Place · Arashiyama
Arashiyama Bamboo Grove竹林の小径
A 10-minute path, not a destination: be there before 08:00 or skip it; it is open at all hours and free.A 10-minute path, not a destination: be there before 8:00 AM or skip it; it is open at all hours and free.
Key facts
- Time on site
- 20–30 min
- p95 45 min
- Price
- Free
- adult, 2026 estimate
- Hours
- Open 24 h
- Best time
- before 08:00
- quietest window
- 28″ bags
- Painful
- Arashiyama: painful
- Getting there
- Saga-Arashiyama (JR) or Arashiyama (Randen/Hankyu)
- Free, open at all hours
- Before 08:00 or skip
- Go before 08:00
- Free entry
- Crowded at peak
Highlights come from Voykit's own data and desk notes, not from reviews. Hover a tag to see its source.
Rules in force · 8Large suitcases on Kyoto city buses
- East Asia ↗Every border in East Asia is a full international border, Hong Kong and Macau included: an entry permission for one never covers the next.
- East Asia ↗Ferries between Korea, Japan and China cancel in rough seas and typhoons; keep a flight or a spare day behind every sea leg.
- Japan ↗IC cards (ICOCA/Suica) are topped up with cash at station machines.
- Japan ↗Smoking while walking is banned in most city centres; use designated areas.
- Japan ↗Shinkansen bags 160–250 cm (L+W+H) need a seat reserved with the oversized-baggage area.
- Kansai ↗ICOCA is the default IC card; Suica works too.
- Kyoto ↗Large suitcases on Kyoto city buses: do not. Buses are crowded and oversized bags are refused or block aisles.
- Kyoto ↗Kyoto accommodation tax is often collected in cash at the front desk.
Map & directions
Add your hotel to get directions from it. · stays in this browser; shared with the pocket card.
Plan
Open now, what it costs, what to know, how long it takes
Go now?
hours and prices: check on the day- Open
- Open 24 hours
- Crowds
Go before 08:00
MonTueWedThuFriSatSunQuietest Mon–Thu · busiest Sat, Sun · desk estimate
- Tickets
- Adult: Free
- Time to spend
- 20–30 min · up to 45 min if you linger
Weather here, next 7 days
Loading forecast…
Forecast: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0), model data for this point.
Time on site
Minimum
15min
Worthwhile
20min
Typical
30min
p95
45min
Public path, open at all hours.
Tickets & entry
- Where to buy
- No ticket needed.
On the ground
Getting in, crowds, and where to go if it does not work
Getting in
- Stop
- Saga-Arashiyama (JR) or Arashiyama (Randen/Hankyu)
- Exit
- —
- Ticket
- free · official site
- Stairs
- path: gentle slope, no steps
- Shoes
- Shoes on.
Crowds and switching
- Crowd clock
- Empty-ish before 08:00; shoulder-to-shoulder 09:30–16:00.Empty-ish before 8:00 AM; shoulder-to-shoulder 9:30 AM–4:00 PM.
- Sensory load
- 4/5
- Exposure
- medium
Bailouts
crowd
Tenryū-ji garden via the north gate
rain
Randen Arashiyama station (covered)
Nearest rescue anchor: C — Tenryū-ji north gate / bamboo grove south
Step-free check
- Step-free entrance: yes · yespath: gentle slope, no steps
- Accessible toilet: check · check
Paved main path with a gentle slope and no steps; the side lanes to Ōkōchi Sansō climb. Crowds, not steps, are the obstacle after 09:00.Paved main path with a gentle slope and no steps; the side lanes to Ōkōchi Sansō climb. Crowds, not steps, are the obstacle after 9:00 AM.
Combine with
Walk the Arashiyama area · the cluster page has the walking order, rescue stops and after-dark notes
Best photo time today
Sun times for today load in your browser.
Red lines
- Do not enter the bamboo beyond the fences or carve the stems.
Deep dive
Questions, what is nearby, photos and sources
Questions and answers
How long is the path?
About 10 minutes end to end; people often expect a larger forest.
Checked 2026-09-28 · Voykit desk
Is it wheelchair-accessible?
The path is paved and mostly level, but very crowded after 09:00.The path is paved and mostly level, but very crowded after 9:00 AM.
Checked 2026-09-28 · Voykit desk
Nearby
Straight-line distance; walk time adds 30% for streets.
- ClusterArashiyamanearest point: Tenryū-ji north gate / bamboo grove south190 m · 3 min walk
- PlaceTenryū-ji260 m · 4 min walk
- EatArashiyama Yoshimura710 m · 11 min walk
- ClusterKinkaku-ji / Ryōan-ji (north-west)nearest point: Ninna-ji Niōmon gate (WC)4.2 km · ride, not a walk
- PlaceRyōan-ji4.7 km · ride, not a walk
- PlaceKinkaku-ji (Golden Pavilion)5.8 km · ride, not a walk
Sources
- officialKyoto City Tourism (official)