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Afternoon Bamboo Forest and Monkey Park Bike Tour in Kyoto

Top rated
4.9
Activity provider: Kyoto Bike Tours
Afternoon Bamboo Forest and Monkey Park Bike Tour in Kyoto
Afternoon Bamboo Forest and Monkey Park Bike Tour in Kyoto 2
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Half-day tour in Kyoto, taking in Arashiyama Bamboo Forest, Tenryuji Temple and Iwatayama Monkey Park. Run by Kyoto Bike Tours, booked direct rather than through a reseller.

Highlights

  • Arashiyama Bamboo Forest
  • Tenryuji Temple
  • Iwatayama Monkey Park
  • Togetsukyo Bridge
  • Runs 4 hours
  • Tour guide

Afternoon Bamboo Forest and Monkey Park Bike Tour in Kyoto: Key Facts

PriceFrom $142 per person
Duration4 hours
LanguagesEnglish
Tour typeGuided Tour
BookingDirect with the local operator — no OTA markup

Full description

This is a 4-hour experience from Kyoto, built around Arashiyama Bamboo Forest, Tenryuji Temple and Iwatayama Monkey Park. It is run by Kyoto Bike Tours, an operator we book with directly rather than through a reseller, which is why we can hold your place with them before we treat your booking as final.

Arashiyama, on Kyoto's western edge, is the bamboo grove, the Togetsukyo bridge over the Katsura river, the gardens of Tenryu-ji and the monkey park on the hill above. The bamboo path is about 500 metres and is photographed empty in every guidebook because those photographs are taken before 7:30; by mid-morning it is a procession. Rickshaw runs, the Sagano scenic railway along the gorge, and boat rides down the Hozu rapids all start here. Autumn colour peaks in the second half of November and cherry blossom around the first week of April.

The price covers Tour guide, Bicycle, Helmet, Bottled water and Entry fees. It does not cover Hotel pickup and drop-off, Food and drinks and Tips, so budget for those separately. Everything included is listed in full on this page; if something is not on that list, assume it is not in the price.

Saga-Arashiyama Station. We need at least one day's notice, and we confirm the date with Kyoto Bike Tours before treating your booking as final. If they cannot take your date we tell you and refund you rather than leave you waiting.

Tour Itinerary

Itineraries are customisable as per your request

The schedule below is a suggested plan and can be adjusted to suit your preferences.

Starting location

Saga-Arashiyama Station

Arashiyama Bamboo Forest

Guided tour, Sightseeing, Bike tour (30 minutes)

Tenryuji Temple

Guided tour, Sightseeing, Bike tour (30 minutes)

Iwatayama Monkey Park

Guided tour, Sightseeing, Bike tour (1 hour)

Togetsukyo Bridge

Guided tour, Sightseeing, Bike tour (15 minutes)

Arrive back at

Saga-Arashiyama Station

Detailed Itinerary

Starting location: Saga-Arashiyama Station

Arashiyama Bamboo Forest: Guided tour, Sightseeing, Bike tour (30 minutes)

Tenryuji Temple: Guided tour, Sightseeing, Bike tour (30 minutes)

Iwatayama Monkey Park: Guided tour, Sightseeing, Bike tour (1 hour)

Togetsukyo Bridge: Guided tour, Sightseeing, Bike tour (15 minutes)

Arrive back at: Saga-Arashiyama Station

Includes

  • Tour guide
  • Bicycle
  • Helmet
  • Bottled water
  • Entry fees

Excludes

  • Hotel pickup and drop-off
  • Food and drinks
  • Tips

Important information

Meeting point

Saga-Arashiyama Station

Weather

This runs outdoors, so the operator can call it off for rain, wind or sea conditions, and that decision is usually made on the day. If they cancel, you choose: another date, or your money back in full. We do not keep a booking fee on a tour that did not run.

Know before you go

  • Free cancellation available up to 24 hours before the activity starts

About this activity

Free cancellation
Cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund
Secure payment
Complete your booking safely with Razorpay. Full refund if you cancel 24h prior. Read more
Duration 4 hours
Check availability to see starting times
Live tour guide
English
Wheelchair accessible

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Main Tour Price
Starting from $142
$142
Need a custom booking or have a larger group?Contact Support via WhatsApp
Free cancellation
Cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund
Secure payment
Complete your booking safely with Razorpay. Full refund if you cancel 24h prior. Read more

Traveler Reviews

4.9/5
based on 94 reviews
Guide
5/5
Value for money
4.9/5
Verified reviews from travelers on this operator’s experience
5
G
Georgina
May 26, 2026

Great tour Cas was a brilliant guide full of local knowledge and Japanese Tales would fully recommend this tour we had a great time Thanks Kyoto bike tours and thank you Cas Okini

Review photo 1
5
S
Samantha
April 7, 2026

The best tour of our holiday! Bikes were comfortable, the pace was easy (I’m 50) and we had such a great guide in Don. Super knowledgeable and great to chat with. We got to see the tourist sites and some lovely quiet spots. A lovely group to spend the afternoon with. Ended with a crème brûlée donut. Oishi! Arigato gosaimasu to Kyoto Bikes.

Review photo 1Review photo 2Review photo 3
5
R
Reina
May 9, 2025

Rob was a fantastic tour guide—well-informed, personable, and helpful. He shared some cool insights about each of the places he took us too. The pace of our bike ride was perfect! My daughter and I loved our day seeing the monkey park and the bamboo forest on bike with Rob as our tour guide!

Review photo 1Review photo 2Review photo 3
5
A
Andrea
July 2, 2026

This tour was absolutely amazing! We loved every stop along the way, and feeding the monkeys is a memory we’ll never forget. Be prepared for a good amount of walking and climbing—it’s definitely a workout—so wear comfortable shoes and bring plenty of water to stay hydrated. Our guide was fantastic, making sure everyone felt comfortable and allowing us to take breaks whenever we needed them. The entire experience was well organized, fun, and memorable from start to finish. If you’re visiting Kyoto, I highly recommend this tour. It’s truly a must-do experience!

5
C
Carrie
June 9, 2026

Tour was so fun and our guide, Cass, made it even better. Highly recommend if you’re looking to do the monkey mountain and bamboo forest.

5
H
Harrison
June 8, 2026

This was by far the best activity we did in Kyoto. Don was a fantastic guide and was extremely knowledgeable. Highly recommend for a unique way to see Kyoto.

5
L
Luisa
April 13, 2026

We loved the tour. Our guide Yuki was brilliant and our 9 and 12 year old boys loved him. He taught us a lot about the culture, the cycling was fun and we learnt way more than if we tried to do it ourselves. Thanks Yuki, it was one of our most fun days 🙃

5
D
DAVID
January 3, 2026

An amazing informative tour with a fantastic guide, bikes helmets and even gloves as it was a bit cold. A not miss tour.

5
L
Lisa
September 22, 2025

Very detailed, nice pace, even though we Gen X and Boomer slowed people down, was only group of 4. Ty for all the safety explanations, as one is out of there element being in a foreign country.

5
C
Carol
July 1, 2025

Peter was a great guide - fun family bike tour around the bamboo forest and rice patties despite the HOT & HUMID day. Bike tour ended with yummy matcha ice cream cones to cool off after the short hike to the monkey park - Highly recommend!

5
A
Amna
May 20, 2025

Yuki was an incredible tour guide and this was the best tour I’ve done in Japan! He was very kind, helpful and informative, going above and beyond to make my experience enjoyable! The bike was really comfortable and a great way to cover more of the area.

5
H
Harvey
May 5, 2025

Rob was an amazing tour guide, so knowledgeable and patient with the group. Highly recommend him to be your guide. So much to see and enjoy on this tour.

Frequently Asked Questions

Saga-Arashiyama Station
The price does not cover hotel pickup and drop-off, food and drinks and tips. Everything it does cover is listed in full on this page, so if something is not on that list, budget for it separately.
The listing gives the distance and the terrain; most walking tours are flat and paced for average fitness, and cycling tours use river paths and back streets with e-bikes available on request. Summer in the cities is hot and humid from July to September, so early starts and water matter more than fitness.
We confirm your booking with the operator before we treat it as final, and we need at least one day's notice. Once it is confirmed you get the meeting point, the time and a contact number for the day. If the operator cannot take your date we tell you and refund you rather than leave you waiting.
Tour guide, Bicycle, Helmet, Bottled water, Entry fees
The duration of the Afternoon Bamboo Forest and Monkey Park Bike Tour in Kyoto is typically 4 hours. We recommend arriving 15 minutes before the scheduled start time for a smooth check-in. Your guide will meet you at the designated meeting point and ensure the experience runs on schedule while remaining flexible to your pace.
For most experiences, we highly recommend an early morning start. This allows you to avoid the midday heat, bypass the largest crowds, and capture the best lighting for photography. Your guide can advise on the optimal timing based on the season and specific attractions included.
Yes, once your booking is completed via our secure payment gateway, you will receive an instant confirmation email with your tour details, meeting point address, guide's name, and direct contact information. You can also view and manage your booking through your AsiaByLocals account dashboard.
Yes! All our private tours are fully customizable. Whether you want to add extra stops, skip certain locations, change the pace, or adjust the start time — simply let your guide know in advance or on the day. We aim to create a personalized experience tailored to your interests and energy level.
We offer free cancellation up to 24 hours before the scheduled start time for a full refund. Cancellations within 24 hours may be subject to a partial charge depending on the tour type. Weather-related cancellations for outdoor and boat tours are handled on a case-by-case basis, with full refunds or free rebooking offered when safety is a concern.
Most of our experiences are family-friendly and suitable for children of all ages. However, some tours involving extensive walking, water activities, or early morning starts may be better suited for children aged 5 and above. Please check the specific tour description for age recommendations, or contact us for personalized family itinerary advice.
After booking, you will receive detailed meeting point instructions via email. Most tours include complimentary hotel pickup within the central area. For tours without pickup, your confirmation email will include the exact address, Google Maps pin, and your guide's phone number for easy coordination. Guides typically arrive 10 minutes early and will message you on WhatsApp.
We accept all major credit and debit cards (Visa, Mastercard, American Express), PayPal, Apple Pay, and Razorpay for Indian cards. All payments are processed through a PCI-compliant secure gateway with 256-bit encryption. You can also pay in multiple currencies — the price is automatically converted to your local currency at checkout.
Yes, all AsiaByLocals guides are licensed professionals who have been rigorously vetted through background checks, skill assessments, and customer reviews. Many hold government-issued tourism licenses, university degrees in history or cultural studies, and have years of experience leading tours for international travelers. Every guide maintains a minimum 4.5-star rating to remain active on our platform.
Late March to early April for cherry blossom, or mid-to-late November for peak autumn foliage. Kyoto sits in a basin and runs hotter in summer and colder in winter than Tokyo, even at a similar latitude. Full month-by-month figures are in our best time to visit Kyoto guide.
Kyoto never built an extensive subway — just two lines (Karasuma and Tozai) — so the city bus network does most of the work, especially for Higashiyama, Kinkaku-ji and Ginkakuji. Fushimi Inari and Arashiyama are best reached by JR rail instead. See getting around Kyoto.
Three days covers the essentials well: a day for Higashiyama and Gion, a day for Arashiyama and Kinkaku-ji, and a day for Fushimi Inari plus a Nara or Uji day trip. Our 3-day Kyoto itinerary has the full route with timing.
Arrive by 6:30-7am — the shrine is open 24/7 and free, and most visitors only walk the first 20-30 minutes anyway. Past that point the crowds thin out fast. Full hike details in our Fushimi Inari guide.
Yes — it's a public path with no entrance fee and no set hours. The trade-off is that it gets shoulder-to-shoulder by mid-morning; arrive before 8am for a nearly empty walk. See the Arashiyama Bamboo Forest guide.
Kyoto restricts photography on certain private alleys in Gion after complaints about tourists chasing and blocking geiko and maiko, with fines for violators. Public streets like Hanamikoji-dori remain open, but never chase, touch or block a real geiko/maiko anywhere. Full etiquette in our Gion geisha district guide.
Yudofu (simmered tofu, best near Nanzen-ji or Arashiyama), kaiseki and shojin ryori temple cuisine, and Nishiki Market's stalls of tako tamago and fresh yuba. Uji, just south of the city, is one of Japan's top matcha-growing regions. See the Kyoto food guide.
Starting from$142