Kyoto Soul Tour: Hidden Temples and Villages

Explore Arashiyama’s hidden temples and serene bamboo forests. Discover wabi-sabi’s beauty in imperfection on this tranquil Kyoto walking tour.

Duration: 4 hours
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Otagi Nenbutsu-ji Temple - Otagi Nenbutsu-ji Temple is a tranquil and lesser-known treasure, offering a distinctive and personal experience. The temple is famous for its collection of over 1,200 stone statues, known as rakan, each with unique facial expressions, creating a whimsical yet peaceful atmosphere. The serene gardens and natural…
What's Included
  • Tea and coffee
  • Guided walk of Arashiyama
  • Local Guide
  • Admission fee for Otagi Nenbutsu-ji Temple and Jojakko-ji Temple
Additional Information
  • Be guided by experienced locals who share stories, history, and cultural insights that might be missed when exploring alone.
  • Venture beyond the usual tourist attractions. Uncover serene temples, traditional villages, and picturesque spots known only to locals.
  • With a small group size, enjoy a more intimate and personalized experience — no rushing…
Location
Hannari Hokkori Square
Meetup: 09:15 am Go to Hannari Hokkori Square in front of Randen Arashiyama Station. Meet a guide with a green signboard written "Japan Wonder Travel" . Please come 15 minutes before the start time.
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.9
(26 Ratings)
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Snappyway
Aug 3, 2025
Discovering Arashiyama’s Hidden Gems Beyond the Usual Spots - I have joined tours by Japan Wonder Travel before, and they never disappoint me. I’m always satisfied with their tour plans and courses. This Arashiyama hidden gem tour was amazing! It took me to some cool, less touristy places up near the mountain that most people don’t know about. Arashiyama isn’t just about the bamboo forest and Togetsukyo Bridge. This tour gave me a chance to discover new spots around the area. I visited two temples on the tour, and I especially loved "Otagi-Nenbutsuji Temple" with all it's funny face statues. "Saga Toriimoto Preserved Street" was also really peaceful and easy to walk, even though it’s a bit uphill. Our English guide, Mr. Osamu, was super friendly and explained a lot about the temples and Japanese culture. I definitely recommend him and this tour! Plus, I even got one free drink during the tour at a café. Thanks so much for a great experience! Suggestion: If possible, it would be awesome to add "Adashino Nenbutsuji Temple" to the tour in the near future and maybe make the tour a bit longer since it’s close by. What are you waiting for? Go and book this tour!!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Paullr9771pu
Aug 3, 2025
Unforgettable tour - Exciting tour with guide Osamu. He is very professional,and kind.He showed a local course avoiding crowds, visiting temples and preserved district. Osamu, a knowledgeable guide, answered all questions. Recommend this tour to learn local culture beyond tourist books.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Lavanyaw2024
Aug 3, 2025
Wonderful tour along the lesser known streets of Arashiyama - This was a wonderful walking tour along the lesser known traditional streets of Arashiyama. The tour takes you to beautiful and unique temples away from the crowded tourist spots and offers a refreshing experience. Osamu was a wonderful guide giving careful and interesting explanations along the tour and made the tour a superb experience!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Dgreno
Jun 17, 2025
Fun and informative for all ages - We had a great experience with our guide Taka visiting temples without the crowds, experiencing the bamboo forest and walking along the river. Taka gave us some local flavor to help us understand the local culture. After the tour we got a great lunch recommendation. Highly recommended.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Ellencf126aj
May 17, 2025
Beautiful, Scenic, Knowledgeable tour. - Great, friendly, knowledgeable guides. We saw some off the beaten track, quieter areas that were so beautiful and had so much history. The tour was well organised with plenty of photo opportunities, the group was small so if you had questions they were always answered. Overall, we had such a lovely few hours, walking around the temples and bamboo forests, and ending with a stroll along the stunning river.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Bibbybubby
May 12, 2025
You can enjoy Arashiyama even on weekends! - I enjoyed the tour very much. Even Arashiyama is crowded but the tour brought us to avoid the crowds which is very important. Machiko is helpful and professional.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Yensze
May 10, 2025
An Enjoyable Walking Tour to Discover the Uncrowded Side of Arashiyama - Arashiyama is known for its crowds, so I was genuinely surprised to find peaceful, lesser-known spots tucked away in the area—hidden gems that offer a different side of this popular destination. We were surrounded by vibrant greenery at Nenbutsu-ji Temple and Jojakko-ji Temple, both of which are also famous for their stunning autumn foliage. Our guide, Machiko, shared moving stories about the history of Nenbutsu-ji, which added depth to the experience. She was warm, engaging, and patiently answered all of our questions with insightful detail. One unexpected highlight was a small bamboo forest, beautifully serene and almost too perfect to be real. Unlike the crowded main bamboo grove, this one felt like a private retreat. We strolled along the Saga Toriimoto Preserved Street, learning fascinating facts about the area’s history and architecture. We even stopped by a cozy café with a lovely local atmosphere and excellent coffee. The tour concluded at the iconic Togetsukyo Bridge. Seeing the morning crowds there made us appreciate even more the peaceful start we had exploring the quieter corners of Arashiyama.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Quest53018729382
May 10, 2025
Kyoto Walking Tour Through Time and Tranquility - I would like to thank Japan Wonder Travel for organizing a wonderful guided trip to Arashiyama. We visited serene and culturally rich sites including Otagi-Nenbutsuji Temple, Saga Toriimoto Preserved Street, Jojakko-ji Temple, and Togetsukyo Bridge. Compared to the bustling bamboo grove, the temples offered a peaceful and calming atmosphere. From the top of Jojakko-ji, the panoramic view of Kyoto was truly breathtaking. Our guide, Machiko-san, was knowledgeable, friendly, and enthusiastic in sharing the historical significance of each site. To top it off, I enjoyed a delicious green tea ice cream before leaving—truly OISHII!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Elsadx3502pb
May 15, 2025
Off the beaten path arashiyama - Very careful planning by the guide who checked bus times and routes to take us to the back roads of arashiyama to otagi nenbutsuji and jojakkoji + sneak peek of bamboo forest and togetsukyo bridge. Enjoyed learning about the head monk of otagi nenbutsuji having lost his best friend during world war 2 and then promoting peace through his sculptures. We found a rakan statue looking like trump which was fun. Jojakkoji was serene, green and beautiful, providing a refreshing walk.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Northstar00523200359
May 7, 2025
I was healed, I was slow. - Mr. Machiko guided us. The slow pace guidance suited me and I was able to spend enough time in each and every place I visited. I also liked that they chose a quiet place! And thank you.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
From $81
up to 8 guests
1 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).