.png)
RTW Trip Day #7: Family Day Trip to Arashiyama’s Temples, Bamboo Forest and Monkey Park
- Oct 8, 2025
- 4 min read
Updated: 6 days ago
Welcome back to our Round‑the‑World Family Sabbatical diary! We’re a Calgary‑based family travelling for 100 days, sharing the real, unfiltered experience of long‑term travel with kids - the good moments, the chaotic moments, and everything in between.
This is Day 7 of our journey, spent exploring Kyoto’s beautiful Arashiyama district in the rain! You can browse the full 100‑day contents list here, but for now, join us as we wander through Arashiyama's historic streets, visit quirky stone statues at Otagi Nenbutsuji, push through the crowds of the Bamboo Forest, and climb all the way up to the Iwatayama Monkey Park.
Day 7 Highlights - Arashiyama Day Trip
Here is a summary of the highlights from our Arashiyama day trip:
Otagi Nenbutsuji Temple
Arashiyama Preserved Street
Visiting the Bamboo Forest (very crowded!)
Peaceful walk along the Katsura River
Feeding monkeys at Iwatayama Monkey Park
Otagi Nenbutsuji Temple
Otagi Nenbutsu-ji Temple is famous for its collection of more than 1,200 stone statues known as rakan. Each figure was carved in the early 1980s by novice craftsmen from across the region under the guidance of a local monk. Some are praying, others laughing, and each one has its own expression and personality.
It was raining quite heavily when we arrived, and a tour bus had just pulled up, so the temple grounds were quite busy, which has been a common theme during our time in Japan.
At the end of our visit, we stopped to get a goshuin and had to wait inside one of the temples for cover from the rain while it was completed - it took about 10 minutes.
If you’re new to goshuin or curious about how they work, I’ve written a full guide that explains everything you need to know.
Arashiyama Preserved Street
Afterward, we walked into town along the Arashiyama Preserved Street, which was absolutely beautiful. Many of the old houses had thatched roofs and looked just how I imagine Japan would have appeared hundreds of years ago.
When the rain started up again, we nipped into a small café for a coffee and spent some time playing cards while we waited for it to ease off.
Arashiyama Bamboo Forest
We then arrived at the Bamboo Forest, and once again it was packed with people, including way too many tourists dressed in kimonos trying to get the perfect Instagram photo.
Even so, it was incredible to see how tall the bamboo grew. We had considered waking up really early to avoid the crowds, but in the end we decided we’d rather have rested kids than the perfect photo as they’ve done a lot on this trip.
Arashiyama Park, Katsura River and the Togetsu-kyo Bridge
We walked along the path that winds through the Bamboo Forest and into Arashiyama Park on the other side, where we made our way down to the riverbank. It was much quieter there, and as we followed the path toward the water, we hardly saw anyone.
The riverbank was a lovely and much more relaxing spot, and if it hadn’t been raining, we would have considered taking a boat ride. From there, we walked towards the famous Togetsukyo Bridge, which spans the Katsura River.
It got a lot busier as we approached the bridge, with plenty of shops and cafes around the intersection.
Iwatayama Monkey Park
The Arashiyama monkey park was great and the kids loved it, well worth the effort to get there if you’re visiting with children.
The steps to the top were quite steep though, and we were actually thankful for the rainy weather as it would be tough to climb in the summer heat, though it was still very humid.
It took us around 25 minutes to reach the top with a few breaks along the way, and there are benches placed at intervals which helped.
At the top, the monkeys were roaming freely and we saw several babies playing in the trees. You can also go inside a hut to feed them through the wire, which the kids really enjoyed. It’s only 100 yen for a small pack of food and it was lovely to see the baby monkeys up close.
The views over Kyoto from the top were fantastic.
Sushi Dinner at Kura Sushi
For dinner we went to a conveyor belt sushi restaurant called Kura Sushi. We had a bit of a wait (around an hour), but the place was packed with locals, which was always a good sign.
You order your food through an iPad and then take it off the conveyor belt when it arrives. The kids really enjoyed a game called Bikkura Pon! For every five plates you return through a slot, you get a chance to play a mini game on the screen, and if you win, a small capsule toy drops down as a prize. We didn’t win but it still ended up being one of our favourite food experiences in Japan.
This journal entry is part of our 100‑day Round‑the‑World family sabbatical, where we’re sharing the real, everyday moments of long‑term travel with kids - the fun, the frustrations, and everything in between.
If you’d like to follow along from the beginning, jump ahead to another destination, or explore our full itinerary, the links are below.