Arashiyama, Kyoto: Bamboo, Wild Monkeys & How I'd Plan the Day as a Dad

If you are planning Japan, Arashiyama is a good place to check out: bamboo, a river, and wild monkeys above Kyoto. I went in September 2023, before our son was born. I enjoyed the calm. Now that I am a dad, I would think harder about the pace. This is what we did, what I liked, and how I would plan the same day today.

The day, in the order we did it

Arashiyama is on the west side of Kyoto. Our day went from the bamboo forest to the Tenryu-ji garden, down to the river, and then up the hill to the monkey park. I filmed it on my phone, so the video is one visit seen through the clips I happened to take.

The bamboo

Watch this part of the video (0:44)

The path was quiet when I filmed it. There were a few people, and the tall bamboo felt very tranquil. Yes, there are power lines, and the postcards leave those out. Later in the day more people were coming in, so my advice from this one visit is to go early if you want the calm version. In the video I put two clips of the bamboo path next to each other, one from 9:49 and one from 10:49 by my phone's timestamps. That is one morning, not a crowd study, so treat it as a hint and not a rule.

Tenryu-ji garden and the river

Watch this part of the video (1:29)

Right next door, the Tenryu-ji garden has a pond, a temple and hills behind it. What I enjoyed there, again, was the calm. Kyoto has a lot of gardens and temples, so Arashiyama works for me as a different kind of change of pace: nature views, and it is not hard to reach by train, so it can be a good day trip. Down by the river there is the Togetsukyo Bridge. You do not need every stop to be a highlight. Sometimes the useful part is the space between them.

The climb

Watch this part of the video (2:11)

The monkey park is across the river, and you have to hike up. The path has trees, dirt and a railing, and it is a bit of a climb. I filmed it on the way down, and I did not time it, so there is a gap between my clips and nothing here is a stopwatch time. Bring good shoes, because depending on the time of year it could be wet, and I would not choose a rainy day. Bring some water too. I may be misremembering details, because since becoming a dad a lot of things are a blur.

The monkeys and the feeding hut

Watch this part of the video (3:09)

The monkeys are fully outside. Sometimes they are behind the fence, and in the feeding hut you are the one behind it, the exhibit to the monkeys. You hold a small piece of food through the mesh and they take it. The babies are the cute ones. There are signs inside, and the one I could read in my footage asks you not to bring your face close to the fence. That was our visit in 2023, so follow whatever the staff and the posted rules say when you go. We heard the monkeys might go up to you and take things, so keep your belongings secure. It was a cool family experience, and it would also work with friends.

How I would plan it now, as a dad

Watch this part of the video (3:40)

I would still probably go, but I would carry our son and keep him close, because the monkeys are loose and a lot can happen. The bamboo and the garden are the simple parts. The monkeys are all up the hill, where the climb is steep. Here is the order I would use. Give the bamboo a proper place in the plan, early in the day for quieter walks. Let the garden and the river be the change of pace. Then go up the hill for the animals. If you are already tired, if it is the second day of a trip, or if someone with you does not enjoy climbing, that is a good reason to change the plan. The most useful itinerary is the one you will enjoy, not the one with the most Instagram moments and pins.

Trip Plan Helper

Watch this part of the video (4:22)

I made Trip Plan Helper as a place for trip planning, since my wife does a lot of our planning in Google Sheets. You can open the planner at app.tripplanhelper.com. The promo clips in the video use made-up trip data, and if you want to help me choose which promo video I use, you can vote at alannafa.com/promo.

What this is, and what it is not

This is one visit in September 2023, before our son was born, so I have not tested any of this with him. Prices, hours and rules may have changed, so check the official pages before you go (the monkey park publishes its own). I have a short guide to deciding whether the monkey park belongs in your day, and a Short from the same trip: Wild Monkeys Above Kyoto?

If you only had time for one, would you choose the bamboo or the monkeys, and why? Tell me in the comments on the video. Your answers help me choose the next Japan guide.