Mt Fuji – Across Japan

Mt Fuji Bike Tour Highlights

– Explore the ancient Samurai roads and learn about this fascinating period in history.
– Indulge yourself in the natural hot springs offered by most of our accommodations.
– Discover the unique tastes of Japanese cuisine that are distinct and varied across the islands.
– Experience the delights of Japanese style inns that offer a very different hotel experience to what you might be used to.
– Ride across Japan from North to South, exploring historic landmarks like the Black Crow Castle in Matsumoto, Japan’s oldest original castle.
– Cycle around Mt. Fuji, experiencing incredible views of this iconic Japanese mountain from the Fuji 5 Lakes, with the option of riding up the volcano.
– Explore the Izu Peninsula, passing through fishing villages and onsen towns, with Mt. Fuji visible from the shores of the Pacific Ocean.
– Ride past the site where the famous American Black Ships landed, a catalyst for ending feudalism and starting Japan’s rapid modernization during the samurai era.
– Experience diverse landscapes and cultural highlights throughout the Alps that have sheltered much of Japan’s ancient history, on this epic cycling tour across Japan.

Mt Fuji Bike Tour Dates 2026

All tours and individual stages are available as a custom tour for your group – contact us for details.

What’s Included?

• Accommodation in our carefully selected hotels (Bed & Breakfast)
• Transfers to and from gateway airports on set dates
• Snacks en route and pre/post-ride nutrition
• Most lunches
• Multi-course group dinners with a focus on the local cuisine *NB we include occasional independent dinners to break up the week.
• Ride and Seek Kit
• Garmin 1030 use with all routes preloaded
• Ride and Seek water bottle
• Kit laundry service once a week
• Passionate, experienced and knowledgeable guides always on hand to help

Not Included

• Alcoholic beverages
• Bike hire
• Occasional lunches
• Pre & post tour accommodation

Supplements

• Single supplement – Our prices are based on twin/double occupancy. If you wish to have your own room, then a supplement of US$90 per night is applicable.

Deposit

• To reserve a place on a stage of this tour we ask for a deposit of US$500 (or your local currency equivalent). We also accept payment in GB£, AU$ and EU€. The final invoice will include any applicable single supplements and bike hire costs.

Useful Information

• Climate – The end of September and October is known as the calm period in Japan after the mid-year storms. Average temperatures in Shikoku during October are 19°C (high is 24°C and low 13°C). Average rain days in October are 8 which is lower than the preceding 5 months. Central Japan shares its latitude with Morocco, southern California and the Mediterranean, about 200km south of Sicily, which provides a useful point of geographical reference.

Mt Fuji Bike Tour Food

Cuisine is one of the great highlights of travelling by bike in Japan, and across our Japan tours it becomes a daily window into regional life, history, and culture.

Our Japan Tours covers several regions of Japan, and one of the highlights is the range of culinary offerings. For some of our guests, the dining aspect is the highlight of the entire tour, but for others, it can be slightly discombobulating. The idea behind this overview is to give you a better sense of what to expect on the tour.

Japanese Breakfast

A Japanese breakfast typically includes steamed rice, miso soup, grilled fish, pickled vegetables, nori (seaweed), and tamagoyaki (rolled omelette). Accompaniments like tofu, natto (fermented soybeans), and green tea are common. It is fair to say it is very different to the traditional Western breakfast that most of our guests are familiar with.

Some of our accommodations will also serve coffee and some pastries, but this is more to sate the Western palate than a reflection of what is considered a normal breakfast. Wherever possible, the guides will seek to offer alternatives, but there is a rigidity to the Japanese travel experience on the road less travelled that doesn’t always make this possible. For what it is worth we suggest that everyone at least try ‘natto’ once in their life. Some of the guides actually claim to pine for it post-tour, but that is not something this author can relate to! This BBC article on natto provides a great insight into what they describe as Japan’s most polarising ‘superfood’!

Our Japanese Trip Specialist Eri Nozawa had this to say about breakfast in Japan and natto specifically – “In Japan general, I love my go-to breakfast  – Natto and raw egg on top of rice”!! This gives me great energy to get going in the morning, and tasty! It is a very acquired taste, but I love it as I have been eating since I was little. Also, I like Soba noodles, especially when eating cold ones. They have the great flavour of the buckwheat, and each Soba restaurant has a slightly different taste sauce to dip into. And they normally have great selections of Tempra to go with!”

Snacks on Tour

We aim to provide coffee and tea at our rest stops, as well as a range of fruits and sustenance, to energise you for the riding ahead. You’ll also have the opportunity to enjoy the delights of the traditional convenience store experience in Japan. Lawson and 7-Eleven are the main convenience chain options and are cultural phenomena in their own right. Our GM Ben Weigl, who has designed many of the Japanese itineraries, says he often searches out Machi (chewy rice) covered vanilla ice cream balls.  He says – “They have been around forever and the packaging hasn’t changed. It is best enjoyed if you can muster some patience as allowing the vanilla ice cream to get a little soft makes them even better – eaten with fingers or a tiny fork.”

Eri and Nate, on the other hand, search out a doughnut hit – “Our favourite snack chain shop is “Mister Donut”!!! Hope you have been before, they have all different kinds of donuts, and some savory things too!”.

Lunch on Tour

Lunches offer a chance to try something different. These stops are intentionally flexible and exploratory, giving riders the chance to sample a wide range of foods. Along the way, you might enjoy regional Japanese specialties, casual noodle shops, bakeries, or even international cuisines such as Italian or Indian. What stands out is the consistency: food is fresh, fast, beautifully presented, and always prepared with care, even in the most unassuming settings.

Dinner on Tour

A huge highlight of the Japan Toura is the Kaiseki cuisine, which is a feature of many of our dinners on tour. Kaiseki cuisine is a traditional Japanese multi-course meal that emphasizes seasonal ingredients, intricate presentation, and a balance of taste, texture, and appearance. It showcases the chef’s skill and creativity, offering a harmonious dining experience that blends art and flavour, often enjoyed in a serene and elegant setting. Add into the mix some high-quality sake, and it is fair to say many of our guests consider the gastronomy on this tour to rival all the other tours we run combined! We also find that many guests appreciate the opportunity to eat earlier than is generally the case on the European tours we run. As with the breakfasts, though, there is no great flexibility to change these menus beyond us communicating dietary restrictions in advance of the tour. Personally, I suggest throwing caution to the wind and embracing the range of tastes and flavours that are served as a key part of your immersive travel experience. Our guides are always at hand to explain what it actually is that you are being served.

In terms of personal highlights Eri says – “I loved the meal in Oshima Island near Sukumo. They use all the locally sourced ingredients, and my favorite dish in Shikoku “Katsuo no Tataki” was amazing! This is also called “Wara Yaki”(meaning grilled by rice stalk). This charred bonito fish brings extra flavour.”

Special mention as well to the traditional attire that is provided in your rooms that you can wear to dinner – the yukata. The yukata is a casual summer kimono made of lightweight cotton, often worn in Japan during warm months. It’s typically worn at festivals, hot springs (onsen), and ryokan (traditional Japanese inns). Yukatas are designed to be easy to put on and are secured with an obi (sash). Samurai is the tour that arguably gives you the best opportunity to travel light, given the nature of the clothing that most people wear for dinner and, indeed, for the duration of your stay in any of the ryokans we stay in.

And in this respect, I think it would be remiss not to touch on the whole post-ride experience that is a feature of these tours. On arrival at your accommodation, you’ll find vending machines that cater to all sorts of requirements. The cold, crisp Japanese beer is usually my choice. Once in your room, you generally change into your yukata and then head to the onsen, which, like the kaiseki meals, is a feature on many of the evenings on the Samurai tour. Cold beer followed by onsen followed by Kaiseki cuisine is a post-ride ritual I find hard to beat.

Accommodation

We present a range of accommodation options across this tour, but without doubt, our favourite abodes are the Japanese inns. As with all of our tours we have searched out places that are not only ‘best available’, but also reflect the essence of the area in which we travel. The inns are a wonderful way to immerse yourself in the culture of Japan with their straw mat floors and futon beds. Many of them also offer baths in natural hot springs to soothe those aching muscles at the end of a day on the bike. The traditional cuisine served up in these inns is also a real highlight. Our Samurai tour has a good mix of traditional inns and more western orientated hotels.

Mount Fuji – Sacred Giant of Japan

Rising between the Sea of Japan and the Pacific Ocean, Mount Fuji (Fujisan) is Japan’s highest peak at 3,776 metres and one of the most recognisable mountains in the world. With its near-perfect cone, iconic snowcap and solitary presence, Fuji has shaped Japan’s landscape, culture and imagination for centuries.
This tour is a journey in homage to that mountain, not just to learn about Mt. Fuji, but to experience it fully, from horizon to summit slopes, and finally across the sea.

A Monument of Nature and Culture
Mount Fuji is an active stratovolcano, formed through repeated volcanic eruptions over hundreds of thousands of years. Its most recent eruption occurred in the early 18th century, and while it has remained dormant since, it is still closely monitored and classified as active today.
What makes Fuji truly distinctive is its isolation. Unlike the Japanese Alps, Fuji rises alone from relatively low surrounding terrain, allowing it to dominate the skyline and remain visible from over 100 kilometres away on clear days. This singular presence is part of what has made the mountain such a powerful symbol in Japanese culture.

Sacred Ground and World Heritage
For the Japanese people, Mount Fuji is a holy mountain. Long before the arrival of Buddhism, it was revered within Shinto belief as the dwelling place of powerful kami (spirits). Shrines dedicated to Fuji were built at its base and along historic pilgrimage routes, many of them rebuilt over centuries following eruptions, earthquakes and fires.

This deep cultural significance was formally recognised in 2013, when Mount Fuji was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its outstanding cultural value — acknowledging not only the mountain itself, but the shrines, landscapes and artistic inspiration it has generated over millennia.

A Living Presence on the Ride
On this journey, Mount Fuji is not simply a backdrop; it is a constant companion. Early in the ride, the mountain appears as a distant silhouette on the horizon, a reminder of what lies ahead. As the days pass, it reveals itself in fragments: glimpsed through valleys, framed by forest roads, or suddenly appearing as you crest a rise.

The route takes you up both the western and eastern flanks of the mountain, delivering panoramic views from over 2,000 metres above sea level as you ride high on its slopes. You circle Fuji, climb toward its shoulders, and experience the sheer scale of the volcano from multiple angles, something few travellers ever do.

The final chapters of the tour carry you toward the Pacific Ocean and the Izu Peninsula, where, weather permitting, you are rewarded with one of Japan’s most iconic perspectives: Mount Fuji rising beyond the sea, viewed across open water. It is a fitting and memorable conclusion.

A Journey of Discovery
This tour is a process of becoming intimate with the mountain. Even without studying its history, its importance becomes self-evident. You ride its roads, feel its scale, watch how it dominates the land and sky, and understand — instinctively — why it has been revered for so long.
By the time you finish, Mount Fuji is no longer just a famous image or a perfectly shaped peak. It is a presence you have travelled toward, around, and alongside, honoured simply by experiencing it in motion.