Kyoto Tour Guide: Introducing Myself, Yuki Iwasaki, and the Charm of e-CHARIty
Nice to meet you! My name is Yuki Iwasaki, and I’m a tour guide for Discovery Bicycle Tours (e-CHARIty) in Kyoto .
I love cycling—I’ve biked around Lake Biwa in a day and even traveled by bicycle from Kyoto to Awaji Island. But don’t worry! e-charity’s Discovery Bicycle Tours Kyoto uses electric bicycles, so you don’t have to deal with that recklessness or you don’t need to be a bicycle lover to join our tour. During this season, you won’t even break a sweat or feel tired, so you’ll still have plenty of energy for your free time after the tour. We prioritize safety by using helmets equipped with communication systems, allowing our guidance while riding. This adventure tourism experience, combining nature and culture, is designed to be safe and enjoyable even for bicycle beginners. One unique feature of Discovery Bicycle Tours Kyoto is that our guides are locals who can cater to five different languages, including English. In the photo below, you’ll see our diverse team members who guide in Kyoto. Among us are returnees to Japan, a Bangladeshi who immigrated to America and now lives in Japan, an individual who moved to Japan because he loves it here, and a team member with overseas experience in Vietnam. Despite our varied backgrounds, we all share a deep love for Kyoto, which brought us together at e-charity. We hope this passion will make your experience with us unforgettable. While this introduction might feel like a conclusion, the real tour details are just getting started, so stay with me! This blog series will share insights about e-charity tours and daily travel impressions to promote our unique cycling trip experiences.
e-CHARIty’s Kyoto Travel Packages: The Arashiyama Cycling Tour
Our Kyoto travel packages include two options:
Tours departing from Kyoto Station and the Arashiyama tour. The Arashiyama tour starts early—6:00 AM sharp. Why so early? It’s because you get to experience the famous bamboo grove in near solitude, almost like having the entire place to yourself. Here’s a photo comparison: on the left is the bamboo grove at 6:00 AM, and on the right is around 10:00 AM. By 10:00, cycling becomes nearly impossible due to the crowds. With e-charity’s early start, you can enjoy an off-peak travel experience and even take picturesque photos like those on travel sites! So why not give early rising a try for just one day? More Than Famous Landmarks: Hidden Gems on e-charity Tours We intentionally avoid including too many famous spots like temples in our tours, as they’re easy to visit on your own. Instead, we focus on hidden gems personally recommended by our guides. For example, while exploring new routes in Arashiyama, we recently discovered a charming soba noodle shop where we enjoyed a delicious lunch. Our flexible, small-group tours allow us to adjust plans on the spot based on guest preferences. For instance, one group opted to skip a temple visit to find lunch together. This flexibility leads to serendipitous, discovery-filled journeys—what’s trending now as “unplanned bicycle adventures.” Even we, as guides, often learn and discover new things alongside our guests!
A Glimpse of Arashiyama’s Hidden Gems Local Vegetable Vending Machines:
Guests, like those from New Zealand, are often delighted by the novelty of buying fresh cucumbers straight from a vending machine. Peaceful Countryside Rides:
Explore remote rice fields at a leisurely pace, places that are too far to walk to and lack parking for cars. With electric bikes, you can enjoy worry-free, idyllic rural tours. Looking Ahead: The Future of e-charity This is just our first year operating in Kyoto, but we’re full of energy and eager to uncover more of the city’s charm with our guests. As we build from the ground up, we look forward to discovering and showcasing bike-accessible hidden spots together.
Stay tuned to this site for updates on our bicycle adventures and travel tips from e-charity staff. Don’t forget to follow us on Instagram @discovery_bicycle_tours for more! Our next strategy involves hotel marketing—placing flyers in nearby hotels to spread the word about our tours. Exciting things are on the horizon, so stay tuned!