Japan Adventures – Day 7: Exploring Arashiyama and Kyoto’s Hidden Gems

Morning: Iwatayama Monkey Park Adventure

We had to make some minor changes to our itinerary as we had already covered Kinkaku-ji when we first arrived and couldn’t get seats on the Sagano Scenic Train. We started the day by taking a direct bus to Iwatayama Monkey Park. Upon arriving at the Arashiyama bus stop, my kids were intrigued by the Katsura River, where they went down to the riverbank to play. The view from the walk to Iwatayama Monkey Park entrance is beautiful, especially from the Togetsukyō Bridge.

If you have a Kansai One Pass, you can get ¥100 off your entrance to the park. It is a good half-hour uphill walk to the observation deck – Iwatayama Peak Rest House. There is a playground and an air-conditioned room if you need to rest before making the final few meters. In the rest house, you can buy food to feed the monkeys. The walk down is a lot easier as it is downhill, but be careful as it is slippery when it’s wet.

Midday: Ichitani-Munakata-Jinja Shrine and River Activities

We also visited the Ichitani-Munakata-Jinja Shrine, which is near the restroom outside the entrance to the park. If you have some time, you can try Yakatabune or rent a boat from the Arashiyama Ferry South Pier.

Lunch: Arashiyama Rilakkuma Tea House

We then made our way to the Arashiyama Rilakkuma Tea House, a kawaii cafe with Rilakkuma character. It is a little busy, so you will have to wait a bit before getting a table, especially if you go there around lunchtime, but it is worth the wait. Along the way to the cafe, we explored a few local shops.

Afternoon: Arashiyama Bamboo Forest and Shopping

After lunch, we continued our way to the Arashiyama Bamboo Forest via a few stops at the local shops. After exploring the bamboo forest, we decided to head back to Nishiki Market and Shinkyogoku Shopping Street. There is just too much to explore here that we came back three nights in a row. Another reason is our kids wanted to go back to the Fish Spa Kyoto.

Dinner: Hyakusai Beef Noodles

But this time, instead of Kura Sushi, we went to Hyakusai Beef Noodles. It’s a Chinese-style ramen shop with handmade noodles. You can choose the thickness of your noodles, and the ramen tastes really good. After a long day of walking and exploring, we decided to grab a taxi back to our hotel. The taxi fare was reasonable, making it a convenient choice after a tiring day.