Kyoto Arashiyama Walking Tour: Bamboo, Monkeys, Gardens & Secrets
Overview
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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
Bamboo Forest
Tenryuji Temple (admission paid)
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
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)
Fushimi not included
Arashiyama Group Tour
Starting point:
Saga-Arashiyama Station, 11-1 Sagatenryūji Kurumamichichō, Ukyo Ward, Kyoto, 616-8373, Japan
Reviews
1,456 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Arashiyama day full of activities
Stacy H,Apr 8, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00Marie was wonderful- knowledgeable and funny. It was a great itinerary and we enjoyed each part. Logistically smooth and easy!
Great tour!
378karen2014,Apr 8, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Marie was a great guide. She was fun and very knowledgeable giving us lots of information.
Bamboo Forest/Monkey Park
joshuaowen10,Apr 8, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Our Guide Oisin was excellent. He was knowledgeable and friendly. Time spent at each place was enough, we never felt rushed but moved at a good pace. The area that was recommended for lunch was great and seemed like we were supporting local businesses.
Highly recommend the private tour with Aaron or anyone else from Japanify Tours!
Nicholas M,Apr 8, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00This was the perfect tour for us. We walked the back streets to avoid the crowds, we saw all of the popular spots, and we stopped for sake tasting, chocolate pecan tasting, and for lunch. Aaron was fantastic -- he gave us the history of each location we went to, but didn't bore us at all. He's also a great photographer. The whole tour was so easy going. I would highly recommend a tour with Aaron and anyone at Japanify Tours. We opted to book a private tour so that we could go at our own pace, but we saw some of the other groups with Japanify Tours and everyone in the shared group tours was also having a good time. You can't go wrong booking with this company! (Context: we are two 30 year old friends from NYC and don't mind crowds at all, didn't want to be too exhausted, and this was one of only two tours we did in Japan over the course of nine days total. We like tours to break up some of our independent sightseeing/shopping/eating; we don't go on them to learn in-depth knowledge about where we are. We like high-level overviews and interesting stories.)
Great day!
netway5,Apr 8, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Our guide, Janeil, was very warm, friendly, energetic and knowledgeable. She took us so many showed us so much more than we could have seen on our own.
Excellent tour
Robin S,Apr 7, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00Excellent tour and they would definitely recommend it to everybody! Our guide Oisin what’s fantastic and very knowledgeable!
Teri was wonderful! Great for families!
TrailBlazer424978,Apr 7, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Teri was wonderful! She was very knowledgeable about the area and history. She made the tour extra enjoyable. She even have us many recommendations for the rest of our stay in Kyoto & Tokyo. Highly recommend!
Best tour in Japan
Kristi B,Apr 6, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00This was the best tour we had in Japan. Teri was a great guide and very knowledgeable about the history of Japan. You definitely get your money’s worth.
Bamboo forest
ellier554,Apr 6, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Our guide Yaniel was great! We enjoyed very much this experience. She made it fun.
Kyoto Arashiyama walking tour.
Tourist09192272020,Apr 6, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We enjoyed the day and experienced a mix of sights - beautiful gardens, views, the bamboo forest, kimino forest and the monkeys. Our guide Oisin was very relaxed and friendly. He shared many facts about the sights and history of Japan. We would definitely recommend doing a tour with Oisin and Japanify tours.
From ¥12,500
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