Kyoto Arashiyama Bamboo Forest & Scenery Customized Private Tour

I hope that everyone is lucky enough to get Takashi Okanuma as their tour guide. He was so friendly, informative, funny and told the best stories! He also makes sure everyone has a great time. We were really tired from the days before, and Takashi went out of his way to make sure we were doing the right activities. He even stayed a little longer than our time, because he wanted us to see the parade! He also takes pictures from his own phone, and will send it to you right after the tour. He’s an amazing photographer and knows all the right spots! Takashi really goes above and beyond, and made our day trip to Kyoto very memorable!

Yoshiko, our guide, met us at our hotel for our private morning tour exploring the historic Saga-Toriimoto neighborhood of Arashiyama. As our taxi headed towards our destination, surprise, surprise, the driver informed Yoshiko of the sudden closure that day (all Wednesdays thereafter) of our first stop – Otagi Nenbutsu-ji. Not a problem, a quick pivot, and Yoshiko led us to the hillside site of Adashino Nembutsu ji, a Buddhist memorial ground of 8000 ancient stone grave markers. We followed a bamboo path rising behind the 13-tier pagoda temple — a stunning, contemplative stretch that was blissfully removed from the crowds of the main Arashiyama grove. From there, Yoshiko led us to the tranquil Giōji Temple, guiding us through its serene moss garden while sharing the tragic but tender love story about a spurned dancer who found refuge and became a nun. Our unhurried walk continued down the road with quaint shops interspersed with charming old homes with private gardens arriving at a small local restaurant where we enjoyed a quiet lunch with set meals that were both delicious and beautifully presented. Yoshiko’s English was excellent, making everything feel effortless and engaging, and she sprinkled the day with stories from her own time living abroad, including heart-warming anecdotes about her family. Those personal touches made the entire experience feel even more special and connected. We’re so grateful for the time we spent with her. If you’re visiting Kyoto and want a guide who is kind, fluent in English, culturally insightful, and genuinely invested in your experience, we highly recommend Yoshiko from Arigato Travel.

We had a fantastic experience! Our guide was Takuma Goda and he was amazing! He was incredibly knowledgeable and constantly tailored the tour to exactly what we were looking for. We had a great time and it made our experience extremely special!

The tour was incredible and Yuji was an amazing tour guide. We learned so much thanks to him and he built the itinerary exactly to what we had in mind so the day was perfect. Yuji gave us so much insight into the history and culture that we wouldn’t have gotten otherwise so it was the perfect combination of sightseeing and learning about the importance and meaning of each location as well. Highly recommend the tour if you are looking to learn more about Arashiyama

Eric was so knowledgable and friendly! He took beautiful photos of us and gave us fascinating insight on all the historical sites we visited. He was also very understanding and accommodating because I was recovering from an injury and needed to move slowly through the tour. We can't recommend him enough!

My family and I booked this tour with our guide Eric we had a four hour tour from 11 to 3 PM. It was a fabuloustour and Eric is a fabulous guide we saw and learned so much about Kyoto. It’s history. It’s temples it’s food and more Eric was very to all of us and gave us so much good advice about what we were seeing and about where to go. This was the perfect tour and I am so glad that we booked it. I highly recommend it.

Takuma Goda was a great tour guide very knowledgeable and spoke really beautiful english. He had a passion for the scenery and the knew the history of the area. Happy to personalise the walk to everyone involved. Thank you again.

An amazing place... such a shame that mass tourism has taken over. Visited in mid afternoon but still rammed. Reports of peoples initials being carved in to the bamboo! Would suggest visiting in early morning or late afternoon, when tour groups have diminished. A lot of tourist tat shops and the start of the forest walk is a 15 minute hike from the car and coach parks.

Lucas gave us an amazing tour and gave us the history of the sites we visited. This was a fun way to explore the town and we covered a lot more sites than we could have on foot. We highly recommend this tour!

Our tour guide Mika was great. She created a route based on what we wanted to see and had great recommendations. It was our first time in Kyoto and we only had a day, so this was a good way to see a lot of stuff without having to do all the planning ourselves. Mika was knowledgeable about Kyoto’s history and attractions, sharing interesting facts along the way. There’s so much to see in Kyoto!

We went to some sites recommended by our guide where it was peaceful and interesting and finished with a yummy lunch as the rain came .

We had a great tour of Arashiyama with Tom who guided us through the bamboo forest. My husband climbed with Tom to see the monkeys. Tom gave us a wonderful time!

We were asked to choose 2 or 3 experiences out of several experiences on our trip. As the 7 of us were the only ones on the tour we choose 3 things. After visiting our our 2nd experience I asked if we were now going to the Monkey park to which the guide answered yes. Then after a half hour uphill journey we arrived at a tea house. While we were happy to stop and have tea we the proceeded all the way back down the hill to where we started before finding out we had another long uphill journey to the monkey park. This was very annoying as we never asked for or were told we were going to a tea house. We had 2 men in thier 70s and 1 in thier 60s with us who were so tired by now they could not face another uphill journey to the monkey park. They had to wait while we went to park. I feel like this tour company has a deal to take us to an expensive tea house weather we want to or not. Please do not take us to places we do not ask to go just to fill time. Due to this some missed out on where we asked to go. We could have easily navigated ourselves to our destinatiions without time consuming expensive side tracks. Guide was very nice and friendly but talked very little on the tour about culture and history which was our main reason for hiring a guide. I recommend using Google maps and googling places you come accross for more interesting and customised tour.

We had an amazing tour with Kiyoto. Not only was he incredibly knowledgeable and engaging, but he also went above and beyond by using a wheelchair to ensure our grandfather could comfortably enjoy the experience. The tour was well-paced, informative, and personalized. Highly recommend!

The tour with Osamu was great! He was very knowledgeable and very kind and went above and beyond to make sure I was seeing the best and seeing everywhere I wanted to go. Highly recommend. Thank you, Osamu!

My guide Saki was fabulous. I had a wonderful time. The bamboo Forrest was lovely as well as lots of other special areas / photo ops. Lunch in a little restaurant ( away from the main drag) was great. I even tried other local delicacies. Very informative guide and we had some laughs.

The Kyoto Arashiyama & Sagano Walking Food Tour is an enriching exploration of two historically significant districts led by the exceptional guide, Nao. This five-star experience takes you on a journey through Kyoto's past, with visits to iconic landmarks like the Togetsukyo bridge, Tenryu-ji temple and the bamboo forest, where Nao's insightful commentary brings history to life. After touring the beautiful sites we indulged in local delights, fish cakes, Negiyaki savory pancake and Japanese sweets, offering a taste of Kyoto's culinary heritage. Nao's knowledge, enthusiasm, and personalized approach make this tour an unforgettable way to immerse oneself in Kyoto's history and cuisine.

It was absolutely beautiful. Ellie, Our Guido, was very knowledgeable and super nice. The bamboo forest walk and the temple are very interesting. The food was yummy.

Eriko was very friendly and knowledgeable and very considerate of a group member who had a sore leg Her English is very good We all really enjoyed this beautiful area and good food especially the negimaki Highly recommended

Our tour guide, Fuji, was amazing! Our group had lots of questions and ended up extending the tour well beyond the normal amount of time, but she was very patient and made sure we got the full experience.

Fuji was a wonderful guide, interesting information and very relaxed pace. There was only 4 of us on the tour and we all enjoyed each other’s company.

Fuji was the most wonderful guide. She gave us so much great information and was warm and friendly. You could not wish for a better person to spend your day with.

This tour was great. There were only 4 of us. Our tour guide, Fuji San, is the best. She is very patient, very knowledgeable and kind. She went out of her way to make sure we enjoyed ourselves. We had so much fun with our 2 other fellow tour mates. We would definitely recommend this tour

This is a very late review I found in my Tripadvisor drafts. I came back to check which company we used for our Kyoto walking tour so I can refer them to some relatives visiting Japan in April, that's how memorable and good of a tour we had! Last August we visited Kyoto and took this tour with Ms. Yasuna Oda. We met her at the train station and had a nice walking tour with lunch and trying different foods and desserts, it was everything as advertised. She is very knowledgeable, friendly, and we highly recommend her and this company to anyone visitng Kyoto. Keep in mind its a fair bit of walking to include a temple up a hill with wonderful views of the area. When we went it was August, very hot, humid, then rained. I recommend a day pack that includes hats, water, umbrella and hand towels (some Japanese restrooms will not have paper towels).

I recently went on this walking tour with my teenage son, and we had a fantastic time. My son named it as one of the 3 highlights of his trip to Japan. Our guide was wonderful. such a thorough knowledge of the area, well prepared, made great suggestions, helped with photos. She also suggested other things to do in our remaining time in Kyoto. The bamboo forrest is amazing, as are the Japanese gardens nearby. Great way to spend a half day in Kyoto

Yasuna was a fantastic tour guide. We took multiple tours in Japan and she was the best! She was extremely knowledgeable and accommodating. We were lucky enough to be the only people on the tour so we got to know her very well by the end. She explained everywhere we went in detail which made it a fun memorable experience. We didn’t feel rushed and had plenty of time to take photos and purchase items along the way. Yasuna also went above and beyond helping us plan what to do after the tour.

Yasuna was an excellent guide! Amazing tour of beautiful areas in Arashiyama with fun and interesting food to try!

Excellent walking tour around the Saga-Arashiyama area. Lots of nature and great food. Guide was very kind and knowledgeable, he even gave us tips on what to do in Kyoto after the tour. Definitely recommend!

Very good walking tour around the Saga-Arashiyama area. Very beautiful area with lots of nature, history, and great food. Our guide was very knowledgeable and kind, he gave us nice tips and recommendations regarding what to see in Kyoto and such. Definitely recommend!

We had an incredible time with Yuri! Amazing food selection and a very well thought out route of paths less travelled by tourists! We went to places we never would have imagined! And Yuri was a very good guide that spoke very good english and was happy to switch between Japanese and English for us! And was a very good photographer for us to remember the day! Would recommend for anyone in Kyoto! THANKYOU YURI! ❤🎉

Well planned out and interesting. My kids 15 and 11 years were kept engaged. Guide was flexible and accommodated our requests.

The itinerary was good and the guide was very friendly and accommodating member needs. The reason I gave 4 stars instead of 5 is because all of us felt a bit awkward with our guide not participating in food tasting. Since this is a rather intimate tour in a small group setting, the guide should also participate in food tasting to make the tasting setting and tour environment natural and pleasant.

My husband and I thoroughly enjoyed our tour with our local guide, Naomi. She was wonderful and took very good care of us. We had picked this tour in particular because there are tons of temples and shrines in Kyoto and we wanted a good historical and cultural guide so that we didn't just walk around blindly. Naomi was extremely knowledgeable and took us to all the best spots for photos and gave us a good understanding of the area and its historical/cultural significance. We were in Kyoto during peak leaf-peeping week and it was pretty crowded at some of the stops, but Naomi is an expert navigator. Naomi was very kind and even shared some lovely photos of her family with us, and we got to see pictures of her beautiful heirloom kimonos. We followed up on some of her recommendations for after the tour--where to eat and a walk through Hogon-in Temple, and they were wonderful places! I had totally forgotten that this was a food tour, and that aspect didn't disappoint, either. We had some delicious snacks (and big portions)! I highly recommend this tour and if you get Naomi, consider yourself very lucky!!

Great tour, love walking around learning about the culture and getting to try food! Would highly recommend!

My family joined this tour during the peak of autumn session, and the scenery is amazing! Mika our guide took us on a wonderful food tour, trekking through bamboo groves, Jojakko-ji and Tenryuji. We enjoyed her insights on the Japanese culture, and her hospitality to go the extra mile for my kids to try different food options. This is our 3rd visit to Kyoto/Arashiyama, but we truly get to know more about this place throigh this tour.

Met by the guide at the train station. Guide was very friendly and fun.She also shared her family life so the tour was very personable. The bamboo forest was beautiful and we found some very quiet and peaceful places to rest. The food samples were delicious! This tour gave us wonderful memories of our trip to Japan.

I really enjoyed this tour, our guide was so friendly and helpful and the food was delicious! Would definitely recommend if you're tight on time as a great way to see Arashiyama.

We had this tour including food, and we were only three guests on the tour. We had a very nice guide that gave us a lot of information on the seeings but also about Japan in general. There was a lot of nice food on the tour too. Things that we hadn't eaten/bought by our selves. I can only recommend this tour.

Had an excellent experience in Kyoto! Mika our guide was very informative and friendly, she took us to the best viewpoints and photo areas. The food was tasty and just made me hungrier after every bite oishi! Had a great time, highly recommend! Oniki for the tour.

This was a well thought out tour, taking us to amazing food that we would not have known to try, and to see beautiful, serene places we would not have thought to seek out. Our guide Kazu was truly fun, knowledgeable, and tremendously courteous. We loved him. Tour exceeded all expectations, and was a highlight of our trip.

Just finished a tour with Kazu. Kazu was informative and knowledgeable about the history of the temples we visited. He was also incredibly patient since we kept stopping for pictures. If you love photography, this is a wonderful tour. You'd be hard pressed to not get amazing pictures. Seems like every turn was another chance for an amazing pic. Kazu was also very very courteous and kept apologizing for other clients who did not show. The other 2 folks who were supposed to be on the tour with us did not show and this obviously distressed him. He waited 10-15 minutes and tried many times to call and text but no answer to either method. This was fine with us and was not Kazu's fault though he kept apologizing. I would definitely do another tour with Kazu. Thanks for a wonderful, informative, gracious, tour with great memories.

Yasuna was a wonderful English speaking tour leader for our tour today. Her local knowledge was outstanding, she was very accommodating and there were no time restrictions. We experienced some amazing food and history of this area. I thoroughly recommend this tour.

Mika was an outstanding tour guide, and led us through various temples, shrines, and the bamboo forest. I am so glad I had a tour guide to provide more background and history on the area. The food was just great. It gave me a chance to try things I would not have found on my own. Would highly recommend this tour!

Yasuna was a wonderful tour guide- and the tour involved a lot of extra bits that I wasn’t expecting. We got to visit some gorgeous temples, and despite the really hot sun- we had a wonderful time. The food we got to try was all delicious, and we were supporting local businesses which is amazing. Thank you again Yasuna, and Japan Wonder Travel. I will recommend this to all of my friends! :)

Truly a wonderful experience. My wife and I arrived at the train station a little bit early, but our guide was already waiting for us. After brief introductions, we set off for adventure. We felt spoiled, as we were the only ones in the group that day. Our guide kept up a steady stream of conversation, providing tidbits of facts as we wandered, asking about our trip, and responding happily to our questions. The food was delicious (we went back to a couple stops after our tour for more). Overall, we had an excellent view tour of the surrounding sights and happy bellies to boot.

Overall the tour was pleasant. Tour guide was very caring and has a good command of English. Only issue encountered was the meeting place given by the company was different, hence caused unnecessary waiting time. Change of venue should be informed promptly.

Tour guide was friendly and very informative. The food was great. It was an amazing experience and loved walking through the bamboo forest

I simply enjoyed the Arashiyama Bamboo Forest. Since I was the lone tourist being showed around by Sirako, it became an exclusive tour and I liked the independence of having a guide show me around Kyoto. Thank you, Sirako, for your company and expertise. I gave it a four-star for the simple reason that I had to find the train station by myself. It would have been better if I was also accompanied back to the train station being unfamiliar with the place.

We found this tour very enjoyable. Our guide was very informative. Quality of food we got to try was excellent.