D1 (SEPT 24) OSAKA TO ONOMICHI

Upon your arrival into Osaka International Airport we will provide 1- scheduled transfer from Osaka to our arrival city, Onomichi. It is an easy 2-hour journey either by train or bus. Depending on your arrival time, we will either go for a short-guided ride to loosen up the legs or we can take the famous Onomichi Temple Walk, up and down the many stairs behind the town, visiting 25 temples along the way.

Only in Japan could a themed hotel so over-the-top come out feeling just right. In a place as jaded as New York or London the Hotel Cycle would land with a thud. But in Japan there’s nothing cool about cynicism — here cool means total dedication and total commitment. And Hotel Cycle is nothing if not committed to its theme. At the Onomichi U2 mixed-use complex, you don’t even have to step off your pedals — you can ride right into this cavernous space, which includes not just the hotel but a restaurant, a bar, a café, and a bakery, as well as a Giant bike shop and a retail space dedicated to local food, clothing and housewares.

Lodging Onomichi U2- Cycle Hotel
Cocktails The Cog Bar
Dinner The Restaurant

Please note: guests arriving from international airports should consider arriving in Japan 1-2 days in advance to ensure luggage arrives and allow time to adjust to time change. Any additional pre-trip lodging are not included in trip price.

D2 (SEPT 25) ONOMICHI & tHE BRIDGES
OF SHIMANAMI KAIDO

60 mi / 3200 Ft

Behold, the Shimanami Kaido. Known as the most scenic route in Japan, the 76km route between Onomichi and Imabari is dotted with orange orchards, traditional ryokans, and stunning views of the Seto Sea. There’s no better way to absorb the quaint, small-town Japan that tourists tend to ignore. While a ferry back to Onomichi is an option, an intrepid return route is through the islands, making for a long 160km+ in the saddle.

Lodging Onomichi U2- Cycle Hotel
Cocktails The Cog Bar
Dinner The Restaurant

D3 (SEPT 26) ONOMICHI TO HIROSHIMA

53 mi / 3,139 Ft

Today’s route finishes in one of history’s most famous cities: Hiroshima. But first, we’ll pass through Higashihiroshima, well-known or an entirely different reason: Japan’s national drink, Sake. We’ll visit “Sake Storehouse Road”, the street where the breweries are concentrated, marked by the photogenic red chimneys and white walls of its establishments.

We’ll wind down our second day at the site of the first use of nuclear weapons in wartime: Hiroshima’s Atomic Bomb Dome. It proffers a deeper understanding of the suffering caused by violence, nuclear weapon proliferation, and the real value of peace. Balancing the striking significance of the day, we’ll sample local dishes in the humming center of Hiroshima, like battered cabbage and noodles cooked on a hotplate with oysters and squid called okonomiyaki at the Okonomi-mura building. Established after the dropping of the atomic bomb in 1945, this food court became a refuge for cheap and healthy eats for the local people. Today, over 25 okonomiyaki cafe’s are available for us to try. We will take over an entire restaurant and watch how this sumptuous treat is made!

Lodging Hiroshima Sheraton
Dinner Okonomi-mura

D4 (SEPT. 27) HIROSHIMA TO KURUME

52.6 mi / 4,145 Ft

Breaking in the RAID tradition, today we climb aboard Japan’s famous railway transit: The Shinkasen Bullet Train. We’ll be whisked to Kurume, a principal city of the island of Kyushu, only 1.5 hours away. We’re immediately on our bikes, cycling through lush green tea fields, with rolling hills covered in trees to the horizon, replete with tea sampling along the way. After absorbing the wonders of today’s ride, we’ll pop into a Japanese ryokan for the night, a traditional Samurai’s home Nestled in a small hot spring village in the mountains, where we’ll be enveloped in a sense of the local culture, untouched by time. You will don your yukata and join us for a traditional kaiseki meal, this is a traditional style of Japanese cuisine, you'll find lots of seafood and shellfish, plenty of vegetables, and the all-important rice, usually served with miso soup and tsukemono (Japanese pickles) at the end of the meal.

Lodging Kayausagi

D5 (SEPT. 28) HITA TO ASO

53 mi / 6,833 Ft

Today is a special ride, we begin this morning heading south through the Ōita prefecture, known to many as the “Land of Abundance”. We will be traversing through the Kirishima Mountain Range, a volcanic belt of major peaks that run vertically through the prefecture and contribute to the many hot spring sources that make this region so popular. Ōita has the largest number of hot springs in the entire country! Known for its quiet roads and scenic beauty, 60% of Ōita is covered in dense forests.

For lunch, we’ll pop into a local soba shop so you can try your skill in selecting noodles with chop sticks, along with a requisite bakery stop. Most people are surprised to learn how amazing Japanese baked goods are, on par with anything found in France. We’ll spend the night in the shadow of Mount Aso, an active volcano in the center of Kyushu at another luxury ryokan set among tranqui gardens and hotsprings. Boasting remarkable hot springs and an even more remarkable restaurant, we will dine on some noteworthy regional cuisine this evening.

Lodging Sozonkyo

D6 (SEPT 29) MT ASO

42.9 mi / 4,389 Ft

Today is our Queen Stage, spent circling Mount Aso’s barren caldera, then descending back to the lush valley below. The constant smoke plume reminds us of its power and potential, and gazing down into the 20 mile-wide crater gives us a glimpse at the Earth’s origins This is one of the most visually striking places in Japan, if not the world - its grey, craggy moonscape is covered in small, jagged rocks - like something from a SciFi film set on a distant world.

Lodging Sozonkyo

D7 (SEPT 30) MT ASO TO YUFUIN (OITA)

37.3 mi / 4,020 Ft

Our last day’s journey traverses the scenic Yamanami Highway, considered one of the most scenic byways in Japan, crossing the Kuju mountain range before finishing in Oita. The amazing route takes us from the Tadewara Marshlands through the Chojabaru and Kuju Mountain Ranges with stunning views of sprawling grasslands and steaming, looming volcanoes the entire way.

A wonderful finish to our adventure, we’ll end our ride in the tiny resort village of Yufuin, located on a flat river basin surrounded by mountains. The most prominent feature of Yufuin's skyline? The twin-peaked Mount Yufu, hovering over the town, serving as the backdrop for scenic views. Another natural landmark is Lake Kinrinko, a small lake located at the end of the town’s main walking route.The small lake is located at the end of the town's main walking route. Finally, we’ll finish our stay at a small Ryokan, with a hot spring bath located inside an inviting cave. Enjoy the bath’s waterfall before dining on local seafood, best enjoyed as sashimi, along with dangojiru, a unique dish consisting of dumplings stewed in miso paste.

Lodging Saigakukan

ADDENDUM: Extending your trip with additional non-cycling days exploring Kyoto, Nara, and Hiroshima is an option that we’re more than happy to help facilitate! Let us know when you book and we’ll be more than happy to arrange an extended adventure with the same RAID standards.

D8 (OCT. 1) YUFUIN TO FUKUOKA (FUK)
or OSAKA (KIX)
(TRANSFER DAY)

This morning, enjoy a short walk through the village of Yufuin before we embark on our last leg of our journey. Our vehicles will transfer everyone 1h45m to Fukuoka International Airport (FUK) from where you can connect to your international or domestic flight.

Those who will be exploring more of Japan or traveling to the Kyoto area upon the trip's conclusion, Osaka may be your best option. However, if you plan to return home on the 19th, after our trip, Fukuoka International Airport (FUK) is the most convenient international airport to depart from.

Fukuoka International Airport (FUK), which has dozens of international departures daily is the most convenient option. It's 1h45m shuttle from our hotel on May 19th to Fukuoka. Our vehicles will provide this shuttle early in the morning depending on guest’s flights. You can book your flights as early as 1:00 pm on the 19th.

If you are connecting to an international flight departing Osaka (KIX), it’s best that you depart out of Fukuoka International Airport (FUK) to Osaka (KIX)-there are affordable daily 1hr10m flights directly to Osaka (KIX).

Osaka International Airport (KIX) can be reached by a 1⁄2 day scenic train route and transfer to the Shinkansen (bullet train), this option does include some logistics, if you prefer this option, please discuss with us before booking your return flights.

(If you have already booked your return from Osaka, please let us know. We are happy to secure the best transfer option for you. Or, if you'd prefer, we can look into changing your departure airport.)

**From Osaka’s ITM airport you can take a 75 minute bus directly to Kansai International Airport (KIX) if you need to.

**From Osaka Station (train station) you can easily connect to Kyoto or to Tokyo via the Shinkansen train.