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Kyoto Sagano Romantic Railway & Hozugawa River Boat Ride Tour

4.13· 8 reviews

Highlights

Ride the scenic Sagano Romantic Train through Kyoto’s beautiful countryside.
Cruise down the Hozugawa River on a traditional boat with stunning natural views.
Enjoy spectacular seasonal scenery, from cherry blossoms to vibrant autumn foliage.
Escape the city and immerse in Kyoto’s peaceful nature on this relaxing adventure.
Audio guides in English, Chinese, and Korean are available.

What to expect

Enjoy the colors of seasons as a retro train takes you on a leisurely ride. Hop on a traditional boat and marvel at the striking sights as you make your way down the Hozugawa River. Wrap up your day with some free time to enjoy Arashiyama.

Relax with a nostalgic train ride followed by an exciting adventure down the river on this full-day tour from central Kyoto. The rapids along the Hozugawa River will lead to scenic Arashiyama, where you will have a little more than two hours to explore the area.
Get up close with nature from the fast-flowing river to verdant forests. Close your eyes for a moment and listen to the serenade of the chirping birds and the rustling leaves. Open your eyes to lush greenery in summer, bright yellow leaves in autumn, and silvery scenery in winter, before the cherry blossoms repaint the whole landscape pink in spring!

About this experience

Starting at: 08:00, 09:00

Schedule

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Check-in at JR Kyoto Station Karasumaguchi KYOTO Sightseeing"OKOSHI"Bus Terminal
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Depart from the "OKOSHI" Bus Kyoto (Sightseeing Bus) Boarding Area
Please be sure to exchange your voucher (reservation confirmation) for a bus ticket at the KYOTO Sightseeing"OKOSHI"Bus Ticket window 10 minutes before the bus departure. It is necessary to have the bus ticket for boarding. Please make sure to arrive on time as the bus will depart as scheduled.
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Scenic Train Ride Sugano Romantic train
Go on a spectacular train ride that will take you from Saga Station to Kameoka Station—that's 7.3 kilometers of magnificent scenery! Treat your senses to a nostalgic ride through Kyoto's picture-perfect natural landscape.
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Arrive at Torokko Kameoka Station
Upon arriving at Torokko Kameoka Station, transfer by bus to the Hozugawa River Boat Ride boarding area.
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Hozugawa River Boat Ride
Enjoy a thrilling boat ride down the Hozugawa River to Arashiyama. Relish the feeling of being surrounded by nature as the cruise makes its way through some rapids, flanked by lush foliage.
*If the river conditions cause the Hozu River Boat Ride to be canceled, the tour may be modified or canceled.
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Exploring Arashiyama
Feel the forces of nature at work in this glorious area of rural Kyoto. Get a good look at Tenryuji Temple, the head temple of a major branch of Zen Buddhism. Enjoy your free time in Arashiyama, and find a local spot for some lunch before heading back to the bus.
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JR Kyoto Station Karasumaguchi KYOTO Sightseeing"OKOSHI"Bus Terminal
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*Schedule may change due to road conditions
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Tour Ends

Location and Directions

Check-in / Check-out
JR Kyoto Station Karasumaguchi

Reviews

4.13

8 reviews

Pathetic tour

Posted Date: 2024/11/30

disappointed

The river cruise was cancelled the last few days because some work was being carried out. however, they told us this only on the morning of the trip. We should have been advised a couple of days earlier. The tour is only in Japanese, so if you don’t understand the language don’t use this tour provider. Even basic instructions in english are not provided, nor are your questions understood.

Perfect timing to see the sakura trees in full bloom.

Posted Date: 2019/04/20

Glenn

It was nice to have all transportation to and from set. It can be a little complicated getting out to Kameoka from Kyoto. The entire experience was worth the cost.

Great tour, could have better meeting sites

Posted Date: 2019/04/21

Ali

This tour begins at the Saga-Arashiyama station and ends in Arashiyama. However, the meeting location is at the Kyoto station, approx. 35 min away by train. As guests at the Suiran Kyoto in Arashiyama, it was discouraging to travel the distance for this tour. Suggestion...It would be nice for those staying in Arashiyama to have the opportunity to meet at the tour departure station...the Saga-Arashiyama. As for the tour itself, our family had a fun and exciting time!

Lovely day bus and train trip (cancelled boat ride due to weather)

Posted Date: 2024/04/06

Ellen

The tour guide was lovely. She didn’t speak much English but she had a book of phrases she needed to tell us written out so we knew what was going on. The bus ride had an English audio guide which was generally interesting. The train was beautiful, and the scenery was amazing. The boat trip was unfortunately cancelled due to the heavy rain the day before, so we had a long coach journey instead. The bamboo forest was incredible but very busy so if you want quiet maybe go by yourself instead of on… The tour guide was lovely. She didn’t speak much English but she had a book of phrases she needed to tell us written out so we knew what was going on. The bus ride had an English audio guide which was generally interesting. The train was beautiful, and the scenery was amazing. The boat trip was unfortunately cancelled due to the heavy rain the day before, so we had a long coach journey instead. The bamboo forest was incredible but very busy so if you want quiet maybe go by yourself instead of on a tour. we had three hours at Arashyama which was actually perfect, if we’d had a boat trip too it would have only been an hour which would have been too short!

Quite an adventure

Posted Date: 2024/06/16

Catherine

Train was cool, was nice to let someone else handle the details for the day. River was gorgeous, wear Sun protective clothing and you are sitting on a wooden bench with no back for 2 hours. And finishing with the bamboo Lane (not really a forest) and shops were great. Highly recommend.

Enjoyable and memorable

Posted Date: 2024/06/18

kim

The train trip was really romantic with some imagination. It passed through various gorges ,bridges and rivers in a small scale open red train roared with non stop wow and laughter. The river boat trip was another realm , you got so excited all along down the rapid that you heard the tour guides shouting in Japanese that imprinted in your mind some daily words. The boatmen
were magnificent and friendly.

Amazing just book!

Posted Date: 2025/11/01

Me@

Nothing to say bad this was an amazing experience especially due to the staff!!

Fantastic time, value for money. Very well looked after.

Posted Date: 2025/11/15

Lorraine

Value for money. Easy to find start location outside Kyoto train station.
Very welcoming with checks of passengers so we don't get left behind.
Great communication in different languages with earphones.
Train ride with great views nice to get out the big cities. Boat ride great. Rickshaw added extra but discount vouchers given. Brilliant staff. A trip for everyone, people with walking difficulties may find the boat ride difficult but speak to staff as the opportunity to stay on the coach.