What other travelers are saying about Arashiyama Bamboo Grove
Arashiyama Bamboo Forest is an amazing and peaceful place. It brought back childhood memories for me, as I grew up around bamboo — but this felt different.
The bamboo here is uniquely beautiful, and the whole area has a calm, quiet vibe. Parking is limited, so I’d recommend using public transport. Give yourself plenty of time to explore the nearby gardens, temples, and the charming village too. Definitely worth a visit if you’re in Kyoto.
A stunning and serene experience to absolutely see, despite the crowds you’re sure to bump into. If you can, go early in the morning like we did and you’ll get a much more intimate ALMOST crowd free experience. As time went on, more and more people poured in, even by 9AM. We enjoyed picking a bench and just breathing in the fresh air and admiring how towering the bamboo was. Don’t let the crowds completely dictate whether or not you come here, this place is magical even with lots of people in my opinion. If that’s the case though, just know that your photos will not be crowd-free. If you go into it knowing that, I think you’ll have a great time. Or, go very early 😉
Very unique experience and a nice getaway during hot days. The forest is transformed into a beautiful hike, with nice views and temples. You can walk all the way to the river side and return back to center in a nice walk.
The area is large, but the bamboo trees are not as densely packed as I had imagined. This should be the main bamboo forest that most tourists visit, and it was very crowded during my visit.
Perhaps I did not do enough homework beforehand. Based on Google Maps, there is another section across the river, but the weather was too hot so I decided not to explore further. It would probably be much nicer to walk around in cooler weather.
It was cool to walk down the main path, and see how tall to bamboo grows. But is doesn't take long to get tired of seeing the same thing and start people watching, which is what we spent most of.the time doing. A ton of tourist visiting the area and the paths were full. The real treat came at the end. Most people turned around but we stuck it out and discovered at the end of the trail an entrance to a park. Take it and hike to the top, you will not be disappointed.
