Sagano Romantic Train
A sightseeing train running 7.3 km along the Hozu River, 25 minutes one way.
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Sagano Romantic Train
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A sightseeing train running 7.3 km along the Hozu River, 25 minutes one way.
Unlike the windowed cars, its fifth car, Rich-go, has no window glass and is open to the wind.
MoreWhat kind of place
The railway opened in 1991 as a sightseeing line on a section of the Sanin Line (a main JR line) that was abandoned when the main line was double-tracked and electrified. Today it runs 7.3 km between four stations, and the current train retires on December 29, 2026, with a new one due in spring 2027.
With kidsThe part that matters
Rich-go, the fifth car, is the highlight: a glass roof overhead, a metal-grate floor and a ride a little faster than a bicycle. The line's eight tunnels are pitch dark.
A 3-year-old and a 5-year-old found them exciting, while a 2-year-old stayed straight-faced. At Saga Station, where the ride starts, a steam locomotive stands on display in the 19th Century Hall.
Next door is the Diorama Kyoto JAPAN, one of western Japan's largest model railways. So the ride is the main event, and the station fills the waiting time.
By age0-1 / 2-3 / 4-6
- Ages 0-1Two accounts show under-2s getting through Rich-go. A 1-year-8-month-old sat quietly on his father's lap in November 2021, and 1-year-6-month-old twins froze at the tunnel roar without crying, then both fell asleep on the return trip before Kameoka.
- Ages 2-3Two-year-olds took it in different ways. One who loves trains found the 25 minutes over in a flash (March 2024), and parents who had worried about taking a 2-year-old into glassless Rich-go found it safer and more fun than expected (before October 2022).
- Ages 4-6A 4-year-old enjoyed the ride, and her mother thought 25 minutes just long enough to enjoy the view without getting bored (an April ride). The same mother added that the dark tunnels might frighten some children.
By weatherRain, heat, cold
- Rainy dayRich-go can get wet in the rain and umbrellas are banned on board, so the operator advises wearing rain gear. Even so, a 3-year-old and a 5-year-old were thrilled by the dark tunnels on a drizzly August day in 2021.
- Hot dayThe ordinary cars have no air conditioning or fans, but once the train moves, wind passes through and the tunnels are cool, though it is hot while stopped. On a very hot day in July 2022, a 5-year-old and a 14-year-old were very happy in Rich-go's breeze.
- Cold dayRich-go is quite cold from autumn into winter, so bring a jacket or blanket for the children. A family with children aged 4 to 6 and 7 to 12 did not complain of the cold in December 2021, but a couple who rode in late January 2016 found it cold.
How was it with your kids?
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Family checks✓ easy for your family
- ElevatorElevator：with conditionsconditions
- Stroller OKStroller friendly：with conditionsconditions
- RentalStroller rental：not checked
- NursingNursing space：with conditionsconditions
- ChangingDiaper changing table：with conditionsconditions
- Family WCFamily restroom：with conditionsconditions
- Own foodOutside food allowed：not checked
- EnglishEnglish support：not checked
Tap a mark for details.
Not yet checked: 7
Lost-child support, Indoor / outdoor, Diaper disposal bin, Kids' toilet seat & step stool, Official family-friendly certification, High chair, Kids' menu
Green = we confirmed it. Gray = not checked yet. Gray with a line through = the place does not have it.
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Where to go next
With a baby (0–1)
- Togetsukyo BridgeStroller friendly10 min walkTogetsukyo is a 155-meter bridge over the Katsura River in Arashiyama, Kyoto.
- Tenryu-ji TempleZen temple & gardenStroller friendlyDiaper changing tableFamily restroom10 min walkA Zen temple from 1339 around a pond garden, Japan's first Special Place of Scenic Beauty.
- Arashiyama Bamboo GroveBamboo pathStroller friendly10 min walkA 400-meter path walled on both sides by tended bamboo, from a shrine to a villa.
With preschoolers (4–6)
- Tenryu-ji TempleZen temple & gardenStroller friendlyDiaper changing tableFamily restroom10 min walkA Zen temple from 1339 around a pond garden, Japan's first Special Place of Scenic Beauty.
- Arashiyama Bamboo GroveBamboo pathStroller friendly10 min walkA 400-meter path walled on both sides by tended bamboo, from a shrine to a villa.
- Arashiyama GyateiKyoto home-style set meals5 min walkA restaurant serving Kyoto home-style obanzai for about thirty years, with eighty seats.
For sights
- Togetsukyo BridgeStroller friendly10 min walkTogetsukyo is a 155-meter bridge over the Katsura River in Arashiyama, Kyoto.
- Daikakuji Temple15 min walkDaikakuji is a Kyoto temple that was once Emperor Saga's retreat palace.
- Tenryu-ji TempleZen temple & gardenStroller friendlyDiaper changing tableFamily restroom10 min walkA Zen temple from 1339 around a pond garden, Japan's first Special Place of Scenic Beauty.
- Arashiyama Bamboo GroveBamboo pathStroller friendly10 min walkA 400-meter path walled on both sides by tended bamboo, from a shrine to a villa.
Where it is
The address is Saga-Tenryuji Shakado-cho, Ukyo-ku, Kyoto, at Saga Station.source
Before you go
- A child cannot stay in the stroller on board: fold it and carry it to your own seat, as the operator's FAQ says. A 2025 blogger wrote that even a folded stroller was not allowed, so bring a baby carrier for a small child, and fold the stroller as soon as you reach the narrow, crowded Saga platform.
- Every seat is reserved, and tickets go on sale on the official site at midnight one month before the ride date. In foliage season one visitor found the next three trains without seats (November 2023), on a Golden Week day another found trains full up to about two departures ahead (having bought tickets a few days earlier), while on a June weekday another bought a ticket on the day and rode an hour later. One visitor expected Rich-go, the windowless fifth car, to sell out first, so request it when you book.
- Online you can buy up to 8 tickets at a time, pay only with a credit card registered for 3-D Secure, and board with a QR code that appears only on the ride day. Printed vouchers, JR Pass and Seishun 18 Kippu tickets do not work. Cancel free until 23:59 the day before; no ticket can be refunded on the day, and Rich-go cannot be refunded or changed on the day even in rain. Rich-go can get wet in the rain and umbrellas cannot be used on board (the operator advises wearing rain gear).
- The one-way fare is 880 yen for adults and 440 yen for children aged 6 to 11, the same from any station, and there is no round-trip ticket, so you buy each direction separately. A 6-year-old not yet in elementary school counts as an infant. An infant on a lap rides free, one per ticket holder, but a second infant, or any infant who takes a seat, even under 1, pays the child fare.
- There is no toilet on the train, so go in the station before boarding. Saga Station, a 5-minute walk from JR Saga-Arashiyama Station (11 minutes by rapid train from Kyoto Station), has diaper tables in both restrooms, a nursing room in the 19th Century Hall and a ramp at the entrance. Arashiyama Station has 60 steps and no elevator, and the operator advises wheelchair and cane users to board at Saga.
- The far end, Kameoka, has almost nothing around it, and outside busy seasons trains leave hourly (Saga at :02 and Kameoka at :30, from about 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.); in cherry-blossom and foliage seasons extra trains run and times differ. The nearest JR station is Umahori, not JR Kameoka, about a 10-minute walk, and just under 15 minutes with a 1-year-old walking slowly; one visitor who went to JR Kameoka by mistake missed the train. A round trip from Saga is simplest, because you can board again straight away at Kameoka.
- The train runs from March 1 to December 29 and is suspended from December 30 to the end of February. A Kameoka city listing says Wednesday is the closed day (running on holidays, and in spring break, Golden Week, summer break and foliage season), while another says closures are irregular, so check the operator's timetable; October 14 and 21, 2026 are no-service days. From October 24 to December 29, 2026, the line is lit up from 16:30 until the last train, and extra "Fantasy Train of Light" trains are planned; their times are on the operator's site.
Sources and evidence (62)
- The nursing room is inside the 19th Century Hall at Saga Station only; no other station is listed as having one.source
- Saga Station has diaper-changing tables in both the women's and the men's restrooms.source
- Saga Station has a restroom, an accessible multipurpose restroom and a ramp.source
- The operator's FAQ says to fold the stroller and carry it to your own seat; it cannot be used open on board.source
- One 2025 blogger wrote that even a folded stroller was not allowed; two other accounts say a folded stroller was carried on.source
- Kameoka Station has a restroom, an accessible restroom, a ramp and an elevator; it is the only one of the four stations listed with an elevator.source
- Arashiyama Station has 60 steps between the platform and the ticket gate and no elevator.source
- In Jalan's visitor tallies, children aged 2 to 3 are the most common age group.source
- The one-way group fare for 15 or more people is 800 yen for adults and 400 yen for children; this is not the individual fare (880 yen and 440 yen, see #29).source
- The one-way individual fare is 880 yen for adults and 440 yen for children, according to a Kyoto tourism listing.source
- In August 2026 a rider confirmed one-way fares of 880 yen for adults and 440 yen for children, the same from any station.source
- Ticket windows at Saga Station open around 8:35 until the last train; Arashiyama opens around 8:50 and Kameoka around 9:10, and all three open around 8:35 in busy seasons.source
- Trains leave Saga Station at 9:02 and every hour at :02 until 16:02, on service days from March 1 to December 29; peak seasons add extra trains at other times.source
- Trains leave Kameoka Station at 9:30 and every hour at :30 until 16:30, on the same service days.source
- October 14 and 21, 2026 are no-service days.source
- A Kameoka city listing says Wednesday is the closed day, unless it is a holiday, and the train also runs on Wednesdays in spring break, Golden Week, summer break and foliage season.source
- The Kyoto prefectural tourism listing says closures are irregular and asks you to check the website.source
- Every seat is reserved; advance sales open on the official site one month ahead, and unsold seats go on sale at station windows except Hozukyo.source
- Advance tickets can be bought on the official site from midnight one month before the ride date.source
- Saga Station is about a 5-minute walk from JR Saga-Arashiyama Station.source
- Kameoka Station is about a 10-minute walk from JR Umahori Station.source
- From Kyoto Station to Saga-Arashiyama Station takes about 11 minutes by rapid train or 17 by local train.source
- One 2025 account describes the roughly 10-minute walk from Kameoka Station to Umahori Station as hard when carrying a child, luggage or in bad weather.source
- With a 1-year-old walking slowly in 2023, the walk from Umahori to Kameoka Station took just under 15 minutes, though a map app showed 8.source
- The address is Saga-Tenryuji Shakado-cho, Ukyo-ku, Kyoto, at Saga Station.source
- There is no toilet on the train, so use the station restroom before boarding.source
- Arashiyama Station has about 60 steps to the platform, so the operator recommends boarding at Saga Station for wheelchair and cane users.source
- A fare is needed from elementary-school age (6 and over).source
- One infant on a lap rides free per ticket holder.source
- A second or later infant needs a child fare.source
- Any infant who uses a seat, including a child under 1, needs a child fare.source
- A 6-year-old not yet in elementary school counts as an infant.source
- The one-way fare is the same whichever section you ride.source
- There is no round-trip ticket; you buy each direction separately.source
- Advance tickets go on sale on the official site at midnight, one month before the ride date.source
- Online booking allows up to 8 tickets per purchase.source
- Reservations can be canceled free until 23:59 the day before the ride; there are no refunds on the day.source
- A ticket bought for the wrong adult or child category cannot be changed; cancel and buy again, which is not possible on the day.source
- Online payment accepts only credit cards registered for 3-D Secure.source
- With a ticket bought online, you board with an e-ticket QR code on a smartphone, and the code appears only on the ride day.source
- A printed voucher cannot be used to board.source
- JR Pass and Seishun 18 Kippu tickets cannot be used.source
- Car 5 can get wet on rainy days, and umbrellas cannot be used on board (the operator advises wearing rain gear).source
- Car 5 (Rich-go) cannot be refunded, or its seat or train changed, on the day, even in rain.source
- The child fare of 440 yen applies to ages 6 up to under 12.source
- The train is suspended from December 30 to the end of February and resumes on March 1.source
- Saga Station has a ramp at its entrance.source
- At Kameoka you can board the train again straight away to ride back toward Arashiyama.source
- Rich-go can be requested when you book.source
- The 2026 autumn light-up runs from October 24 to December 29.source
- The light-up runs from 16:30 until the last train.source
- Extra "Hikari no Genso Ressha" (Fantasy Train of Light) trains are planned from October 24 to December 29, 2026.source
- A child cannot stay in a stroller on board (a 2024 visitor's account).source
- One 2024 visitor felt the stroller should be folded as soon as you reach the Saga platform, which is narrow and crowded.source
- A 2025 visitor found the boarding platform a little narrow and crowded.source
- Almost nothing surrounds Kameoka Station, and there is almost nowhere to eat lunch there.source
- One 2024 visitor expected Rich-go, the windowless fifth car, to sell out first.source
- One visitor went to JR Kameoka Station by mistake, missed the train while walking back to Umahori, and waited an hour for the next one.source
- On November 4, 2023, in foliage season, one visitor found the first train full, seated and standing, and seats gone for the next three trains.source
- On a June weekday, one visitor bought a ticket at the station on the day and rode an hour later.source
- On a Golden Week day, one visitor who reached the station found trains full up to about two departures ahead (that visitor had bought tickets a few days earlier).source
- A 2025 account advises a baby carrier for small children, because moving by stroller is much harder than expected.source
Basics
- Fee: The one-way fare is 880 yen for adults and 440 yen for children, the same for any section. Child fares start at elementary-school age; one child on a lap rides free per ticket holder.source
- Hours: Trains leave Saga Station every hour at :02 from 9:02 to 16:02 (extra trains in peak seasons). Service runs from March 1 to December 29, with some no-service days; check the official schedule.source
- Booking: Every seat is reserved; advance sales open on the official site one month ahead, and unsold seats go on sale at station windows except Hozukyo.source
Once you've decided
evidence & sources (6)
- Official: Nursing space, Diaper changing table, Stroller friendly
- jalan.net: Best-fit ages (guide)
- Official: Elevator
- Official: Family restroom
- Official: main site
| Nursing space | Yes | The nursing room is inside the 19th Century Hall at Saga Station only; no other station is listed as having one. | Web-checked | checked Oct ’26 | sagano-kanko.co.jp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Diaper changing table | Yes | Saga Station has diaper-changing tables in both the women's and the men's restrooms. | Web-checked | checked Oct ’26 | sagano-kanko.co.jp |
| Family restroom | Yes | Saga Station has a restroom, an accessible multipurpose restroom and a ramp. | Web-checked | checked Oct ’26 | sagano-kanko.co.jp |
| Stroller friendly | Conditional | Fold the stroller and carry it to your own seat; it cannot be used open on board, and a child cannot stay in it. | Web-checked | checked Oct ’26 | sagano-kanko.co.jp |
| Lost-child supportExtra info — guide only | Not checked yet | ||||
| Indoor / outdoor | Not checked yet | ||||
| Diaper disposal bin | Not checked yet | ||||
| Kids' toilet seat & step stool | Not checked yet | ||||
| Elevator | Yes | Kameoka Station has a restroom, an accessible restroom, a ramp and an elevator; it is the only one of the four stations listed with an elevator. | Web-checked | checked Oct ’26 | sagano-kanko.co.jp |
| English support | Not checked yet | ||||
| Outside food allowed | Not checked yet | ||||
| Official family-friendly certificationExtra info — guide only | Not checked yet | ||||
| High chair | Not checked yet | ||||
| Kids' menu | Not checked yet | ||||
| Best-fit ages (guide)Extra info — guide only | Yes | Web-checked | checked Oct ’26 | jalan.net |
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