Arashiyama is an S-class tourist attraction in Kyoto. In addition to the option of taking a small train or a boat ride, there are also attractions such as the bamboo forest, Tenryu-ji Temple, and Jōjakkō-ji Temple. There are many well-known temples to visit, so it is essential to study the transportation options when traveling to Arashiyama. Currently, there are two commonly used modes of transportation: 1. Taking the train and 2. Taking the bus. For train travel, you can use JR, Randen, or Hankyu Electric Railway. For bus travel, the main options are Kyoto City Bus and Kyoto Bus. However, it is not recommended to take the bus as it takes a long time (approximately 45 minutes from Kyoto Station). Below, I will introduce the Arashiyama travel routes that are commonly used by tourists.
Arashiyama Scenic Railway (Torokko Sagano Sightseeing Railway)
The Arashiyama Scenic Train is a closed-track tourist train that cannot connect with other railways. The Arashiyama Scenic Train has a total of 4 stations and the entire journey takes about 25 minutes. To board the Arashiyama Scenic Train, you can only take a train to the nearby station and then walk to board it.
Arashiyama Railway Station Locations
To find out how to get to Arashiyama, you first need to understand the locations of the Arashiyama Randen Line and other stations… Below is a schematic diagram, with the orange line indicating the travel time between each station.
Let’s take a look at the location on Google Maps.
1. Arashiyama Scenic Railway (red box and green box) consists of 4 stations, from left to right: Torokko Kameoka, Torokko Hozukyo, Torokko Arashiyama, Torokko Saga (green box in the picture).
2. JR (blue box and green box), a total of 3 stations, from left to right, respectively: Maruhori, Hosotani Gorge, Saga Arashiyama (green box in the figure below)
3. Arashiyama Electric Railway (Keifuku Electric Railway, purple circle) is mainly represented by Arashiyama Station in this area.
4. Hankyu Railway (orange circle) is mainly focused on Arashiyama Station here.
From this, it can be understood that if you want to take the Sagano Scenic Railway, you can start from “Torokko Kameoka” or from “Torokko Arashiyama” and “Torokko Saga”.
The closest station to “Torokko Kameoka” is JR Maruhori Station.
The closest stations to “Torokko Arashiyama” and “Torokko Saga” are Randen Arashiyama Station, Randen Saga Station, Hankyu Arashiyama Station, and JR Saga Arashiyama Station.
Explained using Google Maps.
The green box indicates the location of the Arashiyama Torokko Station and the JR Saga Arashiyama Station. These two stations are adjacent to each other but are separate stations.
Departure from Kyoto
If you are starting from Kyoto, it depends on whether you plan to take the Arashiyama Scenic Railway.
◆ Whether you take it first or later, I will only suggest the method of taking it first.
1. First, go to Kyoto Station and take the JR Sagano Line to Maruhori. Then, take the scenic railway.
Recommended route: D. Begin your journey at Torokko Arashiyama Station.
2. Take the Randen train to Arashiyama-Saga Station (the station before Arashiyama Station), then exit the station and take the Sagano Scenic Railway to Torokko Saga Station. From there, walk to JR Hori Station and take the JR train back to Arashiyama Station. Then, you can start exploring Arashiyama.
Recommended route: A. Start from Arashiyama.
3. Take the Randen train to Arashiyama-Saga Station (the station before Arashiyama Station), then exit the station and take the JR train to Matsubori Station. From there, walk to the Torokko Kameoka Station and board the scenic train to Torokko Arashiyama Station. Then, you can start exploring Arashiyama.
Recommended route: D. Begin your journey at Torokko Arashiyama Station.
◆ There are three different routes to take if you don’t want to ride the small train, suitable for those living in different areas.
1. JR Sagano Line
Suitable departure point: JR Kyoto Station
Suitable arrival point: JR Saga Arashiyama Station
2. Arashiyama Electric Railway
Suitable departure Points : Shijo-Omiya Station, Arashiyama Tenjingawa Station, Kitano Hakubaicho Station.
Suitable arrival Point: Arashiyama Station.
3. Hankyu
Suitable departure points: Kawaramachi Station, Karasuma Station, Shijo Omiya.
Suitable arrival point: Arashiyama Station.
Departure from Osaka
Of course, it depends on whether you plan to take the Arashiyama Scenic Train or not.
◆ I recommend taking the JR Osaka Station to Kyoto Station on the Kyoto Line, then transferring to the JR Sagano Line to Maruhori. From there, you can take the Torokko Arashiyama, also known as the Arashiyama Scenic Railway.
Recommended route: D. Starting from Torokko Arashiyama.
◆ If you don’t want to take the small train, it is recommended to take one of the following two routes:
1. (JR Loop Line) → JR Kyoto Line → Sagano Line
Suitable departure point: Stations along the JR Osaka Loop Line
Suitable arrival point: JR Saga Arashiyama Station
2. Hankyu Kyoto Line → Arashiyama Line
Suitable departure points: Umeda Station, along the Osaka Subway Sakaisuji Line *(Please refer to the through-service article).
Suitable arrival point: Arashiyama Station.
If you live in areas like Namba or Shinsaibashi, it’s up to your own choice whether to take JR, which is more expensive, or Hankyu, which is more affordable.
The Way to Explore Arashiyama
The following itineraries are provided for reference only. Please choose the appropriate itinerary according to your own preferences.
A. Starting from the scenic Arashiyama, visit the Sagano Bamboo Forest, Nonomiya Shrine, and Jōjakkō-ji Temple (known for its maple trees). Then, return back to the starting point and head towards Tenryū-ji Temple (enter through the north gate and exit through the front garden), Arashiyama Street, Togetsukyo Bridge, Arashiyama Park, and the Arashiyama Randen Foot Bath.
B. Arashiyama, starting from Tenryuji Temple (enter through the front garden, exit through the north gate) → Sagano Bamboo Forest → Jōjakkōji Temple (maple viewing) → Return to Yomiya Shrine → Arashiyama Street → Togetsukyo Bridge → Arashiyama Park → Arashiyama Onsen
C. Hankyu Arashiyama is the starting point for Arashiyama Park → Togetsukyo Bridge → Arashiyama Street → Tenryuji Temple → Sagano Bamboo Forest → Jozanji Temple (Maple Viewing) → Nonomiya Shrine → Arashiyama Onsen on the Randen Electric Railway.
D. Torokko Arashiyama as the starting point (Lazy Guide: Classic Arashiyama Route) Torokko Arashiyama → Jōjakkō-ji Temple (Maple Viewing) → Sagano Bamboo Forest → Nonomiya Shrine → Arashiyama Street → Tenryū-ji Temple (Front Garden Access) → Togetsukyō Bridge → Arashiyama Park → Arashiyama Onsen
Leaving Arashiyama
There are many ways to leave Arashiyama. If you want to go straight home, it is recommended to take the original route. However, if you want to go to other places after leaving Arashiyama, it is recommended to pay attention to the departure time in order to plan the next itinerary. How to go and which route to take? Below are just a few places that some netizens would visit after exploring Arashiyama, along with simple routes. (For other destinations, please research on your own)
1. There are several ways to return to Kyoto Station from Kyoto Station. Here are a few methods:
a. Take the JR Sagano Line (JR Saga Arashiyama Station) and you can directly return to Kyoto Station.
b. Take the Randen to Randen Tenjingawa, then transfer to the subway to Kyoto Station.
c. Take the Hankyu to Shijo, then transfer to the subway to Kyoto Station.
d. Take Kyoto City Bus No. 28, and you can directly ride to Kyoto Station. (Only available on weekdays, on Saturdays and Sundays, you can only go to Arashiyama Park or Hankyu Arashiyama Station)
2. Take the Randen train directly from Long’an Temple and Renhe Temple, then transfer at Wei Zi No Tsuji and take the train to your destination.
3. Following the method mentioned in section 2, take a ride to Kitano Shirakawa-cho and then transfer to Kyoto City Bus (101, 102, 204, 205) to reach Kinkaku-ji Temple.
4. Gion
a. Take the Hankyu train to Kawaramachi, then walk to Gion.
b. Take Kyoto City Bus No. 11 back to Shijo Kawaramachi/Gion. (Only available on weekdays, on Saturdays and Sundays, you can only take it to Kakogamachi)
5. There are several ways to get to Kiyomizu-dera Temple:
a. Take the JR Sagano Line (JR Saga Arashiyama Station), then take the Kyoto City Bus (100, 206) to Kiyomizu-michi after returning to Kyoto Station.
b. Take the Hankyu Line to Kawaramachi, then take the Kyoto City Bus (207) and get off at Kiyomizu-michi.
Supplementary Explanation of Arashiyama Transportation
1. Because JR Maruhori Station is the closest to the Torokko Kameoka Station (not JR Kameoka Station), you cannot take the JR train to Kameoka Station and then transfer to the Torokko train.
2. If you plan to take a boat ride on the Hozu River, you can refer to this article: Winter Travel Diary, Arashiyama Scenic Train + Hozu River Boat Ride.
Reference Materials
■ Arashiyama Scenic Railway – Sagano Sightseeing Railway
■ JR West Japan Official Website
■ Hankyu Railway Official Website
■ Randen Official Website
『Original Source：https://nicklee.tw/1019/』
