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White Water Rafting the Hozugawa: Five Kilometres of Rapids Outside Kyoto

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Activity provider: Kila Kila Rafting (Kyoto Hozugawa)
White Water Rafting the Hozugawa: Five Kilometres of Rapids Outside Kyoto
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The same gorge the sightseeing boats drift down, taken at speed — three and a half hours of rapids, with all equipment, shoes and the train back included.

White Water Rafting the Hozugawa: Five Kilometres of Rapids Outside Kyoto: Key Facts

PriceFrom $78 per person
Duration3.5 hours
Group sizeUp to 42 people
LanguagesEnglish
Tour typeGuided Tour
BookingDirect with the local operator — no OTA markup

Choose from 1 available option

Half-Day Rafting Adventure

Three and a half hours on the Hozugawa with all equipment, guide, insurance, a photo and the return train ticket include...
3.5 hours
English
$81.29
Free cancellation

Full description

Most visitors meet the Hozugawa from a boat, punted slowly down the gorge by boatmen with poles while everyone photographs the cliffs. This is the other version of that river.

The run is five kilometres of real rapids through the same gorge, and the water comes over your head rather than past the gunwale. It is not a gentle float; it is a full-scale rafting course with proper whitewater sections, broken up by calm pools where the guides let you swim if you want to. There is a three-metre rock to jump off for anyone who does.

Everything technical is included: helmet, life jacket, rafting shoes, safety equipment, insurance and the guide. You bring clothes you do not mind ruining and a towel. A commemorative photograph is included, and — a genuinely useful detail — so is the return train ticket to the rafting base.

Getting there is easy in a way that surprises people. Take the train from Kyoto Station to JR Umahori and walk three minutes. That is it. The base is in Kameoka, on the upstream side of the gorge, which is also where the traditional boats launch from.

Guiding is in Japanese, which matters less than it sounds for rafting — the instructions are physical, demonstrated and short, and international guests do this regularly.

The season runs when the water does, and conditions shift with rainfall. It is the best antidote we know to three days of temples, and it puts you in the Arashiyama area afterwards, which is a good way to spend the rest of the day.

Tour Itinerary

Itineraries are customisable as per your request

The schedule below is a suggested plan and can be adjusted to suit your preferences.

Arrive at the rafting base near JR Umahori

Safety briefing and equipment fitting

Launch onto the Hozugawa

Five kilometres of rapids through the gorge

Swimming and rock jumping in the calm sections

Return to base and change

Includes

  • Half-day rafting on the Hozugawa
  • Guide
  • All safety equipment: helmet, life jacket and rafting shoes
  • Insurance and tax
  • Commemorative photograph
  • Return train ticket to the rafting base

Excludes

  • Swimwear or clothes you can get wet
  • Towel
  • Sunscreen
  • Meals

Important information

Meeting point

Shintani Building, 69-4 Kitagaito, Shino-cho Umahori, Kameoka, Kyoto 621-0823 — three minutes' walk from JR Umahori Station.

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

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Main Tour Price
Starting from $78
$81.29
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 337 reviews
Guide
4.9/5
Value for money
4.9/5
Verified reviews from travelers on this operator’s experience
5
M
Martina Borg
September 5, 2026

We had such a fantastic time rafting! The experience was very exciting, well organised, and genuinely a lot of fun from start to finish. Nishan was an excellent leader: professional, encouraging, and great at making us feel safe while still keeping the adventure exciting. You could tell he really cared about making sure everyone enjoyed themselves. We had a blast and would definitely recommend this experience to anyone looking for a fun and memorable day in Kyoto!

5
H
Hana
September 3, 2026

The activity was so much fun! The hosts Rosan and Milan made it even more fun, playing games between the rides and entertaining everyone :) would definitely recommend!

5
A
AJAY
September 2, 2026

My group of five had an amazing time. The rapids were not to daunting for some in my groups who did white water rafting for the first time. The guides were very knowledgeable and guided us every step of the way.

5
B
Brianna
August 31, 2026

Roshan was our guide and he was great! very funny and knowledge. the best experience since being in kyoto!

5
L
Louis
August 25, 2026

Was great fun! Was well organised and had many points for swimming and jumping as well. Would recommend to people coming to Kyoto. Our guide Roshan was very helpful and amazing at rafting, also takes pictures for you.

5
A
Anne-marie
August 24, 2026

Really enjoyed this .. water temp was great , great scenery and guide Nissan was lots of fun . Change from Temples and castles

5
Y
Yuran
August 24, 2026

It was a highlight of the trip for sure! Milan was a great leader and our team had so much fun. Book it. It’s probably the best activity in Kyoto area.

5
P
Peyton
August 24, 2026

Fantastic event! Our guide Milan was great, very knowledgeable, and made the experience all the more fun. 10/10 recommend!

Frequently Asked Questions

Shintani Building, 69-4 Kitagaito, Shino-cho Umahori, Kameoka, Kyoto 621-0823 — three minutes' walk from JR Umahori Station.
The price does not cover swimwear or clothes you can get wet, towel, sunscreen and meals. 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.
Kila Kila Rafting (Kyoto Hozugawa). We book with them directly rather than through a reseller, which is why we can confirm your place with the operator before taking it as final.
We confirm your booking with the operator before we treat it as final, and we need at least one day's notice outside India. 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.
Half-day rafting on the Hozugawa, Guide, All safety equipment: helmet, life jacket and rafting shoes, Insurance and tax, Commemorative photograph, Return train ticket to the rafting base
The duration of the White Water Rafting the Hozugawa: Five Kilometres of Rapids Outside Kyoto is typically 3.5 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$78