The long timber-railed Togetsukyo bridge over the river at sundown, walkers on it and autumn-coloured hills beyond

A bamboo grove in Arashiyama with fresh shoots in the undergrowth

The red-and-yellow Sagano Romantic Train rounding a curve between green bamboo and trees

A roofed wooden boat on a calm river, a boatman with a long pole at the stern, early autumn colour on the hillside

Arashiyama, Kyoto

Arashiyama: Where to Eat, What to Do and Where to Stay

Food · Things to do · Where to stay

Arashiyama splits into three parts. The riverside core is Togetsukyo Bridge, Tenryu-ji, the bamboo grove and the Kimono Forest at Randen Arashiyama Station; the Monkey Park and Okochi Sanso are up the hillside, and the Sagano Romantic Train and the Hozugawa boat run down the gorge.

Arashiyama and Sagano are known for tofu: six of the ten places on the food list serve yudofu (simmered tofu). Most kitchens stop early; Shigetsu serves lunch only (11:00–14:00), and Yudofu Sagano takes its last order at 16:30 and stops when the tofu runs out.

Arashiyama: food, things to do, where to stay

Where to eat in ArashiyamaYudofu Sagano · Shoraian · Tofu and Yuba Matsugae
Things to do in ArashiyamaTogetsukyo Bridge · Tenryu-ji · Arashiyama Bamboo Grove
Where to stay in Arashiyama

In depth

TravelArashiyama in Half a Day: Four Conditions Set the Route, Starting With Which Half You Have
Is half a day enough for Arashiyama? The bamboo grove, Tenryu-ji and Togetsukyo fit in a morning or an afternoon. Which half, which day, and whether the Sagano train or the Hozugawa boat fits, with the temple's, the railway's and Kyoto City's own numbers.
October 18, 2026
TravelIs the Sagano Romantic Train Worth It? The Four Conditions That Decide Your Arashiyama Day
The Sagano Romantic Train is a 25-minute, ¥880 open-window ride up the Hozu River gorge from Arashiyama to Kameoka. Whether it earns a slot in your Kyoto day comes down to four things, in this order: your date, how the seats sell, which car and seat, and how you come back.
September 29, 2026
TravelIs the Hozugawa River Boat Ride Worth It? Four Conditions, in Order, for Your Arashiyama Day
The Hozugawa River boat ride takes about two hours down 16 km of gorge from Kameoka to Arashiyama, for ¥6,000 per adult. Whether it earns half of your Kyoto day comes down to four things, in this order: your date and the river, how you book, two hours on a bench, and how you reach Kameoka.
October 4, 2026