Best Time To Visit
Best Time of Day to Visit Arashiyama Bamboo Grove in Arashiyama, Kyoto, Japan
Visiting Arashiyama Bamboo Forest in the Early Morning
Early morning is without a doubt the best time of day to visit the very popular Arashiyama Bamboo Forest.
You’ll share the path with far fewer people, and the light is beautiful, with the first rays of the sun filtering through the bamboo leaves for a magical effect.
Take the first morning train from Kyoto, or even spring for a taxi, to arrive at the crack of dawn if you want to experience the grove at its tranquil best.
Even this early in the morning, you will likely not have the grove all to yourself. But you’ll have enough room to stroll in relative comfort and snap photos.
Tour groups usually start to arrive at the grove around 9 a.m., after which the path through Arashiyama Bamboo Forest starts to get very congested, as in shoulder-to-shoulder pedestrian traffic. The very opposite of tranquil!
Planning a trip to the famous grove? Visit our Arashiyama Bamboo Forest home page for the complete rundown on every single detail!
And if you’re just starting to plan your visit to Japan, check out some of the top things to do in Japan, many of which you absolutely don’t want to miss!
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Visiting Arashiyama Bamboo Grove Late in the Day
Another relatively less crowded time of day is late in the evening, just before it gets dark.
Tour groups have departed the grove by then, but you will still share the path with many travelers visiting Arashiyama Bamboo Forest on their own, so it’s not as relaxing or tranquil as walking the path early in the day.
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Visiting Arashiyama Bamboo Forest at Night
We think you should definitely experience Arashiyama Bamboo Forest while it’s light out, to see the magical green stalks of bamboo and photograph the iconic path.
But if you’ve visited in the day and it was crowded and not as serene as you’d hoped, you can return to Arashiyama Bamboo Forest at night when it’s dark, for a different and unique experience!
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