Arashiyama Bamboo Grove and Monkey Park tour highlights

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Duration5h 30m

GroupUp to 12

Mobile ticketAccepted

Bamboo stalks, temple gardens, wild monkeys, and mountain views in one morning

This guided tour covers the highlights of Saga-Arashiyama, the western part of Kyoto, starting from Kyoto Station with a less-than-20-minute train ride. You walk through the Bamboo Forest, explore Tenryuji Temple's pond gardens, trek the hillside villa of Okochi Sanso, stroll the Kimono Forest's 600 textile pillars, cross the Togetsukyo Bridge, and hike to Iwatayama Monkey Park to observe and feed over 120 wild Japanese macaques. The tour includes entry to Okochi Sanso Garden, Tenryuji Temple, and the Monkey Park, plus a guide and a lunch break with local Japanese foods. Children from age 5 are welcome; the hike to the monkey park takes 20 to 30 minutes uphill.

5h 30m

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Arashiyama and Surroundings

Meet at Kyoto Station
Board train to Saga-Arashiyama
Walk through Arashiyama Bamboo Forest
Visit Nonomiya Shrine
Walk through Tenryu-ji Temple gardens
Explore Okochi Sanso hillside villa and gardens
Stroll through Kimono Forest walkway
Cross Togetsukyo Bridge
Hike to Iwatayama Monkey Park
Observe and feed snow monkeys
Enjoy panoramic mountain views of Kyoto

The Experience

The day starts at Kyoto Station and moves quickly: you board a train together and travel less than 20 minutes into Arashiyama. From there, the guide leads you on foot through a series of stops that shift between dense forest, manicured gardens, and open mountain views. The Bamboo Forest comes first—towering stalks create a quiet, enclosed space where the path narrows and the light filters green overhead. Your guide explains the cultural weight of the place as you walk through it.

Next is Nonomiya Shrine, a small Shinto shrine tucked into the bamboo grove itself, followed by Tenryuji Temple, a UNESCO World Heritage Site where you walk the pond gardens and see the Arashiyama mountains framed across the water. Okochi Sanso, a hillside villa built over 30 years by actor Denjiro Okochi, sits higher up—you trek the hill gardens and reach the summit for panoramic views of Kyoto, Mount Hiei, and the Hozu River gorge. The Kimono Forest, a walkway of 600 glowing pillars wrapped in traditional textiles, offers a different kind of stop: color and stillness in one. You cross the Togetsukyo Bridge, where the Katsura River flows beneath and the mountains rise beyond, then break for lunch with local Japanese foods and sweets before the final push.

The hike to Iwatayama Monkey Park takes 20 to 30 minutes uphill on a well-maintained trail. At the summit, over 120 wild Japanese macaques roam freely—you can observe them and feed them in their natural forest habitat while taking in panoramic views of Kyoto city and the surrounding mountains. The whole tour runs about 5.5 hours. You'll need to bring your own train ticket or pass (Icoca, Suica, or Pasmo) to cover the initial journey from Kyoto Station into Arashiyama.

What’s included

Entry to Okochi Sanso Garden, Tenryuji Temple, and Iwatayama Monkey Park.
a local guide throughout the day.
lunch with local Japanese foods and sweets.
unlimited green tea at Okochi Sanso.
the ability to feed and observe wild Japanese macaques in their natural habitat.

Good to know

Demanding physical levelPublic transport nearbyNot for heart conditionsNot for back problemsInfants must sit on laps

Operated by ME Kyoto Walking Tours

Is this one for you?Book this if you're starting from Kyoto Station and want a guided morning covering Arashiyama's forest, temples, and monkey park in one loop—the 20-to-30-minute hill trek to the monkey park is the main physical demand, so come ready to climb.