Honshu Island - Kumano Kodo & The Alps

The Kii Peninsula and surrounding areas are a smorgasbord of history, culture and superb cycling. Here we mix big city sightseeing with quiet coastal backroads, hot spring baths, delicious local food and ancient farming and fishing practices.  

The tour starts in Wakayama on the Kii Peninsula, taking in the most picturesque parts of the coastline and visiting the shrines of the Kumano Kodo. We finish this leg in the sacred destination of Ise, which also happens to be home to our favourite brewery that serves beer and oysters!

Throughout this tour we experience the very best of Japanese history and culture, from famous castles and classic gardens and streetscapes left mostly unchanged for over 400 years, to morning markets and rural landscapes that evoke the ancient samurai warriors of days gone by.

Throughout, we have a choice of accommodation from traditional-style inns to luxury “Ryokans” to Western-style hotels. Streetscapes going back centuries, there are delightful eateries tucked away to be discovered of a night time.

All the ingredients are here to ensure a great cycling and cultural holiday. The highlight of the first part of this tour is the superb coastal scenery and seemingly endless small fishing villages where modern lifestyles reflect the heritage of the area, which in some aspects, has not changed in centuries.

Many of these coastal back roads carry little traffic making for some great cycling. When we move from the Kii Peninsula to the Alps we will use the support vehicle to ensure we miss an area of heavy traffic, tunnels and conveniently a very long climb.

Our Honshu Island - Kumano Kudo & The Alps bike tour is part of Cycle Japan’s Samurai Collection. Along with our Shikoku Island, and fall Mount Fuji tours, these are stunning standalone trips, exploring the spectacular history, culture and landscape of three distinct parts of Japan. The complimentary dates mean the tours can be combined to create a longer multi-stage trip.

Grass Thatched Roof World Heritage Village. Japan Alps

The forgotten Village. Grass Thatched Roof World Heritage Site. Japan Alps

Guest Video: Cycle Noto & The Japan Alps May 2016.

“Sheona and I wish to thank you for a wonderful cycling experience, again, in Japan.”
— Peter & Sheona, Cycle Noto & The Japan Alps

Honshu - Kumano Kodo & The Alps Tour Highlights

  1. Cycle from 60 km (37 miles) to 95 km (60 miles) per day and explore the classic scenery of the Kii Peninsula Coast and the foothills of the Japan Alps.

  2. Soak up culture and history as you cycle through some of Japan's most famous cultural and historical sites including castles, temples, grass thatched hut villages and ancient streetscapes and a thousand year old morning market.

  3. Cycle along Japan's beautiful coast line, through villages and towns that are redolent of history with classic old style construction.

  4. Experience first hand the ancient fishing style of "Ukai" or cormorant fishing (Note: May and October only).

  5. Visit the ancient city of Wakayama, the starting point for many of the pilgrims on the Kumano Pilgrimage.

  6. Stay in some Japanese Inns and eat delicious Japanese food.

  7. Stay in a mix of modern luxury Inns to traditional style hotels and some western hotels.

  8. Bilingual tour leader, support vehicle and mechanic.

  9. The roads are mostly smooth and narrow. The bulk of the riding on roads with very little vehicle traffic.

Honshu - Kumano Kodo & The Alps - 11/12 days

Price: Prices are based on twin/double occupancy. If you wish to have your own room then a supplement will apply.)

2025 Tour Dates

  1. Spring 2025 - 9th to 19th May (10 nights) = US$7.040

  2. Fall 2025 - 7th to 18th October (11 nights) = US$7,680

2026 Tour Dates

  1. Spring 2026 - Dates TBC

  2. Fall 2026 - Dates TBC

Private Groups: This guided departure is available for private groups, and can be modified to suit group rider needs. Contact us to arrange a private departure. 

Accommodation: We use a range of accommodations including luxury inns, standard inns & some western style hotels. See our accommodation page for more details. Accommodation choice depends on availability at time of booking. 

Rider Numbers: 8-16 riders.

Grade: Mostly Level 2 (Moderate). Last two days Level 1  (moderate to strenuous). See our grade page for more details.

How to book: Fill in the Booking Form and we will send you a confirmation, and details of how to pay the deposit. Our tours are priced in US dollars, but we also accept payments in AUD, EUR & GBP.