• Time: 4 hours
  • Fee: ¥40,000 (about US$266)
  • Expenses: about ¥2,000 per person

Tucked along the base of Kyoto’s western Arashiyama Mountains, you’ll find one of Kyoto’s most charming sightseeing districts. Arashiyama is home to a fine collection of temples, including one of Kyoto’s finest Zen temples, and the single most beautiful villa in the country. The highlight of the area is the famous Arashiyama Bamboo Forest, an incredibly atmospheric grove of bamboo that calls to mind the film “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.”

Our route starts at Otagi Nenbutsu-ji, a unique temple with hundreds of sculptured stone Buddhas, which we access by a short taxi ride (max: 4 passengers per taxi) from Arashiyama Station. Then we walk gradually downhill via several quiet temples with beautiful gardens and bamboo forests.

Along the way, you’ll also pass a poet’s hut where Basho penned a famous haiku and visit Okochi-Sanso Villa, one of the most superb houses and gardens in all of Kyoto. Then, we walk through the Bamboo Forest and return back to Arashiyama Station via Tenryu-ji Zen Temple garden. Time permitting, we finish with a brief stroll along the banks of the Hozu-gawa River.

Note: If the taxis are not available to reach Otagi Nenbutsu-ji from the station on busy days, the guide will consider other routes to allow for the best experience.

This walk takes around four hours and can be done by anyone in moderately good physical condition.

The walk costs ¥40,000 (about US$266) per group (NOT per person) plus expenses that average about ¥2,000 per person (entry fees, snacks etc).

You can extend this walk to create a six-hour tour a six-hour tour — ¥60,000 (about US$399) per group. For the six-hour option, you can add a visit to one of the major sights in northwest Kyoto: Kinkaku-ji (the Golden Pavilion) or Ryoan-ji (home of Japan’s most famous Zen garden). If you’d like to do an eight-hour tour — ¥75,000 (about US$499) per group — you can combine this walk with both of these famous northwest Kyoto sights.

To book a walk, contact us.