Kyoto

Afternoon Arashiyama Bamboo Forest & Monkey Park Bike Tour

Badge of ExcellenceKyoto, Japan

4 hours
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

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Overview

Combine natural beauty and close encounters with wildlife on this action-packed afternoon tour to Arashiyama Bamboo Forest and Iwatayama Monkey Park. To save tired legs, and help you get around with ease, bike and helmet rental is included. The trip showcases spectacular views of Kyoto from Iwatayama Mountain, the natural beauty of the bamboo forest, Sogenchi Pond Garden, and the chance to look out for Japanese macaque monkeys.

Go to a place known for its freely roaming Japanese macaques
Visit smaller less-crowded shrines and temples on this tour
Ride with ease between sites: Bike rental is included
Access incredible photo opportunities of the Bamboo Forest

What's Included

Native English speaking bilingual guide
Bicycle
Helmet
Bottled water
Admission fees

No hotel pickup or drop off

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

Saga-Arashiyama Station
11-1 Sagatenryūji Kurumamichichō, Ukyo Ward, Kyoto, 616-8373, Japan
Nearest train station - JR Saga Arashiyama Meeting Point is : JR Saga Arashiyama Station, Exit right at the ticket gates (See PDF in your Viator message inbox)

Start time

01:00 PM

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

What To Expect

Monkey Park Iwatayama

1 hour 15 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

Bamboo Forest Street

25 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Sogenchi Teien

25 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking, unless booked within 2 days of travel. In this case confirmation will be received within 48 hours, subject to availability
Not wheelchair accessible
Near public transportation
Not recommended for travelers with back problems
Not recommended for pregnant travelers

No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
E-bikes, kid's bikes, bike trailer for child are available upon request (additional fee may apply)
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 8 travelers

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.

Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.
This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund.
This experience requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Reviews

5.0

116 reviews

Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews

Reviews by Viator travelers.

We perform checks on reviews

Showing 1-10 of 116 reviews

Great way to see Arishyiama

Omri_J, Apr 2024

Loved it! Got to see so much of the area this way, with a great group of people. Ray is a terrific guide, clearly knows the area and the history well, and the bikes were high quality.

Favorite activity in Kyoto so far!

Sarah_W, Apr 2024

What a fantastic afternoon!! The group was pretty small, and the bikes were well maintained. We saw the beautiful neighborhoods of Arashiyama and incredible highlights of the area. Our guide Peter shared so many great tidbits about Japanese culture and traditions. Definitely one of our favorite activities!

Response from Host, Apr 2024

Hi Sarah, Thank you for such a nice review. I am happy you enjoyed the ride through Arashiyama. It is definitely a special place. All the best and safe travels. Peter

Awesome tour!

Susan_S, Mar 2024

My two adult sons and I did this tour and it was truly a highlight of our Kyoto stay. Ray was our tour guide and he was awesome...Super knowledgeable, fun and a very nice person. We enjoyed riding our bikes through rice fields and local neighborhoods. Big Mahalo Ray!!!!

Perfect bike tour of Kyoto!

Shirley_G, Mar 2024

Awesome tour! We really enjoyed all the stops on the tour and the guide was very informative and accommodating. The bikes were great for our entire family. Highly recommend!

Response from Host, Mar 2024

Thank you, Shirley for the review. We are happy you enjoyed the tour. Peter and Ray

Excellent tour guide

hilary_w, Feb 2024

Our tour guide was great and gave us lots of interesting facts as we ride through the town! We could have never done this on our own!

Response from Host, Feb 2024

Thanks so much Hilary! I had a wonderful time out with all of you. I am thrilled to hear you gained something from the tour and had a great time. You all were a blast to spend the afternoon with and it made for a memorable day for me as well. Be sure to drop by the next time you are in Kyoto :)) Kindness, Ray

The best guide

Jaspal_D, Dec 2023

Ray was very considerate. Many thanks mate.. for understanding the situation. Hopefully we will be there next time

Response from Host, Feb 2024

No worries at all. I look forward to your return! Kindness, Ray

Awesome way to get to know city life, visit the bamboo forest, and enjoy Kyoto on a great bike ride.

Carlos_A, Dec 2023

Biking with Ray was an awesome experience. We connected right away. The bike was light, clean, and brand-new. The seat was very comfortable, and the brakes were very reliable (my career is in automotive and rail brakes!). The route is an excellent mix of city life, rural roads, and forests. Since the entire route is flat (with only a few segments with very light inclines), you can fully immerse yourself in your bike and cultural experience. Ray, an American who has lived in Japan for more than 20 years and has vast experience in the tourism industry, brings a unique perspective and deep knowledge of the Japanese culture and language. At the end of the tour, he gave me a gift for our daughter and recommended gifts for me to buy for my Japanese colleagues. If you have a 4-hour slot to spend and enjoy, connect with Ray. They also offer high-end e-Bikes at a very affordable rate if you want to take it easy or enjoy the full-day schedule.

Response from Host, Dec 2023

The pleasure was all mine Carlos! I had an absolute blast with you and thoroughly enjoyed hearing about your life as well as sharing my knowledge of Kyoto and Japan. I hope things went well with your colleagues and you had a safe journey back home. I look forward to your next visit and wish you and your family a happy holiday season! All the best! Kindness, Ray

AMAZING tour!

Irene_D, Nov 2023

My wife and I had the pleasure to partake in the tour with Ray on Saturday 10/20. The tour was great! Ray was very kind and knowledgeable about the local history and was generous to share his personal stories with us as well. The places we went to were a bit crowded but Ray was very good at navigating and even got us some picture worthy spots with minimal crowds. At one point on the tour it was became very cold and my wife didn't have her jacket, so Ray thoughtful lend her an extra jacket in his bike. His thoughtfulness and attention to detail was highly appreciated. I would highly recommend this tour to anyone visiting Kyoto, it was totally worth the money and time!

Response from Host, Nov 2023

Thanks so much you two! It was an absolute joy spending the afternoon together and sharing scenic Arashiyama with you! Your smiles and bubbly energy made it a memorable and fantastic afternoon. Please stop by the next time you are in Kyoto :) Many thanks again and all the best to you both! Kindness, Ray

Recommend to everyone and anyone

Priscilla_K, Oct 2023

This trip was absolutely amazing and 100000000% worth it. Ray took the time to explain the different areas and facts and we were able to stay a little longer if we wanted. Was unsure if the price was too high but given everything we experienced, this experience was incredible and once in a lifetime. The bike tour around the area was easy and stunning.

Best tour and tour guide—don’t miss it!

jenntish, Oct 2023

This was the most knowledgeable tour guide I’ve ever met—Ray is AMAZING. I learned so much and he cared about all of us having a wonderful time. I feel lucky to have been on this tour—and I am a tough to please woman ;)

Response from Host, Oct 2023

I had a wonderful time chatting with you. You are so pleasant and kindhearted and it only made the tour all that much more fun. Thanks for your kind words and the perfect afternoon Jenn! Be sure to drop by the next time you are in town. Kindness, Ray

Did not disappoint

Christina_F, Sep 2023

Excellent tour and guide. Ray was so knowledgeable about all the areas we visited by explaining the history and culture. The monkeys were great to see and feed after I made it up the hill 😉 this is a must do tour! Bonus was our guide took some really good pictures of us individually and as a group and emailed them a day later nice and edited .

Best way to visit Arashiyama

Christine_M, Sep 2023

The tour was built with a good pace, the guides were so nice, gave a lot of interesting information, the path they chose for us to ride was so lovely and each stop was perfect. It exceeded my expectations. If you want to spend a beautiful day in Kyoto seeing the monkey park, the bamboo forest and learn about some japanese culture, I highly recommend this tour. Loved it!

Response from Host, Sep 2023

Thanks so much! That was a lovely afternoon together. The group chemistry was spot on and I thoroughly enjoyed showing you around. It is so inspiring to get positive feedback and I really appreciate the thoughtful questions throughout the tour. I wish you both all the best and hope to cross paths again in the future :) Kindness, Ray & Roberto

This was such a fun tour!...

Amber_G, Jul 2023

This was such a fun tour! Everything was paced perfectly and there was ample time at each place. Our guide was very knowledgeable about the history of Japan and the history of all the stops we made. The ride itself was smooth with beautiful scenery along the way. I would book this tour again for sure.

Response from Host, Aug 2023

Thanks, Amber, for the lovely review. I am happy to hear that you had a fun time. I definitely enjoyed showing you around. All the best. Peter

Excellent service, great bikes

Tom_N, Jul 2023

We've done many tours and Ray was on time, clear, knowledgeable and very accommodating to our family of 5, with 3 teenage boys. Handled them fine!!! The bike tour was magnificent, best time spent together zipping around the city and visiting tour areas.

Response from Host, Sep 2023

Thanks Tom & family! Families are always fun but I had a real blast with you all! I am pleased to hear you all had a great time. Thanks for the memorable one. Kindness, Ray

If you only have an afternoon in Kyoto, this is the tour to take.

Gabriela_V, Jun 2023

Our family of 4 had a grand time in Kyoto. Ray was very king and patient, he genuinely seemed to want to make our experience the best. She share tidbits about the culture and even taught us how to count to 10 in Japanese using mnemonics. Tip: the walk to Monkey park is a good way up, take good walking shoes.

Response from Host, Sep 2023

I am so thrilled to hear that you all enjoyed yourselves. I absolutely love what I do and it is beautiful folks like yourselves that make it enjoyable. Thanks again for the wonderful time together! Kindness, Ray

Bike Tour

Kevin_J, May 2023

Guide was very nice and knowledgeable. We got on the wrong train and he waited for us before taking off.

A highlight of Kyoto

CARLY_G, May 2023

A great afternoon with Ray. Very knowledgeable and fun! A good mix of biking and sight seeing. Easy riding, and great bikes! He thought of everything, including water and snacks, and taking photos for us! A highlight of our time in Kyoto!

Best way to see major sites in Kyoto!

Lorelei_D, Apr 2023

We really enjoyed getting to have someone as knowledgable as Ray lead us to some of the most beautiful sites in Kyoto. Each location he chose was thoughtful and historical, and his explanations of everything made the sites even more interesting. Getting to have a little exercise while seeing such beautiful places was the absolute highlight of Kyoto for us!

Response from Host, May 2023

Thanks so much Lorelei! I thoroughly enjoyed meeting the two of you and showing you around. I am so thrilled you got so much out of the tour and to be part of your highlight of Kyoto. I look forward to your return :). Kindness, Ray

Highly recommend

Fatme_F, Mar 2023

Best thing we did to cover the Arashiyama part of Kyoto. Climbing the mountain to see the monkeys wa s hard but worth it. The tour guide was good and very informative and helpful.

Response from Host, Mar 2023

Thanks, Fatme, for the kind review. I enjoyed meeting you guys and showing you around Arashiyama. Safe travels. Peter

Wow!!

Dr_B, Mar 2023

We were lucky to have a group of just our party and it was completely fantastic with Ray. Ray was very knowledgeable, interesting and fluent in English and we were able to ask questions throughout. The two things we definitely wanted to do was the bamboo forest and seeing the monkeys and due to our short time available thought this might difficult to be running around on our own and felt that a coach trip wasn’t what we wanted so this was perfect. The bike ride itself was safe with decent quality bikes and Ray ensured safety for all throughout. We stopped at lots of other places on the journey which we never would’ve known about but due to local knowledge of Ray it was amazing to see these spectacular sites. Would I recommend again - 100percent. Ray also took photos for us during the trip and that was really helpful. We got to feed the monkeys and also present at the official m feeding times which was the most amazing surreal moment!

Response from Host, Mar 2023

Cheers for the kind words and fun day out! You were a real trooper and I enjoyed chatting with you all and all the laughter. That was amazing we even saw Ralph Macchio :))). I hope you all enjoyed the rest of your time in Japan and look forward to the next time you are in Kyoto! Kindness, Ray

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