Explore more curated experiences in Kyoto

View all Kyoto tours

Kyoto Hozugawa River Boat Sagano Romantic Train Tour by Local Operator

Top rated
4.0
Activity provider: H.I.S. Co Ltd(TIC)
Kyoto Hozugawa River Boat Sagano Romantic Train Tour by Local Operator
Kyoto Hozugawa River Boat Sagano Romantic Train Tour by Local Operator 2
Kyoto Hozugawa River Boat Sagano Romantic Train Tour by Local Operator 3
+2
more

Half-day tour in Kyoto, taking in Sagano Romantic Train, Hozu River and Finish at. Run by H.I.S. Co Ltd(TIC), booked direct rather than through a reseller.

Highlights

  • Sagano Romantic Train
  • Hozu River
  • Runs 5 hours
  • English guide
  • Air-conditioned bus
  • Sagano Romantic Train Experience

Kyoto Hozugawa River Boat Sagano Romantic Train Tour by Local Operator: Key Facts

PriceFrom $150.5 per person
Duration5 hours
LanguagesEnglish
Tour typeGuided Tour
BookingDirect with the local operator — no OTA markup

Full description

This is a 5-hour experience from Kyoto, built around Sagano Romantic Train and Hozu River. It is run by H.I.S. Co Ltd(TIC), 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 English guide, Air-conditioned bus, Sagano Romantic Train Experience and Hozugawakudari River Boat Ride. It does not cover Lunch, 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.

京都駅八条口駅前広場 サンクガーデン. We need at least one day's notice, and we confirm the date with H.I.S. Co Ltd(TIC) 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

京都駅八条口駅前広場 サンクガーデン

Sagano Romantic Train

Sightseeing (25 minutes)

Hozu River

Rafting (1.5 hours)

Finish at

1-1 Sagatenryūji Susukinobabachō

Detailed Itinerary

Starting location: 京都駅八条口駅前広場 サンクガーデン

Sagano Romantic Train: Sightseeing (25 minutes)

Hozu River: Rafting (1.5 hours)

Finish at: 1-1 Sagatenryūji Susukinobabachō

Includes

  • English guide
  • Air-conditioned bus
  • Sagano Romantic Train Experience
  • Hozugawakudari River Boat Ride

Excludes

  • Lunch

Important information

Meeting point

京都駅八条口駅前広場 サンクガーデン

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

You might also like...

Share
Main Tour Price
Starting from $150.5
$150.5
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

4/5
based on 35 reviews
Guide
4.3/5
Value for money
4/5
Verified reviews from travelers on this operator’s experience
5
C
CRG
March 21, 2026

Nice experience and the boat crew was very entertaining with full of funny stories !

Review photo 1
5
A
Amanda
April 30, 2026

Our guide was very friendly and I’ll of knowledge, great experience.

5
M
Michelle
March 29, 2026

What an amazing trip, the Sagano Romantic Train tour sensational views and the Hozogawa River Boat was lots of fun, our crew were very funny, little rapids and stunning scenery. Great day had by all.

5
E
Em
May 12, 2026

Very entertaining and relaxing.

5
T
Traveller
April 30, 2026

Amazing tour, romantic train was awesome and the River cruise was so much fun - our 3 guides on the boat were so funny!

5
T
Traveller
April 30, 2026

Great. I definitely would recommend it to anyone. The scenery was amazing but even better was the comedy aboard the river boat provided by the crew. So entertaining!

3
E
Evelyn
April 26, 2026

I like the bus transport to the start of the tour. I did not like being dumped at the end of the tour after the boat ride and not being taken back to Kyoto station, having to find our own way back.

1
J
John
April 17, 2026

Understand why the boat trip was cancelled, but very disappointed that we were not told until 10minutes into the bus journey. We had already seen the alternative arrangements to the boat trip a few days beforehand. Also surprised that the tour ended at a different location 30miles from where it started. This was not clear in the instructions which gave the address of the end of the tour in Japanese writing.

1
T
Traveller
April 16, 2026

I would not recommend. It was a BEAUTIFUL spring day (sunny and 65 degrees) and they cancelled the boat ride due to wind. Instead, we toured a shrine (which is something many people on the tour, myself included, had already done). The guide did not explain the change of plans well at all and he was extremely soft spoken the entire time. It was very hard to hear him during the bus tour.

3
S
Steven
April 14, 2026

The boat ride was excellent… well worth it! Captain Jack Sparrow and the crew were a laugh and made the trip awesome. Unfortunately the train was the let down. If you get allocated the wrong side of the train by the tour company 60% of your view is concrete retaining walls! Add in some 15% spent in tunnels and… yuck ! Of course if you get to sit on the good side your experience will be much better.

5
T
Traveller
April 14, 2026

We had a great time. Our guide, Emiko, was friendly and helpful and the boatmen were really funny.

5
A
Anne
April 8, 2026

Wonderful tour with warm guide!

Frequently Asked Questions

京都駅八条口駅前広場 サンクガーデン
The price does not cover lunch. 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.
English guide, Air-conditioned bus, Sagano Romantic Train Experience, Hozugawakudari River Boat Ride
The duration of the Kyoto Hozugawa River Boat Sagano Romantic Train Tour by Local Operator 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$150.5