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Arashiyama and Sagano, spreading across the west of Kyoto, form one of the city's finest scenic areas, with river, mountains, temples and shrines all within a short distance of one another. The view from Togetsukyo Bridge, the Bamboo Grove path, Tenryuji — a World Cultural Heritage site — and the Romantic Train and boats that travel the Hozu River: with so much to see, where you enter and how you walk makes a big difference to how the day feels. This article sets out a route and an approach for walking the whole Arashiyama area in one go.
The symbol of Arashiyama is Togetsukyo Bridge, which spans the Katsura River. According to Kyoto City's tourism information, the first bridge is said to have been built by the monk Dosho during the Jowa era (834–848), and a later bridge at the present site is traditionally attributed to Suminokura Ryoi. The current bridge was completed in 1934.
The name "Togetsukyo" (Moon-Crossing Bridge) is said to come from the retired Emperor Kameyama, who, watching the moon pass over the bridge, remarked that it looked like "the unclouded moon crossing over". Upstream of the bridge the river is also called the Oi River, and the composition of Arashiyama's slopes rising straight up beyond the water is something you can see only here.
You can enjoy the scenery from either the north or the south bank, but if you want to take in the whole mountain at once, the riverbank a little east of the bridge on the north side offers a calm vantage point. Rather than focusing on the bridge itself, look for the distance at which bridge, mountain and river read as one — that is the key to savouring the Arashiyama landscape.
Heading north from Togetsukyo Bridge brings you to the Bamboo Grove path, the emblem of Sagano. Kyoto City's tourism information describes it as a path of about 400 metres running from Nonomiya Shrine past the north gate of Tenryuji to the Okochi Sanso villa. In the Heian period the area was a retreat for aristocratic villas, and it leaves a lasting impression — dappled sunlight on clear days, and on cloudy days a distinctive dimness even at midday.
This is one of the most crowded spots in Arashiyama. If you want to walk it in peace, avoid the middle of the day and choose the early morning, when you can even hear the bamboo rustling in the wind. The path is not wide, so if you stop, step aside where you will not block the flow.
Near the southern end of the path stands Nonomiya Shrine. According to the shrine's own explanation, its kuroki torii, made from sawtooth oak with the bark left on, is the oldest style of torii in Japan, and its low brushwood fence is made of kuromoji spicebush. The shrine is known for its deities of good relationships, fertility and learning, and it has a sacred stone (the turtle stone) said to grant your wish if you stroke it.
Adjoining the south side of the Bamboo Grove path is Tenryuji, head temple of the Tenryuji branch of Rinzai Zen. Its founding abbot was Muso Soseki and its founding patron Ashikaga Takauji. In 1994 it was registered as a World Cultural Heritage Site, as a component of the "Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto".
At its heart is the Sogenchi Garden, a stroll garden around a pond that preserves traces of its original design by the National Teacher Muso some 700 years ago, and is known as the first garden in Japan to be designated a Historic Site and Special Place of Scenic Beauty. It is characterised by borrowed scenery that draws Arashiyama behind it directly into the garden, so that when you view it from the front you are hardly aware of where garden ends and mountain begins.
On the ceiling of the Dharma Hall is a cloud dragon painting. According to the temple's guide, in addition to a dragon painted in 1899, a new cloud dragon by Kayama Matazo was created in 1997 to commemorate the centenary of the hall's relocation and the 650th memorial of the National Teacher Muso. Passing through the Hyakkaen garden on the north side of the grounds brings you to the north gate, which opens straight onto the Bamboo Grove path — an efficient route as well.
Continue northwest beyond the Bamboo Grove path and the crowds visibly thin out. Jojakkoji, set halfway up Mt Ogura, is said to have begun in the Keicho era when the hermitage of the priest Nisshin was made into a temple, and its name is said to come from an atmosphere like wandering in the Pure Land of Eternal Tranquil Light. Its Momoyama-period tahoto pagoda is an Important Cultural Property, and in autumn the path from the gate to the main hall becomes a tunnel of red leaves.
Further in is Giouji, a nunnery associated with Gio, who appears in The Tale of the Heike. The temple's guide introduces its thatched hermitage, moss garden, bamboo grove and hokyoin stupa as the highlights of the grounds. It is not large, but time spent quietly gazing at the moss-covered garden is a world away from the bustle of Arashiyama. Visitors are asked not to use tripods or monopods on the grounds.
If you want to experience Arashiyama's nature "on the move", the Sagano Scenic Railway's Romantic Train is an option. It runs 7.3 km from Torokko Saga Station via Torokko Arashiyama and Torokko Hozukyo to Torokko Kameoka, taking about 25 minutes one way. Running along the gorge, the windows bring you remarkably close to the Hozu River.
However, you must check operating days and reservation arrangements in advance. According to official and local government information, the operating season runs roughly from 1 March to 29 December, with no service on Wednesdays (though trains run when Wednesday is a public holiday, and during spring and summer holidays, Golden Week and the autumn foliage season), and there is a suspension period from the New Year holidays through winter. These details may change from year to year, so always confirm the operating season and how to book on the Sagano Scenic Railway's official website.
Seats are generally bought in advance; the official FAQ states that tickets go on sale on the official website at midnight one month before the travel date (on the same date of the previous month). Same-day tickets are also sold at the ticket windows of each station except Torokko Hozukyo, but trains can sell out in busy periods.
A classic combination is to ride the Romantic Train up to the Kameoka side and return to Arashiyama on the Hozu River boat ride. The boat ride covers about 16 km from Kameoka to Arashiyama in roughly two hours; its schedule also changes with the season, so we recommend checking the official website, including the day's operating status.
Arashiyama has three gateways of different character, and where you enter determines the order in which you walk.
The terminus of the Arashiyama Main Line linking Shijo-Omiya and Arashiyama, reachable without a change from the Shijo area in central Kyoto. Togetsukyo Bridge is a few minutes' walk from the station and Tenryuji is right in front, making it ideal if you want to arrive in the heart of the area as quickly as possible. Inside the station there is also a foot bath built to commemorate the opening of Arashiyama Onsen. The Kitano Line connects it with the Kitano-Hakubaicho area.
Reachable from Kyoto Station without a change on the JR Sagano Line (San'in Main Line). Torokko Saga Station is right next door, so on days built around the Romantic Train, starting here is the most efficient. It is a bit of a walk to Togetsukyo Bridge and the Bamboo Grove, but you see the streets of Sagano along the way.
Reached by changing to the Arashiyama Line at Katsura Station on the Hankyu Kyoto Line. The station is on the south bank of the Katsura River, about eight minutes' walk from Togetsukyo Bridge. Because you enter Arashiyama by crossing the bridge from the south, the river and mountain open up directly in front of you. It is also a convenient route if you are coming from the Osaka direction.
To cover the main sights in half a day, enter from JR Saga-Arashiyama or Randen Arashiyama Station, take in the view at Togetsukyo Bridge, then head to Tenryuji. After the garden, leave by the north gate onto the Bamboo Grove path and continue past Nonomiya Shrine deeper into Sagano to Jojakkoji and Giouji — an easy route to walk. On days that include the Romantic Train, on the other hand, travel to the Kameoka side first and visit the walking sights after you return, so you are not chasing train times.
In terms of season, the cherry blossom and autumn leaf periods are especially crowded. The tunnel of red leaves at Jojakkoji and the colours of Arashiyama seen from Tenryuji's garden are unique to these times, but that also means whether you move early in the morning changes the quality of the experience. If you want to avoid crowds, the fresh greenery of early summer and winter mornings, when the bamboo looks especially clear, are calm times to walk.
Arashiyama is a dense area where different landscapes — river, bamboo grove, gardens and mountains — all fall within walking distance. Rather than trying to cram everything in, deciding which landscape to build the day around and then drawing your route makes for a more memorable day.
*Information in this article is current as of August 2026. Visiting hours, fees and train operations are subject to change. Please check each facility's official information before you go.
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