Full-day Arashiyama
Overview
Arashiyama is a district in the western outskirts of Kyoto which used to be a peaceful villa area for aristocrats. Although Arashiyama is particularly popular during the cherry blossom and autumn colored leaf season, you can enjoy its beautiful nature all year around. Start with two small enchanting temples, Otagi Nenbutsuji temple and Adashino Nenbutsuji temple. The highlights of this tour is the Bamboo groves. The sunlight coming through bamboo stalks can make you forget daily life. Visit one of the most famous temple garden at Tenryuji temple. On the main street, there are a variety of shops that sell souvenirs and food. Enjoy many kinds of Japanese sweets! The final attraction is to visit a monkey park where you can be very close to very friendly wild monkeys and feed them if you want.
Tour Information
Duration: 8 hours approx. 9:00-17:00
Meeting Point: Kyoto Station Central Gate
Transportation: JR train, taxi
Itinerary: Meet at Kyoto Station - (JR train) -(taxi) - Otagi Nenbutsuji Temple - (on foot) - Adashino Nenbutsuji temple - (on foot) - Bamboo Groves - Lunch - Tenryuji Temple - Lunch - Togetukyo Bridge - Monkey park - (train) - Kyoto Station
What's included: Guide fee
What's not included: Entrance fee, Transportation fee, Meal
Detailed Itinerary
The tour starts at Kyoto Station and visits Otagi Nenbutsuji Temple which is famous for its collection of 1200 Rakan stone statues that represent disciples of Buddha. Since each statue was carved by a different person - such as a visitor, a follower and a local resident - each one is completely unique and has a humorous expressions. They give you heartwarming feelings. On the way to the next spot, you will walk through a steep street called Saga Toriimoto Preserved Street with traditional townhouses dating from the 19th century. This historical path leads you to the next stop Adashino Nenbutsuji Temple which is known for numerous stone statues that memorialize the soul of the dead. There is a small bamboo grove in this temple. You can take a picture of it without anyone in the frame because it's less crowded. After a short walk from this temple, you will reach another Bamboo grove, the most famous one, and then arrive in the main area of Arashiyama. You can find a good place to eat among various restaurants or food vendors along with the street. After lunch, you will visit one of the UNESCO world heritage sites, Tenryuji Temple Garden. Tenryuji temple was originally built in the 14th century, but most of the buildings were lost in fire and wars. But the garden survived the centuries in its original form. This beautiful landscape garden was designed by one of the most famous garden designers, Muso Soseki.
The last stop is Monkey Park Iwatayama where you will find many wild but friendly monkeys. To get there, you will walk up the hill for about 20 minutes. On the top, there is a resting place where you can buy snacks and feed them to the monkeys. Also you will enjoy a stunning view of the city.
The tour ends at Kyoto Station.
