Kyoto · TRAIN EXPERIENCES
Good train rides fill up weeks ahead in spring and autumn. Below: the 10 to book first, what each includes and how they differ.
Travel from Osaka by air-conditioned bus with an English-speaking guide, then see Arashiyama’s bamboo grove, ride the 25-minute Sagano Romantic Train and visit Kiyomizudera and Fushimi Inari. Lunch is optional. Guides have included Masa, Haru, Jewell and Hiro, though your guide may differ.
“A big thanks to Masa for being our guide. He made the tour a lot of fun for our group”
Ride the Shinkansen from Kyoto to Hiroshima, cross by boat to Miyajima, and visit Itsukushima Shrine before exploring Hiroshima’s Peace Memorial Park, museum, and Atomic Bomb Dome. A licensed English-speaking guide leads the Hiroshima portion. Lunch is at your own expense, and the long day ends back at Kyoto Station.
“The tour to Miyajima Island and Hiroshima from Kyoto was a great experience. The bullet train ride was smooth and easy as we were taken to the platform by someone and met in Hiroshima by our tour guide Miki. We were bused to the ferry tRead more”
Visit Kyoto Railway Museum for a full day of Japanese railway history, from vintage steam engines to Shinkansen. Walk through real trains, try hands-on simulators, study detailed railway dioramas, and catch the roundhouse turntable in motion. Standard admission is $9 per person. The museum is closed Wednesdays, and some children’s tickets are bought on-site.
“Really good. Quiet. Cool inside. A lot to see and interact with.”
See Arashiyama with an English-speaking guide in a group of up to nine. Choose the 30-minute Sagano Romantic Train option, then visit Mikami Shrine, the Bamboo Forest and Tenryu Temple, with time for local snacks and Togetsukyo Bridge. Guides including Shingo, Eloise and Leo have helped visitors with history, photo spots and food recommendations.
“We were not able to get the train we booked too late. The communication was great and they outlined all our options. We went with just the tour and Shingo was a great guide. He took very good care of us stopping to rest when we needed a break and setting up the best photo moments. He was extremely knowledgeable about the tour sights and helped us with some restaurant recommendations which is always helpful from a local! We had a wonderful day with Shingo I highly recommend this tour.”
Travel by air-conditioned bus from Kyoto Station to the Sagano Romantic Train, then ride 7.3 km through the countryside before taking a 1.5-hour boat trip down the Hozugawa River. An English-speaking guide leads this shared five-hour outing, which ends in Arashiyama. Lunch and transport back to Kyoto are not included.
“Badly organised with a ‘guide’ who was hardly visible or audible I was told expecting a guide who shared interesting facts about the whole outing but he said nothing and was not a natural-born organiser. The meeting point was a mess. The ‘romantic’ train boarding was less than efficient and worst of all not at all romantic. Seats very uncomfortable and in spite of lovely toute along the river which you can hardly see as one has to remain seated. The best part was the river rapids ride (simple boat and not RAFT!) and the boat crew were entertaining and a breath of fresh air. Fun! Then we had a…”
Spend about four hours exploring Arashiyama with an English-speaking guide, from the bamboo grove and Tenryu-ji Temple to Togetsukyo Bridge and Kameyama Park. Add the 25-minute Sagano Romantic Train ride if you want a scenic trip through the area. Guides who have led this tour include Maru-san, Yuko and Kats, though your guide is not guaranteed.
“Maru-san was amazing! He heard we are traveling to Osaka afterward, he sent us restaurant recommendations, provided sightseeing tips! He went above and beyond to help us!”
This eight-hour Kyoto outing pairs a 25-minute Sagano Romantic Train ride with a 90-minute Hozu River boat trip, Tenryuji Temple, Arashiyama’s bamboo grove and a Kyoto-style buffet. An English-speaking guide leads the shared group. Guide assignments vary; Ms Yoka has been praised for attentive, informative guiding.
“A bit disorganised to begin with but the places visited were lovely. Lunch was average at the buffet. Unfortunately we had a family group that didn’t follow our guide’s instructions so we had to wait for them several times and were late for one paRead more”
Spend about 12 hours traveling by bullet train from Kyoto or Osaka to Hiroshima with a private National Licensed Guide Interpreter. Visit Itsukushima Shrine on Miyajima, the Atomic Bomb Dome, and the Peace Memorial Museum. Hotel pickup, admissions, and public transportation are included. Lunch is not.
“Aihero- 🙌🏻 Hands down the best tour guide in Kyoto! Thank you for an unforgettable journey from Kyoto to Hiroshima, from subway to bullet train to fairy boat wow what a journey to get us to the Peace Memorial and guiding us through stuRead more”
Spend about 12 hours traveling from Kyoto to Miyajima and Hiroshima. Ride the Shinkansen and a ferry, visit Itsukushima Shrine and Peace Memorial Park, and explore with an English- and Spanish-speaking guide. A guide named Astrid has been praised for clear directions and multilingual skills, though guide assignments may vary.
“The guide was great (Astrid) both English and Spanish were great! Completely understandable. She speaks Japanese as well. All instructions were clear the shrines were beautiful, the deer were docile. It was a good day”
At Yushinkan Kyoto, you’ll train alongside local dojo students under a headmaster with more than 20 years of experience. Dress in dōgi, obi, and hakama, practise katana drawing and fighting techniques, then watch students and the master cut rolled tatami mats. The group is limited to three, and participant test cutting is not offered.
“I can highly recommend this for anyone who has previous experience with martial arts. I have experience with different styles of martial arts, but limited experience with a katana and I had a great time! Everything was professionally arranged, Read more”
Pick a hillside, a lane or a tea room.
