guided and self-guided rides, EVENTS and tours
Whether you're looking for the perfect 'day out' from Tokyo or a multi-day tour covering some of Japan's most beautiful and alluring roads, we can help you arrange the ultimate trip. In addition to our own curated routes in the greater Gunma area, we also partner with selected tour guides and groups to extend your adventure to some of the best kept secrets of cycling in Japan.
Bike + Guide option
Being new to an area sometimes makes it challenging to sort out the best routes. Adding in a new language and culture can raise the challenge even more. With our guided option we take out the guesswork of vetting routes and the stress of communication in a foreign language. Add in an awesome ride partner and you'll be guaranteed to have one of the best rides of your Japan experience.
BESPOKE GROUP TOURS
Perfect for those traveling with a few more and looking to share a unique and customized experience. Whether it's for a spare weekend in your busy schedule or a couple of weeks exploring and soaking in the Japanese back roads, food and culture, we assist in arranging the perfect match of roads, lodging and touring . We work with the best Foreign and Domestic travel and tour agents to help you find the package that suits your requirements best.
JAPANESE REGISTERED LAND OPERATOR
If you are a Foreign (non-Japan) or Domestic Travel Agency or Independent Tour Guide requiring on the ground assistance for arrangement, bookings and equipment we can help! As a registered Japanese Land Operator (Lic No 028) we are specially authorized to provide arrangement and booking service to Travel Agencies and Agents. In addition we have a large inventory of rental bicycles to get you on the road safely and quickly.
Hotels and Ryokans - Our bi-lingual staff can help your staff select and then directly book on your behalf.
Ground Transportation - We can assist with booking special ground transportation such as airport buses, transfer and trains.
Rental Equipment - We have a large selection of high quality (mostly carbon) bicycles and keep them in top shop for discerning clients.*
Support Staff - Mechanical / SAG / Domestique and Guiding staff may also be contracted with our company.
*Our bikes are covered by a Japanese 3rd Party liability insurance that offers extra security for visitors in Japan. This covers accidents or mishaps that may result in 3rd party claims against the rider and is essentially mandatory in Japan to avoid possible legal and/or expensive damage claims in case of an accident or mishap.
Ground Transportation - We can assist with booking special ground transportation such as airport buses, transfer and trains.
Rental Equipment - We have a large selection of high quality (mostly carbon) bicycles and keep them in top shop for discerning clients.*
Support Staff - Mechanical / SAG / Domestique and Guiding staff may also be contracted with our company.
*Our bikes are covered by a Japanese 3rd Party liability insurance that offers extra security for visitors in Japan. This covers accidents or mishaps that may result in 3rd party claims against the rider and is essentially mandatory in Japan to avoid possible legal and/or expensive damage claims in case of an accident or mishap.
For more detailed information on our Nakasendo Cycling Adventures and other Japan Bike Adventures, please visit our
Japan Bike Adventures website.
Japan Bike Adventures website.
Self Guided Cycling
For those that wish to travel independently and find their own way, we offer some special support services. Our bikes are great for self-guided riding as they are very high quality, feature standard components and always maintained in near new condition. Japan is a great country to travel by bike, but you will need to have basic bike and navigation skills. A bit of Japanese doesn't hurt either!
At minimum we recommend:
At minimum we recommend:
- Ability to handle basic bike mechanics such as puncture repairs, derailleur adjustments, replacing dropped chains , basic cleaning and tightening.
- Be in good condition and able to complete the segments with no medical issues. Medical services in Japan are very good, however, generally only available in Japanese.
- Have a smartphone with data plan. Indispensable for communication, tracking and assistance.
- Have a smartphone or purpose built GPS computer for route guidance and mapping.
Riding the Nakasendo
1) You can book bikes and / or guest room directly from our site at https://www.gsastuto.com/rentals
2) Regarding 'self guide' we do not offer any packages, per se, the assumption is that if you rent a bike and ride without a guide - it is 'self guided'.
3) Regarding pickup in Nakatsugawa - this is roughly 400km round trip from us, so if we do a private van pickup it's about 100,000 yen. If we arrange a box pickup (only certain hotels allow) , then you are looking at 15,000 yen / bike +2 additional days of rental which is the transit time of the bike. In some cases we have a scheduled tour running and we can reduce the pickup fees substantially. But that's just dependent on whether we have a SAG Van rolling in that area at roughly the same time.
4) Regarding Nakasendo in general -
- There are minimal services for bikes, so you need to be quite self-sufficient for anything that might occur, especially punctures and chain drops.
- Some portions may be affected by adverse weather, so always prepare for that and stick to main roads when it gets rainy.
- We provide a rinko bag for trains - so you can always defer to train if necessary or desired.
- If you are packing for Bike Box return, then you need to be comfortable with partial disassembly of a bike (wheels, derailler, seatpost/saddle)
5) We are happy to forward your large luggage to final destination. This is roughly 2500-3000 yen/luggage depending on size and weight.
6) Most hotels can be easily booked by Booking.com. If you wish us to book some of the 'off radar' ryokan or small inns then we charge a 15% booking management fee. Booking these requires 100% pre-payment and rarely any cancelation if booked 30days or less before the travel. Places like this would be like Hamadaya, Miya, etc.who are not on any booking platform.
7) We offer an Emergency Channel for 2500 yen/day/guest.We setup a special Whatsapp channel that you can use to communicate any issues and get quick, bilingual response. It's very good peace of mind for bike issues, booking confusion, routing or medical emergencies. It is not applicable for general translation, interpretation, shopping, menus, etc.
8) Regarding GPX routes, etc. We recommend checking out RideWithGps or other services to plan and find the route you prefer. There are literally hundreds of ways to ride the Nakasendo and there is no 'best way'. Season, holiday traffic, weather and your own personal profile all allow a wide variety of individual roads and segment lengths you can choose.
2) Regarding 'self guide' we do not offer any packages, per se, the assumption is that if you rent a bike and ride without a guide - it is 'self guided'.
3) Regarding pickup in Nakatsugawa - this is roughly 400km round trip from us, so if we do a private van pickup it's about 100,000 yen. If we arrange a box pickup (only certain hotels allow) , then you are looking at 15,000 yen / bike +2 additional days of rental which is the transit time of the bike. In some cases we have a scheduled tour running and we can reduce the pickup fees substantially. But that's just dependent on whether we have a SAG Van rolling in that area at roughly the same time.
4) Regarding Nakasendo in general -
- There are minimal services for bikes, so you need to be quite self-sufficient for anything that might occur, especially punctures and chain drops.
- Some portions may be affected by adverse weather, so always prepare for that and stick to main roads when it gets rainy.
- We provide a rinko bag for trains - so you can always defer to train if necessary or desired.
- If you are packing for Bike Box return, then you need to be comfortable with partial disassembly of a bike (wheels, derailler, seatpost/saddle)
5) We are happy to forward your large luggage to final destination. This is roughly 2500-3000 yen/luggage depending on size and weight.
6) Most hotels can be easily booked by Booking.com. If you wish us to book some of the 'off radar' ryokan or small inns then we charge a 15% booking management fee. Booking these requires 100% pre-payment and rarely any cancelation if booked 30days or less before the travel. Places like this would be like Hamadaya, Miya, etc.who are not on any booking platform.
7) We offer an Emergency Channel for 2500 yen/day/guest.We setup a special Whatsapp channel that you can use to communicate any issues and get quick, bilingual response. It's very good peace of mind for bike issues, booking confusion, routing or medical emergencies. It is not applicable for general translation, interpretation, shopping, menus, etc.
8) Regarding GPX routes, etc. We recommend checking out RideWithGps or other services to plan and find the route you prefer. There are literally hundreds of ways to ride the Nakasendo and there is no 'best way'. Season, holiday traffic, weather and your own personal profile all allow a wide variety of individual roads and segment lengths you can choose.