Kyoto Private Arashiyama Bamboo Grove Walking Tour with Kameoka Tanzan Sake Brewery Visit and Tasting

Explore Kyoto's Arashiyama and Kameoka on a private 5.5-hour walking tour with Okochi Sanso, Tenryuji, and Tanzan Brewery spirit tasting.

Getting started

Meet your English- or French-speaking local guide at the designated meeting location in Arashiyama 15 minutes before departure time. After a brief introduction to the route and walking pace, the private tour sets off on foot, with no other guests added to your group. The guide stays with you throughout this 5.5-hour walking tour, contacting you via WhatsApp if you are not at the meeting point at departure time.

What to expect

Arashiyama Bamboo Grove and Nonomiya Shrine

Arashiyama Bamboo Grove is the starting highlight of your route, a famous path lined with tall bamboo on the western side of Kyoto. Within this area, you also visit Nonomiya Shrine, a compact Shinto site known for its spiritual heritage and distinctive torii gate.

Features

• Arashiyama Bamboo Grove is where you first experience the quiet, otherworldly atmosphere created by dense bamboo and filtered light as you follow your guide along the main walking path.
• At Nonomiya Shrine, you can observe the rare torii gate and small shrine structures while your guide shares context about local customs, with shopping and translation assistance available if you wish to buy omamori or other items nearby.
• The guided tour is conducted privately in English or French, depending on the option you select at booking, so explanations and pacing are adapted to your group alone.

Okochi Sanso

Okochi Sanso is a historic villa and garden complex in the Arashiyama hills. Your entry to Okochi Sanso is included, giving you access to landscaped paths, viewpoints, and a traditional tea house.

Features

• Inside Okochi Sanso Garden, you walk through carefully planned paths that reveal changing views of the grounds, then pause at a historic tea house where matcha tea is served as part of the visit.
• With your included entry to Okochi Sanso, the guide leads you through the property, providing translation assistance where needed so you can understand signage or ask questions to staff.
• Time here is unhurried enough to sit with your matcha tea, look over the garden scenery, and take photos while your private guide remains on hand for commentary.

Tenryu-ji Temple and Sogenchi Garden

Tenryu-ji Temple is a major Zen temple in Arashiyama and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Your visit focuses on its celebrated Sogenchi Garden as part of the included entry.

Features

• The route through Tenryu-ji brings you to the Sogenchi Garden, where you can view the central pond, surrounding planting, and the temple buildings that frame the scene.
• Entry to Tenryuji is included in your tour, and your guide helps you navigate the temple grounds, offering translation assistance for explanatory boards or any questions you have for temple staff.
• This stop also gives you a different perspective on Arashiyama, contrasting the enclosed feel of the bamboo grove with open views across the Sogenchi Garden.

Scenic train ride to Kameoka

Leaving central Arashiyama, you board a scenic train that carries you out toward Kameoka. The ride marks a transition from Kyoto's urban elegance to a more rural landscape.

Features

• During the scenic train ride, you watch the scenery shift from built-up Kyoto streets to fields and low-rise countryside around Kameoka, giving a sense of the region beyond the city.
• Tickets for this scenic train ride are handled as part of the tour logistics, and your guide remains with you, assisting with boarding, seating, and any language needs along the way.
• The ride also provides a short seated break in the middle of your walking-focused itinerary before you begin exploring Kameoka on foot.

Kameoka town and lunch break

Once in Kameoka, the focus turns to a small-town environment with time to eat and explore. You have a lunch break here before heading to the brewery.

Features

• Enjoy free time for lunch in Kameoka at your own expense, with your guide offering local recommendations and translation assistance.
• Lunch itself is not included in the tour price, so you pay directly at your chosen restaurant, which allows you to pick dishes that suit your tastes and budget.
• After eating, there is scope for light shopping in the area, where your guide's translation assistance helps if you want to purchase local products or ask questions about ingredients or items.

Tanzan Sake Brewery

Tanzan Sake Brewery is the key Kameoka stop, providing an inside look at traditional sake production. Your access and visit to the Tanzan Brewery are included in the tour.

Features

• The visit to Tanzan Sake Brewery includes an introduction to the production process, with your guide and brewery staff explaining how rice, water, and fermentation techniques shape different styles.
• Entry to Tanzan Brewery is included, and the experience features a guided spirit tasting at Tanzan Brewery where you can sample several pours to compare flavor profiles.
• Throughout the brewery stop, your guide supports with translation during explanations and the tasting session so you can ask detailed questions about the methods and the individual sakes you try.

Wrapping up

After the guided visit and spirit tasting at Tanzan Sake Brewery, your private tour concludes in Kameoka, where your guide can assist with final translation needs and practical directions for your onward journey back toward Kyoto.