour (30 minutes)
Arrive back at
Saga-Arashiyama Station
Detailed Itinerary
Starting location: Saga-Arashiyama Station
Arashiyama Bamboo Forest: Guided tour, Sightseeing, Bike tour (30 minutes)
Fushimi Inari Taisha Shrine Senbontorii: Guided tour, Sightseeing, Bike tour (30 minutes)
Kiyomizu-dera: Guided tour, Sightseeing, Bike tour (30 minutes)
Gion: Guided tour, Sightseeing, Bike tour (30 minutes)
Kinkaku-ji: Guided tour, Sightseeing, Bike tour (30 minutes)
Arrive back at: Saga-Arashiyama Station
Includes
- Bilingual guide
- Bicycle
- Helmet
- Bottled water
- Entry fees
- Light lunch
Excludes
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Tips
Important information
Meeting point
Saga-Arashiyama Station
Weather
This runs outdoors, so the operator can call it off for rain, wind or sea conditions, and that decision is usually made on the day. If they cancel, you choose: another date, or your money back in full. We do not keep a booking fee on a tour that did not run.
Know before you go
- Free cancellation available up to 24 hours before the activity starts
About this activity
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Traveler Reviews
Had a great day cycling around Kyoto and seeing some of the main tourist areas . Rick our guide was great . He was safe and guided us across any busy intersections. He was knowledgeable about the history and sites we visited. Lunch was a a tasty upon tempura bowl . He also took photos of us throughout the day .Highly recommend
Rob was incredibly knowledgeable and engaging, he made sure that everyone felt included at all times, as a solo traveler I really appreciated that. He had the answers to any questions I had and always gave a thorough answer that was interesting without being long-winded. The tour itself was really great and it was cool seeing the famous places, but I especially loved the hidden gems and really wish we could have spent more time there. The hidden places that Rob showed us really felt like what I see Japan as, peaceful yet magnificent with the shrines and structures. One thing to note, I am very
We had an excellent day and Rick was a great guide- he was really knowledgeable and enjoyed sharing many interesting things with us.
We had an absolutely fabulous day. Guide was funny, extremely knowledgeable and considerate. We saw the best of Kyoto plus some places and paths off the tourist route. Thoroughly recommend. No better way to see Kyoto and gain an understanding of the history and beauty.
Cass was great. We saw so much, amazing route. We had the most enjoyable day. Very good bikes. Nothing to improve.
I was sicker than a dog and Peter made my looooooooonh journey achievable and wonderful. So glad I didn’t call in sick for this one. Request Peter as he is knowledgeable and so patient and kind. Great tour! But yes, long! It really is 8 hours!
our trip was fantastic. we did see a lot of beautiful things and due to our terrific guide Rob we were everywhere on the right time. We saw for example the golden pavilion in the golden hour. It was like a fairy tail. So beautiful! Rob was very enthousiastic the whole day and guided us safely trough the busy town. You do have to have some experience with cycling because you cylcle quite a lot.
Our guide Cass was phenomenal. Friendly and organized with just enough detail on each stop without overwhelming us. He was a pleasure from start to finish. An action-packed day that hit just the right number of spots. Really enjoyed seeing locals fishing and working in their gardens.
What we liked most was the knowledge and total respect of Japanese culture from our guide Ray. The tour itself was a fantastic insight to Kyoto, covering the main attractions but through many back streets and laneways that tourist buses will never fit into! Ray was safety conscious, patient and very organised, being a hot day one of our 2 water bottles had been frozen the night before. Highly recommend this day to anyone who loves a bit of exercise and is keen to see way more than is possible from getting on and off a bus or trying to do it all solo, great job Ray!
Fantastic way to see a lot of Kyoto in one day, so much better than car or public transport. It’s a long day so you’ll need good stamina but totally worth it for the main sights. Our guide Rob was excellent and really took the time to make the tour interesting and enjoyable, from history/religion to random anecdotes that painted a picture of Kyoto and its customs. Shared a whole bunch of great photos and took time to ensure we all got ‘the shot’ in each location. Lunch was great and equipment top notch. 100% recommend!
Fantastic day out with our guide Peter. We were travelling with our 23 year old son and the tour was very much enjoyed but us all. Great way to see the major sights but would suggest unless you are a very regular long distance bike rider you upgrade to the pedal assist bikes - made the whole day that little more enjoyable. Thanks all for a fabulous day!
Super. Best tour we made during our trip through Japan.





