Extending out into the Sea of Japan, the Noto Peninsula is the perfect region of Japan to experience the many contrasts of this enigmatic country. Cycle beautifully paved country roads past fishing villages and ancient temples, soak in mountain hot springs, enjoy the ceremony and rituals. Our Classic level trip enjoys two nights in each of Wajima, Suzu (one night in Wakura Onsen) and Kanazawa, and we stay at distinctive properties with a mix of hotels and ryokans.

Only Great Explorations:

  • Small groups, extraordinary guides, and authentic experiences
  • Hotel properties unique and distinctive including traditional ryokans
  • A ride you will never forget: each of the rides will be memorable through lush valleys and along the coast on quiet roads
  • Food that is superb –if you’ve never been to Japan, you are in for an experience like no other
  • Cannondale Quick model hybrid bikes (our fleet)
  • We design and operate our own trips so there are only good surprises

Location

Noto Peninsula

Noto, Ishikawa, Japan

Day 1

Wajima

Wajima, Ishikawa, Japan

Day 2

Suzu

Suzu, Ishikawa, Japan

Day 3+4

Wakura Onsen

Wakura Onsen, Wakuramachi, Nanao, Ishikawa, Japan

Day 5

Kanazawa

Kanazawa, Ishikawa, Japan

Day 6+7+8

What’s Included in the Cost of Your Trip?

INCLUDED IN REGULAR TRIP

Services of Great Explorations guide(s)
Support vehicle
7 nights lodging
All breakfasts, 6 lunches and 5 dinners
All special events, private tours, guest experts and entrance fees
Detailed maps, route suggestions and water bottle
All transportation from rendezvous to drop-off, including van support
Domestic flight from Tokyo to Noto on Day 1 of the trip
All baggage transportation
Welcome and final night wine receptions
All gratuities for baggage, porters and hotel service

Not Included

Bike rental

Particulars

EVENT DATES

2023

May 6-13
May 13-20
Oct 20-27

2024

May 5-12
May 12-19
May 19-26
Oct 6-13 (sold out)
Oct 13-20
Oct 20-27

Custom trips also available and can start any date. Call or email for details.

TRIP SIZE

4-16 participants

TOTAL DAYS

8 days / 7 nights

ARRIVE / DEPART

Noto / Kanazawa

ACTIVITY LEVEL

Moderate +
40-70 km daily
Van Supported

TERRAIN

Rolling with some short steep climbs

COST

Land Cost:
US $4,250* (pp based on DBL)

Single Supplement:
US $1,065

*Supplement if less than 8 pax:
4-5 pax: US $800 pp.
6-7 pax: US $400 pp.

Bike Rental:
Cannondale Quick model Hybrid- US $280
E-bike (Giant Escape RX-E+) rentals available on request– US$560
Race bikes available on request– US$560

Optional Pre-trip Extension in Tokyo:
US $595 pp 2D/2N – includes 1/2 day with local guide
US $795 pp 3D/3N – includes 1/2 day with local guide and 1/2 day cycling on 2nd day

Optional Post-trip Extension in Kyoto:
US $595 pp 2D/2N – includes 1/2 day with local guide
US $795 pp 3D/3N – includes 1/2 day with local guide and 1/2 day cycling on 2nd day

Please note: Final itinerary is subject to revision; any changes made are done so in an attempt to provide the best possible trip given route conditions and available services. Due to the nature of our business and exchange rates, prices are subject to change. All prices quoted are U.S. dollars but we gladly accept payment in Canadian dollars also. Due to cancellations and waiting lists, trip availability fluctuates daily. If you have any questions or would like to confirm space on this trip before making your reservation, please contact us at info@great-explorations.com or by telephone at 604.730.1247

Our trip begins at the Noto airport and ends in Kanazawa. You will want to book your international flights in and out of Tokyo (Haneda airport). From North America, it will be necessary to depart the day before you need to arrive. You will need to book at least one night in Tokyo and on Day 1 of the trip, you will need to fly to Noto on the 8:55 am flight, which arrives at 9:50 am.

There are a number of airlines that fly to the Tokyo; From the United States: United, American, ANA, JAL all offer non-stop flights. From LA, Cathay Pacific, Delta, American, JAL, United, Singapore Airlines all offer non-stop flights. From Canada, Air Canada has direct flights from Toronto (1:35 arrive 4:55+1) & Vancouver (1:45 arrive 4:40+1 non-stop).


1

Pre-trip Extension Day -2 & -1

Optional
Tokyo Extension

What is included:

  • 2 or 3 nights lodging (our favourite 4-star hotel)
  • 1/2 day guide
  • City Guide Tokyo (itineraries and restaurant suggestions)

Cost:
2 days/2 nights – US $595 pp
3 days/3 nights – US $795 pp (if doing the 3 days, you can opt for a ½ day cycling on the 3rd day)

2

Day 1

Noto

We start cycling right from the airport in Noto crossing from the middle of the peninsula to the northern coast. There is almost no traffic on our route and we’ll stop at a 500 year old temple for lunch. The quiet road passes through rice paddies including  the Senmaida Rice fields, a hillside of terraced rice fields along the Sea of Japan. There are over 2000 small rice fields that must be worked by hand, (senmaida literally means ‘a thousand rice fields’). Wajima is centered around a protected harbor on the Sea of Japan. Famous for its morning market (dating back over 1,000 years) and its lacquerware, the city’s most well known handicraft. We will host a welcome reception before dinner at a local restaurant. Ride Distance: 48 km; 650 m gain or 60 km; 725 m gain.

3

Day 2

Wajima

Visit the morning Asaichi (morning market) in Wajima, perhaps enjoying a coffee at a cool bar. Ride along the coast stopping at a Sojiji Temple for an introduction to Zen Buddhism. There were over 16,000 temples across the country when Zen Buddhism was popular and many of these have been restored and interesting to view. After lunch, there is an option to continue to ride through small farming villages back to Wajima, stopping to learn about laquer-ware at a renowned artisanal shop.  We will dine at the fantastic Atelier de Noto restaurant on this night. Ride Distance – 37 km; 610 m or 65 km; 975 m.

4

Day 3

Suzu

Bike from Wajima through the interior of Noto, winding along quiet roads and passing through small villages. We will visit a washi paper making studio where you will have the opportunity to  make paper using ancient methods. Lunch will be at a local restaurant along the way whose specialty is Noto beef. Arriving to Notojiso Lodge, you will marvel at the outstanding views of Koiji Beach and the Mitsukejima rock which juts out of the sea; this area was first discovered by Kobo Daishi, one of the most important figures of Japanese Buddhism. Take a hot spring and enjoy dinner in the hotel’s restaurant.  Ride Distance: 50 km; 750 m gain  Hotel – Notojiso Lodge at Suzu Hot Springs

5

Day 4

Suzu

Today we will ride around the tip of Noto Peninsula, stopping to learn about salt farming en-route to a lunch venue owned by a former mermaid diver. Women used to free-dive naked for clams while their husbands sat in their boats to haul up the catch. Hike to an outstanding lookout point and then pass   Rokkosaki lighthouse and Sanctuary Cape, one of three power spots in Japan, along with Mt. Fuji in Yamanashi and Bungui-toge in Nagano. We head out to a restaurant tonight featuring fresh seafood and other delicacies. Ride Distance: 58 km; 700 m gain

6

Day 5

Noto to Wakura Onsen

Ride from Suzu through sleepy fishing villages, forests and pastoral landscapes along the coast, with a morning stop at a strawberry farm.  After lunch at an Italian cafe on the coast, we will continue south and enjoy a tour of a sake brewery run by one of the few female sake makers in Noto and then along a dramatic stretch of coast to Anamisu. From here, we transfer 30 minutes to the hot spring town of Wakura Onsen. The onsen at Tadaya is sublime. This is a free night for dinner and your guides will offer lots of recommendations.  Ride Distance – 42 km;  600 m or 67 km; 860 m gain

7

Day 6

Wakura Onsen to Kanazawa

Today we bike the quiet roads of Noto Island along quiet coastal roads and past lush rice paddies through verdant landscapes. After a delicious lunch, transfer south to the fascinating city of Kanazawa, known for its well preserved Edo-era districts, art museums and regional handicrafts. Arriving in Kanazawa, visit the National museum here, or stroll the streets through town. You’ll have a free night for dinner to explore. Ride Distance: 42 km;  535 m or 66 km; 1000 m gain of rolling terrain around Noto Island and inland on the peninsula.

8

Day 7

Kanazawa

For our ride today, we follow the Sai River out of town. Choose from a short flat ridea long the river, or a more challenging loop into the hills. Back in Kanazawa by lunch time you can choose from many restaurants close to the hotel. After lunch, we will take a tour of Kenrokuen Garden, begun in the 17th century, celebrated for its classic landscape designs incorporating ponds and streams. Adjacent Kanazawa Castle was built in the 1580s, after the defeat of the Peasant’s Kingdom, Japan’s only Buddhist fiefdom. For our final night celebrations, we will walk through the samurai district and enjoy dinner at an acclaimed restaurant. Ride Distance: 47 km; 950 m gain loop bike ride including an invigorating climb and joyful descent back to town.

9

Day 8

Departure Day

You can depart at your leisure from Kanazawa station – the Shinkansen train gets you to Tokyo in 2h30 or you can reach Kyoto in 2h19.

10

Post-trip Extension Day 8 & 9

Optional
Kyoto Extension

What is included:

  • 2 or 3 nights lodging (our favourite 4-star hotel)
  • Full day guide (tour will include: Kinkaku-ji Temple, Fushimi-Inari Shrine, Kiyomizu-Dera District – Kiyomizu-dera temple; San-nen-zaka quarter, Yasaka Pagoda & Gion district)
  • City Guide Kyoto (information and restaurant suggestions)

Cost:
2 days/2 nights – US $595 pp
3 days/3 nights – US $895 pp

Yashio, Wajima

This small Ryokan boasts a great location close to Wajima center and wonderful views over the Sea of Japan with a great beach in front of the hotel. Guest rooms (all with sea-views) are Japanese style with tatami mats and futon with living rooms and soaking tubs and there is an spa on site. Meals are served in private shoji-screened dining areas.


Notojiso Lodge, Suzu

This is one of our favourite hotels in the region. Newly renovated with outstanding views, rooms have terraces overlooking Mitsukejima island and beach.


Tadaya Ryokan, Wakura Onsen

This stylish new 'design' hotel blends modern decor with western comforts. The hotel has a great location, close to the center.


Uan Kanazawa, Kanazawa

This design hotel opened in December, 2017 and is centrally located just a short walk from the Omi-cho market and Kanazawa Castle. The spacious "Hare-no-ma" zen-like lounge is a wonderful area to relax and guestrooms are comfortable.