"Awesome! Tai was a great guide and we had so much fun!"
Kyoto · E-Bike · Backstreets & Hidden Temples
Kyoto Bike Tour — E-Bike Through Hidden Backstreets & Temples
Cover three times more Kyoto than a walking tour in half the time — e-bikes flatten the hills, local guides know the lanes cars can't use, and you see temples most tourists never find.
Likely to sell out
From
$75
per person
Free cancellation
- 4.8 / 5 239+ Reviews
- 3.5 hours Duration
- 15 Categories All Kyoto Experiences
- English Guides Local Experts
- Free Cancellation
The Experience
What Makes This Kyoto E-Bike Tour Special
E-bike flattens the hills, local Japanese guide, helmets & insurance included, and backstreet routes cars can't use.
Highlights
- Make Japanese friend as you cycle and explore Kyoto City
- Avoid traffic and explore hidden gems with local tour guide
- Explore the beautiful views of Kyoto, chill, and enjoy!
What's Included
- Electric bike rental and helmet
- Tour guide
- Entering ticket
- Parking fees
How the Kyoto E-Bike Tour Works
Four steps from bike fitting to hidden temples.
Meet & Fit the E-Bike
Meet at the e-bike rental point (usually near Kyoto Station). Get fitted to a suitable e-bike (pedal-assist), helmet, and a map. Your local Japanese guide briefs you on cycling etiquette — left side of the road, bells for pedestrians.
Warm Up on Backstreets
Start on quiet residential lanes. Pass traditional machiya houses, a few family-run sweet shops, and a lesser-known Shinto shrine. Get comfortable with the e-bike before leaving the city grid.
Temple Circuit
Cover 3–4 hidden temples that walking tours miss — Honen-in, Shinnyo-do, Komyoji, or the quieter back entrance of Kiyomizu. Your guide explains history and significance at each stop.
Finish at the River
End at Kamogawa river or the Philosopher's Path. Return the bike. Most tours cover 12–18 km over 3–4 hours. Riding difficulty: very easy with the e-bike — even first-time urban cyclists manage.
Photo Gallery
Kyoto by Bike — Through the Lens
Riverside paths, bamboo-grove lanes, temple gates, and hidden moss gardens — captured by our guests.
Book Your Experience
Check Availability & Prices
Select your preferred date and time. Instant confirmation — free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure.
More Kyoto Bike Options
2 e-bike tours — hidden-gems backstreet rides and temple-focused circuit tours.
Guest Reviews
What Visitors Say
5/5
from 239 verified visitors
"She was great. She is an asset to your company. We enjoyed the tour very much."
"Informative and relaxed tour with a cheerful guide"
"Had a wonderful time. Highly recommend the tour with Ausuka. she was so sweet and friendly, her English was very good and she provided us with an immersive tour of Kyoto."
"Tour was great, lovely guide. Thought it was a little expensive though."
"Had the best time with Asuka on our tour. She knows a lot about the area and took us to beautiful sites we would never have seen otherwise. Such a unique and enjoyable way to explore Kyoto!"
"We did the 10 am tour on 18th March .Truly a hidden gems tour . Even if you've seen a few of the spots on the way, the bike experience makes you see things from a new perspective. a different way to see and experience the city and appreciate its architecture. Appreciated the guide and the team behind this adventure for coming up with this awesome concept."
"This was a great way to see some less busy areas of Kyoto. We were lucky to be the only 2 on the tour, so it was just us and our guide Tai. Riding on the electric bikes was very easy and a great part of the trip. We cycled by a river and a canal and visited 2 temples snd a shrine. Tai wS an excellent guide and mostly answered our questions about life in Japan. We had a nice coffee stop and the 4 hours passed far too quickly. We both think this was the best thing we have done in Japan!"
"Great guide and brilliant fun for families! Highly recommended 🙏"
"you know when you're thinking this will be a good experience but not overly expecting to be blown away? well this happened today. My wife and I absolutely loved the E-bike tour swing historic and cultural sights and also winding along through paths and streets we would not have seen otherwise. when you get away from the main roads it's a truly peaceful city. highly recommend. loved it."
"Taisei was a great and fun guide! The weather was rainy, but that worked in our benefit because the crowds were smaller. Covered a lot of ground in just a few hours, and it was very cool to zip through the streets."
"We had Tai as our guide and we could not be more happy. Not only did he speak really good English but he was also extremely knowledgeable about all the sites we went to and answered questions about everything. E-Bikes made everything super easy even for uphill riding and were also more fun than a normal bike. This would have to be the best value for money tour we’ve done in Japan by far! Tai was so friendly we can say we made a genuine friend and won’t forget him. :)"
"The tour was very nice and gave us the chance to see the city from a different view. We could do the whole tour at our own pace. Special thanks to our guide; Aska!"
"One of the best parts of our trip! This was a wonderful bike tour, the perfect mix of biking and site seeing. We wish we could do this again it was that good. Highly recommend!"
"The bike tour was awesome and a great way to see the temples. Everything was well paced, and the route was really enjoyable. Our guide was super friendly and made the experience even better. Would highly recommend this tour!"
"We hadden een prima tour. De gids, Tai was fantastisch. Spreekt goed en duidelijk Engels en is goed op de hoogte van de geschiedenis. Had voor ons wel langer mogen duren."
"Het was een geweldige tour met een leuke groep. Enorm genoten! Onze gids Tai (weet niet of ik dat correct gespeld heb) was top. Hij heeft ons veel laten zien en veel verteld en ons veilig door Kyoto geleid."
Read all 239 verified reviews
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Browse All Kyoto ToursFAQ — Kyoto Bike Tours
Everything you need to know about Kyoto e-bike and cycling tours.
No. E-bikes have motor-assist — you still pedal, but the motor flattens all the hills. Kyoto is 90% flat, and e-bikes handle the 10% that isn't (like the climb to Kiyomizu or the north-east temple district) effortlessly. First-time urban cyclists manage easily.
Typical e-bike tours: 12–18 km over 3–4 hours. With e-bike assist, this feels like 5–6 km of walking. Your heart rate stays low, you don't sweat through clothes, and you have energy left for the evening.
Yes. Helmets, insurance, and bike rental are all included in the advertised price. Most tours also include water bottles and a small lock for mid-route café stops. Bring your own if you prefer a specific size.
Minimal. If you can ride a standard bike (balance, brakes, steering), you can handle an e-bike. First-time e-bike users get a 5-minute briefing at the start. Tour guides warn about gear-shifting, motor-assist levels, and the slightly heavier turning.
Yes — bike rental is widely available at ¥1,200/day. Kyoto has dedicated cycling lanes on major streets. However, navigation is tricky without Japanese, some lanes are signposted only in Kanji, and the hidden backstreet temples are hard to find alone. Tours add a guide who knows the route.
Most tours run in light rain with rain ponchos provided. Heavy rain or typhoons trigger a rescheduling — operators offer full refund or a next-day slot. Snow days are very rare in Kyoto (maybe 2–3 per year) and do cancel tours.
Older kids (12+) who can ride a bike handle e-bikes fine. Younger kids (8–11) can join with a child seat on a parent's e-bike, included on family bookings. Infants are not suitable for bike tours — Kyoto streets have pedestrian zigzag and occasional car traffic.
Routes vary. Classic hidden-gems circuit: Honen-in, Shinnyo-do, Komyoji, Konkai Komyoji. North-east temple tour: Ginkakuji, Philosopher's Path temples, Nanzen-ji. Arashiyama-extension tour: Tenryu-ji, Okochi-Sanso, the bamboo grove backstreets.
Yes. Most tours include one café or snack stop at a local teahouse — matcha, wagashi, or a cold beer. Some finish at a riverside izakaya for an optional extra drink. Major meal stops are rare on 3-hour tours but included on 6-hour premium routes.
Each e-bike has a front basket for daypack storage. Valuables (phone, wallet) stay on you. The tour's starting point usually has free luggage storage — useful if you're riding between hotel transfers.
Still have questions? Email us at info@thingstobookinkyoto.com