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Mountain Bike Tour from Sapporo Including Hoheikyo Onsen and Lunch
5 h
Lunch
About this activity
In the morning, assemble with your small group and guide at the starting point, approximately one hour after you’re picked up by air-conditioned minivan from Sapporo. Once you’re fitted with a mountain bike, helmet and gloves, you’ll hear safety precautions and get basic instructions for riding.
Then follow your guide on an easy, 1.5-hour ride along a mostly paved road, starting from the upper Toyohira River, whose waters swell from mountain snowmelt into the Jozankei valley. Enjoy views above the river canyon and cross a suspension bridge, departing for Jozankei. It’s a steep, downhill ride to this traditional onsen town, which dates back to 1866 when an ascetic monk opened the spa upon discovering its healing waters.
Amid forested banks along the bountiful Toyohira River, watch steam rise up from every angle. Stop to enjoy snacks like onsen manju, a bun stuffed with azuki-bean paste, before departing via a steep uphill route. After a ride down to the Shirai River, bike across the Toyohira River, dipping your feet in the cold water if time allows before heading back toward the Hoheikyo Onsen.
Your 6-mile (10-km) route ends at this natural hot spring, which was ranked as one of the best hot spring day trips by TripAdvisor in 2013. Settle into mineral baths indoors or choose from three large outdoor pools, where you’ll have panoramic views of the mountains as you relax against the stones during a 1-hour soak. Hoheikyo is one of Japan's only onsen facilities to use 100-percent pure waters; the pools are fed by continuously flowing hot springs poured directly into the baths from the ground.
Afterward, sate your appetite with a lunch of authentic naan bread and Indian curry — Jozankei’s most popular food — at the onsite restaurant.
Complete your half-day tour with the return 1-hour drive to Sapporo.
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Then follow your guide on an easy, 1.5-hour ride along a mostly paved road, starting from the upper Toyohira River, whose waters swell from mountain snowmelt into the Jozankei valley. Enjoy views above the river canyon and cross a suspension bridge, departing for Jozankei. It’s a steep, downhill ride to this traditional onsen town, which dates back to 1866 when an ascetic monk opened the spa upon discovering its healing waters.
Amid forested banks along the bountiful Toyohira River, watch steam rise up from every angle. Stop to enjoy snacks like onsen manju, a bun stuffed with azuki-bean paste, before departing via a steep uphill route. After a ride down to the Shirai River, bike across the Toyohira River, dipping your feet in the cold water if time allows before heading back toward the Hoheikyo Onsen.
Your 6-mile (10-km) route ends at this natural hot spring, which was ranked as one of the best hot spring day trips by TripAdvisor in 2013. Settle into mineral baths indoors or choose from three large outdoor pools, where you’ll have panoramic views of the mountains as you relax against the stones during a 1-hour soak. Hoheikyo is one of Japan's only onsen facilities to use 100-percent pure waters; the pools are fed by continuously flowing hot springs poured directly into the baths from the ground.
Afterward, sate your appetite with a lunch of authentic naan bread and Indian curry — Jozankei’s most popular food — at the onsite restaurant.
Complete your half-day tour with the return 1-hour drive to Sapporo.
Included
- Professional English-speaking local guide
- Mountain bike, helmet and gloves for rental
- Lunch
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Sapporo train station pickup and drop-off
- Transport by air-conditioned minivan
- All taxes, fees and handling charges
- Insurance
- Entry/Admission - Hoheikyo Onsen
Not included
- Drinks
- Gratuities
- Bath towel rental (JPY520, but you will get JPY300 back after returning used towel)
- Food and drinks, unless specified
Additional
- Confirmation will be received within 48 hours of booking, subject to availability
- Minimum age is 10 years
- Recommended height is 1.45m (4.75 foot) or taller
- A maximum of 12 people per booking
- Please wear comfortable long sleeve shirts, long pants and shoes suitable for exercising. Jeans are not recommended
- Recommended to bring sunglasses or some kind of eye protection, change of clothes and bath towel. Bath towel can be rented for JPY510
- Hot spring facility will have body soap, shampoo and conditioner for you to use for free of charge
- Please bring your own water (rental bikes have water holder)
- Windbreaker jacket is recommended to bring during spring and fall season
- The mountain bike course may be changed due to road conditions
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Near public transportation
- Most travelers can participate
Features
Tourism
65%
Sport
55%
Cultural
30%
Reviews
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I found the cycling very very poor. I looked at the pictures and thought that I'd be cycling through a woodland path following the river. In reality it was along run down roads following a river where the area around was neglected. The picturesque suspension bridge and enjoy sublime views of the river canyon below is a joke. In reality it was a bridge of a river literally metres below. The tour started at the Onsen where you got onto the bike. The bike tour is a round trip and so ended at the Onsen where you got the bike. The hot springonsen was very good and so was the meal. This doesn't warrant the huge price though.
The tour is awesome, nice scenery around the Hoheikyo Onsen. Very yummy lunch......the Indian pancakes were the best pancakes we ever had. The bike tour was about an hour and a half, good length. Absolutely love the trip, especially my 13 years old son. Will definitely recommend this tour to everyone, especially for young family!
Love the weather and the local Onsen experience. Jun picked us up in the hotel at 9AM and we hopped into his van to the mountain area for around 45 minutes. When we reached, he assembled the bikes and we got to try them first to fit. We got to bike in the woods around 10 minutes, the rest is in the side of the road. It's quite an experience. Then he would take us to a local snack place to taste the red bean Japanese snack and cold drinks. The Onsen was wonderful as it had an outdoor onset with beautiful natural view. The curry lunch we had was great, cooked by a local Indian guys who spoke fluent Japanese. A great tour to spend for half day.
Wonderful trip. The bikes were first class, the scenery fantastic and the guide facilitated a great experience. We loved the meal and the onsen experience. Thanks Juun
Great experience! Tour is exactly as described, it is a pretty leisurely bike ride (1.5 hours) through some dirt roads, but mainly paved areas. It follows the river in the area which is beautiful! It also includes a short stop at the Jozankei onsen statue area with a small snack. The Hoheikyo onsen is like most onsens I've been to and is a bit more "country" then most modern, new sleek ones. The calcified water has created a super awesome floor in the onsen itself. Finally, the included lunch was top notch Indian curry vegetable and chicken with a piece of naan bread!