Land of the Rising Sun

Our Journey to the East will begin in Nagasaki, nearby the Nagasaki Peace Park, commemorating the Atomic bombing of 1945, where you can contemplate the past as well as the current state of our civilization. From Nagasaki we will cycle towards Mt. Aso, one of Japan’s active volcanoes, and our first chance of many to rest our tired legs in one of Japan’s famous “Onsen” hot springs. After which we’ll roll down the volcano towards the sea, taking a ferry to Shikoku Island, famous for it’s Buddhist pilgrimages and great cycling, reaching Matsuyama, famous for its centuries old castle and Onsens.

We’ll then have some lung bursting climbing in the Iya Valley, experiencing breath-taking views on the twisting mountainous roads, and be tempted to cross one of the ancient bamboo bridges crossing steep gorges along the way. After reaching Kotohira, where you can visit one of the most famous Shinto shrines on Shikoku Island, we’ll transport everyone by vehicle to Kyoto where we will have a rest day to explore what was Japan’s capital city and emperor’s home for over 1000 years, and have a chance to wander the countless temples, palaces and castles.

From Kyoto we will cycle towards the dazzling city-lights of Tokyo, but before arriving to this incredible city one of our stops will be by Lake Kawaguchi, at the base of Mt. Fuji, with spectacular views of the revered mountain.

Highlights

• Mt. Fuji
• Kyoto
• Iya Valley
• Tokyo