Meet your guide at Minoh Cycles, in Sakurai, 30 minutes from Osaka-Umeda by train. There you'll get fitted for your e-bike and have a brief orientation. Next, begin your ride through Minoh alongside the beloved Hankyu railway, then head up the mountain to Katsuoji Temple.
Along the way take in stunning mountain views, and if you're lucky, meet a few monkeys.
Explore Katusoji temple, famous for its thousands of colorful daruma dolls, peaceful mountain setting, and winning luck. Spend about 45 minutes here, soaking in the serene atmosphere and learning about the individual shrines within.
Next, ride to the top of Minoh Falls, one of Japan's most beautiful waterfalls. Park your bike and walk down to the falls, feeling the mist from the stunning 33-meter cascade.
After enjoying the waterfall area, ride back down to the city, taking in views over Osaka. Finish back at Minoh Cycles, conveniently close to Sakurai Station and local restaurants. From here you can head to Osaka city, or explore other nearby highlights, such the 1970 Expo park (home to one of Osaka's most beloved icons, the Tower of the Sun)
Your guide brings years of experience cycling Japanese roads, as well as insider local knowledge.
This tour is by far the most time-efficient, but more importantly fun way to see both Minoh Falls & Katsuoji. In addition, in contrast to the budget e-bikes typically used in city tours, the e-bikes provided (Panasonic Xealt L3, Trek FX Plus gen2)are high-quality and have enough power to easily take you up to the mountain.