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Arashiyama Hidden Temples and Bamboo Grove Guided Tour in Kyoto

Top rated
4.9
Activity provider: DeepExperience, Inc.
Arashiyama Hidden Temples and Bamboo Grove Guided Tour
Arashiyama Hidden Temples and Bamboo Grove Guided Tour 2
Arashiyama Hidden Temples and Bamboo Grove Guided Tour 3
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Half-day tour in Kyoto, taking in Togetsukyo Bridge, Arashiyama and Arashiyama Bamboo Forest. Run by DeepExperience, Inc., booked direct rather than through a reseller.

Highlights

  • Togetsukyo Bridge
  • Arashiyama
  • Arashiyama Bamboo Forest
  • Otagi Nenbutsu-ji Temple
  • Runs 4 hours
  • A local guide

Arashiyama Hidden Temples and Bamboo Grove Guided Tour: Key Facts

PriceFrom $133.5 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 Togetsukyo Bridge, Arashiyama and Arashiyama Bamboo Forest. It is run by DeepExperience, Inc., 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 A local guide, Admission to Otagi Nenbutsuji Temple and Admission to Adashino Nenbutsuji Temple. It does not cover Food and drinks and Souvenirs, 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.

嵯峨嵐山駅. We need at least one day's notice, and we confirm the date with DeepExperience, Inc. 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

嵯峨嵐山駅

Togetsukyo Bridge

Visit (5 minutes)

Arashiyama

Scenic views on the way (10 minutes)

Arashiyama Bamboo Forest

Photo stop (5 minutes)

Otagi Nenbutsu-ji Temple

Visit (30 minutes)

Saga Toriimoto Preserved Street

Guided tour (30 minutes)

Seiryoji Temple

Visit (15 minutes)

Arrive back at

嵯峨嵐山駅

Detailed Itinerary

Starting location: 嵯峨嵐山駅

Togetsukyo Bridge: Visit (5 minutes)

Arashiyama: Scenic views on the way (10 minutes)

Arashiyama Bamboo Forest: Photo stop (5 minutes)

Otagi Nenbutsu-ji Temple: Visit (30 minutes)

Saga Toriimoto Preserved Street: Guided tour (30 minutes)

Seiryoji Temple: Visit (15 minutes)

Arrive back at: 嵯峨嵐山駅

Includes

  • A local guide
  • Admission to Otagi Nenbutsuji Temple
  • Admission to Adashino Nenbutsuji Temple

Excludes

  • Food and drinks
  • Souvenirs

Important information

Meeting point

嵯峨嵐山駅

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 $133.5
$133.5
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 15 reviews
Guide
5/5
Value for money
4.5/5
Verified reviews from travelers on this operator’s experience
5
L
Lisa
May 26, 2025

Yoshi was an excellent guide. He had so much knowledge of Japanese culture and history. We especially enjoyed going to the temple with all the stone heads and talking to him in English. He went above and beyond to make sure we caught a taxi to Cocoichi, a delicious curry restaurant he recommended. He even offered to take us to Gion, but we did not want to further burden him and his gracious hospitality. We really lucked out getting Yoshi. Highly recommend.

Review photo 1Review photo 2
5
E
Elona
April 1, 2025

Juraj from Deep Experience was an EXCELLENT- knowledgeable - kind guide. We learned so much about Buddhist philosophy, temples, sects. He was able to use fluent Japanese to communicate for us, guide us - we loved our experience in Kyoto with Juraj. Learned an incredible amount and he was also so entertaining! Highly recommended!

Review photo 1
5
L
Laurent
October 28, 2025

Belle ballade au bord de la rivière et à travers les sites principaux du coin. Il faut s’attendre à marcher un peu. La visite est proposée en Anglais mais Juliette parle également le Français. Le tour en petit groupe permet de vraiment profiter. Juliette nous a transmis sa passion pour le Japon: de la langue à la cuisine en passant par les coutume. Nous avons pu poser plein de questions et l’échange était très enrichissant. Arigato !

Review photo 1Review photo 2Review photo 3
5
J
Jessica
August 17, 2026

Teppei was an exceptional guide! We had a wonderful private tour with him and truly appreciated his kindness, professionalism, and thoughtful attention throughout the day. He made the experience very special and memorable. Thank you so much, Teppei! We highly recommend him!

5
J
Jada-Marie
June 1, 2026

This was a magnificent 4-hr tour that started at noon. My daughter & I learned so much about Arashiyama. The tour guide, TEPPEI, was a phenomenal, one-of-a-kind tour guide who ensured we had an amazing adventure, and that we did, thanks to him. Wow! Talk about going above & beyond and being so kind, thoughtful, patient, & generous the entire tour. He took time to explain EVERYTHING we saw and answered all questions we asked. He even took pictures for us as keepsakes. He was very informative; ie: the difference between shrine vs temple, the beautiful temples we saw and their back story/history,

5
A
Ann
September 21, 2025

Both the tours were very interesting. and the guide Shino on the night tour and Akino on the Arashiyama tour were very good and lovely to talk to. We enjoyed it very much.

5
R
Ryan
May 30, 2025

Tour was really interesting seeing the bamboo grove and the temples, really fun but also informative! My Tour Guide Megumi was an absolutely lovely woman good company always had a smile on her face and cracked a joke! Couldn’t recommend her enough!

5
T
Traveller
October 19, 2025

Vistamos lugares muy padres. Es un buen Hike que te permite conocer otro lado de Arashiyama y no perder los lugares más importantes

5
R
Rino
August 13, 2025

Die Tor war schön hervorzuheben ja der unglaublich freundliche Reiseführer Danke dafür

5
E
Ellen
April 17, 2025

Kana san war eine wunderbare Reisebegleiterin. Es war ein gemeinsamer Spaziergang entlang schöner Straßen, entlang des Bambusgartens und entlang des Flusses von Arashiyama. Zwei schöne und interessante Tempel haben wir gemeinsam besucht und wir konnten zu jeder Zeit alle Fragen stellen und haben viel über die Kultur, die Geschichte und die Religionen gelernt. Uns und unseren 17 und 20 Jahre alten Söhnen hat der Nachmittag sehr gefallen!

5
M
Mauricio
October 15, 2024

Los templos son increíbles, los paisajes y las vistas. Larga caminata pero tomamos descansos frecuentes. La guía fue muy paciente con nosotros y nos explicó cosas en el camión. La recomiendo ampliamente.

Frequently Asked Questions

嵯峨嵐山駅
The price does not cover food and drinks and souvenirs. 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.
A local guide, Admission to Otagi Nenbutsuji Temple, Admission to Adashino Nenbutsuji Temple
The duration of the Arashiyama Hidden Temples and Bamboo Grove Guided Tour 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$133.5