Lan is the calm one when a plan wobbles: a missed connection, a closed road, a booking that has to move. He leads our cycling agents and tends to see a problem coming two steps early. Fatherhood is his newest project, which explains the extra coffee on his desk.
About Us
Self-guided Japan bike tours, planned by cyclists who have mapped routes across over 20 countries and know what makes a good riding day.

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We've planned 800+ cycling trips. Send your dates, fitness and group size — we'll map the route and book every night.

Lan here! I lead the cycling agents who put your Japan trip together.
Write to us and I'm usually the first to answer. I'll ask how many kilometres feel right for one day and how you feel about hills, then an agent finds the route that fits and books it around your dates. If a conversation suits you better, set up a free video call.
Everyone on our team rides. Some prefer a road bike, some a mountain bike, and one of us will make the case for e-bikes to anyone who listens. That mix helps when we match a tour to you.

A Site Only for Japan
On Cycling Holidays, the site that gathers all our rides, Japan would share a menu with Belgium and Portugal. Riding in Japan has its own rules and habits, from bagging a bike for the train to the etiquette of an onsen.
That is why Japan has a site to itself, and every page here is written for Japan alone.
Why the Shimanami Kaido Came First
Our first route crosses the Seto Inland Sea from Onomichi to Imabari, island by island. The route's own visitor site, Shimanami Japan, calls it the first bicycle road in Japan to cross a sea strait.
Riders are made welcome along the way, too. Over 150 shops and guesthouses on the route serve as cycle oases, with a pump, a bike stand, drinking water and a toilet for any rider who stops.
Three Things We Check on Every Tour
Bathrooms, night by night. Any shared bathroom is flagged on the tour page, so you know before you book.
Breakfast comes as standard. If a hotel only sells the room, we add breakfast ourselves and include it in the price.
Age. Children can join the easier tours if they can manage each day's distance, and riders on demanding tours must be 14 or older. Tell us how old they are when you write to us.
Our Ride So Far
Before the multi-day rides there were day trips, when our team showed visitors around Slovenia, cycling and walking. Those guests wanted longer rides, so our first multi-day tours were built on home roads, and we rode the early ones alongside them.
2011: World Discovery, our parent company, starts organising holidays
Around 2020: the first multi-day bike tours, all in Slovenia
The years after: Croatia, Austria and Italy, then one country at a time, to more than 20 in Europe
2026: Japan Cycling Holidays opens, starting with the Shimanami Kaido
The Agents Who Build Your Ride
The agents below answer your messages, book the stays and bikes, and send you the guidebook before you go. All of them ride, each in their own way.

Anže
Travel Agent
Ask Anže about e-bikes and you'll hear his favourite argument: a motor doesn't spoil the ride, it gets more people onto one. Hilly Japan suits that view. Off duty he plays streetball, and friends hand him their stag parties to organise, which takes planning of its own. The ride he still wants to do starts in San Diego and follows the coast up to San Francisco. What he likes most about the job comes later: the story a rider tells at home, the one that begins “So, when we were cycling…”

Kristjan
Travel Agent
Kristjan has driven a rally car to Sierra Leone and once kept his ski boots on for 36 hours straight. Mornings are his: he's in early, hunting for roads with a bit of fun in them and beds worth the climb. Next on his list are the Himalayas.
Viktorija
Travel Agent
The part of a trip most people dread, Viktorija enjoys: a long itinerary, a dozen pieces that must fit and a date it's due. She sorts it by colour and checks each line against the others until it all holds together. Away from work there's a dog to walk, a sketchbook and a pile of books. Two foods she won't give up: pasta and sushi.

Rebeka
Travel Agent
Rebeka is Primož Roglič's loudest fan and will replay his attacks for anyone nearby. She plans routes the same way: find the stretch worth filming, then build the day around it.
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Domen
Travel Agent
Domen rides road and mountain bikes, hikes and surfs, and spends spare evenings on Strava drawing routes nobody has tried. When a day goes off script, he's the one who turns it into a good story. His dream weekend is Squamish with a detour to Whistler. Trail snack: pork cracklings, defended with conviction.
Who Owns Japan Cycling Holidays

World Discovery, a Ljubljana travel company organising holidays since 2011, owns Japan Cycling Holidays. Its dozens of brands each cover one place or one kind of trip, so a bike tour in Norway, a Dolomites hut trek and a sailing week sit side by side. The brands share one booking system and one way of treating travellers: adapt when your plans move, and deliver the quality we described.
What that means when you book:
Travellers' Verdict
More than 10,000 travellers a year book with our brands, and their reviews average 4.7/5.
Faster Answers
Every brand books through the same system, so your agent sees your whole trip and can reply quickly.
Protected Payments
EU package travel rules cover your trip, and the company carries financial protection for what you pay.
World Discovery's Leadership
These six decide where World Discovery goes next, and what each of its brands, this one included, needs to get there.


Chief Operating Officer
Tina keeps the group running from one day to the next. The travel advisors report to her, the brand teams coordinate through her, and she checks that the trip you booked is the trip you get. She also owns the processes behind every booking, so nothing gets lost between two desks.




Ivana
Travel Operations Manager
Once a trip is booked, Ivana makes sure it happens. She works with the hotels, bike shops and transport firms that deliver it, in every country on our list.



Plan with a travel expert
Free advice from a team that knows these routes inside out - real people, not a bot
Hassle-Free
We handle itineraries, accommodations, and anything else you prefer not to deal with, so you can enjoy a carefree holiday.
Tried & Tested Adventures
Our cycling routes are hand-picked & tested, to ensure breathtaking landscapes, smooth roads, and maximum safety - giving you the perfect ride every day.
Unbeatable Support
Our customer support is where we show our passion, ensuring your cycling holiday runs smoothly and your well-being is always our top priority.
Book with Confidence
We are a financially protected company, fully bonded and insured, keeping your money safe and allowing you to travel with confidence.
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