Kyoto · Day Tour
Arashiyama in the right order, so the bamboo is not the only thing you remember.
From
¥8,000 per person
approx. US$51
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before
Instant confirmation
An Arashiyama walking tour that treats the bamboo grove as one part of a morning rather than the whole point. Tenryu-ji's Zen garden, the grove, Nonomiya Shrine, a bowl of matcha, the Togetsukyo bridge and the monkey park above the river — paced so none of it is rushed.
Almost everyone walks into the bamboo first and leaves with nothing else. We start at Tenryu-ji, whose garden was laid out in the fourteenth century and has never been redesigned. Seeing it first gives the rest of the morning a frame.
The bamboo is not a wild forest — it is managed, and has been for centuries. Your guide explains how it is maintained, why the light behaves the way it does and where to stand to get a photograph without forty other people in it.
Nonomiya Shrine sits a minute off the main path and is usually quiet. It is where imperial princesses purified themselves before serving at Ise, which is a longer history than most of Arashiyama. Matcha follows, included in the tour.
Togetsukyo has crossed the river here in some form for over a thousand years. On the far side, a climb of about twenty minutes brings you to a hillside where wild macaques live and where the view back over Kyoto is the best in the district.
Meet your guide at the MALEBRANCHE store.
The Zen garden, before the crowds build.
Walked with an explanation of how it works.
Quiet ground, and a bowl of matcha.
A unique Shinto shrine dedicated to hair and beauty.
Across the river.
A climb to the macaques and the view over Kyoto.
MALEBRANCHE Arashiyama store, near the main street. Your guide carries a Travel Japan Together sign and will contact you on WhatsApp beforehand.
Very, in the middle of the day. Your guide plans the order of the morning to reach it at the least bad time, but it is never empty.
Yes, with supervision. The macaques are wild and the rules matter, but children generally enjoy it more than the temples.
Your guide, admission to Tenryu-ji, entry to the monkey park and one matcha. Transportation to Arashiyama and any meals are paid by you.
Around four kilometres, flat except for the twenty-minute climb to the monkey park.
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start time. Bookings are confirmed instantly.
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