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Arashiyama Early Access Bamboo and Temple Tour in Kyoto

Top rated
4.5
Activity provider: Planet Japan合同会社
Arashiyama Early Access Bamboo and Temple Tour
Arashiyama Early Access Bamboo and Temple Tour 2
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2.5-hour tour in Kyoto, taking in Tenryuji Temple, Arashiyama Bamboo Forest and Togetsukyo Bridge. Run by Planet Japan合同会社, booked direct rather than through a reseller.

Highlights

  • Tenryuji Temple
  • Arashiyama Bamboo Forest
  • Togetsukyo Bridge
  • Runs 2.5 hours
  • Local guide
  • Photo advice at each spot

Arashiyama Early Access Bamboo and Temple Tour: Key Facts

PriceFrom $108 per person
Duration2.5 hours
LanguagesEnglish
Tour typeGuided Tour
BookingDirect with the local operator — no OTA markup

Choose from 1 available option

Arashiyama Early Access Bamboo and Temple Tour

2.5-hour tour in Kyoto, taking in Tenryuji Temple, Arashiyama Bamboo Forest and Togetsukyo Bridge. Run by Planet Japan合同...
2.5 hours
English
$108
Free cancellation

Full description

This is a 2.5-hour experience from Kyoto, built around Tenryuji Temple, Arashiyama Bamboo Forest and Togetsukyo Bridge. It is run by Planet Japan合同会社, 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 guide, Photo advice at each spot and recommendations and tips. It does not cover Food and drinks and Entrance fee to Tenryu-ji garden, 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.

Randen Arashiyama Station Center. We need at least one day's notice, and we confirm the date with Planet Japan合同会社 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

Randen Arashiyama Station Center

Tenryuji Temple

Photo stop, Visit, Guided tour, Sightseeing (1 hour)

Arashiyama Bamboo Forest

Photo stop, Visit, Guided tour, Sightseeing (45 minutes)

Togetsukyo Bridge

Photo stop, Visit, Guided tour, Sightseeing (45 minutes)

Detailed Itinerary

Starting location: Randen Arashiyama Station Center

Tenryuji Temple: Photo stop, Visit, Guided tour, Sightseeing (1 hour)

Arashiyama Bamboo Forest: Photo stop, Visit, Guided tour, Sightseeing (45 minutes)

Togetsukyo Bridge: Photo stop, Visit, Guided tour, Sightseeing (45 minutes)

Includes

  • Local guide
  • Photo advice at each spot
  • Local recommendations and tips

Excludes

  • Food and drinks
  • Entrance fee to Tenryu-ji garden

Important information

Meeting point

Randen Arashiyama Station Center

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

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Main Tour Price
Starting from $108
$108
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

4.5/5
based on 16 reviews
Guide
5/5
Value for money
4.5/5
Verified reviews from travelers on this operator’s experience
5
D
Dale
April 14, 2026

Ken was very informative and extremely well spoken. The nature was absolutely incredible to see up close.

Review photo 1
5
Y
Yaira
December 4, 2025

Tom was great, friendly and knowledgeable! Plus he’ll be your photographer for the tour.

Review photo 1
4
G
Gail
April 6, 2026

Very pleasant in the early morning, crowded at 10am when we were leaving. Rafael was kind & hospitable. Lovely stroll through the Bamboo forest & temple.

Review photo 1
5
E
Eduardo
July 14, 2026

FujiKazumasa, our guide, gave us a lot of explanations, recommendarions and walked us through all Arashiyama most interesting places. Very good experience thanks to him

5
D
Daniel
May 20, 2026

We thoroughly enjoyed our early access walking tour of the Arashiyama Bamboo Forest and Tenryu-ji Temple. Our guide, Ken, was very friendly, provided excellent descriptions of the sights, answered all of our questions, and took some beautiful photos of my wife and me. We highly recommend taking this tour with Ken as your guide.

5
L
Laural
May 11, 2026

Ken provided so much useful and interesting information. He pointed out the most beautiful spots and was happy to take pictures along the way. I did the Arashiyama tour at 9am, which I recommend because it was very quiet walking through the bamboo. I saw a lot more places than I expected to see. Excellent way to spend the morning in Kyoto.

5
J
Jonathan
April 4, 2026

Sato was excellent. His English was very good and his knowledge of the temple was great. He was very patient with us especially as we arrived the wrong Arashiyama station. Highly recommended.

5
T
Traveller
August 20, 2026

Huge thanks to Kenichiro “Ken” for the excellent tour! We had a great visit to the shrine, bamboo forest, and zen temple. Ken provided helpful education while keeping the tour light and fun. He took SO MANY GREAT PHOTOS of our group as a bonus!!

3
h
heidi
May 27, 2026

a tour you can just do yourself. really no need for a guide.

2
H
Hasmukh
March 31, 2026

The guide was 30 mins late for the tour, we did not receive any advance notification and had to try to contact the tour operator in extremely difficult circumstances. When we finally managed to get in touch with the tour operator, they simply said the guide was delayed with no offer of any explanation. The late start then impacted our subsequent tour, and completely spoiled our first day in Kyoto. Our group of six were left distressed and anxious. Tilly unacceptable and wholly unprofessional

5
T
Traveller
March 30, 2026

Sadia is an awesome tour guide. She is kind, good at taking photos and knowledgeable.

4
S
Sandra
April 2, 2026

Sadia was a great tour guide with a wealth of information. Lovely personality and very easy to get on with and accomadating. enjoyed every minute of the tour.

Frequently Asked Questions

Randen Arashiyama Station Center
The price does not cover food and drinks and entrance fee to tenryu-ji garden. Everything it does cover is listed in full on this page, so if something is not on that list, budget for it separately.
Shoes off at every hall, quiet voices, and no photographs inside the halls unless a sign allows it. At a shrine, rinse hands and mouth at the basin, then bow twice, clap twice and bow once; at a temple, hands together without clapping. Dress is relaxed, but shoulders and knees covered is the courteous choice.
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.
Local guide, Photo advice at each spot, Local recommendations and tips
The duration of the Arashiyama Early Access Bamboo and Temple Tour is typically 2.5 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$108