*****Price is still $2300! CALL HBL 735-5756.  (Mayor Caldwell is planning to ride with us on 10/28******

Shimanami Cycling and Sightseeing Trip to Japan, by Folding Bike

Oct 22-29, 2018   As low as $2290*, including airfare. Airfare is going up so sign up before prices increase. 

Interested? Get information soon and sign up by emailing japantrip@HBL.org for details.  Call 735-5756 for more information.  A week of sightseeing and casual cycling centered on the world-renowned Shimanami Kaido bike route. We’ll experience castles, temples, hot springs, great food, magnificent scenery, and Japan’s famous amazing train system. We’ll cap off our time on one of the planet’s best-engineered bike paths by participating in a once-in-four-year mass cycling event, the Cycling Shimanami Event! Limited to 15 participants.

[Guide, Brendon Hanna, experienced with Japan travel and language.]

Send an email to japantrip@HBL.org, and our experienced Japanese-speaking tour leader Brendon Hanna will get back to you with details and an application form.

Itinerary (subject to change)

6 hotel/hostel nights Total ride distance = Approximately 170-mi

Folding Bike/Public Transportation Travel Concept 

Because of the nature of this unique sightseeing trip, bikes that can be folded within 10 minutes and completely contained within a bike bag are required (Brompton, Bike Friday, Tern, Dahon, etc.). Don’t own a folding bike of your own? Bromptons in limited numbers are rentable in Hawaii for approximately $195 for the entire trip through  Ebikes Hawaii. All ground travel will be by public transportation (no special hire trucks/buses). Bicycles on trains must be completely contained within a bike bag, as there will be many on/off points for train rides. It is also highly recommended to travel as lightly as possible. Essentially, we will need to carry everything with us during the entire trip. Hawaii-Japan bike containers for the flight to/from Japan may be stored at Kansai Airport, where we fly in and out of, for ~$10 per day.

*Notes on Pricing:

– Includes airfare, public train/bus ground transportation, double occupancy hotel and hostel accommodations (clean, comfortable with private bathroom/shower), and breakfasts.

– Does NOT include lunches, dinners (basic food estimated at $30/day). Does not include attraction admissions and travel insurance (recommended) estimated at $20). (Total food, attraction admissions and travel insurance estimated $50/day). Does not include any other incidental expenses (such as bag storage at airport or freight forwarding (takyubin) estimated at $15/day).

– Assumes low-cost carrier basic fares without additional fuel surcharges (this includes 1-2 carry-on bags within 15-lbs, and one checked bag such as your bike with any extra items.

Pricing will be higher for the individual if a full-service carrier is adopted, and/or premium class seating is desired, and/or fuel prices rise substantially prior to actual booking.

– Based on current USD-JPY exchange rate of approximately 105 yen/dollar. Pricing may change if the rate at the time of booking differs substantially.

– Based on current best estimates of all related costs. Pricing may change if these actual costs differ substantially.

Accommodations 

Accommodations are double occupancy (2-3 star). However, night #5 immediately prior to the event in

Imabari may be triple or even quadruple occupancy in a 4-star hotel (event headquarters). Pricing will be higher for guaranteed single occupancy (no single occupancy available on night #5). Laundry facilities are available in hotels, so 2-3 days of clothing should suffice.

Trip Modification/Extension

Participants may opt to modify their trip around our planned start/end dates in Japan, either arriving early, or staying on after the group departure on 10/29. A $450 airfare allowance will be deducted from the final total tour price. No other allowances will be made. (For example, no further discounts will be applied for a missed hotel night or any rail pass differential.) 

Visa Requirements

Citizens of the United States (and many other nations) are issued a 90-day tourist visa upon arrival in Japan at no cost. If you are traveling on a non-US passport, please verify your requirements. All passports must have at least 6 months of validity from the date of entry (expiry beyond April 23, 2019). Please verify your passport validity and apply for renewal immediately if necessary. A passport with sufficient validity is required to apply for participation in the trip.