Arashiyama Bamboo Grove: Stations, Temples and River Stops

Arashiyama is easier to enjoy when you plan by station and treat the bamboo grove as one stop in a wider neighborhood. The grove sits beside Tenryu-ji, while Togetsukyo Bridge and the Monkey Park are farther south by the river. For a scenic ride or boat trip, plan around that operator’s ticket and timetable rather than trying to squeeze every attraction into one fixed loop.

Choose the station for your first stop

There are three useful rail approaches, but their stations are not interchangeable. The Japan National Tourism Organization places the grove a ten-minute walk from JR Saga-Arashiyama Station. Tenryu-ji’s access page gives separate walking estimates from all three lines.

Admissions, fares, posted hours and ride details in this guide were checked on 6 October 2026. Confirm them with the relevant operator before your visit.

These are the published walks to the named destinations, not door-to-door journey times. Pick the station that makes sense for where you are coming from and where you want to begin.

Pair the grove with Tenryu-ji

JNTO places the grove in Sagano on Kyoto’s west side and describes the path as short. It also notes a grove extension to nearby Nonomiya Shrine, a useful nearby addition if you want to explore beyond the main bamboo path.

The grove is a short walk through a bamboo landscape, and the JNTO guide describes an approach from Tenryu-ji’s side gate. The temple is a separate paid visit. Its official page lists garden admission at ¥500 for high-school students and older, ¥300 for elementary and middle-school students, and free for preschool children. Entry to the buildings costs an additional ¥300.

Tenryu-ji posts hours of 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., with last admission at 4:50 p.m. The temple warns that buildings can close without notice and lists scheduled closures for 2026. Check the official page for the date you plan to visit, especially if the buildings are part of your reason for going.

Add the river side if you have time

The Monkey Park entrance is near the south side of Togetsukyo Bridge. Its operator posts hours of 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and notes that it may close early when the monkeys return to the mountain. It also lists irregular holidays and bad-weather closures. The page lists admission at ¥800 for adults and ¥400 for children, with cash in Japanese yen only. The park is a separate stop, so check its notice before setting out.

Price the train and boat as separate outings

The Sagano Romantic Train’s operator lists a one-way standard fare of ¥880 for adults and ¥440 for children. The route selector offers travel from Saga or Arashiyama toward Kameoka, or the reverse. Same-day counter tickets are sold first come, first served at the station counters other than Torokko Hozukyo. If a particular departure matters to your plan, check the operator’s booking page before choosing the rest of your day.

The Hozu River Boat Ride Association lists shared-boat fares of ¥6,000 per adult and ¥4,500 per child on its fare page, checked October 6, 2026. It gives an approximate ride time of two hours, with some variation according to water volume. The operator says service can stop in severe weather or high water, and lists an annual closure from December 29 through January 4. Treat the boat as its own scheduled excursion and check its current timetable and operating notice before travelling.

A practical way to shape the day

If the grove and temple are your priorities, choose the station nearest your first stop and keep the morning to those nearby sights. Add the Monkey Park when you want to spend time around the river and can accommodate its separate hours. The scenic train and Hozu boat are separately ticketed options. Check each operator’s schedule first, then choose one that fits the time you have.

For current details, use the JNTO Arashiyama guide, Tenryu-ji admission and access page, Monkey Park hours and admission page, Sagano Romantic Train ticket page, and the Hozu River Boat Ride fare page.