Saga Arashiyama is located in the northwest of Kyoto city, which was an ancient capital of Japan.
It is famous for its scenic beauty.
There are many picturesque places such as bamboo groves, mountain ranges, bridges, rivers, historical temples and shrines , scenic trains, and a 'Kimono Forest'.
On this tour we will walk down the mountainside, visit some peaceful temples, see the beautiful bamboo groves and attractive gifts (pottery, cocoon dolls, handmade bamboo products) there.
This itinerary can be customized to meet your needs and preferences. Send me a message with your requests!
Meeting Point
9:30
- Hotel or other places
At your hotel in Kyoto
You can choose any hotel or train station near your accommodation.
If you stay at a hotel in Osaka, we will start the tour earlier.
Saga Arashiyama station
Walking in a local area
Reaching the bus stop
Toriimoto area and Adashino Nenbutsu Temple
The Toriimoto area is located at the foot of Mt. Atago, which is the highest sacred mountain in Kyoto city.
Toriimoto literally means the foot of the gate called 'Torii'.
The area was designated as an Important Traditional Cultural Property.
We can find traditional houses, town houses, visit a beautiful temple and see lovely products made in this area when we descend from the first gate.
Restaurant
There are some local restaurants. You can find your favorite food.
The Pottery Store
The unique pottery store is located when we descend the mountain.
In the store, there is handmade pottery, from earthenware and ceramics.
The owner makes all of them onsite in the store so each item is unique.
We can enjoy seeing different kinds of pottery, bonsai, miniature potted trees, and a beautiful garden in the shop.
Bamboo groves
Bamboo groves in Sagano and Arashiyama are very popular at home and abroad.
They have tremendous appeal at all times of the day.
You can enjoy the majestic view of bamboos in a quiet forest with cool air in the morning and the sunshine filtering through the branches of the trees during the daytime.
You can feel the serene beauty there.
Nonomiya Shrine and bamboo groves
Nonomiya Shrine is located on the bamboo grove path in Sagano.
This shrine enshrines the god for matchmaking.
In ancient times, a princess visited this shrine to purify herself before going to the main shrine in Ise.
The shrine was carefully chosen as a serene and sacred place.
The shrine was also used in the Tale of Genji, which is a Japanese famous tale about romance, so it reminds us of the romantic and beautiful scene.
You can enjoy some attractions in the shrine as well.
After visiting the shrine, we will visit another bamboo grove.
Let's walk this romantic path together.
Tenryuji Temple
Tenryuji Temple is a Zen Buddhist temple and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
It was built during the Warring State Period and experienced fire damage eight times.
Now we can sit down in the hall and enjoy the great view of the garden and Arashiyama.
This garden is designed beautifully so that the scenery of Arashiyama could be adopted in the garden.
We can relax in the hall and stroll around the garden.
Togetsu bridge and the riverside
Togetsu bridge is the iconic symbol of Arashiyama.
We will walk along the riverside.
You can enjoy the harmony of mountains, rivers and bridges from the riverside.
You can also enjoy the alluring scenery with beautiful cherry blossom in spring, bright greenery in summer, the flaming colors of leaves in autumn, and a majestic blanket of snow in winter.
Let's enjoy walking in the peaceful riverside and its picturesque scenery .
Kimono Forest
Arashiyama is famous for bamboo forests but this area is not a bamboo forest !
It is a 'Kimono Forest' !
Kimono fabrics are inside of the poles placed at the tram station. They look like a forest because they are closed together.
We can see 32 different kimono patterns which are made in Kyoto. As well as bamboo forests, we can enjoy the sunshine filtering through the poles during the daytime and the flash of brilliant golden colored poles at night.
Let's walk in the Kimono Forest together !
Your hotel in Kyoto
At your hotel or other places that you will choose.
If you stay in Osaka, we will finish the tour later.
If the finishing time is too late for you, I will change this itinerary.
I will tailor the tour for you.
Ending Point
17:30
This tour can be customized to meet your needs and preferences. Click below to send me a message with your requests.
Guide fee, hotel pick-up
transportation fee for you and guide
admission fee for you and your guide ( Guides don't need admission fees for some temples.)
lunch costs for you and your guide
On this tour we'll enjoy tranquil walk, the beautiful nature, the picturesque scenery and historical places. If you want to visit other places, please feel free to let me know. I will arrange the tour according to your request.
Also, if you want to change the meeting time and finishing time, please feel free to ask me.
We'll be able to finish the tour at shopping district in Kyoto or Osaka if you want.
You will be able to enjoy the local food there.
This tour will show you the following;
・The tranquil places on the bamboo grove path
・The picturesque scenery
・ The history of Kyoto
・The correlation between Shinto and Buddhism for Japanese people.
・The traditional and beautiful gardens
・Special foods in Kyoto
Hello. My name is Atsuko.I'm a licensed tour guide in Japan.
I have lived in Osaka since I was born.
I have guided many tourists all over the world as a volunteer for 6 years. I like showing my tourists my favorite places in Japan and talking with them. Osaka, where I was born and raised, is famous for foods, modern and ancient cultures. Nara and Kyoto, which are neighboring places, were ancient capitals in Japan. I'm happy to visit those places with you.
Girish S.
“Wonderful experience ”
Atsuko is a great guide. She was punctual. Her English is easy to understand. She clearly knows and enjoys her work. She took us to beautiful locations in Saga Arashiyama. She also helped me set something up for a different day, going above and beyond to ensure that a particular experience was booked. Thank you Atsuko san!
Atsuko T.
Hello Mr. Girish, Thank you for your kind review and words for me. I am happy to hear you enjoyed the Arashiyama tour with me. We could relax there and visited many beautiful places. I think you could enjoy Kyoto on other days. Thank you. Best regards, Atsuko
Kim L.
“Kyoto day with Atsuko ”
The 4 of us set a busy itinerary with Atsuko and she provided a fantastic day. We saw all the sights we requested and experienced a variety of travel options making it so interesting. She was very prepared with a book of interesting facts and pictures. An absolutely fantastic day.
Atsuko T.
Hello Ms. Kim, Thank you for your kind review and words for me. I really enjoyed showing the beautiful places in Kyoto and talking with all of you. We were very happy to eat Japanese sweets in the market. Thank you for your beautiful photos. Please enjoy the rest of your journey. Thank you. Best regards, Atsuko
Martin K.
“Very interesting Kyoto- and Osaka-Tour”
Our two 8-hour day tours (March 25 and 26, 2025) to Kyoto and Osaka with Atsuko were very interesting, varied and entertaining. Atsuko is a friendly guide and was able to enthusiastically introduce us to her hometown Osaka as well as to Kyoto. She was perfectly organized, has profound knowledge of the region, is humorous and communicative, and is flexible in accommodating individual requests. Long story short: We had a lot of fun and learned a lot. Highly recommended!
Atsuko T.
Hello Mr. Martin, Thank you for your kind review and words for me. I am happy to know you really enjoyed the two tours. Each of Kyoto and Osaka has its own attractive aspect. Although they are crowded with people, we could find some quieter places on these tours. It was fun to show you my hometown and share our own countries with each other. Thank you for joining my tours. Please say hello to Christine. Please enjoy the rest of your long journey. Thank you. Best regards, Atsuko
$280/ per group