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Arashiyama Bamboo Forest and Garden Views Tour in Kyoto

Top rated
5.0
Activity provider: Me Kyoto Walking Tours
Arashiyama Bamboo Forest and Garden Views Tour
Arashiyama Bamboo Forest and Garden Views Tour 2
Arashiyama Bamboo Forest and Garden Views Tour 3
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Half-day tour in Kyoto, including Live tour guide and Ride the train together bound to Saga-Arashiyama station. Run by Me Kyoto Walking Tours, booked direct rather than through a reseller.

Highlights

  • Runs 5 hours
  • Live tour guide
  • Ride the train together bound to Saga-Arashiyama station
  • Walk through the towering stalks of Bamboo Forest
  • Immerse yourself in the serenity of Tenryuji Temple
  • Be amazed by the breathtaking Zen garden and enjoy free green tea

Arashiyama Bamboo Forest and Garden Views Tour: Key Facts

PriceFrom $67 per person
Duration5 hours
LanguagesEnglish
Tour typeGuided Tour
BookingDirect with the local operator — no OTA markup

Full description

This is a 5-hour experience in Kyoto. It is run by Me Kyoto Walking 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 Live tour guide, Ride the train together bound to Saga-Arashiyama station, Walk through the towering stalks of Bamboo Forest, Immerse yourself in the serenity of Tenryuji Temple and Be amazed by the breathtaking Zen garden and enjoy free. It does not cover Lunch Meals, Food and drinks, Transportation fee) Each guest should purchase their own and Arrive early atleast 10 minutes before meet up time, 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.

Me Kyoto Walking Tours sends the meeting point and time by email as soon as the booking is confirmed. We need at least one day's notice, and we confirm the date with Me Kyoto Walking Tours before treating your booking as final. If they cannot take your date we tell you and refund you rather than leave you waiting.

Includes

  • Live tour guide
  • Ride the train together bound to Saga-Arashiyama station
  • Walk through the towering stalks of Bamboo Forest
  • Immerse yourself in the serenity of Tenryuji Temple
  • Be amazed by the breathtaking Zen garden and enjoy free green tea
  • Experience the local Japanese cuisine for lunch break
  • A walkway through Kimono Forest
  • An uphill 20-minute hike to visit the snow monkeys and panoramic views

Excludes

  • Lunch Meals
  • Food and drinks
  • Transportation fee) Each guest should purchase their own train tickets or train pass such as icoca, suica and pasmo.
  • Arrive early atleast 10 minutes before meet up time, tour guide will assist you to purchase your train tickets, prepare ¥240 each.

Important information

Meeting point

Me Kyoto Walking Tours sends the meeting point and time by email as soon as the booking is confirmed.

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 5 hours
Check availability to see starting times
Live tour guide
English
Wheelchair accessible

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Main Tour Price
Starting from $67
$67
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

5/5
based on 4 reviews
Guide
5/5
Value for money
5/5
Verified reviews from travelers on this operator’s experience
5
L
Lisa
July 16, 2026

An amazing experience! Our guide Marie was so sweet, incredibly helpful, and packed with historical knowledge. She went above and beyond, even taking a bunch of great photos for us. If you get a chance to book a tour with her, do it! 10/10.

5
N
Natanael
June 17, 2026

This tour was awesome! Marie was a fantastic tour guide that really made the experience very pleasant. From meeting us a Kyoto station in the morning, to help navigate the subway system, to showing us some hidden gems away from the social media crowds. She provided an excellent amount of information and history to help make the experience memorable. I highly recommend this tour!

5
T
Traveller
July 31, 2025

Trevlig guide som pratade mycket bra engelska och tog mycket fina bilder på oss. Intressant och kunnig.

Frequently Asked Questions

Me Kyoto Walking Tours sends the meeting point and time by email as soon as the booking is confirmed.
The price does not cover lunch meals, food and drinks, transportation fee) each guest should purchase their own train tickets or train pass such as icoca, suica and pasmo. and arrive early atleast 10 minutes before meet up time, tour guide will assist you to purchase your train tickets, prepare ¥240 each.. Everything it does cover is listed in full on this page, so if something is not on that list, budget for it separately.
Unless the option says private, this runs as a small group. The operator caps it rather than filling a coach, and if you want it to yourselves the private option is priced separately on this page.
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.
Live tour guide, Ride the train together bound to Saga-Arashiyama station, Walk through the towering stalks of Bamboo Forest, Immerse yourself in the serenity of Tenryuji Temple, Be amazed by the breathtaking Zen garden and enjoy free green tea, Experience the local Japanese cuisine for lunch break, A walkway through Kimono Forest, An uphill 20-minute hike to visit the snow monkeys and panoramic views
The duration of the Arashiyama Bamboo Forest and Garden Views Tour is typically 5 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$67