Kyoto Bus Tour: Sagano Railway & Hozugawa River Boat Ride
Description
This bus tour lets guest enjoy quick access to the popular scenic Sagano trolley train as well as an exciting river descent down the Hozugawa river in Kyoto, both of which are popular attractions in high demand and perfect for groups, families, and individuals who have limited time in Kyoto. These activities allow guests to appreciate the natural scenery of Kyoto's four seasons at any time of the year from both the train and boat. From cherry blossoms in spring, lush greenery in summer, the changing leaves of autumn, or the snowy fields in winter, this tour will provide guests with unforgettable experiences and imagery. After the tour, guests will have time to explore the Arashiyama bamboo grove and surrounding area. Visit local souvenir and snack shops at this iconic Kyoto locale before getting back on the bus to head back to Kyoto Station.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Ride the Sagano Railway from Saga Station to Kameoka Station and take in the beautiful surrounding scenery.
Take a ride down the Hozugawa River from Kameoka to Arashiyama
Free time in the picturesque Arashiyama bamboo forest area. Visit souvenir shops or explore various food options (at own expense).
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Wheelchair accessible
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
- Children up to 5 years old who are under 80cm tall do not require a seat and so can participate for free.
- Children over 5 years old under 80cm will not be able to participate in the Hozugawa riverboat ride
- Depending on river conditions the Hozugawa boat ride may be cancelled. Alternate activities will be provided instead.
- We offer GPS-enabled multilingual audio guidance, available in English, Chinese and Korean.
- Please note that a Japanese-speaking guide will accompany the tour and you will be sharing the ride with Japanese tourists.
- The boarding ticket you receive also serves as an entry pass for major sightseeing locations. Please keep it safe until the end of the tour, as lost tickets cannot be reissued. Boarding tickets can be exchanged starting from three days prior to your boarding date.
- Please make your own way to the bus terminal. The bus will depart on time, and late arrivals will not be permitted to join the tour with no exceptions (no refunds will be issued.)
- Please arrive at least 20 minutes prior to departure time for prompt boarding (8:40am)
- At each sightseeing spot, the guide will display the return time before departure for the next stop. Please be sure to confirm it and return to the bus on time. If you do not follow the instructions, the bus will depart for the next destination without waiting.
- In the event that the Hozugawa River descent is canceled due to bad weather, the tour will be conducted with an alternative route. A refund for the Hozugawa River descent will also be issued on-site.
Reviews(37)
This was a great day! The train is a great way to see so much of Japan’s beauty. They canceled the boat on our day bc of high winds which gave us much more free time in arashiyama. I’d do it again to experience the boat! We did so much- both bamboo forests, rickshaw, lunch, shopping, and money park (the climb up is real yet the views and monkeys are worth it!!)
Thank you for joining our tour. We are sorry that the river ride got canceled because of the weather, but we are really glad you enjoyed it. If you get the chance, please come visit Kyoto again!
Boas was a great tour guide for kyoto food. Highly recommend
Thank you for joining our tour. We're glad you enjoyed it. If you get the chance, please come to Kyoto again.
A big day out. Tour guide was so informative and tried so hard to go out of her way to make sure everyone in the group was safe and happy. A short 20 minute bus ride to hop on an old fashioned diesel train with no windows that took us through to rural Kyoto, mountains and jungle areas, ending up at the top of a river where we hoped an a boat for a 2 hour trip down the river which had some great rapids. We then had 2 hours free time so we hired a Rickshaw, WOW , we went into the bamboo forest and all around a small town before we walked the streets and found a little restaurant for great food, hoped back on the bus and back to Kyoto.
Thank you for joining our tour this time. We're really happy that you enjoyed it. If you get a chance, please come visit Kyoto again.
Great experience, the train ride was really good (around 20 minutes journey) and the river boat was fantastic (about 2 hours) - although we did get rather wet (hot day so no issues!). The boatmen were very entertaining and we saw some great scenery. A really well organised trip, plenty of free time for exploring and we were well looked after, would definitely recommend.
Thank you for joining our tour. We're really happy to hear that you enjoyed it. We'll also share your comments with the tour company. If you get the chance, please come to Kyoto again. Have a great trip!
Worth doing! Just know... this appears MAINLY for Japanese tourists. Our main issue was finding the correct location for checking in at the Kyoto train station. Went to main bus ticket place at that was wrong and the people were not interested in being helpful. Once we got to the RIGHT bus terminal the woman was SO SWEET and new I was panicked and helped us to the right bus. The cute little romantic train was sweet - a nice surprise (thank goodness for the beautiful day) - the men on the platform were full of fun and smiles, but the photographers kind of ruined the first part of the experience. The boat ride was beautiful and the guides funny (but we felt bad at how hard they were working constantly - def used to American rafts with oars). We did NOT understand however that we were going to be on our own for over 2 hours at a town we knew nothing about. We made the best of it (and it was beautiful of course) - but that was part of the trip we weren't anticipating. Also, the equipment my son was given to listen to the English recording on the bus didn't work. Mine did, so we shared best we could. The woman holding the flag to keep us in a group was very smiley and we felt looked after.
Thank you very much for participating in our tour this time. We are sorry and regret that you were not able to fully enjoy the two-hour free walk in Arashiyama included in the itinerary. Regarding the equipment malfunction, we will check with the operating company and request improvements to prevent similar incidents from happening. Thank you for your valuable feedback. Please visit Kyoto again if you have the opportunity.
Great trip overall! Although the boat ride was canceled due to weather conditions, the experience was still very enjoyable. The bamboo forest was beautiful, and seeing the monkeys was especially fun. Be sure to wear good shoes, since the hike to the top is on a dirt trail.
Thank you very much for joining our tour this time. We are sorry that the boat was canceled, but we are glad that you were able to enjoy yourself. Please come visit Japan again if you have the opportunity.
Excellent tour although very disappointed there was no English speaking guide as mentioned in the advertising. The guys rowing the raft were brilliant and worked so hard on a hot day.
Absolutely well worth the effort, very well organised. Train trip and boat trip were both entertaining. The 3 man crew on the boat were so entertaining and passionate about there jobs There was plenty of time (2hours) to have lunch and visit the town before the bus ride back Definitely worth recommending
Thank you for joining our tour. It was the season of fresh greenery, and I hope it was a pleasant trip. If you have another opportunity, please do come and visit Kyoto again.
The boat and train ride were excellent however the map to return to the bus meeting point after the bamboo forest was very vague and spend some time navigating back, hence could not fully enjoy the attractions of the area.
Great day trip and accommodating for children. The weather wasn't good on our day so The riverboat was cancelled, this was managed very well with refund for portion of the days experiences. Lots of time explore local towns and eat lunch
