Kyoto Arashiyama Walking Tour: Bamboo, Monkeys, Gardens & Secrets

Recommended by 100% of travelers

Badge of Excellence

Kyoto, Japan

Popular pick

Booked 20+ times last week!

5 to 6 hours (approx.)
Group discounts
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

Why travelers loved this

5.0

· kathy_g ·

Mar 2026

Our guide Marie was fantastic and also the BEST photographer ever! She took us to all the perfect photo spots, and used shortcuts to avoid crowds. The lunch spot was perfect, and we had an amazing day! Highly recommend!

· Murray_B ·

Jan 2026

A lovely long walk thru the bamboo forest and an amazing walk round a Japanese garden in The hills followed by a temple/ shrine and finally a steep walk up the hill top to see over 100 moneys running wild. Our guide Mari was very helpful informative and great fun . I recommend taking this tour .

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Overview

Kyoto’s Arashiyama district is famous for its Bamboo Grove, but it’s more than just a place to take a great photo. Learn about Arashiyama’s history, temples, and culture from your guide on this walking tour. Arashiyama is usually teeming with tourists, so this tour also whisks you away to hidden gems that are far less crowded, including Tenryuji Temple, Okochi Sanso Garden, and the Monkey Forest.

Choose a private or small-group tour to suit your needs and budget
Includes admission to the places on the itinerary
Tour begins at the train station and ends at a convenient central spot
See this outlying area of Kyoto without the hassle of navigation

What's Included

Bamboo Forest
Monkey Park (20-25 min hike) admission paid
Tenryuji Temple (admission paid)
Togetsukyo Bridge
Knowledgeable & Bilingual Tour Guide
Okochi Sanso (Arashiyama Tour only)
Fushimi Inari (Combo Tour only)

Tips (accepted & welcomed)
Lunch & Dinner
Pick up not available

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting points

Select a meeting point

End point

Arashiyama Monkey Park Iwatayama
Japan, 616-0004 Kyoto, Nishikyo Ward, Arashiyama Nakaoshitachō, ６１６１
We will end your journey with a visit to the enchanting Monkey Park, a must-see for animal lovers. Afterward, you can indulge in some unique shopping opportunities in the area to find one-of-a-kind souvenirs to remember your trip or head back to the station.

Itinerary

Arashiyama

20 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Nonomiya Shrine

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

Okochi Sanso Garden

30 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

The Bamboo Forest Trail

30 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

Tenryu-ji Temple Sogenchi Teien

35 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

Togetsukyo Bridge

15 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

Monkey Park Iwatayama

1 hour • Admission Ticket Included

Arashiyama

35 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Not wheelchair accessible
Near public transportation
Most travelers can participate
Tours are in English only. Want a different language like German or Italian? Please ask us before booking.
There is a 20-25 minutes hike to the monkey park hilltop and the path is a bit steep.

Solo travelers can book this tour, but please note there is a “2 guests minimum” requirement for the tour to proceed. If only one guest is booked, the tour may be canceled. In such cases, you will be notified promptly, with options for rescheduling or a full refund.
For the privacy and comfort of all guests, smart glasses with recording capabilities (such as Ray-Ban Meta glasses) are not allowed during the tour.
Be able to hike up to the hilltop of the monkey park (20-25 minutes)
Recording & live streaming are NOT allowed during the whole tour!
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 12 travelers

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Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Gallery picture 1 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 2 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 3 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 4 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 5 (from a traveler's review)

Featured review

travelbug210

We were able to walk the streets of Arishiyama on our way to the bamboo forest and Japanese garden which were both beautiful. We loved all the food options that we had for lunch at the food court. We tried 3 different places and all were delicious! The monkey park was also a highlight of tour. Our guide, Oisin, was fantastic. He was informative, personable, and very knowledgeable of the area. We had a great time on this tour and would recommend it to anyone visiting the Arishiyama area.

Reviews

5.0

based on 1,412 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

We perform checks on reviews

Great tour of Arashiyama area

Krista_W, Mar 2026

We had a great time on this tour with Marie! We considered doing this area on our own but are so glad we did this tour. Marie took us to multiple spots we wouldn't have found on our own. We felt we had the right amount of time in each location and appreciated her timeliness with moving to the next spot. Would not hesitate to book this tour - it was great!

Had a fun day at the...

Leslie_H, Mar 2026

Had a fun day at the bamboo forest and monkey park. Francis was very nice and informative. He was a big help getting us on the correct train and subway to get back to our hotel!

Francis was a great...

Paul_S, Mar 2026

Francis was a great guide. He was very knowledgeable and interesting. After having English speaking tours with guides that didn’t speak English we were lucky to get Francis.

Fantastic tour

travelbug210, Mar 2026

Bamboo Monkey day tour

Vince_P, Mar 2026

This is a long tour but you see and learn many things. Our tour guide Jay was very informative and funny. Our family really enjoyed it and I would recommend.

Great tour and lovely guide

Dina_S, Mar 2026

Marie was a great guide, she was very knowledgeable and personable.. the tour had history, nature, monkeys and a great lunch stop

adventure at Nara

kathy_g, Mar 2026

A taste of Arashyama & beyond

Carolyn_W, Mar 2026

This was a great walking tour through the Arashiyama area & the bamboo forest with its many temples & shrines. Our tour guide Oisin was fantastic & very entertaining as well as knowledgeable. And if walking isn’t enough you get to hike up a mountain to the monkey park for spectacular views

Perfect for families..

Julie_M, Mar 2026

This was a private tour and just perfect for our family of 9 and a 20 month old. Our guide, Ushein, was the best and very knowledgeable, he made our trip even better. We even got to do a Sake tasting!

Richard in the rain

Keri_G, Mar 2026

Richard was the most knowledgeable guide iv ever had. His love for Kyoto shone through every step of the way.

Full day filled with culture

Laura_O, Mar 2026

We loved our tour guide Teri. She had a great sense of humor. Learned a lot of history of every place we walked to. I would highly recommend it.

Great Tour of Arashiyama!

Helen_P, Mar 2026

We enjoyed our tour with our tour guide Oisin. He was very knowledgeable and had a great sense of humor. We visited places we would have never discovered on our own. He made this tour fun and memorable!

Arashiyama Walking Tour - Bamboo, Monkeys, Gardens

Danny_F, Feb 2026

Our tour guide Marie made it a wonderful experience. She was very knowledgeable, fun, and entertained our group with lots of facts. She was also our professional photographer. Highly recommend this tour.

Teri our guide was...

Lawrence_M, Jan 2026

Teri our guide was awesome, funny cheerful and very knowledgeable about out our tour. She had a great sense of humor. The snow monkeys where the highlight tour.

Amazing Arabsiyama

Helen_L, Jan 2026

Fabulous, beautiful and informative. The guide couldn’t have been better! The area is cooler than Kyoto - come prepared! (The monkey hike was quite a trek - glad I did it even though I was a bit freaked out by the monkeys)

An Unforgettable Bamboo Forest Adventure with Marie 🌿📸

Elena_C, Jan 2026

Such a fun bamboo forest tour with Marie! 🎋🎍☺️ Her energy and knowledge made the whole day fly by. She also took awesome photos and knew all the best spots. We saw beautiful shrines, a Japanese garden, and had amazing tempura for lunch followed by matcha ice cream. The hike up the mountain to see the monkeys was totally worth it, even if my legs are feeling it now. Great vibes, great food, great workout— highly recommend!! 😋

A great overview of the Arashiyama

Rosemarie_s, Jan 2026

This tour did a great job of covering the multiple places of interest in the Arashiyama district. Terry was fantastic at explaining and giving information about each specific highlight. She was fun, engaging and quick to address our questions.

A lovely long walk thru...

Murray_B, Jan 2026

Fun Kyoto Tour

cakemp1, Jan 2026

Teri, our tour guide, was very knowledgeable giving us insights on the history of each place we visited. I highly recommend taking this tour!

Great walking tour.

Donald_S, Jan 2026

Lots of walking on this incredible tour. Great access to Bamboo Forest and the Monkey Hill. Well paced 4.5 hours. Meri was an amazing guide.

Mari went above and...

Alexia_P, Jan 2026

Mari went above and beyond to make sure we had a great time and got excellent photos. I highly recommend her.

Excellent tour

Anantika_C, Dec 2025

Our guide Osin was very warm & hospitable. He covered 5 hours very interestingly & kept it engaging. This was a small group tour and we really enjoyed it.

Fantastic day trip from Kyoto

Juliet_S, Dec 2025

This was a nice long tour that could have been done alone but was much easier with a guide. Marie was cheerful, very professional, easy to understand and a good shepherd through a busy set of sites. This tour needs to be run like clockwork, and it did!!

We really enjoyed the...

JILL_C, Dec 2025

We really enjoyed the variety of sights on the walking tour. Our guide was so friendly and helpful. I recommend this tour.

Makes your visit easier

Hana_L, Dec 2025

I am glad we booked this because it was easier to be guided in a place as big as this where you don't know where to go or what to see first.

Marie was great! Highly...

Becca_H, Dec 2025

Marie was great! Highly entertaining and highly knowledgeable. It was a very enjoyable time. Definitely recommend.

Great Tour of Kyoto

Bansi_P, Dec 2025

Great tour through Kyoto! Teri was a very friendly and informative guide who did a great job of navigating this area. She also took amazing pictures, answered all of our questions and gave helpful tips throughout.

Lovely tour

Pamela_B, Dec 2025

Nice way to spend a day with nature. Bamboo forest was peaceful, interesting shrine and temple and the monkeys were lots of fun to watch. Our guide Maricel was excellent and very knowledgeable

Favorite Day in Japan

Kelly_M, Nov 2025

Marie was full of amazing information and funny! She lead an amazing tour and we loved the sites. I loved the gardens and my son adored the monkeys! We highly recommend this tour and Marie is excellent! My son is 13 and not the easiest to please. He said this was his favorite day in Japan!