Rain or Busy Streets? Your Tokyo Bike Tour Has a Plan B
October 14, 2026
Rain in the forecast? Streets too busy to ride safely? Your bike tour doesn't have to be cancelled. When conditions aren't good for cycling, I will offer you a Plan B: a private walking tour at 50% off, starting with the same hotel pickup.
Here is how it works, with a real example from a tour in October.
Get the Highlights
- A Plan B before you cancel
- Pick a route, then make it yours
- Same hotel pickup, a slower day
A Plan B Before You Cancel
Your safety comes first. If the weather or traffic looks risky, I will contact you a few days before, or at least one day before, and suggest switching to a walking tour. The price drops to 50% of your bike tour price. You can still choose to keep the bike tour if conditions improve, or cancel the tour according to our terms and conditions.
In October, the streets around my guests' hotel were expected to be busy, so we agreed on the walking option and started planning a different kind of day.
Pick a Route, Then Make It Yours
My bike tours start and end at your hotel, so the route depends on where you are staying. A walking tour works a little differently: after meeting at your hotel, we can take a train or taxi to a different part of Tokyo.
I will send you a few route ideas, and we can adjust them to your interests. My October guests stayed near Tokyo Station. I usually ride two basic routes from that area, but for the walking tour I could also suggest routes that are not possible by bike. For example, we could visit places we can't enter by bike, such as Meiji Shrine or department stores, or areas that are hard to ride through, such as Cat Street or Takeshita Street. They chose areas full of backstreets, to see a more authentic, everyday side of Tokyo.
Same Hotel Pickup, a Slower Day
On the day, I will meet you at your hotel just like on a bike tour. Without bikes to park, we can easily step into stations and shops. In October, we stopped at Tokyo Station and I helped my guests buy their train tickets for the next day.
The slower pace also brings small discoveries. On streets I usually cycle through, we noticed details of old houses, little jizo statues, and even the parking lots. One guest was curious about how the parking lot bumpers work, and that turned into a long conversation about everyday life in Tokyo.
Highlights Along the Route
Everything is subjective, but here are some examples from the October walking tour. My guests chose the shitamachi side of Tokyo, a vibrant, authentic local area. We didn't go as far as we would on bikes, but we saw it more deeply. we didn't go as far as we would on bikes, but we saw it more deeply.
Ueno Park
One of Japan's first public parks. Enjoy biking along the lotus pond.
Kanei-ji Temple
An over-400-year-old temple between Ueno Park and Yanaka. Learn the history of the temple to enjoy the neighborhoods.
Yanaka
A shitamachi area with old wooden houses and many temples along its backstreets. Learn why it has stayed so traditional.
Yanaka Starbucks
A new Starbucks in a two-story wooden building, modeled on Yanaka's prewar shopfronts. It looks like it has always been here.
Asakusa Shopping Streets
Vibrant, bustling shopping streets around Sensoji. Your guide takes you straight to the coolest local shops.
Sensoji Temple
Tokyo's oldest temple, in Asakusa. Its Kaminarimon gate with a giant red lantern is one of the city's most famous sights.
A Local Cafe
A short break over a cup of coffee or tea
Kappabashi Kitchen Street
Tokyo's kitchenware street for Japanese knives and tableware. Soy sauce tasting is available, too!
Recommended Starting Places
The walking option starts with the same hotel pickup as your bike tour. With trains and taxis, it works from almost any hotel in central Tokyo.
Busy Streets? We Walked Instead
We walked, we talked, and over lunch we swapped stories about life in Tokyo. Next time, I hope they will come back for the bikes. There is a lot more of Tokyo waiting down the road.
Epilogue
After the tour, I received lovely messages from them, and they said:
Wir hatten einen fantastischen Tag mit Kazuma. Wir haben eine walking tour gewählt und dabei sehr viel gesehen und über japanische Kultur gelernt. Mit Kazuma bewegt man sich sehr effektiv von einem Stadtgebiet ins nächste und sieht dabei Architektur, historische Gebäude, das moderne und das traditionelle Tokyo, Parks und nette Geschäfte. Auf alle unsere Fragen haben wir gut erklärte Antworten bekommen, zumal Kazuma sehr gut Englisch spricht. Wir würden die Tour allen sehr empfehlen. Man sieht und versteht mehr mit viel Spaß und guter Laune.
(Translated in English by Google) We had a fantastic day with Kazuma. We chose a walking tour and saw so much while learning a lot about Japanese culture. Kazuma gets you from one area of the city to the next very efficiently, showing you architecture, historic buildings, modern and traditional Tokyo, parks, and lovely shops along the way. He answered all of our questions clearly and in detail, especially since his English is excellent. We highly recommend this tour to everyone because you see and understand so much more, all while having a great time and a lot of fun.
We were a party of four and enjoyed the walking tour with Kazuma. His plan was perfectly adjusted to our rough ideas. We wanted to see the little secrets behind the touristic scenes. Not only Kazumas english was very good, he never got tired to answer every question. Kazuma showed us the traditional and modern Japan. He has a feeling for what we wanted too see. Very special. And: he even went with us to the Station to make sure we get the right tickets next day for Narita train. Thank you Kazuma. We strongly recommend him and his style. Annette and Dirk
