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Arashiyama was the part of Kyoto our kids talked about the most afterwards. Not because of the famous bamboo grove (though that was beautiful), but because of the monkeys. Getting up close with Japanese macaques on a mountaintop overlooking the city is the kind of thing that sticks with a six-year-old. Add in a towering bamboo forest, a scenic river, and plenty of street snacks, and you’ve got a full morning or afternoon that works for every age.
Getting There
From central Kyoto, the easiest route is the JR Sagano Line from Kyoto Station to Saga-Arashiyama Station, which takes about 15 minutes and is covered by the JR Pass. You can also take the Hankyu Line to Arashiyama Station from Kawaramachi, which drops you on the south side of the river near Togetsukyo Bridge. Both work fine — we went out on one and came back on the other.
Bamboo Grove
The bamboo grove is free and open all the time, which is great. What’s less great is how crowded it gets. By mid-morning on our visit it was shoulder-to-shoulder, and trying to get a photo without 40 other people in it was impossible.
Our advice: go early. We’re talking 7am early. We went back the following morning at 7:15 and it was a completely different experience. The light filtering through the bamboo was beautiful, the sounds of the stalks creaking in the breeze were actually audible, and the kids could run ahead without us losing sight of them. The path through the main grove takes about 10 minutes at a relaxed pace.
Monkey Park Iwatayama
This was the highlight for our kids, hands down. Monkey Park Iwatayama sits at the top of a hill on the south side of the river. Entry is ¥550 for adults and ¥250 for children (ages 4-15), and then you need to walk uphill for about 20 minutes to reach the monkeys. The path is well-maintained but steep in places, so carry toddlers if needed.
At the top, around 120 Japanese macaques roam freely in the open. There’s a hut where you can buy peanuts and apple slices (¥100) and feed them through a wire mesh — the monkeys reach their little hands through to grab the food, which our kids found endlessly amusing. The views over Kyoto from the top are excellent too. We spent about an hour up there.
Important: don’t eat food in front of the monkeys outside the feeding hut, don’t look them directly in the eyes, and keep your distance from mothers with babies. The staff are good at explaining the rules.
Togetsukyo Bridge Area
The iconic wooden-railed bridge spanning the Katsura River is a good central meeting point for the area. The riverbanks on both sides are nice for sitting and resting tired legs. You can rent rowing boats on the river (around ¥1,500 for 30 minutes), which we skipped but it looked fun for families with older kids. In spring, the cherry blossoms along the river here are supposed to be spectacular.
Tenryu-ji Temple Garden
If your kids have any temple patience left, Tenryu-ji is worth a quick visit. The garden (¥500 adults, ¥300 children) is one of the finest in Kyoto, with a large pond backed by the Arashiyama mountains. It’s peaceful and photogenic, and connects directly to the bamboo grove from its north exit, so you can combine the two. We spent about 20 minutes here, which felt like the right amount with kids.
Food and Snacks
The streets around Arashiyama Station are lined with food stalls and small restaurants. We had matcha soft serve (¥400), freshly toasted mochi on sticks (¥300), and croquettes (¥250) as we walked. For a proper lunch, we found a small udon place near the bridge that did hot kitsune udon for ¥750 — exactly what we needed on a chilly morning. If you want more tips on eating in Japan with kids, the street food in Arashiyama is a good introduction because everything is visible and easy to point at.
Practical Tips
You can see the main sights in half a day. Our recommended order: bamboo grove first thing, then Tenryu-ji, then walk to the monkey park, finish with lunch and snacks near the bridge. The Sagano Scenic Railway (also called the Romantic Train) runs along the river valley and is popular with families — tickets are ¥880 for adults and ¥440 for kids. Book ahead in autumn as it sells out.
Pushchairs work on the main paths and streets but not on the monkey park trail. There are toilets at the monkey park entrance, at Tenryu-ji, and near both train stations. Arashiyama combines well with other parts of Kyoto — we did it in the morning and Fushimi Inari in the afternoon on the same day.