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Kyoto Arashiyama Bamboo Forest Customized Private Tour by Local Operator

Top rated
4.9
Activity provider: Japan Wonder Travel
Kyoto Arashiyama Bamboo Forest Customized Private Tour by Local Operator
Kyoto Arashiyama Bamboo Forest Customized Private Tour by Local Operator 2
Kyoto Arashiyama Bamboo Forest Customized Private Tour by Local Operator 3
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Half-day tour in Kyoto, including Licensed Local English Speaking Guide and Private Tour. Run by Japan Wonder Travel, booked direct rather than through a reseller.

Highlights

  • Runs 4 hours
  • Licensed Local English Speaking Guide
  • Private Tour

Kyoto Arashiyama Bamboo Forest Customized Private Tour by Local Operator: Key Facts

PriceFrom $300.5 per person
Duration4 hours
LanguagesEnglish
Tour typeGuided Tour
BookingDirect with the local operator — no OTA markup

Choose from 1 available option

Kyoto Arashiyama Bamboo Forest Customized Private Tour by Local Operator

Half-day tour in Kyoto, including Licensed Local English Speaking Guide and Private Tour. Run by Japan Wonder Travel, bo...
4 hours
English
$300.5
Free cancellation

Full description

This is a 4-hour experience in Kyoto. It is run by Japan Wonder Travel, 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 Licensed Local English Speaking Guide and Private Tour. It does not cover Transportation Fees, Entrance Fees, Lunch and Other Private Expenses, 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.

Japan Wonder Travel 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 Japan Wonder Travel before treating your booking as final. If they cannot take your date we tell you and refund you rather than leave you waiting.

Includes

  • Licensed Local English Speaking Guide
  • Private Tour

Excludes

  • Transportation Fees (you and your guide)
  • Entrance Fees (you and your guide)
  • Lunch (you and your guide)
  • Other Private Expenses
  • Private Vehicle
  • Hotel Pick-up

Important information

Meeting point

Japan Wonder Travel 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 4 hours
Check availability to see starting times
Live tour guide
English
Wheelchair accessible

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Main Tour Price
Starting from $300.5
$300.5
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 13 reviews
Guide
4.3/5
Value for money
4.6/5
Verified reviews from travelers on this operator’s experience
5
J
John
March 30, 2026

Mr. Mitsuhiko Seiyama was an incredible guide, made us feel very welcomed, and very knowledgeable about the area and Japan in general. The sweetest man, and great personality, and excellent English. He made the 5 star tour!!! Thank Mitsukiko-son!!!

5
H
Hans
April 30, 2023

Great activity! Kenji took us to beautiful places like the bamboo forest, the private garden of Okochi and Tenryu-ji. We finished with a small bite at a local food restaurant. Time well spent and we got to see another part of the beautiful city of Kyoto. Thank you Kenji for a wonderful tour.

5
C
Caroline
September 6, 2019

Thank you for providing so much information in such an enjoyable way. Highly recommend this tour and this company.

5
D
Deb
May 16, 2019

Very friendly and knowledgeable Guide! Hiromi provided so much information even for plans we had the next day. She described customs and traditions and really helped provide a full experience!

5
A
Amy
February 15, 2019

This tour was the highlight of our trip to Japan! Our tour guide, Yasuna, was very friendly and knew Arashiyama from a young age, so her knowledge of the sights we saw was brilliant. We discovered Arashiyama from a quieter perspective than if we had done the exploration ourselves, so this was a real bonus. The food was delicious and a real insight into local street food. We were only in Kyoto for the day, so we would highly recommend this tour to anyone that wanted to see the sights of Arashiyama in a short space of time. A really fantastic tour

5
P
Petra
May 20, 2018

Tour was fantastic & Guide Tacchi went out of his way for us! It was everything the website describes and food was authentic & yummy, can def. recommend this tour.

5
Y
Yuval
April 5, 2018

The food was delicious! The guide had great English and was very nice! Overall a great tour

5
D
Dan
October 20, 2024

Excellent guide. Takuma was our guide. He is a native born Japanese. He spoke English fluently and was easy to understand. He used an Ipad to give additional information about the sites we visited. He gave us options to modify our tour to get the best photo opportunities and to avoid heavy tourist crowds. In addition he is also a professional photographer, so he can easily take good composition photos of you. He was knowledgeable about each site that we stopped at. He also shared his experience in travels to other countries. His college major was tourism! So he has a passion for meeting touris

5
T
Traveller
June 4, 2023

We had a wonderful time with Fuji-san

5
T
Traveller
September 17, 2022

Excellent tour with an excellent tour guide. Loved it.

3
D
Deborah
November 9, 2019

I expected a better venue for the experience.

5
G
Gloria
February 16, 2019

La guía era super simpática. Nos lo pasamos genial con ella.y nos explicó muchísimas cosas interesantes y eso que no sabemos muy bien inglés. . Pero ella hizo porque la entendieramos.Por favor mandenle felicitaciones de nuestra parte. Gracias

Frequently Asked Questions

Japan Wonder Travel sends the meeting point and time by email as soon as the booking is confirmed.
The price does not cover transportation fees (you and your guide), entrance fees (you and your guide), lunch (you and your guide) and other private expenses. Everything it does cover is listed in full on this page, so if something is not on that list, budget for it separately.
Private days are usually priced per vehicle for up to the stated number of guests, and the price on this page follows the operator's own pricing for each group size. Entrance fees and meals are paid as you go unless the option says all-inclusive; tolls and parking are normally included.
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.
Licensed Local English Speaking Guide, Private Tour
The duration of the Kyoto Arashiyama Bamboo Forest Customized Private Tour by Local Operator 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$300.5