Arashiyama Bamboo Grove

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Arashiyama Bamboo Grove Photos & TipsPosted on Dec 16, 2014 by Tom Bricker • Attraction Reviews, Travel Tips • 4 Comments

The Arashiyama Bamboo Grove is one of the top sights in Kyoto, Japan, with its dense pathway of bamboo that stretches as far as

the eye can see. The Bamboo Grove is part of Sagano Bamboo Forest, which is located near the outskirts of Kyoto, just below the

mountains. If you daydream of bucket-list travel locales, you’ve probably seen eye-catching photos of it on Pinterest, Reddit, or

other sites that compile ‘places to visit before you die.’

I wouldn’t go as far as to this is one of the top places to visit in the world (Kyoto as a whole absolutely is), it does have a simple yet

ethereal beauty, and as pretty as the photos you’ve seen of it are, they do not do justice to the experience. It’s really something

else to be standing in the midst of a sea of bamboo, seeing and hearing the stalks rustle, and light flitter in through the dense

forest.

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While the Arashiyama Bamboo Grove is incredibly popular, we found it a little difficult to locate, and took us a bit of wandering to

find. You’re probably going to take the JR Sagano line to the Saga Arashiyama Station to get here, and the station is a short walk

(maybe 8-10 minutes) from the Bamboo Grove…if you don’t get lost. While everything else in the area is clearly marked on tourist

maps outside the Arashiyama Station, the Bamboo Grove isn’t on most of these maps of Kyoto–or at least the ones we saw.

To get here, just pretend you’re heading to Tenryu-ji Temple (this is a UNESCO World Heritage site–you likely will be going there,

too) and follow the directions to that temple. If you’re not interested in the Tenryu-ji Temple, simply head north of its main entrance

from the street just a bit, and then turn west into a path that leads into the Arashiyama Bamboo Grove. The path isn’t clearly

marked as leading into the grove and the grove doesn’t start immediately at the street, but if you head back this way just outside

the temple walls, you’ll run into it. Alternatively, visit the Arashiyama Bamboo Grove after leaving Tenry-ji Temple through its north

entrance/exit (near the rear of the Temple) and you’ll find a path that leads directly and immediately into the Arashiyama Bamboo

Grove.

This is really the easiest way to do it, but my hesitation in recommending this course of action is that the Tenryu-ji Temple opens at

8:30 am, whereas the Arashiyama Bamboo Grove is open 24 hours a day. This is notable because the Arashiyama Bamboo Grove

gets very busy (free and photogenic are a dangerous combo for any sights in Japan), and the best time to go is as early in the

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morning as possible. We went before going into Tenryu-ji Temple at around 7:45 am and there were very few others.

I view early morning as the absolute perfect time of day to go, as the combination of warm morning sunlight peaking through the

Bamboo Grove and the lack of crowds is a powerful experience. We didn’t get enough of the Kyoto Bamboo Grove our first time

through, so we returned after going to Tenryu-ji Temple at around 9:30 am. By that time, it was swarming with people, including

bikes and taxis. Definitely not as serene and contemplative of an experience when a taxi is honking at you to move.

I’m not entirely sure why taxis go through here, but I assume it’s because people are too lazy or unable to walk the slight incline of

the grove as it goes uphill. It’s an easy to moderate walk, so if you’re in good-enough shape to walk around Kyoto, this will be no

issue. In total, the Bamboo path is maybe a half mile long (this is a total estimate) with the best sections of the grove being nearer

the back. You might be a bit underwhelmed with the Bamboo Grove at first because it’s not quite as dense as photos depict it, but

this is just the front of the Bamboo Grove.

Keep going past the break in the path where a small road intersects it, head uphill, and you’ll be rewarded with the truly

picturesque portion of the walk. There are also some little shrines and stops along the way, none of which are standouts compared

to those elsewhere in Kyoto, but they are certainly nice little nuggets of culture to explore as you walk, and the setting certainly

cannot be beat.

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Overall, the Kyoto Bamboo Grove is an absolute must-do. It’s located by other popular sights, it’s free, and it’s stunning. It’s also a

great change of pace from the many temples you will otherwise do in Kyoto (nearby Iwatayama Monkey Park is another highlyrecommended change of pace option). Each temple on its own is beautiful and moving, but after you’ve done 10 or so of them

in a row, each sort of loses impact. This gives you an opportunity to mix things up a bit. Doing this is an absolute no-brainer, and

should be high on anyone’s priorities for a visit to Kyoto, Japan. Just make sure to go at an off-hour so you can really soak in the

serenity of the place.

If you’re planning a visit to Kyoto, Japan, please check out my other posts about Kyoto for ideas of things to do (or notdo) while there. Kyoto has a lot of things to see and do, so I also highly recommend the Lonely Planet Kyoto Guide tohelp better develop an efficient plan while there.

These photos were all taken by me with my Nikon D810. For lenses, I used a Nikon 14-24mm f/2.8 Lens and Rokinon 8mmFisheye Lens. It can get dark in the Bamboo Forest if the sun is obscured by the stalks, so I also used my MeFoto travel tripodfor some of the shots.

To get some more Kyoto, Japan photo ideas, check out my Kyoto Photo Gallery.

Your Thoughts

Does visiting Japan’s Sagano Bamboo Forest interest you? Like the simple experiences of natural beauty like this? Have you been

to the Kyoto Bamboo Grove? Share any other questions or thoughts you have in the comments!

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4 Comments

Eric

So glad you used the word “ethereal” becuase that was my exact thought when we visit th Bamboo Grove. Easilyone of my favorite experiences in Japan. I also loved the walk to the forest from the train station. I enjoyed thecontrast of th neighboorhood to that of downtown Kyoto or Tokyo.

Dec 17, 2014

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Tom Bricker

There were a few tucked away neighborhoods in Kyoto that were really great. Did you do Philosopher’sPath? That was another great experience intermingled in some of the quieter spots.

Dec 18, 2014

Reply

Eric

Philopsopher’s Path was another great spot. We had lunch at this great little traditionalrestraurant, I think there were a total of 8 tables inside. The tree lined stream was so serene.

*Response is unintentionally 12 years late.

Jan 31, 2015

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Eyh

Nice photos!May I know on which month the photos were taken?

Oct 17, 2015

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