Is the Arashiyama Bamboo Grove crowded right now?
Very busy Calmer from 5 pm.
Weather from Open-Meteo, updated 1 pm. Rain chance is the highest between now and 8 pm.
When is the Bamboo Grove quiet?
Before 7:30 am, the path is Quiet every day of the year, even on autumn weekends. On an ordinary weekday it turns Busy around 9 am and stays that way until about 4:30 pm. Weekends and public holidays fill up earlier, from about 8:30 am, and calm down from about 5 pm.
In the autumn leaves and cherry blossom peaks (November 10 to December 5 and March 25 to April 10), weekends are Busy from about 8:30 am to 6 pm.
| Time | Weekday | Weekend | Peak weekend |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 am | Quiet | Quiet | Quiet |
| 8 am | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate |
| 9 am | Busy | Busy | Very busy |
| 12 pm | Very busy | Very busy | Very busy |
| 4 pm | Busy | Busy | Very busy |
| 5 pm | Moderate | Moderate | Busy |
| 6 pm | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate |
| 7 pm | Quiet | Quiet | Quiet |
Is there a quieter way in?
Most people walk in from the main street by Nonomiya Shrine. These routes avoid that crush.
- Walk it from the top endStart near Okochi Sanso Garden at the uphill end and walk down. You face the crowd instead of queueing behind it, and the top section thins out first.
- Through Tenryu-ji's north gateTenryu-ji's garden has a north exit that opens onto the middle of the grove. You need a garden ticket, and the gate keeps the temple's hours.
- Come back at the end of the dayOn weekdays the path calms down from about 4:30 pm, and it stays open after the temples close.
Check it yourself
The Kyoto City Tourism Association runs a live camera on the path. It opens in a new tab.
Grove too packed? Go here instead
Bamboo and old streets a 10 to 25 minute walk from the crowds.
- Okochi Sanso Garden ModerateIts own bamboo, inside a paid garden. Tea is included. 5 min past the top of the grove.
- Adashino Nenbutsu-ji QuietA short bamboo path behind thousands of stone statues. About 20 min north.
- Saga-Toriimoto street QuietThatched houses on a preserved old street. About 25 min north.
- Daikaku-ji Temple ModerateA large pond and covered corridors, rarely full. About 20 min, or a short bus ride.
Bamboo Grove questions
What is the best time to visit the Arashiyama Bamboo Grove?
Before 7:30 am. Our estimates put the path at Quiet at that hour every day of the year, including autumn weekends. On weekdays it calms down again from about 4:30 pm. Best times by day and season
Is the Bamboo Grove open 24 hours?
Yes. The path is a public walkway with no gate, so you can walk it at any hour. The temples and shops around it keep their own hours.
Does it cost anything to walk the Bamboo Grove?
The path itself is free. Tenryu-ji's garden and Okochi Sanso Garden, which border it, charge for entry.
Is it less crowded when it rains?
Usually a little. Our estimates drop by 20% in any hour with at least 1 mm of rain forecast or a 60% chance of rain.
Are these live crowd counts?
No. They are estimates from typical daily patterns, weekends, holidays, seasons and the weather forecast. Use the live camera to check. How the estimates work
Crowd levels are estimates from typical daily patterns, weekends, holidays, seasons and the weather forecast. They are not live counts. How the estimates work