Mountain Bike Tour from Sapporo Including Hoheikyo Onsen and Lunch
Overview
Please note: This tour is seasonal and runs yearly between April and October. The date is subject to change.
Inclusions
- Professional English-speaking local guide
- Mountain bike, helmet and gloves for rental
- Lunch
- All taxes, fees and handling charges
- Hot spring fee
- Entry/Admission - Hoheikyo Onsen
What to expect
This is a typical itinerary for this product
Stop At: Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan
(9:00) Pickup at your staying hotel or Sapporo station
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.
Duration: 10 minutes
Stop At: Hoheikyo Onsen, 608-2 Jozankei, Minami-ku, Sapporo 061-2301 Hokkaido
(10:00 ) Arrived Hoheikyo onsen
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.
Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes
Pass By: Hoheikyo Onsen, 608-2 Jozankei, Minami-ku, Sapporo 061-2301 Hokkaido
(11:40) Return to Hoheikyo onsen, curry lunch and 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. 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.
Stop At: Sapporo, Sapporo, Hokkaido
(14:40) arrived in Sapporo
Complete your half-day tour with the return 1-hour drive to Sapporo.
Duration: 1 hour
Additional information
- 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
- This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 6 travelers
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Ticket delivery
Cancellation
What a great experience! We ride bikes at home so this tour sounded like so much fun. Jun picked us up from our hotel and drove us about 45 min to the onsen (the starting point) from there we rode our bikes through the woods, along a river, and then all around the town. We crossed many scenic bri...
What a great experience! We ride bikes at home so this tour sounded like so much fun. Jun picked us up from our hotel and drove us about 45 min to the onsen (the starting point) from there we rode our bikes through the woods, along a river, and then all around the town. We crossed many scenic bridges. The town Jozankei is BEAUTIFUL and there was so much to look at. We rode our bikes for almost 2 hours. We were able to stop for pictures & water many times throughout the tour. There was a lot of incline but it's not too difficult. Jun was patient when we got tired. We finished the trip with curry & over an hour at the onsen. The onsen is traditional and separated men/female. It was so relaxing and one of the most amazing experiences. Jun dropped us off afterwards. He was such a friendly & knowledgeable person. 10/10 highly recommend while in Sapporo.
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 t...
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.
Jun was a great guide! He didn't speak much but he definitely highlighted the important spots that needed explanations. He picked us up from the hotel, fitted us with the bikes and other gear and helped us get settled with the lunch and onsen. The bike route was mostly in the city as I believe th...
Jun was a great guide! He didn't speak much but he definitely highlighted the important spots that needed explanations. He picked us up from the hotel, fitted us with the bikes and other gear and helped us get settled with the lunch and onsen. The bike route was mostly in the city as I believe the forest route was closed but he made sure we were able to get around Jozenkai just as well. The onsen was a nice end to it after a pretty long bike ride!It was a cold, rainy day but it didn’t detract from our enjoyment. Jun kitted us out with gloves and waterproofs and we enjoyed a shorter cycle ride than advertised which was a shame as I’m sure we missed some great scenery! However Jun kindly gave us 2.5 hours to enjoy the onsen and curry. The ...
It was a cold, rainy day but it didn’t detract from our enjoyment. Jun kitted us out with gloves and waterproofs and we enjoyed a shorter cycle ride than advertised which was a shame as I’m sure we missed some great scenery! However Jun kindly gave us 2.5 hours to enjoy the onsen and curry. The onsen was fabulous with an icy cold beer to enjoy after! Curry was delicious. It’s a great trip!
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 e...
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!
Lovely tour. Jun was a gentleman. He tries his best to speak English and for explaining things related to the tour, he is more than adequate. Excellent mountain bikes in top condition made going up or down hill very manageable. The Curry lunch is authentic Indian, not Japanese style curry, wit...
Lovely tour. Jun was a gentleman. He tries his best to speak English and for explaining things related to the tour, he is more than adequate. Excellent mountain bikes in top condition made going up or down hill very manageable. The Curry lunch is authentic Indian, not Japanese style curry, with an enormous piece of freshly baked naan bread. The onsen at the end was a perfect way to stop the muscles stiffening up the next day. As much as I enjoyed the experience, up in the hills it was very cold 4C and this early in the season many of the preferred off-road cycling paths were still snowed in. Doing the tour in May or later would be advisable.