Kyoto · Tamba
Miyama, Fukuchiyama & Ayabe: One-Day Motorcycle Tour
A private day ride into the Kyoto countryside: soba in thatched-roof Miyama, Fukuchiyama Castle and a late lunch, then an onsen in Ayabe on the way home.
- 1 day
- 150 km
- Easy
- ¥80,000 per person
A full day of riding that is easy to fit between a day in Kyoto and the next. We leave the rental shop in Kameoka in the morning and ride north through the hills of Tamba to Miyama, where we stop for a bowl of soba among the thatched-roof farmhouses. From there it is a short ride to Fukuchiyama for the castle and a late lunch, and then on to Ayabe, where a soak in an onsen takes the edge off the ride before the easy run back to Kameoka.
This is a private tour: just your group of up to four riders and your guide. The distance is moderate and the pace is relaxed, with time at every stop to walk, eat and take photos.
Part of the route uses the expressways, so the bikes are 126cc or larger. You need a motorcycle licence that covers more than 125cc (in Japan's terms, the ordinary class or above) together with a 1949 International Driving Permit. A licence limited to 125cc, such as the European A1, is not enough for this tour.
Itinerary
Stop 1
Miyama
Meet at the rental shop in Kameoka for a bike briefing, then ride north on quiet country roads into the hills of Tamba. Our first stop is Miyama, a village of thatched-roof farmhouses beside the Yura River, where we stop to eat soba.
Thatched farmhouses in Miyama 
Miyama's thatched village beneath forested hills
Stop 2
Fukuchiyama
A short ride on to Fukuchiyama, a castle town. We see Fukuchiyama Castle and stop for a late lunch.
Fukuchiyama Castle 
Fukuchiyama Castle among the Tamba hills
Stop 3
Ayabe
We finish the ride at Ayabe, where we stop at an onsen on the way home. Then it is back to Kameoka to return the bikes. The whole day is about 150 km.
An open-air onsen bath above a mountain valley
Included
- ✓Motorcycle rental from our partner shop in Kameoka (126cc or larger, expressway-capable)
- ✓English-speaking local ride leader
Not included
- –Fuel and expressway tolls
- –Meals and drinks, including the soba and late lunch
- –Castle entry fee and onsen entry fee
- –Travel and personal accident insurance
- –Riding gear (available to rent)
- –International Driving Permit (required)
Per person
¥80,000