In this article, we will teach you how to get to Arashiyama from Kyoto Station and the central city.
As it’s one of the most prominent tourist destinations in Kyoto, you probably already have Arashiyama on your itinerary. And as it sits on the northwest edge of Kyoto City, far outside the city center, when you go, you’ll probably need some kind of transport.
Which is why we wrote this article. Below we’ve outlined each way of getting to Arashiyama, and tell you which ones are the fastest, cheapest and easiest to use!
Each method of transport is listed one by one, so if you’re just looking for the fastest route, then click the links below.
Train approx. 17 minutes, fare: ¥240 – Most recommended｜Fastest & easiest
Bus approx. 45 minutes, fare: ¥230
Taxi 35 minutes, fare: ¥230
From the Central City/Other Areas:
Randen Tram approx. 24 minutes, fare: ¥220 – Most recommended｜Closest to Arashiyama proper
Hankyu Railway approx. 19 minutes, fare: ¥230
Bus approx. 40 minutes, fare: ¥3,000 ～ ￥4,000
Uzumasa Tenjingawa Subway Sta. + Randen-Tenjigawa Sta. : approx. 16 minutes｜fare: ¥440～
Shijo Subway Sta. + Hankyu Karasuma Sta. : approx. 21 minutes｜fare: ¥450～
First, we need to introduce the Arashiyama area and the various stations. Arashiyama is accessed by several transport methods, including the JR Line, Hankyu Railway Line, Randen Tram Line, and the Kyoto City Bus. Each of these has its own station located near the center of Arashiyama. The stations also contain information boards telling you the directions of the various sightseeing spots, so you should have no problem finding your desired destination.
The approximate time from each station to the bamboo forest is as follows:
Bus – Nonomiya bus stop: 0 minutes
Randen Arashiyama Sta.: 4 minutes
JR Saga-Arashiyama Sta.: 7 minutes
Hankyu Arashiyama Sta.: 14 minutes
[From Kyoto Station]
Below are all the ways of getting from Kyoto Station to Arashiyama.
JR Line : approx. 17 minutes｜fare: ¥240
Take the JR Sagano Sanin Main Line from Kyoto Sta. and get off at JR Saga Arashiyama Sta. The train from Kyoto Sta. to Saga Arashiyama departs from Platforms 32 and 33. The platforms are on the left most side of the first floor of the station.
Kyoto City Bus : approx. 45 minutes｜fare: ¥230
If you are going to Arashiyama by bus, take Kyoto City Bus No. 28.
For Togetsukyo Bridge, get off at "Arashiyama Koen," for Tenryu-ji Temple, get off at "Arashiyama Tenryuji-mae" and for the bamboo forest, get off at "Nonomiya"
The journey takes about 45 minutes, but during the peak seasons of autumn and spring, the roads are more congested and it generally takes longer.
Bus No. 28 leaves from platform C6 near Kyoto Sta.’s north exit (on the side of Kyoto Tower). The bus terminal is the north most terminal, across the road from Kyoto Tower.
Taxi : approx. 35 minutes｜fare: ¥3,000 ～ ￥4,000
There are two taxi stands at Kyoto Sta. The first is by the Kyoto Sta north exit (the side adjacent to Kyoto tower) and the second is by the south Hachijo exit.
The northern taxi stand is to your right when you leave the station and right of the bus terminal. This taxi stand is quite large and always has taxis, so you should be able to hail one without waiting.
[From the Central City]
Below is a guide from the central city, around Nishiki Market and the Teramachi shopping street, to Arashiyama.
Randen Tram : approx. 24 minutes｜fare: ¥220
Arashiyama can be accessed via a tram known as the Randen. The Randen Arashiyama Main Line leaves from the Shijo-Omiya Sta. and goes until Arashiyama Sta.
Also, in addition to the Arashiyama Main Line that runs from Arashiyama to Shijo-Omiya, there is the Kitano Line, which takes you to Ryoan-ji Temple and Myoshin-ji Temple. As the Kitano Line connects onto the Arashiyama Main Line, it is also possible to access Arashiyama from near those two temples. However, you will need to change trams at the Katabiranotsuji Sta.
Hankyu Railway : approx. 19 minutes｜fare: ¥230
The closest Hankyu stations in the Shijo area are the Kawaramachi and Karasuma stations. To get to Arashiyama, catch the Osaka Umeda bound train and change trains at Katsura Sta. After getting off at Katsura Sta., take the stairs and head to platform 1 for the Arashiyama bound train. From here it’s only two stations until Arashiyama.
Bus : approx. 40 minutes｜fare: ¥230
Arashiyama can also be accessed by bus from Shijo Kawaramachi.
From Shijo Kawaramachi, take the bus No. 11. For the Togetsu Bridge, get off at the “Arashiyama” bus stop, for Tenryu-ji Temple, get off at “Arashiyama Tenryuji-mae”, and for the bamboo forest, get off at “Nonomiya."
The journey takes about 40 minutes, but during the peak seasons of autumn and spring, the roads are more congested and it generally takes longer.
For bus No. 11, head to Shijo Kawaramachi bus stop D. Bus stop D is located the west of the Shijo Kawaramachi intersection on the south side of Shijo St.
For more information on the Shijo Kawramachi bus stops, see the article below.
Shijo Kawramachi Bus Stop Guide:
https://sharing-kyoto.com/See-Do/magazine/td008354
[City Center/Other Areas]
Arashiyama can also be accessed from places with subway access by combining it with the routes outlined above.
Uzumasa Tenjingawa Subway Sta. + Randen-Tenjigawa Sta. : approx. 16 minutes｜fare: ¥440 –
Located right outside the final stop of the Tozai Subway Line, Uzumasa Tenjingawa Sta., is the Randen-Tenjigawa Sta. From here it takes approx. 13 minutes to Arashiyama. The Arashiyama bound platform is across the road from exit 3 of the Uzumasa Tenjingawa Subway Sta.
Arashiyama can be accessed by taking the subway to Shijo Sta. and transferring to the connected Hankyu Karasuma Sta. After getting off at Shijo Sta., head out the north ticket gate and up the stairs, where you will see the entrance to the Hankyu Karasuma Sta. From here, just follow the Hankyu transport method outlined above.
These have been the various ways of accessing Arashiyama from Kyoto Station, the central city and a few other areas. Give the price and times of each method a look and see which ones suit you the most!
Sharing Kyoto has a few other articles about Arashiyama, so definitely give them a look and see how you can most enjoy your time at this beautiful destination!
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Shin[ Sharing Kyoto Staff ] |
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