Home to the Japan Alps and celebrated mountains, Nagano is often referred to as the “roof of Japan.” Its dynamic landscape offers great rides with stunning views of mountains, rivers, lakes, and highlands. If hills are the obstacle to your cycling ambitions, this tour is for you. The extra power that the e-bike delivers does take away the restriction of steep terrain, so you can ride everywhere with no worries. Nagano is renowned for delicious apples, fruits, and vegetables, thanks to beautiful farm landscapes. It is also blessed with many natural hot spring onsen resorts. Nagano has a lot to offer. Join us for our first e-bike only tour in Nagano!
- Meet/Depart: Tokyo/Tokyo
- Trip Length: 4 days 3 nights
- Level: MODERATE
- Price per Person: 220,000JPY (click HERE for indicative amounts in other currencies)
- Single Supplement: 20,000JPY
- Ave. Temperature (High/Low) : June 25/15C (77/59F) October 20/10C (68/50F)
- Minimum number of guests required for guaranteed departure: 4
2024: June 3-6 / September 24-27
G: guaranteed departure
- Ride on Oku-Shiga forestry road in a primeval beech and birch forest with magnificent views of surrounding mountains
- Stay in traditional hot spring villages of Nozawa and Yudanaka/Shibu onsens
- Ride up to Shibu Pass, a signature destination for Japanese cyclists
- Savor excellent food featuring fresh local farm products
- All lodgings on a twin-share basis. A limited number of single-occupancy rooms are available for an additional charge on most tours. If you are a single traveler, please inquire about room availability and a single supplemental charge.
- Meals (3 breakfasts and 3 dinners. Lunch is not included.)
- English-speaking guide and van support
- Rental electric hybrid bicycle (Miyata Cruise or equivalent)
- Any ground/ocean transportation (except for private taxis)
- Fruit (apple or other fruits in season) picking at an orchard
- Oka Tours custom cycling jersey and a water bottle.
- Once you have read and agreed with the Terms & Conditions, click the ‘BOOK ONLINE’ button below and submit an online booking form.
- We will contact you within one business day by email to confirm your reservation and arrange for payment of your deposit, which is 10% of the trip price.
- We accept payments by credit cards (Visa, MasterCard, or AMEX) or wire transfer.
- After receipt of your deposit, we will send you a registration form. We ask you to fill out, sign, and return to us.
- Full payment is due 21 days prior to the first day of the trip.
Trip Itinerary
Meet at the Tokyo train station in the morning and transfer to Iiyama in Nagano by the Shinkansen (bullet train; takes about 2 hours). After bike fitting and briefing, we start pedaling out of the train station late morning. Our route takes us through quaint farmland and eventually onto rolling hills on the scenic Nabekura Kogen Heights. We stay in Nozawa Onsen, a rustic onsen (hot spring) village, tonight. Stroll in the traditional onsen town and try its public onsen baths. Soaking in natural hot spring water is perfect for relaxing after the bike ride. (Dinner included)
Today's ride starts with a 15-km hill climb from Nozawa Onsen on a quiet road winding through a ski slope. After the climb awaits a spectacular smooth ride on Oku-Shiga Forestry Road (route 502). We ride in a primeval forest of Japanese beech and birch with lively views of surrounding mountains. The road eventually goes along Zako River, a scenic stream. Today, our destination is Shiga Kogen, one of the largest ski areas in Japan. (Breakfast and dinner included)
Following breakfast, we bike up to Shibu Pass, located at Japan's highest elevation (2,172 m) on a national route. It is a signature spot for cyclists in Japan. Then we stop at Mt. Yokote and take a ski lift to its peak. The panoramic views from there are just breathtaking. After lunch there, we enjoy a nice, long descent all the way to Shibu/Yudanaka Onsen. Shibu / Yudanaka Onsen is a historic and attractive hot spring village filled with a traditional atmosphere. After check-in at our inn, you have opportunities to dress up in a yukata robe and geta sandals and take a stroll around town. (Breakfast and dinner included)
In the morning, we ride around the fruit production center of Nagano through apples and other orchards. If available, we stop by one to pick some season's fruit. Then we ride on the foothills of Mt. Iizuna and toward Iiyama train station, where our ride ends. There is a dressing room to change clothes. Once at the Iiyama train station, it is time to say goodbye to your leader/guide. You take the Shinkansen (bullet train) and arrive in Tokyo early evening. (Breakfast included)