Wander among peaceful bamboo groves and elegant mountain temples of rural Japan as you explore the fascinating areas of Arashiyama and Sagano near Kyoto during this 4-hour walking tour. Meander among the bamboo groves of Sagano before checking out the ancient 14th century Tenryu-Ji Temple and the secluded Jojakko-Ji Temple, hidden among the forest. Finish with a trip across the iconic Togetsukyō Bridge. Your morning walking tour also includes pickup from select hotels in Kyoto, a guide and all entrance fees.

4-hour morning walking tour of the scenic Sagano and Arashiyama districts
Enjoy a stroll through the tranquil Sagano bamboo grove
Explore the Tenryu-ji Temple with your guide, widely considered Kyoto's best Zen temple
Discover the Jojakko-ji Temple and admire its statue and pagoda
Take a walk over the iconic Togetsukyō Bridge

What's Included

English-speaking guide

Food and Beverages
Hotel pickup and drop-off

Meeting And Pickup

Meeting point

JTB SUNRISE TOURS DESK KYOTO
Japan, 601-8003 Kyoto, Minami Ward, Higashikujō Nishisannōchō, ３１ B1F AVANTI
Meeting Time: 8:30 a.m. Sunrise Tours Desk inside Avanti (across from Kyoto Station Hachijo Exit)

Start time

08:30 am

End point

Kyoto Station
Higashishiokoji Kamadonocho, Shimogyo Ward, Kyoto, 600-8216, Japan
Kyoto Station around 13:30pm

What To Expect

Get a taste for the serene environs of rural Japan as you enjoy a laid-back morning walking tour of the temples and forests of the Arashiyama and Sagano areas on the outskirts of Kyoto. Explore beautiful bamboo forests and historic temples set among the sublime natural environment.

Start your walking tour of Arashiyama and Sagano with a morning pickup from New Miyako Hotel. Following your pickup, proceed by coach to the tour starting point in Sagano, just northwest of central Kyoto, where you’ll meet your guide and start your walk.

Begin your walking exploration with a 2-mile (3-km) stroll through the lush bamboo grove in Sagano, admiring the fantastic views of nearby mountain peaks and the striking valleys of the Arashiyama area. Proceed next to Tenryu-Ji Temple, which dates to 1339 when it was established by Takauji of the Ashikaga Shogunate as one of the principal temples of the Rinzai Zen School. Make sure to check out the temple’s beautiful landscaped garden, which survives in its original design.

Head next to the Jojakko-Ji Temple, nestled in the wooded hills on a nearby mountainside. The temple is famous for its role in the Tale of the Heike, a work of Japanese literature that tells the story of Empress Dowager Kenrei-mon-in, who supposedly lived at the site. Originally constructed as a nunnery, this picturesque religious structure has a fascinating history dating to the 6th century. Keep your eyes peeled for the temple’s Jizo statue and hidden pagoda secluded among the area maple trees.

Finish your walking excursion by crossing the famous Togetsukyo Bridge (Crossing Moon Bridge), admiring the incredible views of the Hozu River below and forest-covered hills beyond. The current bridge is a reproduction of the original, reconstructed in 1934. Your walking trip ends with a return to Kyoto station.

Arashiyama (Pass By)

Jojakkoji Temple

30 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

Tenryuji Temple

30 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

Togetsukyo Bridge

30 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received within 48 hours of booking, subject to availability
Not wheelchair accessible
If the minimum number of participants (2) is not met by 4 days before the scheduled date, the tour on that date may be canceled.
Stroller accessible
The minimum no. of participants is 10 only for the following tour dates in 2023: All tour dates from Mar. 25 to Apr. 8; Saturdays from Apr. 15 to 22; Saturdays from May 13 to 27; All tour dates from Nov. 1 to Dec. 11
Near public transportation
Infants must sit on laps
Not recommended for pregnant travellers

No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
Travellers should have a moderate physical fitness level
This tour uses public transportation with non-reserved seats. Please note that seating is not guaranteed.
The order of activities and arrival times may differ depending on road conditions and congestion at destinations.
If the yakatabune cannot be boarded due to effects of high water level, etc., the tour will visit Saga Arashiyama Museum of Arts and Culture (partial refunds will not be issued).
In case the Saga Arashiyama Museum of Arts and Culture is closed (on Tuesdays, or the following day if Tuesday is a holiday; during exhibition change periods),the National Government Licensed English Guide Interpreter will issue a refund for the yakatabune fare (JPY 1,200/adult, JPY 600/child) on the day.
As this is a walking tour, please wear shoes and clothing that are suitable for walking. 　The total walking distance for this tour is approximately 3 km.　
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 25 travellers

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.

Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.
This experience requires a minimum number of travellers. If it’s cancelled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund.

Traveller Photos

Reviews

4.0

65 reviews

Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews

Reviews by Viator travellers.

Showing 1-10 of 65 reviews

Great tour and great guide

Son_B, July 2023

Donna was a delightful tour guide. Gave enough information and guidance but also encouraged you to explore areas on your own. Great guide and lovely places to see. All places we would not have experienced had we not booked this tour. Thank you again

Very pretty and scenic tour. Our...

Neal P, Jan 2018

Very pretty and scenic tour. Our guide was great and we got to see a variety of places during the tour.

Loved every bit of the tour- the...

Mahen M, Dec 2017

Loved every bit of the tour- the guide leaves us at the end in the afternoon which gave us time to go and see the monkey park at the top of the mountain- a must see.

Our guide was wonderful and this was...

Simon_M, Sept 2017

Our guide was wonderful and this was a very enjoyable tour. The boat ride was a nice opportunity to rest and take in some of the river views of Sagano.

Dear All, this tour is a fake. It's...

Dmitry M, July 2017

Dear All, this tour is a fake. It's a waste of your money, and what is more important, your time. There was 20 people on the tour, so you will be always in a crowd, which is against the whole idea of the tranquil surroundings. The walk you will do you will be a tourist highway, it is described in every guidebook. You can easily do it yourself, save the money if you got the JR rail pass you do not even need to pay for the rail tickets and enjoy relative quietness, not standing in the middle of the crowd in the bamboo forest. The guide was paying little interest in the subject, talking more about location of toilets and fresh water rather than about history and culture, and even when focused on the main topic it was primitive to the level that we had zero additional knowledge, despite it was our 4th day in Japan. When asked about places not included into the tour for example, we have skipped the beautiful Okochi Sanso garden we got the answer: I haven't been there, but other people said it's breathtaking. Needless to say, we suffered for 2 hours, then made a wise decision to say goodbye to the tour and do the rest of walking ourselves, sneaking into places that the tour effectively skipped. It was only then that we have discovered beautiful Arashiyama.

Really pretty area. I would like to go...

Rosemary V, June 2017

Really pretty area. I would like to go back without actour group.

This was really Awesome to See! My...

Grace S, May 2017

This was really Awesome to See! My mom specially enjoyed this tour!! The bamboo's amazing, so refreshing and peaceful. The Temple visit was a nice surprise as well.

Arashiyama is a western suburb of...

Vega R, Nov 2016

Arashiyama is a western suburb of Kyoto, so we took the train to get there. Once there, we walked through the streets of the town, admiring personal shrines put up by people living there, to Tenryoji Temple. We walked through the botanic garden, which has signs identifying the various plants. Next we walked to the bamboo grove and on a path through the forest of bamboo on our way to the Jojakkoji Temple. We walked past a lake and then up many sets of steps getting to the temple, then up more steps to get to the pagoda, then up more steps to get to a vista point overlooking Kyoto. Heading back, we walked past the Suminokura Ryoi statue on our way to the river. At the river, those people on the tour who had purchased the package including lunch on a boat waited for a boat, while the rest walked along the river to the Togetsukyo Bridge. The tour guide gave us our return train tickets and stayed with the group having lunch on a boat. We then walked along the street in this touristy area and found a place with pizza for lunch, next to a souvenir ship. After lunch we walked across the Togetsukyo Bridge to the Iwatayama Monkey Park. After leaving the park, we walked back to the train station. It was a very pleasant day, and we enjoyed the pace of the tour.

The tour was great! June was...

Kellie F, July 2016

The tour was great! June was friendly and informative and the views and scenery were fabulous. A big highlight of our trip!

The tour was excellent. Tour guide...

Theresa O, June 2016

The tour was excellent. Tour guide was knowledgeable and friendly. Lots of walking and lots of stairs to walk up and down. My only negative comment is that we were asked to use our JR pass from Kyoto to Arashiyama and did not get a rebate on the price we paid. I had asked before I left Canada and was told there is no rebate.

Brilliant tour. Gorgeous scenery...

Marc E, Apr 2016

Brilliant tour. Gorgeous scenery, wonderful temples and the Bamboo grove and preceding area are out of this world. A must do and see.

The guide made the tour easy for us...

Diane B, Apr 2016

The guide made the tour easy for us a far as transport and navigation to an from but I would have appreciated more information and less free time.

I signed up for this tour as part of...

Quang P, Apr 2016

I signed up for this tour as part of my free third day activities on the 3-day Mt. Fuji, Kyoto and Nara tour. The tour was started at New Miyako at 8:45 and I was led to the Kyoto station across the street to board a local train to Arashiyama. It was cherry blossom week and it was very crowded. You would be amazed by some of the sceneries and temples in this region. The tour concluded at 1PM and you would have option to return to Kyoto with tour guide or to explore the city on your own thereafter. This tour is very efficient but you will have to walk through out. I highly recommend this tour especially during the cherry blossom season.

It was raining and crowded, some...

Yi Jing T, Dec 2015

It was raining and crowded, some people got lost on the tour and it became a waiting tour. My husband and I decided to leave early.

We greatly enjoyed this tour- it was...

Cathy M, Oct 2015

We greatly enjoyed this tour- it was much better than we envisioned. Our tour guide was excellent in every way.

First class. Great Trip. Arashiyama was...

Linda F, June 2015

First class. Great Trip. Arashiyama was lovely and our guide was excellent.

A large tour and a little unwieldy...

worrybeads, May 2015

A large tour and a little unwieldy, relying on public transit with very little commentary over the headsets given to our group. In retrospect, I could have easily gotten to the area and then would have had the time to wander at my leisure. It was disappointing that the temple tour was limited to the gardens and not the temple and with wayward group members disappearing, much time was wasted rounding up our too-large group. At least we had the option of returning the headsets and wandering on our own at our own pace.

Very quiet place, nice tour...

Claire B, Nov 2014

Very quiet place, nice tour; interesting and kind guide

you could probably do this tour by...

Candice A, Oct 2014

you could probably do this tour by yourself, our guide was great and very nice and talkative, but honestly, its easy enough to get to from kyoto station on your own. the scenery in and around the bamboo forest is really worth taking in. and whilst you can do the forest itself in 15mins or so with the tour, it might be something you want to spend a little more time surrounded by. The town has great food and souvenir stops which i recommend. The tour guide gives you the option of staying behind or heading back to kyoto together - so if you can, i think staying back to experience the sights and treats is worth it. Would love to see the forest at night. The 200 yen soft-serve icecream is a must as well! :)

I was initially skeptical of the...

Anny Wang, Aug 2014

I was initially skeptical of the tour as we began. It involved taking the local train and a lot of walking. I have no problem doing either, but coulldn't see the value of the tour. However, as the tour went on, it became clear that the value lay in the amazing tour guide and the intimacy of the small group. Our guide, Michiharu, was very knowledgeable about Kyoto and Osaka, but particularly about Arashiyama. He was able to give us full histories on all the sights we saw and answered any questions we posed to him. During the slower parts of the tour, such as on the train or walking from one sight to another, he was able to recommend us to various sights tailored to our interests. He pointed my boyfriend, an avid martial artist, to the Budo Centre, where we spent the rest of the day. However, Arashiyama is amazing, and we went back the next morning. If you are able, stay the whole day!