Kamikochi by E-bike
Kamikochi is the southern gateway to the Northern Alps and a hotspot for mountain resorts.
For environmental conservation purposes, driving by private car is forbidden, but you can get to Kamikochi by either bus or bicycle. As it is a mountainous area, going by bicycle can be challenging, but the views along the way make it well worth it. We recommend you prepare yourself well in advance before taking on this route.
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Where to rent an e-bike
E-bikes can be rented at a small e-bike station called Okuhida Base in Hirayu, Takayama, around a 3 minute walk from Hirayu Bus Terminal. It is connected to the side of the pizza shop and cafe AWAWA HIRAYU. The rental system is completely online and the bicycle can be retrieved contactless starting from 7AM. For more detailed information about the bicycles and reservations, you can visit the Okuhida Base website.
How to get to Hirayu Onsen in Okuhida
Hirayu Onsen can be reached from either Takayama City or from Matsumoto City. There is also a direct stop here from Shinjuku, Tokyo.
■ From Takayama City: At Takayama Nohi Bus Center, buy a ticket from the ticket machine and board the bus headed to Hirayu Bus Terminal at bus stop #6.
■ From Matsumoto City: Take the bus for Hirayu Onsen at Matsumoto Bus Terminal.
■ From Shinjuku: At Shinjuku Bus Terminal, take the bus going to Takayama and get off at Hirayu Bus Terminal.
Route overview
*Including the time spent in Kamikochi, the activity will last approximately 6 hours.
Hirayu Onsen → Kamikochi｜Outbound 2hr 30 mins~
Kamikochi → Hirayu Onsen｜Inbound 2hrs~
Level: Challenging
1. [START POINT] Hirayu Onsen (a neighborhood in Okuhida)
2. Awa Pass (a curvy road avoiding usual traffic)
3. Kama Tunnel (a challenging tunnel where elevation increases significantly)
4. Taisho Ike Pond (a famous pond in Kamikochi)
5. [END POINT] Kamikochi Bus Terminal (you can park your bike here)
*The Awa Pass (the winding old road on National Route 158) is closed from early November to late June due to snow accumulation.
Google Maps
When routing with google maps, set your destination to Kamikochi Bus Terminal. There will not be an option to route via bike, so instead use the walking route google displays (its the same as the bicycle route). You can also use the map we provided below.
Experience review
7:30 [Pick up the e-bike]
The E-bike rental station is a 3 minute walk from Hirayu Bus Terminal, where direct buses from Shinjuku, Takayama and Matsumoto arrive. Shuttle buses to Kamikochi also arrive and depart from this terminal.
Okuhida Base: This is an unmanned bike rental station with long opening hours. You can rent an e-bike and even an extra battery as early as 7:00 in the morning.
7:45 [Depart from Hirayu Onsen]
Okuhida Base is located in Hirayu Onsen at an elevation of approximately 1,200 meters above sea level! At a stretch, it raises the elevation about 600 meters.
This road has extremely little traffic and is comfortable, but because it is an old road, the road surface is rough in some places. Please keep this in mind.
Hooting and hollering, we made our way through the beautiful forest that laid ahead.
8:40 [Reach Awa Pass]
Awa Pass (elevation 1,790m)
Slowly but surely we reached the border point between Takayama City, Gifu Prefecture and Matsumoto City, Nagano Prefecture. From this point the road starts to go downhill. It can be dangerous, so remember to ride down slowly.
Everyone cycled down the mountain pass with spectacular views of the Northern Alps, including Yake-dake (焼岳).
9:05 [Passing Nakanoyu Hot Spring]
Along Awa Pass is a hot spring and hotel called Nakanoyu Hot Spring. From here on out, the road can be a little uneven and rough at spots. There are sharp turns so remember to ride the bike down slowly.
9:20
Arrive at the entrance/exit of the Chubu Jukan Expressway (Awa Tunnel).
Take the national highway down toward Kama Tunnel, Kamikochi, and Matsumoto.
You can leisurely ride a bicycle downhill without pedaling here.
From here we could see a beautiful lookout point, including a beautiful river.
9:25 [Pass Nakanoyu Shop]
Next, we arrived at the Nakano-yu store. From here, it is a connecting road to Kamikochi, where private cars are restricted.
A security guard will approach you from the store inside. The store sells warm drinks, snacks, and hot curry. At first I felt nervous..I thought I got in trouble! But actually they just gave me a card with route directions and tips about riding to Kamikochi. They even waved me off and told me to be careful!
From here, we cycled through the difficult Kama Tunnel (Length: 1,310m Maximum gradient: 10.9%)
The Kama Tunnel alone increases in elevation by around 100m! Private cars are restricted, but there are quite a few large busses, taxis, and cars, so be careful!
Once you leave Kama Tunnel, you’ll come across Kamikochi Tunnel, which is about 588m long!
Once we got out of here…
9:50 [Taisho Ike Pond]
Yake-dake and Taisho Pond appeared right in front of our eyes! We felt rewarded for our hard work so far.
The Kamikochi area is truly very beautiful. Being able to enjoy this wonderful scenery at our own pace felt particularly rewarding. After soaking up the views, there was gradual uphill slope ahead, but then…
10:15 [Arrive at Kamikochi!]
We finally arrived at Kamikochi Bus Terminal! Right next to the entrance should be some bicycle racks.
Park your bicycle at the bicycle parking lot and walk to the Kappa Bridge from here (a 6 minute walk).
I wanted to enjoy more hiking routes such as Myojin Pond, but I had other work to do, so I had to return early… Nevertheless… We enjoyed exploring Kamikochi until it was time to go.
11:10 [Returning to Hirayu]
Next we departed from Kamikochi Bus Terminal.
There is a slight descent that continues to the Kama Tunnel.
Once you’re in the tunnel however, it’s a steep descent!
We made it through, but there were a lot of cars around.
It can be dangerous, so please descend slowly and carefully.
We passed through the tunnel and returned to the Nakanoyu store.
But… the most difficult part of the route laid ahead… ^^;;
From the Nakanoyu store to Awa Pass, the elevation jumps from 1,315 meters to 1,790 meters.
It is an uphill slope.
As a 50 year old, these roads were really testing me, but alas…I had to go!
12:00 [back past Nakanoyu Hot Spring]
We returned to Nakanoyu Hot Spring. From here, it continues uphill.
Even with the electric bicycles, it was at times challenging.
12:30 [reach Awa Pass’s entrance]
But we were finally able to make it to Awa Pass! Once you reach this point, the hardest part is over.
Once you get to this point, all you have to do is go down. Descend slowly, putting your safety first.
13:00 [Return the e-bike]
We finally arrived back at Okuhida Base in Hirayu Onsen!
We returned our rental bicycles and went straight to the hot springs to relieve our aching feet ^^ Nearby are a lot of day trip hot springs and a free foot bath located the entrance of Hirayu-no-yu.
Some useful advice:
⬥Biking to Kamikochi includes many steep slopes, so a lot of battery consumption takes place. To ensure that you have enough bike power, we recommend you using ECO mode to conserve energy.
⬥If you are concerned about your stamina or batteries, we recommend renting spare batteries (1,000 yen).
Other experiences by E-bike
Okuhida Base is located a 3-minute walk from Hirayu Bus Terminal, the gateway to Okuhida.
【Business Hours｜Lending and Return Hours】 7:00-17:00
* Please make online reservation by 12:59pm on the day of usage.
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