Beat burnout. Build resilience.

zencycle.co offers small-group bikepacking journeys through rural Japan, where physical effort meets a quieter mind. These are more than guided rides. 

Days unfold at the pace of a bicycle: forests, mountain passes, fishing villages, an onsen at the end of a long climb. Somewhere along the way, the noise falls away.

Our riders are professionals in need of a real reset, veterans and military families, couples, friends and curious travelers. What they share is a wish to slow down long enough to notice.

Fewer screens. Less stress. More Japan. More presence. 

• Japan’s East Coast: ride along the Pacific Ocean paths and roads due north from Narita International to Aomori Prefecture, camping and staying at guesthouses.
• Seven days of sweeping ocean vistas, rewarding climbs, swims and fishing villages.
• Moderate difficulty.
• Arrival airport: Narita International (Tokyo).

• Multiple day rides and several nights camping among serene river routes and vibrant cities — the best of both worlds.
• Kyoto backcountry villages and farms experience.
• Lake Biwa loop option.
• Low to moderate difficulty.
• Arrival airport: Kansai International Airport (Osaka).

• Your group, your route, your dates. One to eight riders, anywhere in Japan, guided by the founder: a route we know, or one we invent together. Planned on a video call before you book. 
• From ¥40,000 (about US$260) per person, per day, plus lodging, meals and transport with no markup.

Contemplative Pacific Coast Ride

May 23–29, 2027

September 26 – October 2, 2027

Enigmatic Kyoto Ride

October 24–30, 2027

Private Rides: dates of your choosing, during our spring and fall seasons.

Join a Ride — set routes, set dates

Program fee: ¥150,000 (about US$970) per rider

Founding Member rate for 2027: ¥75,000 (about US$485) — half the standard fee, plus a signed copy of The Hidden Middle: Field Notes from Japan, first booking access to new departures, a member rate on future rides and a free first year of zencycle membership.

Travel expenses with no markup, always. Lodging, meals, transport, bike rental and gear support are billed at exactly what they cost. The program fee is for Phillip’s time, experience and personal guidance on every ride.

Typical travel expenses for a 7-day ride, including airfare from California: about ¥400,000 (about US$2,600), plus the program fee.

Premium Narita Pick-Up/Drop-Off Package: ¥800,000 (about US$5,160), excluding airfare. Includes the program fee, full in-country logistics and bilingual support from your first question to your flight home.

Small groups of up to eight riders. Every departure runs. A 40% deposit secures your place.

All prices are set in Japanese yen. US dollar amounts are approximate. Online payments are charged in US dollars at our fixed 2027 rate of ¥155 = US$1.

See our booking terms.