Spend some time getting acquainted with the food and culture of two historically important and beautiful districts of Kyoto on this guided walking tour. Stroll over the ninth-century Togetsukyo bridge and make stops to sample local snacks. After a visit to the 14th-century Tenryu-ji temple, head to a beautiful bamboo garden and indulge in some traditional Japanese sweets. This tour of Arashiyama and Sagano is a great way to get to know Kyoto.

Small-group food-themed walking tour of Arashiyama and Sagano in Kyoto
See ancient bridges and temples and learn about the history of each spot
Stop for some traditional snacks, like fish cakes and sweets
Small-group tour ensures plenty of personalized attention from the guide

What's Included

Professional and friendly local guide
(Lunch) Negiyaki sabory pancake, Fried fish cake,Japanese Sweets
Entrance fee for Tenryu-ji Temple & Okochi-Sanso Garden

Hotel pick-up and drop-off
Extra food and drink
Other personal expenses
Transportation fee to meeting point

Meeting And Pickup

Meeting point

Saga-Arashiyama Station
11-1 Sagatenryūji Kurumamichichō, Ukyo Ward, Kyoto, 616-8373, Japan
Saga-Arashiyama Station

Start time

09:30 am

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

What To Expect

Okochi Sanso Garden

30 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

The Bamboo Forest Trail

15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Tenryuji Temple

30 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

Arashiyama Kimono Forest

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Togetsukyo Bridge

40 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
A moderate amount of walking (App. 3.5 km) and stairs are included
Not wheelchair accessible
A maximum of 8 people per booking
Near public transportation

Not recommended for travellers with back problems
No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
Travellers should have a moderate physical fitness level
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 8 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

Traveller Tips

This tour is highly recommended and I hope you'll have Sirako san as your guide.

Although I see from other reviewers that many of the guides are great, ask for Akiko.

Reviews

5.0

101 reviews

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

Reviews by Viator travellers.

Showing 1-10 of 101 reviews

Fantastic tour with a great guide!

Will_W, Apr 2023

Our tour guide, Fuji, was amazing! Our group had lots of questions and ended up extending the tour well beyond the normal amount of time, but she was very patient and made sure we got the full experience.

Opportunity for great insights

Jane_P, Apr 2023

Fuji was a wonderful guide, interesting information and very relaxed pace. There was only 4 of us on the tour and we all enjoyed each other’s company.

Wonderful tour and tour guide

Stephen_L, Apr 2023

This tour was great. There were only 4 of us. Our tour guide, Fuji San, is the best. She is very patient, very knowledgeable and kind. She went out of her way to make sure we enjoyed ourselves. We had so much fun with our 2 other fellow tour mates. We would definitely recommend this tour

Book this tour!

Thomas_B, Jan 2023

Yasuna was a fantastic tour guide. We took multiple tours in Japan and she was the best! She was extremely knowledgeable and accommodating. We were lucky enough to be the only people on the tour so we got to know her very well by the end. She explained everywhere we went in detail which made it a fun memorable experience. We didn’t feel rushed and had plenty of time to take photos and purchase items along the way. Yasuna also went above and beyond helping us plan what to do after the tour.

Really fun!

Stephanie_M, Nov 2022

Yasuna was an excellent guide! Amazing tour of beautiful areas in Arashiyama with fun and interesting food to try!

Great walking food tour in Saga-Arashiyama area

Jose, June 2021

Excellent walking tour around the Saga-Arashiyama area. Lots of nature and great food. Guide was very kind and knowledgeable, he even gave us tips on what to do in Kyoto after the tour. Definitely recommend!

Fantastic experience

Pioneer30748685999, June 2019

Our guide (Mika) was fantastic. We got to eat food we wouldn't have otherwise ordered. She brought us to some less busy areas and gave us plenty of time for pictures. We learned so much more about the area and Japanese culture in general than we would have just going ourselves. 10/10 would walk again!

The Most wonderful Tour Guide Ever

Behzad_M, June 2019

This tour was extremely well design. The designer made sure the walking and food were well balanced. We walked 6 miles in 5 hours and by the end non of us (4) was tired. Of course our tour guide Mr. Kantani Koji was wonderful. He was well informed and knowledgeable about the site who spoke perfect English. He was more than a tour guide, it felt like we were visiting a friend in Japan. It was indeed a pleasure to be in his company. Thank you

Memorable Experience of Japan Off the Beaten Path

Jacky_L, June 2019

This small group tour of Kyoto's Arashiyama and Sagano districts was one of the highlights of our or multi-day stay in Kyoto. Arashiyama and Sagano, in the past were lesser known to many who visit Kyoto, but for those willing to experience more of Japan, I highly recommend these lesser known districts for its beauty, food and culture. That aside, let's dive into tour a bit more. It is important to mention that this tour unlike others, does not provide transportation and is predominantly a walking tour, therefore some level of fitness is required. However, do not let that intimidate you as guide can be very accommodating to guest's preference. Another important detail to point out is that meetup with guide in Arashiyama requires a bit of travel on your own as there will be no pickup or drop-off service from your hotel. Personal Travel to meetup location is relatively straight forward from Kyoto Station to Saga Arashiyama station, covered by JR Pass and takes abut 30 mins. Guide will also provide details of meetup at Saga Arashiyama Station with pictures a few days prior to your tour. For our tour we we were fortunate to have Kazu as our guide who spoke excellent English and was able to make our visit to Arashiyama and Sagano fun for adults and children within our group. Understanding that guides usually make or break a tour experience, Kazu provided our group a memorable Kyoto experience for years to come. Main highlights of our tour were the many local foods to sample, Bamboo Forest, and Tenryuji Temple with its zen garden that has the picturesque mountain landscape in the backdrop. Highly recommend this tour for those who are willing to go off the beaten path to experience more of Japan's beauty.

Exclusive & Most Enjoyable Tour

GENIDA_T, May 2019

The Arashiyama Bamboo Forest was worth the visit and Sirako San was the best guide I had on this first trip to Kyoto. Since I was the only one on this Food Tour, Sirako was like a friend showing me around Kyoto and helping me taste the best street foods Kyoto can offer. This tour is highly recommended and I hope you'll have Sirako san as your guide.

Response from Host, June 2019

Thank you for your review!! We are really glad to hear that our guide did wonderful job!! We think the guide may be Risako?? It is our pleasure to make your trip fun. Please come back to Kyoto some day!! Warm Regard, Kazuyuki

Aussie friends

June_S, May 2019

Wonderful tour guide - remembered everyone's name very quickly - food tasting was great. Well looked after with interesting commentary as we walked around

Response from Host, May 2019

Thank you for your lovely review!! We are very glad to hear that you could enjoy the day in Kyoto, Arashiyama. Believe you enjoyed the fantastic landscape with fresh green maple leaves & mos in May!! Thank you very very very much!! Kazuyuki

A paired delight

Carlos P, Jan 2019

We had two guides to take care of us - (Risako and Kazuyashi) one of whom was supervising the other as a learning experience, yet both were so knowledgeable it was impossible to tell the difference! They were both so friendly and helpful and answered all of our questions happily! They explained all of the food we ate and the places we visited so we got a cultural lesson as well as the food tour!

My wife and I were very lucky to get...

Thomas P, Oct 2018

My wife and I were very lucky to get Akiko as our guide for a 4 hour walk around the area surrounding the Sagano/Arashiyama Train Station. I guess there is a similar street food walking tour near the Kyoto station but this tour is excellent as it is on the other side of the city, in its own neighborhood and has great street food. The tour also involves visiting several shrines and experiencing the neighborhood both at the street level and through the eyes of a local guide. My wife and I were lucky that we were the only ones on tour with Akiko. She is absolutely fantastic in explaining everything but also helping you experience everything. We also appreciated that the tour company really thought about the entire experience from the paths you walk and the places you visit and where and when you stop to eat a specific type of food. Each item of food we ate was really delicious although I think our favorite was the pancake. Also, each place we stopped at was not something you would easily know was the best or a local experience without being on the tour. My wife and I are big foodies and during our week in Japan we felt this was one of the best foodie experiences we had during our visit to Japan including when compared to all the Michelin starred restaurants we ate at. Wa Yamamura in Nara was the highlight of our trip and there was a great neighborhood sushi restaurant in Tokyo called Sushiya no Matsukan Azabu Honten no English so have the hotel call, only a few seats, Omakase so just enjoy what the chef offers but this experience ranked third ahead of other high end restaurants and therefore is a must do while in Kyoto. In addition to the food and just walking the neighborhoods with an experienced guide we also enjoyed the shrines we visited in this area. We did two other bus tours and walking around and eating local food at the same time is a great way to experience the culture of the area. Although I see from other reviewers that many of the guides are great, ask for Akiko.

Kazu and Woody were excellent guides...

Hannah R, Sept 2018

Kazu and Woody were excellent guides. They made sure that we were comfortable with everything on the tour and even catered to our personal interest. I would highly recommend this tour to anyone who likes food and experiencing nature and Japanese culture. Our guides were very informative and super nice.

Simply amazing. If you are going to be...

Steve R, Sept 2018

Simply amazing. If you are going to be in Kyoto for more than a day I would put this a must do! Akito was a wonderful and engaging guide and the neighborhood of Arishiyama is simply gorgeous. You will get to see some wonderful views of the city from mountain side temples as well as have an amazing selection of food personal favorite the beef croquette but everything was good. Probably one of the best tours I have done in Japan.

Kazu is the best! Great food and we...

PatsyY_S, May 2018

Kazu is the best! Great food and we got some great pictures. A must do

The tour was well organised and very...

Sina_W, May 2018

The tour was well organised and very delicious! Our guide's English was great and we were able to enjoy the tour very much. There was no rush and we got Information we would never have gotten if we visited the places on our own. Highly recommended!

Kazu was an excellent tour guide...

Robert W, Apr 2018

Kazu was an excellent tour guide. Enjoyed the small group of people and the genuine interest in his country and the food and sights that they provide. This suburb of Kyoto is so peaceful compared to the city. The bamboo forest was super refreshing and relaxing as well. Enjoyed all of the stops and meeting new people. All in all, highly recommend and would take this again!

This tour was fantastic! Our tour...

Kevin S, Apr 2018

This tour was fantastic! Our tour guide, Kazu, was very personable and knowledgeable. Since we were fortunate enough to be in Arashiyama during Sakura I wanted to stop and take pictures of everything and the pace of the tour was such that I could. The foods we sampled were yummy. If Arashiyama and Sagano are not on your list of places to see while in the Kyoto area, you need to add them. I would highly recommend this tour. Kevin

Kazu was wonderful. He was very...

Sumudu A, Apr 2018

Kazu was wonderful. He was very hospitable and took great care to ensure that our dietary requirements were met. We thoroughly enjoyed this tour.