Cycle tour through Asuka's historic landscape

Discover one of Japan’s most enigmatic and historically significant regions on an atmospheric morning cycle through Asuka’s peaceful countryside, where the spirit of the past still lingers among rolling hills and open fields.

Make your own way by local train to Asuka Station, where your guide will be ready to help you with your bicycle. They will ensure the saddle and handlebars are properly adjusted and provide a brief introduction, so you can set off feeling confident and comfortable. Your tour will then begin through this scenic area, once home to Japan’s earliest capitals. 

Surrounded by rice paddies, small temples, and gentle valleys, you’ll cycle through a landscape where emperors and court nobles laid the foundations of the nation’s culture, religion, and system of governance more than 1,300 years ago. 

Along the way, you’ll stop at several of the area’s mysterious stone structures, scattered across the countryside. At first glance, they appear to be simple rock formations, yet their precise design and placement have sparked curiosity for centuries. Your guide will share the leading theories and stories about their possible purpose – whether as burial monuments, astronomical markers, or sites for ancient Shinto rituals. Each stone holds traces of a time when Japan’s identity was beginning to take shape. 

The tour then continues along peaceful country lanes, where nature and tranquillity create a truly special atmosphere. Here, you’ll experience a side of Japan far removed from the pace of the big cities, as your guide weaves together past and present through myths, archaeology, and local history.  

The tour will end back at Asuka Station, where you can let the day’s impressions sink in after hours immersed in history and nature, before taking the local train back to Nara.  

Duration: Approx. 3 hours.

Group size: Max. 5 people.

This excursion is open to TourCompass’ own guests only.

We recommend that you book the excursion when booking the tour.

The price is valid when at least 2 people are travelling.