The Perfect DIY DAY TOUR to ARASHIYAMA KYOTO | Bamboo Grove, Romantic Train & Hozugawa River Boat
Arashiamyama, one of Kyoto’s most beautiful and scenic spots. And there’s so much more to see than just the famous bamboo forest. From one of Japan’s most scenic railway lines to thrilling river rafting adventures, this place has hidden gems around every corner. So, join me in today’s video as I explore the very best of a rashyama. Morning all from Japan. Day three. Getting to Arashiamyama is easy and it will take you about 15 or 20 minutes. Depending on where you’re staying and the line you’re staying near, you can either make your way to Arashiamyama station or the Saga Arashyama station. Firstly, let me share where we stayed in Kyoto, which was budget friendly and walking distance to all the main attractions. And its location and price isn’t even the best selling point. Every afternoon between 5:30 and 7:30, this hotel has a happy hour and you get to choose between sake, spirits, mocktails, juices, coffees. The hotel also has a public onen, great amenities, and as well as a pillow library. Only a few hundred meters from Kawashi station, the Nikki markets, the shopping district, and only a kilometer from the Gillion Geisha district. I’ve dropped the link in the caption below, so make sure you check this one out. If you arrive to the Rashyama station, the first thing you’ll see is the kimono forest. Personally, I think this is prettier at night because all of these different poles illuminate. This is the Sago Arashiyama train station where we will take the Sigano Romantic Train from. My train time is at 9:02 and then I have my boat booked for 10:00. It should take around 25 minutes to get there. The ticket price is only $9 and the trains run every hour and you will need to pre purchase your tickets well in advance. You want the open carriage which is this one. Make sure you book carriage number five called the rich carriage. I booked mine on Clue. I booked two weeks in advance and I couldn’t get myself a window and there are only two seats left. So, I would suggest a month in advance at least booking and you can use my um discount code below to get up to 10% off and you can pick your seats through so it’s super easy. Are the other carriages and they are just as nice. They just don’t have the roof. No matter which side you sit, you’re still going to get a good view because you cross over the river. The ride is about 25 minutes and you’ll get off at Kamoka Railway Station. This is where you embark on your Hazagawa River rafting boat. [Music] [Applause] We have arrived at the station. No idea where I go now, so I’m just going to fumble my way through as the boys do. But I’m just going to head out of the building. I’m sure it will be very well signed where to go to get to the rafting boats. Yay. It looked so good. I’m so excited for this. It’s very easy and very well signed. And you catch one of the tour buses which takes you through to the river rafting. So once again, I pre- booked my tickets through Fluke. You can use the discount code below, yada yada yada, but I saved lining up in that big long queue and actually knowing that I’ve secured a boat. So I would definitely pre-book. Wait for your number to be called and then you come down here and I guess line up for your boat. I am on board. I’ve got a sight. And we are just loading everyone on board. It’s a pretty simple process. It only took about 10 minutes from arriving on the bus to So far, we have seen three turtles perched up on rocks. Oh, another one. [Music] Let’s go. Let’s go. Okay, let’s go. Woo! Go! [Music] [Applause] [Applause] [Music] Oh, there’s even a barbecue. I’ve never seen a drive up boat with actually a barbecue on it. 500. That was really good. And the boat dropped us off right in Arashima right at the park. Um, and I had this one flagged as somewhere to go. And there is a cafe just up here, an art museum, I think it’s called. So, Yasai Tea House. So, I’m going to go check that out. And then I’m going to go to the Arashima Bamboo Forest, followed by a more hidden gem bamboo forest, which apparently is much quieter. So, let’s go see what the crowds are like at lunchtime. The restaurant looks great and its view is spectacular. But it’s so full. So, I’m going to keep motoring on and find somewhere else to have a snack. And if I just walk up this path here, I get straight to the Arashia Arashima bamboo forest and then the train station. So, it was a bit of an uphill trick to be honest. Sorry. You really should do it in reverse if you’re not going to do the how gawa river tour. So come to the bamboo forest and then loop back up and go down to the park in the river. So do it obviously in reverse. But it’s really beautiful in here. Um not as busy as I thought it would be, which is nice to see. But it is the peak of summer, so it’s not as if it is golden week or spring or cherry blossoms. So, but it is very beautiful. The alternate that I’m going to go to is the Ash Adashino Nebutsu Gi Temple. And it’s about a 20minut walk. So, if it wasn’t summer, it would be easy, but it’s going to be a bit of a hike in summer, but I’m prepared to do it. That was so cool. There was a traditional Japanese hanging in the middle of the forest. It was oh so beautiful. Temple is within the Rashriama bamboo forest and you can get all of the lucky charms and do your onuji which is your fortune telling here. It’s usually around 100 or 200 and you usually get a little fortune. I always love these little trinkets that you can buy and they all have a different lucky meaning. I always buy load up on them. I’ve accepted defeat, guys. 21 minute walk in 35° humidity heat is just too far. And I have blisters on blisters on blisters. And my band-aids just keep slipping off. like I can barely walk at this point. So that just means I’m going to have to come back one day. I will still however drop the location below because if it was winter and I had on didn’t have blisters on my feet, I would absolutely hike up there. Um although the Rashyama bamboo forest wasn’t as busy as everyone makes it out to be. So I thought it was actually okay. There were hidden gems and hidden spots within there that I thought were actually quite good. So, I’m walking down the R main street in Arashiyama, and I’ll show you. There are lots of different places to stop and eat. I remember a place that we went last time that I’m going to head to. It had lots of different things to choose from. So, I’m going to go there and grab something to eat. Um, if you keep walking along here, we make our way down to the bridge and to the Howa G um Howa Gawa River where I was just at. And I did check the Uber price. It was going to be about $20 each way for a 1.5 kilometer uh trip. And I just wasn’t prepared to pay $40 to go to a bamboo forest when I was out. So yeah, we’ll save that for another trip. This place looks so cute to eat. That’s the front of it. It’s in the main street. Everything looks so cute. Japan really does cute. Very, very well. So, I found the spot that I had lunch here last time. It’s all undercover and a lot cooler than it is out on the street. And it’s kind of like, I guess, a food court area. And you’ve got all sorts of different foods to choose from. What will I have so far? They’re all sweet. I need something substantial. Yeah, it’s just Well, they’re all beers and chicken and guozas. Oo, and noodles. H, what will I have? I ordered a yaki soba, which is fried noodles, and it came with chicken. And I got a beer and it is so so hot. It’s like 36° today and I am struggling. I would last time we were in Rashyama, it was winter and I love winter in Japan. I find it so easy. You can get so much done in your day. It’s wonderful. Spring and autumn are good, too. But summer, gez, you just have to pace yourself that little bit more. And I was complaining about being hot. Can you imagine how hot that poor guy is? Wow. That would be hard work. Right now, I’ve come down to the bridge for a look. Straight across from here, if you cross the bridge, you’ll find the monkey park at the top over there. That is where I came down earlier over here where we did our rafting. And then I walked all the way up around the back down the main street and ended up back to here. So this isn’t far from where the train comes in. So it really is a really easy loop to just go around the whole entire area. There’s a few temples as well. I’ve done them in previous trips, so I haven’t done them today just because it’s 36° and I’m damn hot. It’s very beautiful down here. Just like this. A good spot to grab something to eat is just over here on the right as well. And if you don’t do the river boat cruise, you can actually hire one straight across over there as well. You can basically just shop and eat your way along this street before heading back on the train into downtown Kyoto. So much cute stuff. Lots of souvenirs. These coin purses are cute jewelry. Just nice having a look in the air con. Oh, look. Samurai umbrellas. Oh, look at these. Aren’t these cute little bunnies? Everything’s bunny themed. So cute. Lots of people come and wear their kimonos down here and do photo shoots in this area and in the bamboo forest as well. And that is the end of this video. Check out the links below for my walk-in map as well as all the links to everything that I did today. and check out the rest of my Japan content and Southeast Asia.
Join me on a Kyoto day trip to Arashiyama as we ride the Sagano Romantic Train, raft down the Hozugawa River, stroll through the Arashiyama Bamboo Grove, visit Iwatayama Monkey Park and more!
📌 MY LINKS
🔗 Sagano Romantic Train Tickets – http://bit.ly/3JrXIJx
🔗 Hozugawa River Boat – https://shorturl.at/zGJpy
🔗 Book an Organised Day Tour – https://shorturl.at/Ea30t
🔗 My Kyoto Hotel: https://booking.stay22.com/thesavvytourist/_qyxrZTY2L
🔗 Kyoto Itinerary: https://the-savvytourist.com/things-to-do-in-kyoto-itinerary/
🔗 Osaka Itinerary: https://the-savvytourist.com/osaka-itinerary/
🔗 Tokyo Itinerary: https://the-savvytourist.com/5-day-tokyo-itinerary-and-map/
🔗 JR Kansai Pass Info & Prices: https://shorturl.at/HDE7G
🤑DISCOUNT CODE KLOOK: https://www.klook.com/coupons/?code=TRAVELLIVNKLOOK
💰GET A WISE CARD FOR THE BEST EXCHANGE RATES: https://wise.prf.hn/click/camref:1100lLpJp
DIY Arashiyama Day Tour from Kyoto
📍 I’ve put together a Google Maps walking guide with all the stops so you can follow this exact route: [https://maps.app.goo.gl/1a3hXv4hNqwgrGwj6]
🚂 The Sagano Romantic Train is a must-do scenic ride through lush mountains and rivers. Be sure to book Carriage 5 (Rich Car) for the best open-air views. You will ride the Sagano Romantic Train from Sago Arashiyama Station to Kameoka Station, then hop on the Hozugawa River Rafting Boat for a thrilling ride back to Arashiyama. 🛶The Hozugawa River Boat Tour, is an incredible experience where you’ll float through valleys, ride gentle rapids, and laugh along with the lively boat crew.
Wrap up the day by exploring Arashiyama’s local highlights, from Arashiyama bamboo grove to close by temples and sweet treats.
Best things to do in Arashiyama:
🌿 Walk through the magical Arashiyama Bamboo Grove, open 24/7 and free to enter. Tip: explore deeper in for quieter paths.
🐒 Hike up to Iwatayama Monkey Park for panoramic views over Kyoto and a chance to meet playful monkeys.
🌉 Don’t miss the famous Togetsukyo Bridge, perfect for photos of the Katsura River and surrounding mountains.
🚶♀️ Take a Rickshaw Ride for a traditional way to explore temples, bamboo paths, and riverside views.
✨ After sunset, wander through the Kimono Forest — a stunning installation of illuminated poles wrapped in kimono fabric near Arashiyama Station.
🪷 For a quieter alternative, visit Adashino Nenbutsu-ji Temple, home to a peaceful bamboo grove and unique stone statues.
🍡 And of course, don’t leave without trying the local sweet treats scattered around Arashiyama’s streets.
📍 I’ve put together a Google Maps walking guide with all the stops so you can follow this exact route: [Insert Your Map Link Here]
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