GS Astuto / Riders House and Cafe
10
Exceptional(50 reviews)
+1
Hotel Description
GS Astuto / Riders House and Cafe is a welcoming hotel located in a scenic area of Japan, offering a comfortable stay with easy access to nearby attractions. The hotel is ideally situated just an 8-minute drive from the Usui Pass Railway Heritage Park and a 6-minute walk from the nearest train station, making it an excellent base for exploring the region. The hotel’s charming design and friendly atmosphere are enhanced by its convenient location near nature and cultural landmarks. Guests can enjoy the beauty of Mount Myōgi, a volcanic mountain famous for its hiking routes and rock formations, just 11 minutes away. Myogi Shrine, an Edo-period shrine nestled in the mountains, is also a short 9-minute drive from the hotel. For train enthusiasts, the Usui Pass Railway Heritage Park is just 8 minutes away, where guests can experience a rail museum and ride a mini steam locomotive. If you’re in the mood for winter sports, Karuizawa Prince Hotel Snow Resort is a 33-minute drive away, offering skiing and snowboarding opportunities. For a historical experience, the Tomioka Silk Mill, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is just 25 minutes from the hotel.
GS Astuto / Riders House and Cafe features spacious rooms with a relaxing atmosphere, making it ideal for both leisure and business travelers. The rooms are equipped with modern amenities and designed to provide a peaceful retreat. The hotel offers free Wi-Fi and a cafe for guests to unwind and enjoy a cup of coffee. Public transport options are convenient, with Nishi-Matsuida Station just 6 minutes away on foot, and other stations within a short drive or walk.
The hotel prioritizes guest comfort and safety, ensuring all necessary health protocols are followed.
With its prime location and friendly service, GS Astuto / Riders House and Cafe is the perfect spot for your next stay in Japan, offering easy access to top attractions and a comfortable environment to relax in after a day of exploration.
The Most Outstanding Trait
1. 8 min drive to Usui Pass Railway Heritage Park
2. 6 min walk to nearest train station
3. Guests praised the service
4. Spacious rooms with relaxing atmosphere
5. Proximity to hiking routes and cultural landmarks
7.0 Very Good
Location rating
Top sights
Mount Myōgi
11 min
Myogi Shrine9 min
Usui Pass Railway Heritage Park8 min
Karuizawa Prince Hotel Snow Resort33 min
Tomioka Silk Mill25 min
See more Interesting locations
Good to know
| Location rating | 7.0 |
| Nearest airport | Shinshu-Matsumoto Airport |
| Travel time to airport | 1 hr 57 min |
Nightly price (Only for reference price for sample day)
Check-in: Mon, Nov 18
Check-out: Tue, Nov 19
$111
$123
$123
Recommended properties nearby
Location
Airports:
Shinshu-Matsumoto Airport
Taxi: 1 hr 57 min
Transit: 3 hr 51 min
Transit:
Nishi-Matsuida Station
Walking: 6 min
Yokokawa Station
Taxi: 8 min
Walking: 1 hr 13 min
Matsuida Station
Taxi: 5 min
Walking: 25 min
Nearby locations
7.0
Very Good Location
Top Attractions
Reviews
100% reviews from partners and customers booking on Dinogo
9.8
10 reviews
Wonderful
9
Excellent
1
Good
0
Below Average
0
Not Good
0
Cecily Vix
5/5
Tim and Tsiago provided us with great gravel bikes for a four day ride on the Nakasendo . They gave us excellent instructions on riding the route and recommendations for places to stay. We couldn’t have done it without them. The equipment condition was top-notch. Thank you so much, Tim!
Ryan O'Neill
5/5
Tim (and Naoko) give you the feel of being a part of their home. After doing some gorgeous cycling (cherry blossom or fall fiery foliage times recommended) they cook up a storm. If staying in Tokyo it is really worth getting up there a few days. Tim an expert bike craftsman he has anything you need covered. Highly recommended
Room 5
Service 5
Location5
Uwe Lambrette
5/5
The cycling base of choice with Tim the wise and experienced owner, Naoko his caring wife, and Latte the dog and 2 cats. Hospitality, guest house, cycling shop and cafe blend to something unique. And yes, the bikes are great, lovingly prepared by Tim and his mechanic. Forget the facts, the place is distinguished by its spirit. Recommended if you want to flick the switch from Tokyo to rural and you like cycling.
Dean Wyatte
5/5
Amazing experience. Tim and team have put together a full suite of services including bike rentals fit for any adventure, hospitality at their Riders House, and local knowledge of routes packed with history about the area. They set us up on a tour of the Gunma hills with an overnight at a ryokan in a small hot spring town that ended up being one of the highlights of our trip. Highly recommended.
Takeshi Oshima
5/5
We were incredibly fortunate to discover GS Astuto for our trip.GS Astuto is an exceptional establishment overseen by Tim and Naoko. Naoko-san crafts delectable breakfasts sourced from local ingredients, with the standout being the flavorful miso soup that provided the perfect energy boost for our challenging journey up Usui Toge.Tim's enthusiasm for the place is palpable, matched only by his passion for bikes and his desire to showcase the best of Nakasendo while ensuring guests have a seamless experience. From the thoughtful pickup service at the Shinkansen station to the meticulous customization of each bike to fit our individual needs and preferences, including selecting the right saddle bags for each of us, Tim went above and beyond to ensure our comfort and enjoyment. A guy you can rely on. His intimate knowledge of Nakasendo allowed him to offer invaluable route advice, ensuring we made the most of our trip while avoiding any pitfalls.In conclusion, the bikes we rented was nothing short of impeccable.Many thanks to Tim and Naoko for making our Nakasendo ride truly unforgettable.
Timur Valiev
5/5
Absolutely brilliant team and bikes!They helped me to plan and organise the trip along Old Nakasendo road: route planning, bike rental, luggage forwarding, support and a guide with deep knowledge of local roads and places to eat.I can't emphasise enough how knowledgeable is GS astuto team and how good was the bike!I definitely want to be back and already recommended them to my friends!
Alexander Katsis
5/5
Awesome and unforgettable 3 days cycling organised by Tim and Naoko on the Nakasendo trail. 100% recommend for people who like a challenging cycle and who want to get off the tourist track.Leave your egos at home because this is a tough 450km (we should have aimed for 4-5 days really…), but Tim made sure we were supported the whole way in his van to get to Kyoto on schedule. The trail has it all: every kind of surface from tarmac to cobbles, every type of scenery from city to tiny post towns, mountains and lakes.GS Astuto has everything you need to get you cycling either on their own bikes or can help you get your own bikes around Japan.Thanks again from Alex and Rachel 🙏🏼🚴🏽♂️🇯🇵
Jarred D. Garcia
5/5
Stopped in for lunch and was super impressed! Absolutely fantastic pork burrito and English breakfast. Everything offered was superb and local ingredients make up the majority of ingredients. Highly recommend for a day trip! Love the mountain views!
Service 5
Location5
Andrew Eickhoff
5/5
We had a great time. Top notch service and excellent route recommendations. We rode locally on day one. The second day we ride to Kusatsu. Then took the Shinkansen up to Toyama and rode around the Noto Peninsula. It’s a great jumping off point.
Room 5
Service 5
Location5
Danie du Toit
4/5
As keen cyclists, from Cape Town South Africa, we explored options to do bikepacking in Japan in Autum 2023. We looked at various options and eventually made contact with Tim Smith owner of GS Astuto. He has been living and cycling in Japan for many years and know the available biking routes very well. He design and bulit great bike wheelsets and a fantastic Tintinium frameset the Ramax designed for bikepacking.He suggested doing the Nakasendo Kaido 500 trail. This means literally means “ Central Mountain Route “ representing the old postal route between Tokyo and Kyoto the new and old capitals of Japan. We keenly embraced this proposal and after reaching Annaka town the base of GS Astuto where we received a warm welcome from Tim and his wife Naoko, we overnight at their comfortable GS Astuto Riders house . The next morning we embarked with our well equiped Ramax rental bikes ,fitted to our comfort the day before.The next 6 days of cycling over 540km with 5600 meter ascend was one big amazing adventure that took us through rural Japan. We enjoyed fantastic scenic cycle routes passing through beautiful old postal towns and had a great experience of Japan on ground level ,staying every night in comfortable hotels. Our guides Tim, Roberto and Thiago did a fantastic job with their local knowledge , technical support and language skills. They expertly guided us to the front door of our hotel in Kyoto.We were extremely impressed with their skill, knowledge and friendliness. We can strongly, without reservation recommend this trip and GS Astuto in general for bespoke affordable cycling trips in Japan ranging from bike rental to supported rides.