PhotoArashiyama · Ukyo, Kyoto

Couple photoshoot in Arashiyama

In short

A couple photoshoot in Arashiyama works best in the last half hour before sunset along the Katsura River, from the boat landing upstream back to the Togetsukyo Bridge; an extra hour ($150) adds Nakanoshima Park and the lamps coming on. It takes 30 minutes and costs from $220 for 15 edited photos within 3 days. No entry fees apply on this route.

Starting from: $220
Duration: 30 min
Edited photos: 15

Why here

Why choose Couple photoshoot in Arashiyama?

Arashiyama is usually sold as a dawn bamboo shoot, but the bamboo is crowded from mid-morning until dusk, and a couple does not need it. The river does the work instead. Late in the day the day trippers head back to the station, the hired rowing boats come in, and the low sun drops behind the mountain to backlight two people walking along the water.

How the shoot is planned

How a session in Arashiyama is planned

The route

We meet at the north end of the Togetsukyo and walk upstream along the riverside path, where the boats are moored and the gorge narrows towards Hozukyo. This stretch has trees on one side and water on the other, enough for walking frames without a crowd behind you, and we walk back to the bridge as the sun drops. With an extra hour, we then cross the bridge to Nakanoshima Park, using the weir for moving water behind you, and finish on the south bank looking back at the bridge as the sun goes behind Mt Arashiyama and the lamps come on along the road.

The timing

We aim to start about half an hour before sunset: around 4:15 pm in December, 6:30 pm in midsummer — or an hour earlier with an extra hour. Spring and autumn give the softest light, but late-November afternoons are also the most crowded of the year here, so in that fortnight a dawn session on the same route is the calmer choice. In July and August, cormorant-fishing boats go out on the river after dark if you want to stay on.

What’s included

What Couple photoshoot in Arashiyama includes

In the package

15 edited photos
One area, with the frames planned before the day
Direction for couples who have never been photographed together
Private online gallery within 3 days

Fees and permits on the route

Tenryu-ji: Garden about ¥500, buildings extra; 8:30 am–5 pm. No tripods; pre-wedding shoots need permission
Hogon-in: Open only in spring and autumn special periods, about ¥700; evening illumination in autumn with a separate ticket
Okochi Sanso: About ¥1,000 including matcha and a sweet; 9 am–5 pm. Personal photography only

Book online

Inspiration

Couple photoshoot: ideas for your shoot

Frames by photographers on Unsplash, credited below — the mood to plan your own shoot against, not our portfolio.

Photos: Jezael Melgoza, Jakob Owens, Elist Nguyen, HANVIN CHEONG on Unsplash

Before you book

FAQ — Couple photoshoot in Arashiyama

How much is a couple photoshoot in Arashiyama?

From $220 for 30 minutes and 15 edited photos within 3 days, with travel inside Kyoto included. Hair and makeup are $100, and a vertical reel shot alongside the photos is $120.

Can we include the bamboo grove?

In the afternoon it is full, so we leave it out. If the bamboo matters to you, book the dawn slot instead: the grove at 6:30, then the river while it is still quiet.

Can we be photographed in a rowing boat?

Yes, if you rent one at the landing and stay near the bank; the photographer shoots from the shore. Boats return before the yard closes, so this is the first part of the session.

Same shoot elsewhere