Kyoto Arashiyama Walking Tour: Bamboo, Monkeys, Gardens & Secrets
Overview
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Mobile ticket
Arashiyama Walking Tour
Explore Kyoto’s Arashiyama district with a local guide. Walk through the famous Bamboo Forest, visit the beautiful Tenryuji Garden and Okochi Sanso, cross Togetsukyo Bridge, enjoy local flavors, and hike to the hilltop Monkey Park for amazing views. We also include hidden paths and quiet spots most travelers miss.
Fushimi Inari + Arashiyama Combo
We also offer a combined option that includes Fushimi Inari Taisha before exploring Arashiyama’s highlights. Perfect for travelers who want both the torii gates and the Bamboo Forest in one experience.
Additional Info
Public transportation options are available nearby
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Tours are in English only. Want a different language like German or Italian? Please ask us before booking.
There is a 20-25 minutes hike to the monkey park hilltop and the path is a bit steep.
Solo travelers can book this tour, but please note there is a “2 guests minimum” requirement for the tour to proceed. If only one guest is booked, the tour may be canceled. In such cases, you will be notified promptly, with options for rescheduling or a full refund.
For the privacy and comfort of all guests, smart glasses with recording capabilities (such as Ray-Ban Meta glasses) are not allowed during the tour.
Be able to hike up to the hilltop of the monkey park (20-25 minutes)
Recording & live streaming are NOT allowed during the whole tour!
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
What To Expect
Arashiyama
Saga-Arashiyama Station: Meet at the Saga-Arashiyama Station, where you can take a few minutes to explore the surrounding area and get acquainted with your group.
Nonomiya Shrine
Nonomiya Shrine is a small but historically significant Shinto shrine in Arashiyama, Kyoto. It was traditionally used for purification rituals by unmarried imperial princesses before they served as priestesses at Ise Shrine. Surrounded by a lush bamboo grove, the shrine is known for its connections to love, marriage, and academic success. It is also mentioned in The Tale of Genji, adding to its cultural and literary significance.
What‘s Included
Tenryuji Temple (admission paid)
Bamboo Forest
Fushimi Inari (Combo Tour only)
Monkey Park (20-25 min hike) admission paid
Knowledgeable & Bilingual Tour Guide
Okochi Sanso (Arashiyama Tour only)
Togetsukyo Bridge
Tips (accepted & welcomed)
Lunch & Dinner
Pick up not available
Options
Group Tour
Starting point:
Saga-Arashiyama Station, 11-1 Sagatenryūji Kurumamichichō, Ukyo Ward, Kyoto, 616-8373, Japan
Fushimi & Arashiyama
Okochi Sanso Garden excluded: Okochi Sanso is NOT included
Train fees NOT included: Train fees from Fushimi Inari to the bamboo forest are not included. Please make sure to purchase them before tour start.
Starting point:
Fushimi Inari Taisha, 68 Fukakusa Yabunouchichō, Fushimi Ward, Kyoto, 612-0882, Japan
Private (Prize per Group Size)
Reviews
1,404 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
10/10 Tour
Extraordinary764249,Mar 23, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Oisin is amazing! He makes history fun and is very knowledgeable! Answered all of our questions and made the whole tour very fun and interesting! He is also a great photographer! My friends and I had so much fun! The views on this tour are also stunning and monkeys are fun!
Fantastic tour
travelbug210,Mar 23, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00We were able to walk the streets of Arishiyama on our way to the bamboo forest and Japanese garden which were both beautiful. We loved all the food options that we had for lunch at the food court. We tried 3 different places and all were delicious! The monkey park was also a highlight of tour. Our guide, Oisin, was fantastic. He was informative, personable, and very knowledgeable of the area. We had a great time on this tour and would recommend it to anyone visiting the Arishiyama area.
Good day out
Murf916,Mar 23, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
4.00Pleasant day out with helpful guide, bamboo forest was extremely busy but apparently that’s normal for March
Excelente!
E9669IYjudithn,Mar 23, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Oisin gave us a really good experience in explaining everything!! He is a great tour guide person to be with!
Wonderful experience
X5254IWalexandreb,Mar 23, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Oisin was a great funny guide, the tour was fantastic and very informative.
Amazing tour
100brittneyk,Mar 23, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We had a tour with Oisin. Amazing time, would recommend!!!
Marie was the best guide ever!
Jeff K,Mar 23, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Marie was the best guide ever! She made us play with the monkeys! Fun and knowledgeable guide. Recommend her highly. A+++
Great visit to see the bamboo forest and monkeys
Louise S,Mar 23, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Very entertaining day. Our guide Marie, was knowledgeable, funny, and overall amazing. Highly recommend tour and guide.
Horrible, Worried, stressful and not worth a dime. You can do better on your own. To abandon over half your party is ev
966gregoryw,Mar 22, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
3.00We booked a family of 7, ages were 67 to 5, with two seniors 3 adults and 2 smaller children. We arrived and the gate at Kyoto was a nightmare our tour was scheduled to leave at 10 we arrived at 10:01 and advised the tour operator we were at the exit gate, she chastised us about being respectful and left, we called as soon as 1002 to ask what the next stop was to catch up, no answer not even a text back saying we are ahead of you and we will be making stops along the way so you can catch up, we leave at a hurried pace and hear NOTHING from the tour person my husband happened to see her holding a sign and we had almost passed her on our mad rush to hope to reconnect at our first stop, well she was showing the 6 other people a small shrine, I guess that was ok but not to wait 1 to 2 mins for over half of your tour was not!!! Especially with kids and seniors. She then walked at an alarming pace with no sign no flag no clothing that distinguished her from the throng of people, a black puffer jacket when your 4 and 1/2 feet tall is no help had it not been one of tour participants who kept helping us stay together, everyone would have been lost. Other tours had safety vest , red flags visible above the crowd etc. She didn't go anywhere with us just pointed to the stops and told us where to head and where to turn back. She did offer picture taking at the bamboo forest Trust me we've done walking tours in 20 countries in the past 3 years and this was by far the worst. Not worth any money and with all the signs in Kyoto you can do this on your own without the stress of chasing someone around. We actually parted from her at the last two stops and went on our own easy peasy and got back to our train without the running and having to track her like we were chasing someone. Just no never again.
Arashiyama walking tour
civxy,Mar 22, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We had a wonderful time touring the park with our guide Teri. We enjoyed her insights about the park history and we definitely got a lot more out of our visit because of her. Highly recommend this tour.
From ¥12,500
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Operated by Japanify Tours