Arashiyama and Sagano in a day for 6.
The Hozugawa boat starts at 80 cm; about ¥44,000 for 6
Arashiyama and Sagano, on the west side of Kyoto, are known for the bamboo grove path, Togetsukyo Bridge, a sightseeing train through a river gorge, and the Hozugawa river boat ride. On the popular rides, 6 people cannot always sit together, and for small children and grandparents the height rule and the stretch with no toilet get in the way. This article sets out how to put together a day trip from Kyoto Station, what it costs for 6, and what to check before you ride.
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The day planThe day plan: up the gorge by train, back to Arashiyama by boat
The answer: the classic route is "Kyoto Station → Saga-Arashiyama → Sagano train to Kameoka → Hozugawa boat back down to Arashiyama". The rides alone take about 2 hours 40 minutes to 3 hours, and with lunch and Tenryu-ji you are back at Kyoto Station some time between 14:00 and 16:00.
Local train from Kyoto at 8:40 → Saga-Arashiyama about 8:57; Sagano train from Torokko Saga at 9:02 → Kameoka 9:25; the 10:00 Hozugawa boat → Arashiyama about 11:40 (60–110 minutes depending on the water). JR and the Sagano train from the 2026 timetables; the boat from the 2026 regular-season weekday scheduled sailings.
- From Saga-Arashiyama Station it is about a 5-minute walk to Torokko Saga Station. The example above leaves only 5 minutes for the change, so with grandparents, take the train before it (the 8:27 local from Kyoto, arriving Saga-Arashiyama at 8:46, weekdays). If you are buying same-day tickets, the ticket window at Torokko Saga opens at about 8:35.
- Torokko Arashiyama Station has 60 steps. With a pushchair or grandparents, get on and off at Torokko Saga (next to JR Saga-Arashiyama, with a slope) or Torokko Kameoka (with a lift; about 10 minutes on foot from JR Umahori Station).
- Inside Torokko Saga Station there is a Hozugawa boat ticket counter, where you can book a sailing for the same day and arrange the connecting bus or a taxi from Kameoka. Taxis are not always waiting outside the station in Kameoka, so if you want one, ask at Saga first.
If you are unsure what to cut from your Kyoto days From official times and fares
The route above takes half a day to two thirds of a day. The Hozugawa boat is the biggest item in both time (about 100 minutes) and cost (¥33,000 for 6); drop it and the day shrinks to a half day on foot around the bamboo grove, Tenryu-ji and Togetsukyo.
Cost for 6: about ¥44,000, of which the Hozugawa boat is ¥33,000
The amounts in this article are for a family of 6: a couple, 2 children (elementary school) and 2 grandparents. The grandparents pay adult prices (none of the places we checked lists a senior discount).
The answer: doing the day above with 6 people costs about ¥44,000 for the rides and the garden alone. The Hozugawa boat is ¥33,000 of that, about three quarters of the total.
| What you pay for | Per person (adult / elementary) | For 6 | Source date |
|---|---|---|---|
| JR Kyoto ⇔ Saga-Arashiyama, return | ¥240 / ¥120 (one way) | ¥2,400 | Route search, October 2026 |
| Sagano train Saga → Kameoka, one way | ¥880 / ¥440 | ¥4,400 | Train running until 2026 |
| Connecting bus Kameoka Station → boarding point | ¥350 / ¥180 | ¥1,760 | Notice as of April 2025 |
| Hozugawa boat | ¥6,000 / ¥4,500 | ¥33,000 | October 2026 |
| Tenryu-ji garden | ¥500 / ¥300 | ¥2,600 | October 2026 |
| Total | — | ¥44,160 | Meals not included |
Calculated from each official fare (JR from a route search in October 2026, the Sagano train for the train running until 2026, the connecting bus from the Hozugawa boat's official notice as of April 2025).
| Group | Rides and garden, total |
|---|---|
| 5 (4 adults + 1 elementary) | ¥38,500 |
| 6 (4 adults + 2 elementary) | ¥44,160 |
| 7 (4 adults + 3 elementary) | ¥49,820 |
| 6, skipping the Hozugawa boat: Sagano train both ways + Tenryu-ji | ¥13,800 |
- If your group is different: preschool children ride the Sagano train free on a lap, up to 1 per ticket holder (if they take a seat, they pay the elementary-school fare), and enter Tenryu-ji free. On the Hozugawa boat, children 80 cm or taller pay ¥4,500, the same as elementary-school children; under 80 cm cannot ride.
- Each place draws the line between adult and child differently. On the Sagano train "12 and over (excluding elementary-school pupils)" is adult; at Tenryu-ji, "high-school age and over" is adult. If you have a junior-high child, only Tenryu-ji charges them the child price (¥300). Go by each official category.
The Hozugawa boat for 6 (4 adults + 2 elementary-school children).
About three quarters of the day's rides and garden.
From Kyoto Station to Saga-Arashiyama on the JR Sagano Line
The answer: take the JR Sagano Line from its platforms at Kyoto Station (31–33) and you reach Saga-Arashiyama in 17 minutes on a local train or 11 minutes on a rapid. There are 5 trains an hour in the daytime, and a return trip for 6 is ¥2,400.
- The fare is ¥240 for adults and ¥120 for elementary-school children (one way). You can ride with a transport IC card.
- Preschool children ride free, up to 2 per adult or elementary-school passenger.
- Limited expresses (Kinosaki, Hashidate and others) leave from the same platforms. Take a local or rapid; the platform number changes from train to train, so check the destination and train type on the departure board.
- Places within a walk of Kyoto Station where 6 can share one room are in Places near Kyoto Station where a family of 6 can share one room. For getting from Kansai Airport to Kyoto Station, see Kansai Airport to Kyoto Station for a family of 6.
The Sagano train in spring: first check it runs; 6 seats are 4 + 2
The answer: the current Sagano Romantic Train retires on 29 December 2026, and the new train is due to debut in "spring 2027". As of October 2026, neither the debut date, nor whether it will run in cherry-blossom season, nor how seats are booked or what the fares are has been announced. The rules below are for the train running until 2026; once the new train is announced, follow the official information.
- In 2026 it stopped for winter in January and February and ran from 1 March. There is no official 2027 operating calendar yet.
- Kyoto's average full-bloom date for cherry blossoms is 4 April (Japan Meteorological Agency, 1991–2020 average). The railway's own guide is "cherry blossoms from late March to early April".
- The new train is planned to have more space between seats and in the aisles, glass roofs and sides, and a special compartment for groups (announced March 2025). Since August 2026 it has been running test trains of 2 locomotives and 4 passenger cars (official announcement). The current train has 5 passenger cars, so the car numbering will likely change; do not apply what we say about car numbers below to the new train.
- The Japan Rail Pass is not valid (it is a separate company's fare; even if a booking site says "JR Pass accepted", the railway says it is not).
- One way takes 23 minutes from Saga to Kameoka and 26 minutes from Kameoka to Saga. In 2026, trains left Saga at 2 minutes past each hour from 9:02 to 16:02.
- There is no official record of how far ahead cherry-blossom trains sell out. The railway only says that "when trains are full, we may not be able to meet your request".
| Item | Rules until 2026 |
|---|---|
| When online booking opens | From midnight one month before the travel date; choose your car and seats, up to 8 tickets at a time. If the month before has no matching date, from the matching date of the following month (e.g. to ride on 29 March, from midnight on 1 March) |
| Seats for 6 | Seats are in boxes of 4. A group of 6 is split into "4 seats + 2 seats in the next box" |
| Payment and tickets | Credit card. The ticket is a QR code on your phone, shown to staff at the gate |
| Station ticket window | Same-day tickets only. Even when it is full online, some seats are kept for same-day sale, but they are limited and once gone you cannot ride |
| Refunds | Free until 23:59 the day before. Same-day changes and refunds are not possible |
| Car No. 5 | A car with no windows and a glass roof, selectable when booking online. You can get wet on rainy days, and umbrellas cannot be used on board |
| Pushchairs and luggage | Fold the pushchair and take it to your seat. Bags up to about 120 cm (length + width + height) are free |
The Hozugawa boat draws the line at 80 cm tall, not at an age
The answer: on the Hozugawa boat, children under 80 cm tall cannot ride, whatever their age, and they cannot ride on a lap either. If someone in the family cannot ride, either split up or plan the day without the boat.
1. Under 80 cm tall cannot ride Officially confirmed
Adults ¥6,000, children (preschool to elementary school, 80 cm or taller) ¥4,500. Everyone wears a life jacket; the smallest, for infants, is for 80–100 cm.
2. No toilet for about 100 minutes Officially confirmed
About 100 minutes from boarding to getting off (60–110 minutes depending on the water), and there is no toilet on the boat. The only toilets are in the waiting room at the boarding point, so go before you board.
3. Sitting all 6 together is not guaranteed Officially confirmed
On shared boats (24 passengers) the boatmen decide the seating. To sit together, charter a boat (up to 17 people, from ¥144,000 per boat). Pushchairs are folded and stowed at the back of the boat; if you have several, ask in advance.
- Groups of 9 or fewer can book online until the day before; 10 or more book by phone. Without a booking you can still ride on the day, in order of arrival. In autumn-leaf season and on long weekends there are waits.
- In the 2026 regular season (10 March to 13 December), weekdays had scheduled sailings on the hour from 9:00 to 15:00 (7 sailings), and on weekends and holidays boats left as soon as enough people gathered. Check the 2027 times on the official site.
- In winter (from the second Monday of December to 9 March) there are only 4 sailings a day, and the trip takes about 2 hours.
- Sailings are cancelled when the river is high or the weather is bad. On rainy days the boat runs with a roof up, and umbrellas cannot be used. On the day, check "operating status" on the official site.
The minimum height for the Hozugawa boat. Age does not matter;
children under 80 cm cannot ride, even on a lap.
Check Hozugawa boat availability
First make sure everyone riding is 80 cm or taller. Once aboard, there is no toilet for about 100 minutes.
For the day's operating status, and official online booking for groups of 9 or fewer, see the Hozugawa river boat official site (not an affiliate).
Check prices and availability on the booking page. Height, fare and operating rules are from the official site as of October 2026.
Finish the day at Tenryu-ji and the bamboo grove path
The answer: once off the boat in Arashiyama, walk the Tenryu-ji garden and the bamboo grove path. Entry to the Tenryu-ji garden closes at 16:50, so be through the gate by 16:30 at the latest.
- The Tenryu-ji garden is open 8:30–17:00 (last entry 16:50). It costs ¥500 for high-school age and over, ¥300 for elementary and junior-high pupils, and is free for preschool children.
- To also see inside the buildings (Ohojo, Shoin, Tahoden), add ¥300 to the garden fee (last entry 16:30). The dragon painted on the ceiling of the Hatto hall is a separate ¥500, shown on weekends and holidays, and every day during set periods in spring and autumn.
- The bamboo grove path is about a 10-minute walk from Torokko Saga Station.
- Where you take off your shoes and the rules on photos differ from temple to temple. What to check before you go round is in Rules for visiting temples and shrines in Kyoto.
Planning a day without the Sagano train
The answer: on days the Sagano train is not running, or when you could not get seats, you can still make a day of it by taking JR to Kameoka and coming back down the Hozugawa by boat to Arashiyama.
- JR from Kyoto Station to Kameoka Station takes 28 minutes on a local train.
- For getting from JR Kameoka Station to the boarding point (2 Shimonakajima, Hozu-cho, Kameoka, Kyoto Prefecture), see the Hozugawa boat's official access page.
- On a day without the boat as well, just walking from Saga-Arashiyama Station to the bamboo grove path, Tenryu-ji and Togetsukyo fills half a day.
- Ways to walk around the busiest times are in Avoiding the crowds in Kyoto with kids.
Honest notes (4 things we could not confirm or that are not yet announced)
These are things we have not been able to verify, so we do not assert them.
Start date and rules for the 2027 Sagano train
As of October 2026, the debut date of the new train ("spring 2027"), whether it runs in cherry-blossom season, how seats are booked and the fares have not been announced. What this article says about seats and fares is for the train running until 2026.
Current fare of the connecting bus
The fare for the connecting bus (Keihan Kyoto Kotsu) from Kameoka Station to the boarding point (adults ¥350, children ¥180) is from the Hozugawa boat's official notice as of April 2025. We could not confirm the current fare. Children aged 1–5 ride free, up to two per paying adult or child, and babies under 1 also ride free (the bus company's fare rules, October 2026).
How fast cherry-blossom trains sell out
There is no official record of how far ahead the Sagano train sells out in cherry-blossom season. The railway only says that "when trains are full, we may not be able to meet your request".
Spring evening events
We could not confirm evening events in Arashiyama in spring at the time of writing.
Arashiyama and Sagano for a big family: FAQ
Can we ride the Sagano train with a Japan Rail Pass?
No. The Sagano Romantic Train has its own fares as a separate company from JR, and its official guide says the Japan Rail Pass cannot be used. The JR Sagano Line from Kyoto Station to Saga-Arashiyama is a JR line.
Is the Hozugawa boat safe?
On 28 March 2023 a river boat capsized; 2 boatmen died and 19 passengers were injured (Japan Transport Safety Board report). Sailings resumed on 17 July 2023 (Kameoka City document). The operator now says officially that it decides whether to sail based on the water level at a national gauging station, tracks every boat by GPS, and holds safety inspections twice a year. Sailings are cancelled when the river is high or the weather is bad.
Are there evening illuminations?
The winter "Arashiyama Hanatoro" ended with the 2021 season (Kyoto Prefecture), so do not plan around it from an old guide. The Sagano train's evening runs, the "Hikari no Gensō Ressha", run for the last time on the current train from 24 October to 29 December 2026. We could not confirm spring evening events at the time of writing.
What happens on rainy days?
The Sagano train runs in the rain, but it has been cancelled for a whole day in heavy rain or typhoons (26 June 2026). Car No. 5 (with the glass roof) can get wet, and there are no same-day refunds or changes because of rain. The Hozugawa boat runs with a roof up and is cancelled if the river rises. For both, check the official operating information on the morning.
We have a 1-year-old. Can the whole family enjoy the day?
Children under 80 cm tall cannot ride the Hozugawa boat (not even on a lap). On the Sagano train, preschool children ride free on a lap, up to 1 per ticket holder. On a day when someone cannot ride the boat, switch to the train both ways, or a half day on foot around the bamboo grove path, Tenryu-ji and Togetsukyo.
📍 One of the articles in our Kyoto Station trip plan (Kyoto Station | Trip plan for large families / all tickets and experiences articles)