New Tour

Coastal Japan: San-in Explorer

DestinationsJapan
Tour MeetsTottori
Tour EndsIzumo
Fly in toTottori Airport (TTJ)
Fly out ofIzumo Enmusubi Airport (IZO)
Group Size4-16 riders
Minimum Age18 (on scheduled departures)
483kmTotal cycling distance
54kmAvg distance / day
725mAvg climbing / day

Trip Profile

We ride a total of 483 km over 9 cycling days. The cycling in San-in is moderately challenging, with some gradual climbs on most days. There are no rest days, but downtime is to be expected in the afternoons and evenings. All rides are point-to-point, except for a series of ferry rides to and from the Oki Islands and a short train ride on the last day to get into Izumo. While biking is the focus of the tour, we also dedicate plenty of time to immersing ourselves in the culture, traditions, spirituality, cuisine, and wellness practices of Japan.

Your guide’s expert knowledge of the area and terrain means that you always know what is coming up in terms of distance and difficulty. This makes a tremendous difference, as does the constant supply of water and refreshments along the way.

Suitability: This is an active level tour and riders can expect to be challenged by the route and terrain in a variety of ways. We climb an average of 725 m per day, with three days going beyond 1000 m (max 1300 m). Riding distances vary between 45 - 70 km and we aim for a comfortable pace with frequent cultural and scenic stops. The main challenge of the tour is keeping up stamina over back-to-back riding days and tackling consistently hilly terrain (at times exacerbated by headwinds). Less experienced riders are welcome but should prepare in advance to manage the terrain at a reasonable pace. A support vehicle is available at all times to provide refuge for weary riders.

Biking Conditions: This trip is on paved roads which are mostly in good condition, though broken asphalt, road debris, and potholes do present themselves. San-in is one of Japan's least urbanized regions, so traffic tends to be minimal at all times. However, we still regularly share the road with cars, motorbikes and buses. There are a few unavoidable sections along busier main roads, particularly when entering and exiting cities or near popular attractions. Rainfall is not uncommon in Japan during the spring and fall and, being near the coast means that strong winds and storms can also make an appearance. We generally ride rain or shine, but depending on the guide’s discretion or your comfort level, modifications to the planned route can be made. It’s all part of the adventure!

Hotels: Accommodations on this tour are a carefully vetted mix of Japanese and Western style hotels. In the cities - i.e. Tottori, Sakaiminato, Matsue, and Izumo - you can expect conventional comforts like Western-style beds, spacious layouts, and more varied breakfast options. In rural areas - i.e. Misasa Onsen, Kaike Onsen, Oki Islands – we stay in traditional ryokans, known for their minimalist aesthetic, featuring tatami mats, shoji screens, and futon bedding. Room and ensuite bathroom sizes are likely smaller than you may be accustomed to, breakfasts tend to be local-style (i.e. fish, rice and miso soup), and English is not widely understood. But, you can always expect cleanliness, comfort, an enriching cultural experience, and special amenities like onsen facilities or stunning views.

What's Included

  • SpiceRoads jersey
  • Water bottle
  • Support vehicle
  • Guide(s)
  • Meals (as indicated)
  • Accommodation
  • Snacks and drinks
  • Entrance fees
  • Ferry/boat fares
  • Train rides

What's Excluded

  • International flights
  • Domestic flights
  • Airport pick up
  • Airport drop off
  • Visa fees
  • Alcohol
  • Tips

Nuts & Bolts

Bikes

Because some people can't imagine going on a trip without their own beloved bicycle, we do not provide them as part of this tour. However, you can hire bikes locally for the price listed in the tour pricing section. If you bring your own bike, please make sure it is in good mechanical order.

We also have E-Bikes available for hire, but they are limited in number & size - please send an email to us to check on availability.

Bike Repairs

Basic spares and tools are carried by the guide and on the support vehicle, though we cannot guarantee having spares for every conceivable problem. Carrying a basic tool kit, a spare tube and a pump while riding is recommended.

Safety

Wearing a helmet is required on all our biking adventures and is non negotiable. If you do not wear a helmet you will not be allowed to cycle. Your tour leader is trained in first aid and emergency rescue, but to a large degree you must be responsible for your own safety while riding. It is therefore compulsory that you take out travel insurance that will cover you for a mountain biking tour.

Guides

You will be led by a local English-speaking guide and if the group is 9 people or more we will add another guide to the tour. All our guides are well informed in the history, culture and religions of the area where you are biking and are skilled at passing that knowledge on to you. Your guide is also medically trained and an experienced cyclist, able to handle most minor repairs en route.

The Nitty Gritty

Passports and Visas

All nationalities require a valid passport that must be valid for six months beyond the intended length of stay. Up to 62 countries have reciprocal visa exemption arrangements allowing nationals from those countries to enter Japan without a visa. Depending on the country, you are allowed to stay in Japan for a certain period of time, which can range from 90 days to six months. For more information, please visit here.

Health

There are no inoculations required for entering Japan though there are general recommendations which you can review here. Please speak to your doctor/physician for the most recent information.

Weather

Japan has a diverse climate. There are four seasons: from April to June is spring. The rainy season is from middle of June to the middle of July. July through end of September can be hot and humid temperatures in the big cities can go as high as 35 degrees Celsius.

Food

Meals are included as per the itinerary where B = breakfast, L = lunch, Most meals will be Japanese seafood; a typical breakfast would include rice, a piece of grilled fish, miso soup. We always carry some granola and Muesli with us for those in need. Dinners will include lots of different seafood - some cooked, some raw. Any special dietary requirements can also be catered for as well. Please let us know at the time of booking.

Drink

Keeping you completely hydrated is a job we take very seriously. Cold water, some energy-restoring local fruit and soft drinks are included in the tour price while riding. Soft drinks and other beverages during meals are not included. Beer is freely available everywhere in Japan, but is NOT included in the price.

Solo Travelers

SpiceRoads does not require you to pay a surcharge for travelling alone. We will arrange for you to share accommodation with another traveller of the same gender and if we can not match you up we will provide a single room at no extra charge. If you prefer not to share a single supplement is payable to guarantee your own room. The cost of the single supplement is listed above.

Extra Expenses

We recommend that you tuck away a few extra dollars, perhaps US$30 a day for incidentals. Tipping is not customary in Japan, although our guides have received and accepted tips on a voluntary basis.

Money

The currency in Japan is the yen (¥) and is pronounced as ‘en’, with no ‘y’ sound. Though ATMs are everywhere in Japan, it is not always easy to use them as most only work with Japan-issued bank cards and credit cards. The exception is Japan’s post office ATMs which accept cards that belong to the following international networks: Visa, Plus, MasterCard, Maestro, Cirrus American Express and Diners Club cards. In addition to postal ATMs, you will find a few international ATMs in big cities and at the major airports. International cards also work in Citibank Japan ATMs.

General booking info

If this is the tour for you here's what you need to do to confirm your place:

FLEXIBLE BOOKING CONDITIONS

Booking a SpiceRoads cycling adventure is easy and we try to do everything possible to make sure you have full flexibility and peace of mind. We do not require a deposit to hold your place on a tour and once full payment has been made your money is protected in our client account and you have the flexibility to cancel or change your booking if needed.

CONFIRMING YOUR BOOKING

Just complete our online booking form or send your booking details offline (email or post), and we will confirm your participation. No deposit is needed to confirm your place on a SpiceRoads tour.

You are advised to read our Booking Conditions in full before you make your payment and should you require further clarifications of any of the conditions below, please email us or call our office.

TRIP STATUS

There is a minimum number of participants (usually 2) required to enable the trip to go ahead. Once the minimum number is reached, the trip status will change from 'Available' to 'Guaranteed to Depart'. Once a trip is guaranteed to depart you are free to book your flights and make other travel arrangements. If the trip status is ‘Limited’ will mean we have only a small number of spaces available for booking. If you are unsure about the trip status, please email us or call our office.

BOOKING ONLINE

From the tour page, click the 'Book Now' link. All departures for this tour will appear, just select the date you'd like to travel. For the next steps, you'll need to know the names of the people travelling. If you wish you can also provide extra details such as passport numbers, height (for bike hire), or you can add that later by logging into Manage My Trip (we'll set up an account for you automatically if you don't already have one). Our system will contact you from time to time to fill in the missing information, as it will be required before departure. However, if the trip that you are booking offers a child discount, you will have to fill out the date of birth of each rider (so we can calculate the appropriate discount).

If you are having any problems please send us an email, or give us a call (+66 026 3295) and one of our travel specialists will assist you with your booking.

BOOKING OFFLINE

Just call us or send an email indicating which trip you want to join and we will happily send you a list of questions and process your booking for you.

DEPOSITS AND PAYMENTS

We do not require a deposit or full payment to book a place for you on a tour.

The balance of the tour’s cost (final invoice) will need to be paid 60 days before the departure date with fees for any bicycle rental(s), single supplement(s) and extra hotel nights.

In the case where a booking is made when there are less than 60 days until the tour departure date, the tour’s cost should be paid in full within 72 hours of receiving an invoice from SpiceRoads. Payment can be made by credit card using our online payment gateway or by bank transfer. When making payment online you will need to confirm that you have read these booking conditions during the "checkout" process, which equates to agreeing to the terms of services and stipulations as indicated in this document.

In all cases, tour fees need to be paid “in full” before participation in a tour. No person(s) will be allowed to join a tour without fully settling their invoice and receiving a confirmation number from SpiceRoads.

The exception can be made for last-minute miscellaneous fees that can be paid locally (visas, additional local hotel bookings, etc.) can be settled on the day of arrival.

FULL FLEXIBILITY FOR TOUR CANCELATIONS

If the tour is cancelled or postponed by SpiceRoads because we didn't make the trip numbers and the tour can’t run, we will make a full cash refund (by bank transfer or on your credit card).

If the tour is cancelled for any other reason, including due to Covid related travel restrictions, we will give you a full credit (with no deductions for admin or any other small-print item) to use on any SpiceRoads tour with no time limit. (Exceptions being flights, special permits and other non-refundable items and these will be advised when booking the trip).

Before paying for your tour, you can cancel your booking with no charge and up until 40 days before departure, you can change your booking to another travel date or move your booking onto another SpiceRoads tour with no charges.

If you need to cancel after you have made full payment, please see our cancellation policy.

Loyalty Riders Club

For those who have been on several long tours with us, we reward customer loyalty by offering repeat customers a special discount off the tour price (excludes single supplement and bike rental). If this is your fourth scheduled tour or more you will receive a 5% discount. If this is your eighth scheduled tour or more we will extend a 10% discount. The discount will be reflected in your online booking, but please contact us if any questions. Loyalty discounts cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer. Note: Only tours of 7 days or more will be applicable for a loyalty discount.

International Flights

International flights, to and from the start and finish points are not included in the tour price. Once your tour is Guaranteed to Depart you can book your flight. Please contact us for advice before arranging flights for the best arrival and departure times. We would only cancel a trip for an extreme circumstance, but in that case, where we cancel your trip, we cannot be liable for losses incurred relating to any flight booking you have made. Please claim any losses from your travel insurance that you acquired when you booked your holiday.

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