Cycling Honshu from Sea to Summit

Itinerary Details

1. Day 1Meet in Kanazawa

   Meet your guide at the hotel before heading to dinner with your fellow travellers in Kanazawa, a city renowned for its medieval castle and expansive gardens. You'll also have time to wander the atmospheric old town, where clusters of traditional houses and shops make for a delightful stroll.

   • Dormy Inn Kanazawa
   • Dinner
2. Day 2Kanazawa - Awara

   After breakfast, you'll leave Kanazawa behind and cycle towards the Sea of Japan, following a dedicated cycling path along the rugged coastline. Along the way, you'll pass through small fishing villages before arriving in Kaga, a town renowned for its Kutani ware ceramics and the fine silk known as kaga habutae. Here, you'll take a break to enjoy a local lunch and explore the town on foot.
   
   Refreshed and recharged, you'll continue riding towards the resort of Kyukamura, with only a couple of gentle slopes to tackle along the way. In the evening, take a short walk to the nearby Oshima pedestrian bridge, where its striking red-painted timbers lead to a small island dotted with unique geological formations, shrines, and scenic walking paths—the perfect place to enjoy the sunset.

   • 44.7 miles
   • 75.5 ft
     1,574.8 ft
     1,499.3 ft
   • Kyukamura Eichizen Mikuni
   • Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

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     Comfortable Lodgings

     Enjoy welcoming and restful spaces after a day's activity

   • 

     Comfortable Lodgings

     Enjoy welcoming and restful spaces after a day's activity

   • 

     Comfortable Lodgings

     Enjoy welcoming and restful spaces after a day's activity

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     Elevation Profile

3. Day 3Awara - Echizen

   Today, you'll ride south along the picturesque Echizen-Kaigan coastline, where dramatic cliffs, cascading waterfalls, and natural stone arches create one of the region's most scenic stretches of road. Along the way, you'll visit a beautifully preserved Edo-era village dating from the 17th to 19th centuries, followed by a stop at a maritime museum to discover what life at sea was like for coastal communities centuries ago.
   
   For lunch, you'll enjoy the region's famed soba noodles—perfect fuel for the afternoon ride. From the coast, you'll head inland towards the artisan city of Echizen, renowned for its handcrafted blades, traditional washi paper, and fine textiles. Once a strategically important stronghold in feudal Japan, the area is also home to the remains of historic fortresses and castle ruins that hint at its rich past.

   • 44.1 miles
   • -13.1 ft
     2,890.4 ft
     2,903.5 ft
   • Route Inn Echizen
   • Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

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     Elevation Profile

4. Day 4Echizen - Tsuruga

   Start your day with a fascinating visit to the Takefu Knife Village, where you'll witness the precision and artistry behind Japan's world-renowned blades. After seeing master craftsmen at work, you'll set off on a scenic ride back to the coast along a former railway line that has been transformed into a cycling route. Once part of the Hokuriku Railroad, this historic corridor now offers a unique way to experience the region, passing through quiet forests, old tunnels, and picturesque coastal landscapes rich in history and culture.
   
   By afternoon, you'll arrive in Tsuruga, where you'll spend the next two nights. As one of the Sea of Japan's most important port cities and the closest on this coast to the Pacific Ocean, Tsuruga has long played a significant role in Japan's maritime history.

   • 26.1 miles
   • -82 ft
     1,525.6 ft
     1,607.6 ft
   • Hotel Route Inn Tsuruga Ekimae Annex
   • Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

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     Japanese Craftmanship

     Take a tour of the Takefu knife factory and learn about the blade-making industry of Japan

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     Elevation Profile

5. Day 5Tsuruga - Takaoka - Shirakawago

   Today brings a dramatic change in scenery as you travel inland aboard Japan's iconic shinkansen bullet train, whisking you from Tsuruga to Takaoka. From there, you'll cycle along the Oyabe River towards the foothills, stopping at Inami Betsuin Zuisen-ji Temple, one of Japan's largest surviving wooden structures, admired for its magnificent and intricately carved architecture.
   
   The ride then heads into the mountains, with a series of rewarding climbs leading you into the pristine forests of the Japanese Alps. By late afternoon, you'll arrive in Shirakawago, a UNESCO World Heritage village celebrated for its distinctive gassho-zukuri farmhouses with steeply thatched roofs. These remarkable 200-year-old homes once sheltered multiple families and were also used for silk production and gunpowder making.
   
   Tonight, you'll stay in one of these historic farmhouses, sharing a traditional mountain-style dinner with fellow guests before unwinding with a relaxing soak in the local onsen—a fitting end to an unforgettable day in the Alps.

   • 51 miles
   • 1,558.4 ft
     6,374.7 ft
     4,816.3 ft
   • Shirakawago Gassho Zukuri
   • Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

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     Elevation Profile

6. Day 6Shirakawago - Takayama

   Today is our last day of cycling on the trip, and as a fitting finale, it begins with the longest sustained climb of all, leading us towards Takayama, deeper in the Japanese Alps. Riding out of Shirakawa-go, from an altitude of approx. 500 m above sea level, we gradually climb up 1100m for the first 45km of the route. There are some wonderful views to be enjoyed along the way, with the picturesque shores of Miboro Lake and quaint rural villages among forested hillsides and valleys. With most of the climbing done in the morning, we arrive at a section with gentler, rolling slopes, then enjoy two great descents before reaching our destination Hida Takayama, often named Little Kyoto because of the similarity of its architecture and quaint atmosphere. For hundreds of years, the city’s remote mountain location led its unique culture to develop in isolation, and it still holds scores of distinctive pagodas, houses, shrines, and other protected heritage sites. Takayama is also known for its woodworking tradition and celebration of many folk festivals throughout the year. Tonight, we will mark the final evening of our trip with a special dinner, reflecting on our journey in these special surroundings.

   • 47.8 miles
   • 272.3 ft
     4,120.7 ft
     3,848.4 ft
   • Takayama Dormy Ouan
   • Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

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     Elevation Profile

7. Day 7Takayama Departure

   Today, you depart for your onward travels, or spend more time in Takayama. From here, you can travel to other cities and airports in Japan by train.

   • Breakfast