Kyoto Arashiyama Bamboo Forest Hiking Tour Hidden Temple

Guide Taira was friendly, knowledgeable about Japanese culture and history and mindful of our security & comfortability. We had a great time.

Great experience! Great Guide! Thank you so much for a great time!

High intensity but well worth the climb! Genki was a great guide and offered interesting insights into Japan as we explored the forest. It was nice to get away from the crowds and experience the beautiful foliage and natural environment.

It was so nice to get out of the hustle and bustle of the crowds and hike through the bamboo forest and then through bush. Lots of amazing views from up high. Our tour guide Genki was knowledgeable and caring! He made sure we had breaks and kept us safe - some of the terrain was very tight was big drops! He took great photos too. Recommend this as something different and to get away from the crowds

Our guide Rin, made this worth it! He was kind, informative, and make it a very special day for us. We got so much out of the experience and I highly recommend the tour and Rin as a guide!

Wow! What a memorable day! Rin is an amazing guide. He has a wonderful spirit and has a special way of sharing the culture and nature of Japan with his guests. The bamboo forest was something in Kyoto that we wanted to see and we weren’t disappointed. However the highlight of the day was getting off the beaten path, away from the crowds, and enjoying the day on a scenic hike at a perfect pace. Thank you again Rin. Your warm, genuine hospitality exemplifies everything that we have loved about our time in Japan. (And thank you for the recommendation for where to stop for lunch. Oishii!)

Our tour guide Arisa was extremely manageable and patient

Genki led us on a beautiful and refreshing hike through the mountains near the bamboo forest, beginning in the bamboo forest and with a stop at the Adashino Nenbutsuji Temple. Genki was friendly, knowledgeable, and made sure to help us navigate the terrain safely. The hike is definitely not for the inexperienced; it was tough but doable, about 5k with climbing and descending. I recommend wearing shoes with traction and bringing plenty of water. This was a unique way to see the mountains and nature surrounding Kyoto!

Tang is an excellent guide - an anthropology student with exceptional English and good knowledge of the hiking trails and the history of the area. This tour is a great way to see glimpses of 'old Japan' and escape the crowds. The Bamboo Forest section itself is quite small. The best value of this tour is the hike beyond the Bamboo forest section into the surrounding hills, forest, valleys, villages and temples. Some of the trail can be tricky in sections. Tang will help you through these as best you can, but proper hiking shoes are a must. A reasonable level of fitness is required.

We love our hiking through the Arashiyama forest and Genki was a great guide. He contact us a day before to make sure we are prepare for the hike. To emphasize this is a hiking tour so you will walk through the forest with some up and down hills also rocky terrain. Genki provided us with gloves to hold on to ropes when we went through the steep, rocky terrain. The tour ended with Genki brewed some honey tea for us which was perfect for a cold December day. As a bonus, he took great pictures of our family.

Rin is such helpful guide! He helped me to go slow in descending the cliff edge. I made it! Thank you for your support and patience towards me. The route he took me is only locals aware, hence it was so tranquil mountain peak view is magnificent. Highly recommended for such hiking.

Great hiking tour with a knowledgeable guide for the entire experience. It was great to see both bamboo Forrest and climb the hills.

We had a fantastic time with Yamato! He’s friendly, attentive, and full of knowledge. His passion and kindness made the tour truly special. Highly recommended!

We had a great tour experience with Rin. The views and the experience on this hike were amazing. This is recommended for those who are looking for a little hiking adventure in Kyoto

Yamato, a friendly guide which offer us a great detour of Arashiyama area. He explain to us the bamboo area and bring us around here.

Yamato was an amazing guide! He was kind, patient, and very knowledgeable. He explained everything clearly and added interesting details that made the experience unforgettable. We really enjoyed our time with him and highly recommend him!

Kanami was our tour guide and she was wonderful. She was fluent in English and explained everything we saw with clarity. She was also very patient as it was a long hot day and kept us all in good cheer. She's very special person and I highly recommend when in Kyoto. You hire her as a guide. Barry Fishman

This was such a great tour, it was like 3 different activities in one! We started at Arashiyama Bamboo Forest Walk and because it was not the main path and still early we avoided the crowds and still enjoyed the bamboo views. The hiking part is definitely a hike with some steep parts but enjoyable all around and provided good views and a peaceful walk in the hills. The hiking trail ended in a traditional village and we visited Adashino Nenbutsuji Temple which was a very unique temple with different aspects to learn about, all very well explained by my guide Soichiro (Sam). I was lucky in that this ended up being a private tour as I was the only guest, which was great as Soichiro (Sam) answered all my questions and we had a great time chatting. I’d recommend this for anyone who wants to avoid the crowds in the main area of Arashiyama and see a different side of the area.

We had a lovely hike in the forests at the edge of Kyoto with glimpses of old Japan along the way. Our local guide Taira was excellent - very friendly, knowledgeable, well prepared and with very good English. The whole trip took approximately 4 hours from 9 in the morning which meant that the more popular locations were much less crowded and the temperature for the more strenuous parts were cooler. We had several stops along the way to admire the beautiful views, take photos and rehydrate. A couple of bits of the hike were rather steep but this allowed us to have some excellent views. We really loved it.

Excellent tour. Guide was very knowledgable and moved at our pace. I would recommend that you suggest taking g water for the hike. Overall a fantastic experience.

Had an absolutely brilliant time with Taira. We learned a lot about the area but also about the lives of Japanese people in general. Slightly tricky 5mins part of the hike which Taira helped us nagivate. He also gave us lots of food and matcha recommendations! We would highly recommend having the tour with him.

Ask the guide to take a picture; he knows it perfectly, and you will enjoy the photo from the bamboo forest. After that you can enjoy short hike without tourists

Among the stops on our family trip to Japan, Arashiyama was certainly one of the most incredible! We visited Bamboo Forest just today, a wonderful place that our guide Taira, a young, friendly and very knowledgeable guy, made even more special. After the initial part of the route (very crowded especially in April) Taira guided us through secret paths, hidden and far from the tourist chaos. He told us in detail the history of this magical forest and its ancient temples, making us savor the authentic Japan. After a breathtaking hike in the middle of nature, with incredible views, we reached the final stop, in the heart of a small ancient village. We highly recommend this experience, but arm yourself with courage because the route is challenging but will certainly amaze you! Thanks Taira for your company, see you soon! Arigatō gozaimasu.

Fantastic experience. A proper ‘hike’ and an amazing way to experience the bamboo forest and climbing the hills to see the view. Taira was a really friendly and engaging guide with excellent English. It was like going hiking with a new friend. Parts of the trail were very steep but Taira went slowly and made sure we were safe at all times. One of the best parts of our holiday - truly a once in a lifetime experience.

We had an amazing tour of the Arashiyama Bamboo Forest and surrounding mountains with our guide, Daizen. From the moment he met us at the train station, we felt welcomed and in great hands. He walked us to the bamboo forest, sharing fascinating facts about the bamboo itself and how it grows—insights we never would’ve gotten on our own. After the forest, Daizen led us on a scenic hike up the mountain. It was a manageable challenge and absolutely worth the effort. The views of Kyoto from the lookout points were breathtaking—places you’d never find without a local guide. Along the way, we visited the beautiful Nenbutsu-ji Temple. Daizen’s knowledge of its history and cultural significance was superb. He brought the site to life with stories and context that gave us a deeper appreciation for its spiritual importance. Another highlight of the day was the incredible tofu meal Daizen introduced us to. It’s something we never would’ve discovered without him, and it ended up being one of our favorite meals in Japan. Daizen's expertise, thoughtful pacing, and passion for the region made this an unforgettable experience. Highly, highly recommend booking this tour if you're in Kyoto!

Rin is awesome and so profesional! He contacted me a couple of days before the tour to make sure I have all info to meet him! Once we arrived, he explained everything so clear! We enjoyed a lot the trekking tour with him! He is very kind, patient! I recommend him 100%

This tour was awesome! The bamboo was very beautiful and the tour guide was very kind and explained everything about Arashiyama. I really recommend this tour when you come to Japan!

This is a great tour to give you a little bit of everything...bamboo forest, a beautiful hike and a temple experience. Be aware, the hike is the largest part of the experience and is a real hike...good shoes and water are needed. The views on the hike are beautiful. And you even end up is a really cute little village. Our guide Tang was excellent and very knowledgeable and enthusiastic. And bonus points because he was patient and kind with our 10 year old when his energy started dropping toward the end.

The views were amazing!!!! I loved Rintaro, his character was really welcoming and everyone else was really kind too. I hope to come back here again some day in the future.

We spent around 3 hours finishing the tour, quite tired after finishing but had lots of fun during the hike. It was an easy hike for us, we got lots of time chatting on the way, and enjoying the wonderful sightseeing in the forest and green paths, really chill hike at all. Down the hiking path you can amazingly see part of the view of the city from a wide angle!

Incredible areas to tour, and my guide Rintaro was amazing! He had lots of knowledge about the area, and was very friendly. His English was also perfect!

Our guide was absolutely amazing! He was very friendly and incredibly knowledgeable about all the places we visited. Not only did he answer all our questions, but he also shared extra insights that made the experience even better. On top of that, he recommended some fantastic shops and restaurants in Kyoto. Thank you so much—I highly recommend this tour to anyone visiting Kyoto!

I joined this morning tour and it was absolutely worth it! Starting early allowed us to avoid the crowds, making the experience much more peaceful and enjoyable. After the tour, we had the whole afternoon for ourselves so we could travel efficiently. Our guide was incredibly knowledgeable, kind and shared us fascinating stories. I highly recommend this tour to anyone planning to go to Arashiyama!

The hike was absolutely fantastic. Arashiyama bamboo forest is said to be overcrowded, however, I did enjoy the view without crowd with this tour!

The atmosphere was amazing! Very quite and the clean air in Arashiyama was so relaxing. Definitely a spot to visit when coming to Japan. The tour was very helpful and fun! Definitely coming back.

I can to Kyoto by myself to experience the beautiful essense of Kyoto, and booked this tour. When I came to the forrest, I was surprised by how amazing the bamboos were, and they were just like the ones I imagined!! Having this tour made the experience a lot better, as our guide navigated us perfectly and showed us the best photo spots!