Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Start at
Tenryū-ji
, or, if you'd like to skip the temple and save on the entry fee, you can bypass the temple
by walking 200m north on the main road and taking a left (turn at the sign that reads 'Nonomiya Shrine etc').
After checking out the temple, exit via the north gate, turn left and enter the famous
Arashiyama Bamboo
Grove
.
At the top of the hill, you can take a quick detour to sample
Kameyama-kōen
or enter
Ōkōchi-sansō
Villa
, the entrance to which is almost directly in front of you.
Continuing north from Ōkōchi-sansō, head downhill and past Okura-ike pond. From this point on, you'll pass
several smaller temples; since it would be costly and time consuming to enter all of them, it's best to choose one
and savour it (our vote goes to Giō-ji).
Soon after passing the pond, you'll see the gate of
Jōjakkō-ji
. After Jōjakkō-ji, walk straight east away
from the temple gate, avoiding the temptation to take a left out of the gate and go north. About 100m east of the
Jōjakkō-ji gate, take a left (just before a cornfield) and you'll soon come to
Rakushisha
, a charming poet's
hut. After Rakushisha, continue north. About 150m further on brings you to the gate of
Nison-in
.
Return to the main road from Nison-in and follow it gradually northwest for a few minutes. This will bring you
to the turn-off for
Takiguchi-dera
and
Giō-ji
, two wonderfully atmospheric little hillside temples
(there is no English sign here; look for the four stone way markers). After visiting one or both of these temples,
return to the main road and continue walking northwest. You'll soon see the stone steps that lead up to
Adashino Nembutsu-ji
on your left. From here, it's a short walk onward to the huge orange
Atago Torii
.
A nice place to refresh yourself after all the walking you've done is
Hiranoya
, just north of the
torii
. You
can take bus 62 or 72 from Torii-moto bus stop.
| FOREST
ARASHIYAMA BAMBOO GROVE
OFFLINE MAP
( dawn-dusk; 5min walk from Keifuku Arashiyama Station, Keifuku Arashiyama, Randen, line)
Walking
into this extensive bamboo grove is like entering another world - the thick green bamboo
stalks seem to continue endlessly in every direction and there's a strange quality to the
light. You'll be unable to resist trying to take a few photos, but you might be disappointed
with the results: photos just can't capture the magic of this place. The grove runs from just
HERE
).
| PARK
KAMEYAMA-KŌEN
OFFLINE MAP