Things to do in Japan

Explore Kyoto’s backstreets on two wheels

Thanks to its flat terrain and quiet backstreets, Kyoto is perfect for cycling, and there are historic cultural sights everywhere you go…

By Hiroko Wakayama

Kyoto Tour Guide

Meet friendly Japanese locals like these geishas in Kyoto when you take a tailor-made holiday with Alfred&.

Thanks to its flat terrain and quiet backstreets, Kyoto is perfect for cycling, and there are historic cultural sights everywhere you go. For me it’s one of the best ways to see the city, and you get a true local’s perspective.

Our three-hour cycling excursion is a private tour with a maximum group size of eight. We take you via the backstreets where cars can’t go to see a totally different side to the city, avoiding the busier crowded roads.

We start near Kyoto Station and make our way towards two famous geisha districts, Miyagawa-cho and Gion. Here we pass lots of hidden-away teahouses, where geishas often do performances. We often point these teahouses out to guests; from the front they sometimes look just like any other building! Maiko (apprentice geishas) train at a local school in Miyagawa-cho, so sometimes we see them without makeup on their way to and from classes. They normally take the backstreets rather than the main ones – they know the shortcuts!

We then cycle along the Shirakawa River (or “White River”), which is a really peaceful spot, passing historic wooden houses and willow trees. We often see egrets too, and it’s my favourite place to cycle in all of Kyoto.

The tour finishes at the Kyoto Imperial Palace Park, where we cycle around the grounds and visit the palace, which was the residence of senior nobles until the capital moved to Tokyo in 1868. It’s a special place to the end the tour.

We get great feedback; guests love seeing a different side to the city away from the more-visited areas, and it gives a really authentic insight into local life.

Alfred & Hiroko Wakayama

Hiroko has been a tour guide in Kyoto for seven years. She grew up in Tokyo before moving to Osaka, where she worked as an editor of a medical journal. She later decided to become a tour guide and share her love of travel with visitors from all over the world. She has travelled in Europe as well as across Japan – but with more than 1,000 years of history, her favourite city is still Kyoto.

Plan your holiday withAlfred&

Your journey will start with one of our UK team – someone like Richard, who's travelled extensively in Japan. They’ll shape your ideas into the trip of a lifetime. But they won't do it alone. They'll draw on the expertise of our contacts on the ground, connecting you to the people who'll make your holiday one you'll always remember - the tea devotee who'll introduce you to the ceremony surrounding Japan's national drink, the noodle guru who'll teach you how to make the perfect bowl of soba and the ryokan owner who'll tutor you in the relaxing art of the onsen.

Richard Pearson

Travel Expert for Alfred&

The term ‘well-travelled’ is an understatement when describing Richard. They've been swept up in the cultural portals of Japan and China and fallen in love with Vietnam’s historical melting pot and romantic karsts of Halong Bay. Their mantra is ‘expect the unexpected,’ which is why they find India so attractive; its manic city streets, stunning yet seldom-visited temples and off-road safaris in the wildest tiger reserves.
Takeaki Shibuya

Experience coordinator for Destination Asia, Alfred&'s partners in Japan

After 14 years of experience travelling in more than 70 countries as a tour conductor and planner, Takeaki has come home to Japan, which he truly believes is the most unique place in the world to explore. His unusual experiences are a source of creation which draws out the esoteric and the hidden of Japan.
Ms Makishima

Nakai-san at Gion Yoshi-Ima

A long-time employee at Gion Yoshi-Ima and resident of Kyoto, Ms Makishima embodies the Japanese spirit of hospitality: a welcoming character, dedication to her work, and joy in the everyday. Care and devotion is given to her guests and she is always on hand to attend to needs or offer advice to adventurous travellers.
Fabien Fleury

Wine educator, oenophile and guide

Tokyo-based Fabien was born in Saintes, near Cognac, in the south-west of France. As a boy, he used to help his grandfather take care of his vineyard, which instilled in him a love of the whole process of wine-making. Fabien has been giving tasting seminars to wine lovers between Europe and Japan for 10 years and enjoys sharing his expertise on tours of Japan’s wine-making Yamanashi area outside Tokyo.
Ms Akira

Member of the hospitality team at Oyado Koto no Yume

Ms Akira is part of the hospitality team at Koto no Yume, a ryokan in the traditional town of Takayama. Living in a city steeped in culture, she enjoys helping guests to get to know a little more of the traditional arts and crafts, as well as the beautiful sites of Takayama.
Satoshi Inuki

Japanese literature enthusiast & one of Alfred&’s guides in Japan

Satoshi is originally from a small town in Hyogo prefecture. In his early 20s he lived in Edinburgh where he met many people from all over the world who asked him questions about Japan. This prompted him to study more about his own country’s culture, history and traditions. He moved to Kyoto around 10 years ago and became a licensed guide in 2011, since when he has come to know every inch of both his new home town and destinations such as Hiroshima, Okayama and Naoshima to the west.