Okochi Sanso Villa

When inside Arashiyama Bamboo Forest, it is certainly worth it to visit this private garden for only 1,000 JPY a ticket. I recommend taking your time and following the trail laid out, to take in the vast beauty of this garden. I spent much time here relaxing and learning of its history whilst breathing in the fresh air. Once at the end, there is a rest spot where you can enjoy hot drinks - free of charge. A little before this spot are restrooms and a museum.

Beautiful garden, perfect to escape from the crowd from the bamboo forest. The tickets are 1000 yen per adult. It worths it. You can have some tea or matcha (free) in the tea house. Then walk and follow the paths to enjoy the beautiful views. A nice experience we didn’t plan but it came out great!

When we planned this activity, it says it’s free entrance but then we went there and it costs 1,000 yen. It’s so beautiful here. You have to complete the loop to appreciate, takes around 1-2 hours

Really stunning Japanese garden, cannot recommend this enough. We were mesmerized at every turn, and the fall colors were so beautiful. Please note that it is not very accessible, there are a lot of awkward stairs so you’ll need to be able to maneuver pretty well.

The garden is really lovely and there is tea and water at the end of the trail. It's not fresh matcha but it is free so don't complain about free things. Please look carefully if you cannot find it. There are no sweets involved nor is it advertised when you buy the ticket. So don't complain about that either. The garden will close at 5:00 p.m. so if you want a full experience, do not buy tickets at 4:30 p.m. please be considerate of the other guests and staff and please do not be the tourist at yodels at the top of the mountain. Please do not complain about how many tourists there are in the garden. You are a tourist here as well? The view at the top of the mountain is 10 out of 10 and during the hike there are beautiful scenic points pretty much every 10 m you walk. Maybe there are cheaper and free gardens around. But if you can't afford the price of the garden, please don't complain about the price, the garden needs to be maintained and that costs money. I had a great time and I was curious about the negative reviews so hopefully this helps you to make an informed decision. I hope everyone has a great time except the inconsiderate man yodeling at the top of the mountain. I came in December and it was not crowded, but during spring and autumn it probably will be. I think it's illogical to complain about the crowds if you are a part of the crowd. Enjoy the garden 🏡