Kyoto Arashiyama Scenic Train & Hozugawa River Boat Ride Day Trip (From Osaka / Kyoto)

We boarded the bus in Kyoto, and our tour group consisted of members from various countries. Our guide, Xiao Shen, switched into four-language mode, introducing everything in English, Chinese, Japanese, and Korean. His humorous and engaging style made everyone feel very comfortable. Xiao Shen handled all ticket purchases, coordination, and provided information about the train, Arashiyama route, and meeting points via Line. This allowed us to explore freely and simply meet at the designated time. The driver was excellent, providing a smooth ride that prevented motion sickness, and the seats were clean and comfortable. During the Hozugawa River boat ride, the weather was perfect. Four boatmen guided us downstream, introducing the environment and rock formations with simple animal vocabulary, accompanied by physical interactions and occasional tricks from the boatmen. With a gentle breeze and beautiful scenery, the trip was truly enjoyable.

We really enjoyed this tour package because it took away the hassle of buying separate tickets for different attractions. It was completely stress-free—all we had to do was listen to and follow our amazing guide, Hua Hua. Hua Hua was warm, friendly, and incredibly knowledgeable, which made the experience even more enjoyable. The river boat ride was absolutely fantastic and definitely the highlight of the trip for us. It was such a memorable experience and something we’ll always remember! Highly recommended! 😊

Yujin was amazing! He was extremely kind, organized, and informative! His explanations were very thorough and he was very patient as well. Yujin made our day seamless and provided a wonderful day for us on his tour! I was surprised how many opportunities we had to get food or snacks and use the restroom as well so it’s not a stressful day. After the boat ride we had about 2.5 hours to explore Arashiyama with an option to stay longer and not take the bus back as well. Highly recommend this tour and well worth it! Thank you again Yujin!!

This was my second visit to Arashiyama, and I finally made up for what I missed last time. My first visit only involved a walk through the Bamboo Grove, and honestly, it felt a bit empty. The bamboo forest is beautiful, but finishing it in just over ten minutes made the whole day feel monotonous. This time, I booked a Sagano Romantic Train and Hozugawa River Boat Ride tour through Klook, and the experience was completely different. The Sagano Romantic Train travels along the Hozukyo Gorge, hugging the river valley the entire way. The open-air carriages allow you to directly feel the wind and hear the sound of the river, with the scenery constantly changing as you round each bend. After arriving at Kameoka, we boarded the boat for the downstream journey back to Arashiyama. During the two-hour boat ride, the boatman punted and provided commentary, and it was quite thrilling when we encountered rapids. Seeing the gorge from above and then looking up at the mountain cliffs from the water—experiencing the same Hozugawa River from two different perspectives—was a really interesting combination. The booking process was also smooth. I simply selected the date and time slot on Klook, and there was a guide service throughout the entire trip, saving us the hassle of queuing on-site and dealing with language barriers. During peak season, tickets for the Romantic Train are often hard to come by, so booking in advance provided great peace of mind. Our guide, Huahua, provided commentary in both English and Chinese throughout the trip and even helped take photos for my family, offering thoughtful service. For anyone planning a trip to Arashiyama, here's a tip: the Bamboo Grove is truly just the entrance to Arashiyama. Include the Romantic Train and the boat ride in your itinerary to make your trip complete.

The bus tour guide and the boat tour guides were great. they really took good care of us. I love the Arashiyama sceneries most of all with the river rapids and the cherry blossoms! BTW, I love the river vendors! 👍🏽😁

What a great day! From pick up, to the romantic train ride, to the river boat the experience was top notch! Our tour guide Xie was very informative, friendly and kept us organized. Would highly recommend.

Today’s tour with Mr. Joe’s was excellent!!! We love his humor and energy. Thank you so much, Mr. Joe for the amazing tour today. We enjoyed a lot and hoping to see you again on our Easy go tour. Arigatou!!!!

Yujin’s friendly & very helpful. Tour was already full for Train & River Tour, but Yujin helped us to buy tickets on the spot so we can enjoy the river tour too. Tour’s pace & timing is very comfortable. Minimum walking, maximum view. You’ll have time to stroll around Arashimaya w the free time left after river rafting. Many restos in the area. Only downside is the lunch time which is around 2pm but you’ll be given lots of opportunity to take snacks prior to that. Many toilet break too. River Rafting is quite calm. Romantic Train ride was enjoyable w the great view too. May 12 weather is beautiful. Not too cold. a bit sunny but there’s a cool breeze.

Our guide, Hana, has such a lovely name ☺️. She was professional and dedicated, answering every question. We truly felt her passion and joy for service! The Hozugawa River Boat Ride was even more fun than we expected. Everyone cheered in unison when we went through the rapids! The scenic train ride offered beautiful views along the way, including the stunning Arashiyama bamboo grove. Definitely worth a visit!

Ben was our tour guide, friendly kind and well thought guide. He shared us a lot of tips and history of the location. the trip include a train, which you can see river and beautiful scene. and then boat rafting for 2 hours, enjoy various level of water ride, please note that you might be get wet. lastly 2 hours self exploration bamboo, shrine, shoplots etc.