Kyoto's Arashiyama Bamboo Grove: 3-hour Guided Tour

This tour is outrageously overpriced and not worth the money! After paying $166 for the 3 hour guided tour we realized we had to get our own transportation from the hotel and would meet our guide right outside the Bamboo Grove which is free to the public to explore. Although we had a guide who was very knowledgable and friendly, it was totally unnescessary to have an escort walk us through the clearly marked path through the forest and the gardens. As an added insult, when we arrived at the shrine, (which is part of the tour), we had to pay for our own tickets to enter! So basically, my husband and I paid a lot of money to share our walk through the park with a very nice, and smart young man working his way through college. We felt ripped off and taken advantage of by this tour company.

Vincent was a wonderful guide who took us on a three hour tour of the area with temples and shrines! His historical knowledge of the area is extraordinary. I would highly recommend Vincent on this tour! Ask for him.

Guide was very friendly, very enjoyable trip. Not sure it was essential to have a tour guide for this activity. The tour states 3 hours but finished in two. The guide gave us a few options to do at the end of the tour (eg boat trip & monkey park)

Vince is so knowledgeable about Japanese history. I valued the history lesson and his perspective on religion vs cultural practice. Very interesting person, asked all the questions u had about Japan!

We had an amazing experience on the Arashiyama Bamboo Grove tour, thanks to Mr. Hansana. He was friendly, knowledgeable, and made the tour enjoyable for our whole family. We visited beautiful shrines, the Bamboo Grove, the famous bridge, and even the station, while learning interesting facts and history along the way. Highly recommend this tour, and especially Mr. Hansana, if you’re visiting Arashiyama.

The guide was good and knowledgable. Could have spend a bit more time at the bamboo forest and less on the tea tasting. Overall an excellent tour

Guide wasn’t knowledgeable of the tour sights and attractions. Maria got lost at one point. Her english proficiency was also subpar and a a general lack of charisma to keep the tour entertaining. Lots of awkward moments and gaps in communication. Overall, the experience was a waste of money. Chat GPT and Google Maps could’ve accomplished the same experience without the added expense. Really disappointing experience overall.

Ceci was super knowledgeable and friendly. She helped find us when we got lost trying to find the meeting point! Lol! The tour was peaceful and serene.

There were four people in our group, and our guide in Arashiyama did an excellent job adapting to both the day's heat and the crowds, making the tour smooth, informative, and personal. Exploring the area with someone so knowledgeable added a lot of value to the experience and gave us insights we would not have discovered on our own.

There’s a lot of walking and uphill, which is normal for the activity. Our guide, Ceci, did a great job keeping our teenage boys engaged and interested in the tour for that long. She explained a lot of things beyond the tour and answered a lot of our cultural questions about Japan. Would highly recommend.

This is a nice walk around the bamboo grove and surrounding areas. Our tour guide was very funny and had a wealth of history knowledge.

The guide Naoki was excellent, great English and very knowledgeable, I learned so much about Japanese history and religions and culture. He tailored the tour to meet my needs. Everything we saw was beautiful and wonderful.

Had a great time!! Cecilia was very informative and kind. Learned a lot today! Highly recommended :)

Nobumasa Miyake did an excellent job guiding us through the Arishiyama Bamboo. He also gave us the opportunity to hike on the opposite side of the hill to a temple for my daughter and husband to ring the bell of accomplishment. One if our top tours in Japan. Will highly recommend this tour to friends and family.

Atsushi was an amazing guide. So informative and very educational. The bamboo forest is amazing and the gardens so lovely

Our guide was flexible and energetic (important factors when dragging a teenager around with you). He helped me find something to keep my son occupied just long enough to fend off complaints: macha in the rest area. While the bamboo grove was beautiful, it was also packed with tourists (we were there in the afternoon is mid-March which I understand is not even the high season). However, the higher we climbed the quieter it got until it seemed like we were the only ones there.

This tour was our first introduction to Kyoto and the famed bamboo forest. Our tour guide Miya was punctual, extremely knowledgeable and showed us around this beautiful area with patience and consideration. He was so helpful and gracious that he went well out of his way to help us navigate the train system and ensure that we made our way back to our hotel in Kyoto. This hospitality will not be forgotten.

Our guide, Vincent, is knowledgeable with history of temples and shrines visited on the tour. Appreciated his recommendations for future tours in Kyoto and his willingness to take us on additional activities since we had time available. Thank you.