Before You Go to the Arashiyama Bamboo Grove

Short answer: take the JR Sagano Line from Kyoto Station to Saga-Arashiyama (about 11 min by rapid), then walk about 10 minutes. Kyoto City says buses from Kyoto Station are crowded and slow — use the train.

Getting there (Kyoto City / JNTO)

• JR Sagano Line: its platform at Kyoto Station is further than others; front cars are crowded, so board from the back. Rapid and local trains stop at Saga-Arashiyama (~11 min rapid). The grove is ~10 min on foot (JNTO); Togetsu-kyo Bridge ~8 min.
• Less crowded option: Subway Karasuma Line to Karasuma Oike → Tozai Line to Uzumasa Tenjingawa → Randen (Keifuku) to Arashiyama.
• From Shijo Kawaramachi: Hankyu to Katsura → Hankyu Arashiyama Line to Arashiyama; or Randen from Shijo-Omiya. Kyoto City advises avoiding city bus 11 on Shijo-dori (constantly congested).
• Busy weekends/holidays in late April–early May and autumn: city bus 109 runs (Kinkaku-ji/Arashiyama).

What trips people up

• The main street is busy: Kyoto City warns not to step off the sidewalk on the road to Togetsu-kyo.
• People live here: Kyoto City asks visitors to be considerate because sights are near homes.
• JNTO suggests entering via the side gate of Tenryu-ji; Okochi-Sanso villa at the top charges admission (incl. tea and sweet).

Not confirmed by an official source, so left out: opening hours / whether it is always open, quiet times, Tenryu-ji and Okochi-Sanso fees and hours, lockers, rules on touching or carving bamboo. Kyoto City's access page lists coin lockers by station — check there.

Places: All "before you go" guides · Fushimi Inari · Chureito Pagoda (Mt Fuji view) · Ghibli Museum · teamLab · Shibuya Sky · Senso-ji · Nara deer · Arashiyama · Miyajima · Disney & USJ · Kyoto autumn light-ups